The overload principle

If you want to see weight loss, well you’ve heard this before; you need to do some resistance training (weight training).

I’m sure you’ve see that overweight aerobics instructor at the gym that teaches 5 classes a day. Ever wonder why they they’re still overweight. It’s simple, your body will adapt to exercise, especially when you’ve been working out. Yes, the more physically fit you are the less it burns. Look at it like your car. If the engine is tuned (in shape) and the car is running well (not sick or injured) it burns less fuel than if it was not in good running conditioning. Make sense. Now if you haven’t exercised for a long time whatever you do will burn calories. Walk, jog, swim, dance, jump, do push-ups, no matter what you do weight comes off. Then it stops, why your body figured out what you’re doing and make the adjustments and becomes more efficient. Yes, you’ve hit a plateau. How do you avoid a plateau, change up your workout and the more fit you become the more you need to change it. Don’t let your body figure out what your doing.

So why do resistance training, well first it adds muscle, lean muscle. Yes, you’ll look fit. No you will not look like a Baltic potato farmer. If you female, you don’t produce the testosterone to develop big bulky muscles so don’t worry about “getting too big”. However, the more muscle you have the more energy you burn during the day. You can also vary your workout a lot! Yes, you can avoid a plateau!

So how do you increase lean tissue (muscle)? Resistance train and not with those 1 or 2 pound weights, you must overload your body. What is the overload principle? Well it means you lift weights (or objects) that are beyond the norm or habitual daily activity. So if you carry 10-pound sacks of flour all day using a 10-pound weight is not going to do it. You do that all day, thus no overload. I ask people, how heavy was the suitcase you took to China, or what did it weigh when you came back. How about how big is the biggest grandchild you still pick up? That’ s overload, you don’t do that all the time. If your grandchild weighs 30 pounds, don’t run and grab the 5-pound dumbbells. Here is another way to determine a weight. Do an exercise, if the weight is easy at the end of a set (total # of repetitions) it didn’t overload your muscles. So hopefully you’ll have a better idea about resistance training. This isn’t the whole story but it’s a start.

If you would like more information contact Dennis DiCamillo MS, CSCS*D, NSCA-CPT*D at 909-560-5230

Warning-You should not begin any physical fitness or training program without first seeing your medical doctor.