What Is Fitness for Life?

Fitness for Life is an interactive blog for people interested in improving their health and life by engaging in a pain-free exercise program. I provide an opportunity for readers to talk about and ask questions about my daily exercise-oriented postings.

Resistance Exercise Training

  1. Q: What can be done to increase muscle strength and muscle mass?
    A. Only resistance exercise training can increase muscle strength and muscle mass. Muscle strength and mass can improve up to 50% with resistance exercise training.
  2. Q: Does muscle strength diminish with age? If so, how much?
    A: Muscle strength diminishes about 1% per year after around the age of 30. Loss of strength accelerates at the age of 60.
  3. Q: Does age diminish the strength gains that occur with resistance exercise training?
    A: Aging does not decrease the ability of the musculoskeletal system to improve in strength with resistance training. Strength gains are possible for individuals up to 100 years of age and older. Strength gains in older adults tend to occur in a “step-wise” fashion over several months, with periods of progress and periods of plateaus.
  4. Q: How soon do strength gains occur when starting a resistance exercise training program?
    A: Strength gains occur within a few days. The weaker an individual is before starting a resistance exercise program, the more strength gains occur and the faster the strength gains occur.
  5. Q: Do men who engage in resistance exercise training improve in strength faster than women?
    A: Men and women who engage in resistance exercise training increase in strength at the same pace.
  6. Q: Do strength gains occur at the same pace over time?
    A: No. Strength gains occur faster during the early weeks of a resistance exercise training program and progress slows later in the program.
  7. Q: What specifically is required for strength to continuously improve?
    A: Constant challenge and progression is necessary with an exercise program if strength is to improve. With resistance training, muscle and connective tissue will not gain in strength and function if these tissues are not always challenged with exercise. Challenge and progression may be accomplished by:
    • Increasing repetitions.
    • Increasing weight.
    • Slowing the speed down when engaging in exercise repetitions.
    • Increasing holding times.
    • Increasing exercise sets.
    • Adding “instability” to a resistance program.
  1. Q: How much resistance exercise training is recommended?
    A: Resistance exercise training should be carried out 2 or 3 times a week. For long-term improvement in strength and function, resistance exercise training should be part of a “periodized” exercise program. This means periods of less intense exercise should occur every few weeks.