What qualifies as strength training?

FitFabFlirty92
FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is it anything involving weights, even 5lb. dumbbells, or is it just lifting heavy? Does it include resistance bands, or is that strictly resistance training? Just trying to understand the terminology. I like low weights and high reps (not popular here, I know), but don't know if it counts as strength training.

Replies

  • Jynus
    Jynus Posts: 519 Member
    resistance training is anything where you use resistance of any type to make the muscles do work above the lactic acid threshold.

    strength training is a subset of resistance training which involves maximal loads in which you achieve total muscular failure in a very short time frame. <30 seconds.

    weight training is a subset of resistance training using weights as your preferred method of creating resistance.

    endurance training is a subset of resistance training where you train above the lactic acid threshold in order to push it back allowing you to perform above cardio capacity for longer time periods. Things like low weight and high reps.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
    resistance training is anything where you use resistance of any type to make the muscles do work above the lactic acid threshold.

    strength training is a subset of resistance training which involves maximal loads in which you achieve total muscular failure in a very short time frame. <30 seconds.

    weight training is a subset of resistance training using weights as your preferred method of creating resistance.

    endurance training is a subset of resistance training where you train above the lactic acid threshold in order to push it back allowing you to perform above cardio capacity for longer time periods. Things like low weight and high reps.

    Aaah, I see. Thank you so much, that makes sense. :) Stinks that I thought I was doing strength training and really wasn't, but I'll live.
  • LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo
    LaMujerMasBonitaDelMundo Posts: 3,634 Member
    Is it anything involving weights, even 5lb. dumbbells, or is it just lifting heavy? Does it include resistance bands, or is that strictly resistance training? Just trying to understand the terminology. I like low weights and high reps (not popular here, I know), but don't know if it counts as strength training.
    For starters who never lifted before, a 5 lb. weight can be considered "heavy". Heavy lifting doesn't mean you have to lift weights that are equal to a wrestler's body weight. It means the load is heavy enough that you can finish it for 10 reps max in good form.

    Like Jynus said, strength training involves maximal loads in which you achieve total muscular failure in a very short time frame. So if you are doing 15-20 reps, the weight is considered too light enough for your muscles to achieve failure & since our muscles need to be challenged in order to adapt itself by becoming stronger so doing that won't count as strength training.

    Also strength training isn't just limited to dumbbells and barbells. It can also be done with body weight (ex: push-ups) or challenging resistance bands. As long as it can make your muscle fatigue for max of 10 reps.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
    For starters who never lifted before, a 5 lb. weight can be considered "heavy". Heavy lifting doesn't mean you have to lift weights that are equal to a wrestler's body weight. It means the load is heavy enough that you can finish it for 10 reps max in good form.

    Like Jynus said, strength training involves maximal loads in which you achieve total muscular failure in a very short time frame. So if you are doing 15-20 reps, the weight is considered too light enough for your muscles to achieve failure & since our muscles need to be challenged in order to adapt itself by becoming stronger so doing that won't count as strength training.

    Also strength training isn't just limited to dumbbells and barbells. It can also be done with body weight (ex: push-ups) or challenging resistance bands. As long as it can make your muscle fatigue for max of 10 reps.

    Thank you so much. For me, 5lbs. is pretty heavy when I start out, sometimes I even bump it down to 3lbs. depending on which video I'm doing, but it's always about 15 reps or so, not 10.

    So I guess my next question is if what I'm doing technically isn't strength training, what are the benefits of it for my body? What are my little 5lb. dumbbells going to do for my muscles, if anything, if I'm really pushing myself and working hard, which I do?
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    Anything that overloads the muscles prompting growth.

    The only part of your body 5lbs wil lstrengthen is if you do tongue curls.
  • literatelier
    literatelier Posts: 209 Member
    So I guess my next question is if what I'm doing technically isn't strength training, what are the benefits of it for my body? What are my little 5lb. dumbbells going to do for my muscles, if anything, if I'm really pushing myself and working hard, which I do?

    I'm wondering this also! Is there a benefit to weight training if it's not endurance/strength focused? Does it just help to retain muscle?
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
    So I guess my next question is if what I'm doing technically isn't strength training, what are the benefits of it for my body? What are my little 5lb. dumbbells going to do for my muscles, if anything, if I'm really pushing myself and working hard, which I do?

    I'm wondering this also! Is there a benefit to weight training if it's not endurance/strength focused? Does it just help to retain muscle?

    If it did that, I'd be happy. I'm not really looking to build muscle, just to maintain what I have so that as the weight comes off, there's some nice lean, feminine muscle showing through. :)
  • usnharper
    usnharper Posts: 4
    Adding on to all that... what are good weight training routines/excercises for females? I dont want to bulk, I just want to tone... I go to the gym everyday and I kind of play around on the machines and stuff but I've never really been taught anything. I'm looking to lose 30 pounds... I've mostly just been doing cardio and changing my diet but if weight training is really that effective what is a routine I should step into?
  • jayche
    jayche Posts: 1,128 Member
    What I would consider strength training is working between 85-100% of your 1rm workload. Heavy is relative to the individual.
  • FitFabFlirty92
    FitFabFlirty92 Posts: 384 Member
    Adding on to all that... what are good weight training routines/excercises for females? I dont want to bulk, I just want to tone... I go to the gym everyday and I kind of play around on the machines and stuff but I've never really been taught anything. I'm looking to lose 30 pounds... I've mostly just been doing cardio and changing my diet but if weight training is really that effective what is a routine I should step into?

    If you're talking low weights high reps, there are a million DVDs. Jillian Michaels has excellent ones like 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30. If you're talking about just weight lifting in the gym, I've heard good things about the book New Rules of Lifting for Women. I can't speak from personal experience, but everyone here seems to recommend it.
  • crisanderson27
    crisanderson27 Posts: 5,343 Member
    Adding on to all that... what are good weight training routines/excercises for females? I dont want to bulk, I just want to tone... I go to the gym everyday and I kind of play around on the machines and stuff but I've never really been taught anything. I'm looking to lose 30 pounds... I've mostly just been doing cardio and changing my diet but if weight training is really that effective what is a routine I should step into?

    Bulking is a product of diet (over surplus), exercise (yes, heavy lifting qualifies), and testosterone (which you have very little of). Without all three, it's very difficult to 'bulk'. In my experience, heavy lifting is the SINGLE most effective form of exercise for fat loss, and for body sculpting (what you're calling toning). The beauty of it is, that you can do it until you're happy with your body image, and then scale back! For some reason many women seem to think that picking up a heavy weight will turn them into Jamie Eason overnight...when the fact is, you're the one in complete control :).

    So, if you're looking to burn some fat, and optimize the muscle you currently have (again, you can't build any reasonable amount of muscle on a calorie deficit), look into Stronglifts 5x5, Starting strength, or (this is my least preferred choice) the book 'New Rules of Lifting for Women'. Hell, if you don't have ready access to a gym with weights, or are intimidated by them (understandable, form is important and a necessary, sometimes overwhelming, but in the end rather simple thing to learn), look at my profile. I have a very effective 'heavy lifting' (meaning 5-7 reps to failure...which constitutes lifting heavy) bodyweight program laid out.

    Good luck!
  • Nataliaho
    Nataliaho Posts: 878 Member
    What I would consider strength training is working between 85-100% of your 1rm workload. Heavy is relative to the individual.

    This is what I consider to be strength training too, but it doesn't seem to be the broad opinion on here.... :shrug:
  • n0ob
    n0ob Posts: 2,390 Member
    You don't have to ask if it is really strength training. That's how you know.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    You don't have to ask if it is really strength training. That's how you know.

    this
  • 2gurl45
    2gurl45 Posts: 32
    This is a great thread! I've always stuck to cardio, and what I thought was strenth training was basically endurance training, low weights, many reps. I do like 45 lunges but still am able to do more..... Meaning I have to up my resistance. Was really confused about it till now. Thanks!!

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