Open AccessResistance Training for Health and Performance
Author(s) -
William J. Kraemer,
Nicholas A. Ratamess,
Duncan N. French
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
current sports medicine reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.424
H-Index - 51
eISSN - 1537-8918
pISSN - 1537-890X
DOI - 10.1249/00149619-200206000-00007
Subject(s) - medicine , resistance training , flexibility (engineering) , physical therapy , physical fitness , insulin resistance , exercise prescription , physical medicine and rehabilitation , endurance training , strength training , obesity , statistics , mathematics
Resistance training is recommended by national health organizations for incorporation into a comprehensive fitness program that includes aerobic and flexibility exercise. Its potential benefits on health and performance are numerous; it has been shown to reduce body fat, increase basal metabolic rate, decrease blood pressure and the cardiovascular demands to exercise, improve blood lipid profiles, glucose tolerance, and insulin sensitivity, increase muscle and connective tissue cross-sectional area, improve functional capacity, and relieve low back pain. Many improvements in physical function and athletic performance are associated with the increases in muscle strength, power, endurance, and hypertrophy observed during resistance training. The key element to effective resistance training is supervision by a qualified professional and the proper prescription of the program variables. Proper program design, ie, that which uses progressive overload, variation, and specificity, is essential to maximize the benefits associated with resistance training.