strength maintenance

jjs22

So I'm just getting into stretching and strength training at home. I've got a fitness ball and some dumbbells. I've bought a couple of books and browsed through many more.

My goal is just to be "fit". Muscles tight and strong enough to feel good, not worry about back or joint pain, not lose too much muscle mass as I reach my target weight, etc. I don't really want my muscles to bulk up much, and I don't care about being any stronger than I need to be for ordinary day-to-day activities.

My broader goal is for good diet/health/fitness to be just an ordinary part of how I live my life, not some big ordeal that I constantly feel like I'm forcing upon myself. So far the diet and aerobic parts are working nicely.

But one of the things that strikes me about the whole subject of strength training is the universal emphasis on improvement, on how to get the fastest results, new ways to really feel the burn, etc. I don't think I've even seen the word "maintenance" used anywhere.

So I'm wondering, is it just so trivial that nobody bothers talking about it ? Once I'm at my goal, do I just sort of do the same sets/reps without upping the weight ? Or just do the same workout a little less often ?

I'd love to hear comments from people who have managed to do "just enough" strength training. Or if there's some reason why this isn't a reasonable goal.

TIA

ItsMeLori

I'm not where I want to be yet but I believe once you are where you want to be you only need to strength train a couple times a week to maintain.

I am doing 30 Day Shred right now and hoping for some great results.

Good Luck!!

dannylives

First I would like to say I agree with you about the "how to get the fastest results" comment you made. If there's one thing I've learned throughout the course of being on MFP, it's that there is no quick solution; losing weight takes time no matter what those magazines say who are really just saying that to make a profit.

If you lift and lift weights for months on end, your body will burn less calories as it goes along because it gets used to the same thing day in and day out. This goes for runners too. A person who starts jogging will burn more calories the first month than they would say, the 5th month......, the reason being that their body was working harder during that first month because it wasn't used to it. Think about it, huffing and puffing for the first month versus doing the same workout months later which now turns out to be relatively easy.....the body isn't working as hard and therefore not having to burn as many calories.

I would say this applies too, to muscle training. Your muscles work on a 3 or 4 month cycle. One book I have says 3 months on, 1 month off. My personal training book (I'm not a personal trainer yet) has it at 3 months, or 2 months, or 1 month, the only thing required is to change something about the workout every month for whatever result you'd want i.e a light weight for about 12-20 reps for muscle ENDURANCE, a heavy weight for about 3-6 for muscle strength, or a moderate weight 8-12 reps for muscle size. Since you "don't really want my muscles to bulk up much, and I don't care about being any stronger than I need to be for ordinary day-to-day activities" I would say that you don't wanna train for strength or size, and to go for the endurance type of weight lifting.

But remember you have to change it up a bit every month whether that be a week of heavier weights once every month or two so you keep your muscles burning calories, and remember that after about 3 months to take a good week or two off to give your body a chance to repair everything. (this is the big picture, Im leaving out the rests you get during the week.)

If you want to do "just enough" strength training........I would say dont change anything up but remember your muscles will get used to the same routines and your maintenance will DECLINE because they aren't getting any new unfamiliar stress.

Also, look into circuit training, and supersets and tri sets.

glolilly

I am new here and I have a question about strength training calculations on the site. If I need 30 minutes of exercise and I did 5 sets of 7 reps arm raising with a dumbbell with an 8 lb. dumbbell for 4 different times, the excercise column shows the number 0. Can anybody explain that? Thanks!