How often does the ACSM recommend an individual should perform weight training?
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Departments: Fitness Focus Copy-and-Share Dixie L. Thompson, Ph.D., FACSM, is the director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health and a professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport, and Leisure Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. doi: 10.1249/01.FIT.0000298466.37630.45 Strength training, weightlifting, and resistance exercise are terms for the use of techniques to improve muscular fitness. Many types of exercises can be used to improve strength. Some examples include traditional weightlifting exercises using barbells, exercises like push-ups
that do not require equipment, and strengthening exercises that use resistance bands. In each case, the person performing the exercise is causing the muscle to work against a resistance that will lead to muscular adaptations and increases in strength. Traditionally, strength training was common primarily among athletes and bodybuilders. However, the value of strength training is now recognized for almost everyone, and benefits go well beyond increasing strength. Muscles get stronger when they work against a resistance greater than they normally encounter. For competitive and recreational athletes, this may result in improved performance, but increases in strength also can provide important benefits for everyday life. For example, having greater strength will make common chores like lifting boxes less taxing. For older adults, the ability to lift and carry a bag of groceries will help maintain functional
independence. Research has shown that even people older than 90 years can still develop muscular strength when they perform regular strengthening exercises. Strength training also has a positive impact on bone health. In younger people, regular strength training can increase bone formation. Although bone is lost through the aging process, strength training can slow this loss. Achieving and maintaining good bone strength is important for avoiding osteoporosis and lowering fracture risk. Evidence
also suggests that regular resistance exercise can be beneficial in helping to control blood glucose levels, an indicator of diabetes. There is controversy about the role of strength training for weight loss. The types of strength training programs that most adults perform do not burn a great deal of calories and thus are less advantageous than aerobic activity for creating a caloric deficit. But muscle is a metabolically active tissue, and a person with more muscle will have a
higher metabolic rate. There also is some evidence that lifting weights when dieting will help minimize the loss of bone. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that adults engage in muscle-building exercises on at least two nonconsecutive days each week. Individuals should perform 8 to 10 exercises in some combination of upper body, lower body, and core (abdomen and back) activities. The number of
repetitions to complete with each exercise is dependent on goals, but 8 to 12 repetitions is the standard recommendation. Generally, more weight, and thus fewer repetitions, will yield greater increases in strength. Less weight and more repetitions will develop muscular endurance. Some warm-up activities (i.e., light aerobics and stretching) are recommended before beginning a strengthening session. Taking time to warm up will lower your
chance of injuries and improve your muscles' ability to perform the exercises. If you have joint problems, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease, it is best to consult your physician before beginning a weightlifting program. A fitness professional can help you select exercises and develop a program that will be best for your individual needs. You also can gather more information about strength training from the ACSM Web site
(www.acsm.org). Look for the downloadable brochures under the Resources for the General Public link. Section Description Brought to you by the American
College of Sports Medicinewww.acsm.org The American College of Sports Medicine released new recommendations Tuesday regarding the quantity and quality of exercise for adults. So now when health club and fitness center staff members are asked by patrons, "How much exercise do I need?" they can respond definitively, the organization says. In a position statement titled "Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory, Musculoskeletal, and Neuromotor Fitness in Apparently Healthy Adults: Guidance for Prescribing Exercise," the ACSM provides current scientific evidence on physical activity and includes recommendations on aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility. Consistent with the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, ACSM's overall recommendation is for most adults to engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week. "The scientific evidence we reviewed is indisputable," says Carol Ewing Garber, chair of the writing committee and an associate professor of movement sciences at the Teachers College of Columbia University. "When it comes to exercise, the benefits far outweigh the risks. A program of regular exercise - beyond activities of daily living - is essential for most adults." The position statement's purpose is to offer health and fitness professionals scientific, evidence-based recommendations that help them customize exercise prescriptions for healthy adults, and it is published in the July 2011 issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®, the official journal of ACSM. Here are the basic recommendations, by exercise category: Cardiorespiratory Exercise: Adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week. Exercise recommendations can be met through 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five days per week or 20 to 60 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise three days per week. One continuous session and multiple shorter sessions of at least 10 minutes are both acceptable to accumulate the desired amount of daily exercise. Resistance Exercise: Adults should train each major muscle group two or three days each week using a variety of exercises and equipment. Very light or light intensity is best for older individuals or previously sedentary adults just starting to exercise. Two to four sets of each exercise, with anywhere between eight and 20 repetitions, will help adults improve strength and power. Flexibility Exercise: Adults should do flexibility exercises at least two or three days each week to improve range of motion. Each stretch should be held for 10 to 30 seconds, to the point of tightness or slight discomfort. Repeat each stretch two to four times, accumulating 60 seconds per stretch. Neurometer Exercise: Neuromotor exercise, also referred to as "functional fitness training," is recommended two or three days per week. Exercises should involve motor skills (balance, agility, coordination and gait), proprioceptive exercise training, and multifaceted activities (yoga) to improve physical function and prevent falls in older adults. Between 20 and 30 minutes per day is appropriate for neuromotor exercise. In addition to outlining basic recommendations and their scientific reasoning, the position statement also clarifies three new points: 1. Pedometers are not an accurate measure of exercise quality and should not be used as the sole measure of physical activity. 2. Though exercise protects against heart disease, it is still possible for active adults to develop heart problems. All adults must be able to recognize the warning signs of heart disease, and all health care providers should ask patients about these symptoms. 3. Sedentary behavior is distinct from physical activity and has been shown to be a health risk in itself. Meeting the guidelines for physical activity does not make up for a sedentary lifestyle. "It is no longer enough to consider whether an individual engages in adequate amounts of weekly exercise," Garber says. "We also need to determine how much time a person spends in sedentary pursuits, like watching television or working on a computer. Health and fitness professionals must be concerned with these activities, as well." What is the ACSM recommendation for frequency of exercise for an individual of average fitness?All individuals should engage in at least 20–60 minutes of aerobic physical activity of at least a moderate intensity on at least 5 days per week.
What is the frequency of the training program does ACSM recommend to achieve muscular fitness gain?ACSM and CDC recommendations state that:
Every adult should perform activities that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance for a minimum of two days per week.
How often does the ACSM recommend stretching per week?The recommendations state that flexibility exercises two or three days a week should be incorporated into the fitness program. At least four repetitions per muscle group should be completed at each session.
How often does the American College of Sports Medicine ACSM recommend that individuals participate in resistance training?The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has recommended that resistance training be performed at least twice per week, with 8–12 repetitions of 8–10 exercises targeting all major muscle groups (1).
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