BEGINNING WEIGHT TRAINING COURSE DESCRIPTION This 12 session course is designed for the beginning or novice weight lifter, or for those who have experience lifting but lack proper instruction. We will provide an understanding of the biomechanics involved, muscles used for a given exercise, and program development.  Four days of lecture, demonstration, and hands-on learning will provide the student with the basics in lifting and spotting technique, safety, benefits of weight training, weight room etiquette, and the ability to develop a basic weight training program.  The last eight sessions will be a practical application of what they have learned in alternating upper and lower body workouts. Supervision and constant feedback regarding technique and overall approach will be given. OBJECTIVES To encourage students to incorporate weight training into their lives as a part of their overall fitness regimen. To instruct the students in the proper and safe way to lift and spot weight training. To build the student's confidence in the weight room with the hope of reducing or eliminating the air of intimidation that is present in some weight rooms. To provide the students with sufficient information and knowledge to allow them to develop a weight training program that can be incorporated into their fitness needs. WEIGHT TRAINING Day 1 I. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION--CLASS POLICIES AND WEIGHT ROOM POLICIES A. Time of Class -- 10 minutes after hour until 10 minutes before the hour. B. Number of classes -- Only one absence is allowed if one wishes physical education credit. C. Make-ups can only be made on the opposite days of your class. For example, if students are in a Monday/ Wednesday class, they can only make up an absence on Tuesday or Thursday at 10:00, 1:00, or 2:00. D. Attire -- Students must wear shoes, elastic or drawstring waist shorts or sweats, shirt or sweat top that covers midriff. Zippers, buttons, buckles or any other object that can damage the upholstery are not acceptable. E. All weights should be put back on trees or racks when you are finished with an exercise. Weights should never be left on the floor or lifting bars. F. Philosophy -- To teach students the proper technique of lifting and spotting. To provide information for students to be able to put together their own program. To attempt to eliminate intimidation. To teach the course as a lifetime activity and a necessary part of fitness. G. Etiquette -- Proper gym etiquette is expected. Whoever is using the apparatus "owns it". One must ask for permission to work-in on an exercise. H. Progress -- Once all sets of an exercise have been achieved successfully, without the help of a spotter, the weight should be moved up minimally the next time you lift. There are 1/4 and 1/2 plates for the machines to assist in the transition to a heavier weight. I. Warmup -- A warmup is designed to prepare a specific muscle or set of muscles for intense exercise. The specific purpose of a warmup is to increase the temperature of the muscle and joint gradually by dilating the blood vessels in the muscle and joint area, which allows for a greater flow of oxygenated blood. The way the routines are set up, you should only have to warmup for the first exercise. A general guideline for warming up is to first spend 5-10 minutes of general movement, such as jogging, but involving those muscles about to be exercised as much as possible. This can be followed by performing the specific movement to be done with a very light (20%) load and then some light stretching. Move up to a 50% load and do some more stretching. This should be sufficient to prepare the muscle(s) for the lift. J. Stretching -- Flexibility is a major component of fitness and in itself is beyond the scope of this class. However, beyond the light stretching done to warmup a muscle for exercise, further stretching should be done at the conclusion of your workout when your muscles are at their peak temperature. This will permit adequate and safe stretching to optimize long term flexibility.   II. WORKOUT RULES A. Order of Exercise 1. Largest amount of muscle mass to smallest amount of muscle mass, eg., squats -- calf raises 2. Prime mover to assisting, eg., squats -- leg ext. 3. Agonist to antagonist, eg., leg ext. -- hamstring curls B. Sets, reps, and rest 1. Once starting exercise, finish all sets before moving on to next exercise. 2. On complex lifts (those involving 3 or more muscle groups), do 5-6 reps. (Bench press and squats). a. Due to necessity of nervous system to work towards synchronous firing and recruitment near 100% in order to get significant strength gains, one must work at a high percentage of their max., thus low reps. 3. On isolation lifts, do 8-15 reps. a. Object of exercise is fatigue not strength, thus high reps. 1. Maximize range of motion. 2. Keep momentum to a minimum. 4. Rest intervals vary from 3-5 minutes on complex lifts and 1:00 to 2:00 on isolation lifts (with a minimum of 72 hours between repeating a workout). C. Programs 1. 4 days/wk a. 2 days upper and 2 days lower, 3-6 sets/muscle group (all novice lifters will be on this program) 2. 6 days/wk (advanced) a. day 1 -- chest, triceps, shoulders; day 2 -- back, biceps; day 3 -- legs, lower back; repeat order (6-12 sets/muscle group) 3. 3 days on, 1 day off a. day 1 -- chest, triceps, shoulder; day 2 -- legs, lower back; day 3 -- back and biceps; day 4 -- off; repeat order (6-15 sets/muscle group)   III. COMPLEX LIFTS   A. Squats (glutes, quadriceps, lower back) May be done on squat racks or Smith Machine 1. Test class's Achilles tendon flexibility. a. If not able to squat all the way down with heels on floor and back straight with no bar, they must use 5 or 10 lb. plates under heels. 2. Stress joint alignment. a. Knees must follow wide path over toes. b. Bottom of neck (bar) should be directly over center of mass with a reasonably straight, flat back (bar on trapezius -- 1-2 fingers below top protruding vertebrate). 3. Head back and eyes up 4. Wide bar grip to help spotter 5. Angle of back does not change -- do not raise butt. 6. Spotting a. Squat with person (directly behind them). b. Arms underneath squatter's armpits and hands in front of squatter's shoulders. c. Counter any downward movement after initial upward movement has begun. d. Counter any forward movement.   B. Bench Press (Chest, triceps, anterior deltoid) May be done on bench presses, Smith Machine, or Hammer Strength Machine. 1. Technique should be stressed before strength. a. Wide grip is necessary (90 degrees for elbow joint when upper arm is parallel to the floor) to increase triceps and chest productivity and efficiency. b. Bar should follow path from nipple line to bottom of deltoid in order to keep bar within (cog) of the three muscle groups involved. c. Thumbs should be behind bar to ensure that bar stays over, not in front of elbow. 2. Symmetry should also be stressed to avoid injury. 3. Spotting should be from behind with both hands under the bar. (If spotting on the HammerStrength equipment, stand in front and help if possible) 4. Do not work through failure on the pressing exercises.   C. Incline Press (Chest, triceps, anterior deltoid) May be done on bench presses, Smith Machine, or Hammer Strength Machine. 1. Same technique as on bench press except path of bar--in this lift the bar should travel from the top of the chest to top of shoulder. 2. Strength will drop proportionately with increase in incline. You can expect to lift 10% less in the incline press. K. Spotting must be done from behind--on platform. (If spotting on the HammerStrength equipment, stand in front and help if possible) 1. Decline Press (Chest, triceps, anterior deltoid) May be Done on decline press only. C. Same technique as on bench press except path of bar--in this lift the bar should travel from the bottom of the chest to top of shoulder. D. Strength will increase proportionately with increase in decline. You can expect to lift 10% more in the decline press. E. Spotting must be done from behind. NOTE: One can expect to lift about 10% more on the decline press than the bench press, and 10% less on the incline press than the bench press.   DAY 2 IV. LOWER BODY DEMONSTRATION--ISOLATION LIFTS   A. Quadriceps (Leg Press) 1. Stress feet on end of platform and close together. a. Feet should be well in front of center of gravity in order to emphasize quads. 2. Stress back flat and heels down for safety. 3. Spotting a. Hold onto weight holder and counter any downward movement after initial upward movement. b. Do not allow carriage to stop at the bottom.   B. Quadriceps (Leg Extensions) 1. Position seat so that axis of knee is lined-up with the center of the axis of the machine. 2. Stress minimal momentum. 3. Concentrate on muscle doing the lift. 4. Spotting should be done under heels.   C. Glutes (Hip Extensions -- machine) 1. Line up joints (hips) with center of cam. 2. Maximize range of motion. 3. Keep momentum to a minimum 4. Do not spot.   D. Glutes (Hip Extensions -- floor) 1. Lying face down or on two hands and one knee 2. Raise and extend straight leg as far back as possible with toe pointing towards floor; must raise knee above hip. 3. No spotting   E. Hamstrings (Leg Curls) 1. Position seat so that axis of knee is lined-up with the center of the axis of the machine. 2. Bring leg brace down as tight as possible 3. Push against the handles in order to keep butt back against the pad 4. Dorsi-flex foot so that calf is stretched. 5. Being a flexion exercise, the range of motion should be checked and monitored. 6. Keep momentum to a minimum. 7. No spotting.   F. Erector Spinae--lower back (Straight Leg Dead Lifts) 1. Test flexibility a. If able to grab toes, perform the exercise from dead lift platform. 2. Stress fully extended legs. 3. Do not flex neck in any direction. 4. One hand under, one hand over the bar for better grip 5. Start light, work on flexibility; stretch at bottom. 6. No spotting     G. Gastroc-Soleus--calf (Calf Raises) 1. Put feet halfway on platform, place pad on lower back and butt. 2. Back should be parallel to floor and lower arms resting on pads. 3. With legs extended, stretch completely, and raise up on toes, maximizing range of motion. 4. Keep momentum to a minimum 5. No spotting   Day 3 V. UPPER BODY DEMONSTRATION--ISOLATION EXERCISES   A. Anterior Deltoid, Triceps (Behind the Neck Press) 1. 8-10 reps due to high stress on shoulder joint 2. Set starting position so that minimum effort is required for liftoff. 3. Same technique as other presses 4. With head bent forward and back against pad, take bar from base of head in a slight backwards angle from front of shoulder to rear of shoulder. 5. Spotting is same as with incline press.   B. Lateral Deltoid (Lateral Raises -- machine) 1. Adjust seat level to line shoulder joint up with cam. 2. Focus on elbows staying level with wrists. L. Keep chest against pad. 1. Head back, minimize momentum. 2. Exercise progresses from elbows at side until upper arm is past parallel to the floor. 3. Spotting must be done from behind with hands under lifter's elbows.   F. Lateral Deltoid (Lateral Raises -- dumbells) 1. In seated position, extend are completely by side With dumbbell. 2. With index knuckle at a lower position than the little knuckle (relative to being parallel to the floor), raise the fully extended arm slowly to just above parallel position (hand should finish slightly higher than shoulder. 3. Return to bottom, and complete all reps for that arm before switching to other arm. 4. Spotting can be done by assisting to raise the extended arm.   C. Lateral Deltoid, Trapezius (Upright Row) 1. In front of a mirror, standing position, knees slight flexed, narrow grip (3 to 4 inches apart); rotate shoulders forward, flex at waist. 2. Keep head up and raise bar to front of chin with elbows being the highest point. 3. Using the 30 lb. bar, is more practical for most. 4. Spot by stepping in front of lifter and assist in lifting the bar.   D. Pectoralis Group (Dumbbell Flies) 1. Lying down on back of a bench 2. Start with pair of dumbbells directly over shoulders with arms extended, dumbbell heads facing each other. 3. Flex elbows to about 160 degrees and bring arms down towards floor with dumbbells still in line with shoulders while rotating dumbbells outward so that they are perpendicular to the arm. 4. When dumbbells reach chest level, return to starting position. Do not change elbow angle. 5. Difficult to spot due while avoiding changing the elbow angle.   E. Pectoralis Group (Flies -- machine) 1. Adjust seat so that upper arms are parallel to floor while doing exercise. 2. Concentrate on: a. Minimum momentum b. Keep head and neck against pads. c. Keeping wrists, and elbows even with shoulders so that arms are parallel to the floor. 3. Go through full range of motion. 4. Spot by standing in front of lifter and assisting in bringing the handles together.   F. Pectoralis Group (Cable-Crossover Flies) 1. Standing position, knees flexed, flexed forward at the waist. Use the top attachments on the inside of the multi-purpose unit. 2. Bring hands (holding the handles) together by moving arms in a path that are perpendicular to the torso. 3. It is best to keep the arms flexed slightly at the elbow. 4. In order to get maximum contraction the elbows must come as close together as possible. Thus, the hands should actually cross.   G. Triceps (Triceps Extensions -- Cable-standing) 1. Feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly flexed, or one foot behind the other. Flex slightly at waist. Use the top attachment on the side of the multi-purpose unit. 2. Starting position is with elbows at side and back of hands as close to chest as possible. 3. While keeping elbows in place, pull bar down until arms are fully extended--return to starting position. 4. Minimize momentum. 5. Stress full range of motion. 6. To spot, step in front of lifter and assist in pulling bar down.   H. Triceps (Triceps Extensions -- Cable-standing) 1. Standing position, feet close together, knees slightly flexed. Use the top attachment on the side of the multi-purpose unit. 2. One arm at a time, elbow at side and in line with shoulder, forming a line perpendicular to the floor. 3. Start with maximum flexion at the elbow joint, palm up. (can be done with palm down as well) 4. Bring the handle down by pivoting around the elbow without moving the elbow. 5. Minimize momentum. 6. Stress full range of motion. 7. To spot, step in front of lifter and assist in pulling handle down.   I. Triceps (Triceps Extensions -- Cable-kneeling) 1. Brace feet against machine. 2. Do not allow elbow to go beyond edge of bench, flatten arm-pits to the back of bench. 3. Pull bar around and over head to gain starting position. 4. Minimize momentum. 5. Stress full range of motion. 6. To spot, step in front of lifter and assist in pulling bar down.   J. Triceps (Triceps Extensions -- Dumbbell-sitting) 1. Use either one arm or both by putting thumb and forefinger around dumbbell. 2. With arms overhead, form a line perpindicular to the floor with your elbow to shoulder. 3. Allowing maximum range of motion, extend arm from being bent at elbow to fully extended. Do not allow elbow to change position.   K. Triceps (Triceps Extensions -- Dumbbell-kneeling) 1. Kneeling on a bench or leaning over, flex elbow with dumbbell so that the dumbbell is at chest level. 2. Raise elbow so that it is stays higher than shoulder, allowing work against gravity throughout range of motion. DAY 4   A. Latissimus Dorsi (Pulldown - machine) 1. Adjust seat so that the elbows will go through a complete range of motion 2. Adjust leg supports to the top position. 3. Grab the handles with palms up, pull down without flexing arms until comfortably seated with legs in position. Knee the leg support to allow it to come down on the legs and hold them in position. 4. Pull handles down in a complete range of motion so that the elbows pass beside and behind torso. Return to starting position under control. 5. Keep momentum to a minimum. 6. Do not spot.   B. Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps (Pulldown - Multi Unit) 1. Adjust seat so that legs are snug against pads when as close to the machine as possible. 2. Grab handle, bend head forward, pull bar down to base of head, or under chin, return to starting position, and repeat. 3. Do not jerk bar or let body weight assist you. 4. To spot, help lifter pull bar down from behind.   C. Latissimus Dorsi (Rows - machine) 1. Adjust seat so that hands will pass along bottom of rib cage and elbows will not flex much beyond 90 degrees. 2. Position chest pad so that at full arm extension the weight does not come to rest. 3. While keeping chest against pad, pull handles so that hands come back to a plane in line with front of shoulders. 4. Maintain control of weight while returning to starting position. 5. Keep momentum to a minimum. 6. To spot, stand behind lifter and assist in bringing elbows back.   D. Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps (Long Rows - Multi Unit) 1. Grab handle and position body so that knees are flexed, back perpendicular to floor, chest out, and shoulders back. 2. Pull bar into lower abdomen while not changing any starting position, and repeat. 3. Minimize momentum. 4. Concentrate on pulling bar all the way into body (elbows behind shoulders) without cheating. 5. To spot, stand behind lifter and assist in bringing elbows back while possibly bracing lower leg against lifters back to enforce straight back.   E. Latissimus Dorsi, Biceps (Bent Over Rows - Dumbbell) 1. If working left side, place right knee and right hand on bench so that back is parallel to the floor. 2. Place left foot about one foot behind left hip. Start with left arm holding dumbbell in front of shoulder, fully extended toward ground. 3. Bring the dumbbell to hip in a straight line without jerking it or twisting the back. 4. Return to starting position, repeat movement. 5. Do the other arm. 6. No spotting.   F. Biceps (Biceps Curls - Preacher) 1. Adjust preacher bench so that the greater slanted end is facing you. 2. Stand and elevate or lower arm rest so that your armpit is "locked in" on the top, and all of your upper arm is against the pad. 3. Curl the dumbbell to the chin, return to start, and repeat. 4. Do the other arm. 5. Spot with free arm.   G. Biceps (Bicep Curls - sitting) 1. Sit on a bench, elevate leg of lifting arm by placing foot on a dumbbell. 2. Flex at waist so that entire upper arm of lifting arm is pressed against lower leg. 3. Foot should be elevated so that weight does not drag on floor at complete extension. 4. While keeping elbow-shoulder line perpendicular to floor, curl dumbbell up through full range of motion. 5. Spot with free hand.   H. Biceps (Bicep Curls - cable-standing) 1. Using either of the cables on the side of multi- purpose unit, stand with knees flexed, elbow at side. 2. One arm at a time, curl weight using bottom attachment. 3. Be sure to pivot the movement around the elbow, but do not allow the elbow to move. 4. Use full range of motion by bringing the arm all the way up and when returning to lower position, allow the arm to reach full extension.   DAY 5-12 VI. STARTING THE CLASS   A. Partners 1. For the sake of safety and adequate workouts, as well as learning to work with others in a gym, everyone should have a partner or spotter. 2. This can be in groups of two or three.   B. Weights and increases 1. Everyone should start light. 2. When you are successful for all of your sets of a particular exercise, move up minimally the next time. a. Minimally means 2-1/2 lbs. on each side for free weights, and a 1/4 or 1/2 plate on machines.   C. Maximum efforts on final two days in order to find out what level students should be lifting, and to teach people how to correctly go about doing a maximum effort. 1. There is an option on the final two days to do maximum efforts involving bench press, squats, and pulldowns. 2. If this option is taken, individuals should expect to be able to do either bench and pulldown on day 1 or squats only. Day 2 would be squats if you did bench and pulldown on day 1. 3. Rest and warmup are even more important for this effort than for a normal warmup. 4. A normal warmup should be followed, then do 3 reps at the weight you normally work out with (assuming you are doing 3 sets of 6) (for pulldown you may want to do 5-6 reps). After at least 3-4 minutes rest, do another set of 1-2 at 10% above your previous set. With the assistance of your instructor, decide if you should attempt another set of 5-10lb. increase. a. Every effort should be made not to be fatigued during a set or effort until you actually go for your max. b. With squats, expect to have to make large increment leaps as most students workout far below their ability. Be certain to have the instructor present and spotting when going for maximum efforts. c. You can generally expect pull-down max. to be within 10-20lbs. of your bench max.   VII. FOLLOW-UP   A. Regardless of how well you listened, there will be a breakdown in form and communication. The most common areas:   1. Squats a. Knees not passing over toes b. Heels not squarely on the floor or plate c. Butt comes up first d. Head not back   2. Bench press a. Grip not wide enough b. Too many reps c. Too heavy a weight d. Improper warm-up e. Not enough rest f. Too much help spotting g. Too much failure   3. Isolation machines a. Too concerned about success instead of technique. b. More than two people working out on one machine (too much rest). c. Spotter not paying attention d. Wrong order of exercise