INTRODUCTION

Over the last several decades, resistance training has been pigeonholed into specific
categories. It has often been associated exclusively with bodybuilders seeking freakish
amounts of muscle mass, athletes pushing the limits of their maximum physical
strength potential, or as a tool for general population individuals to simply lose body fat
or gain muscle. These associations aren't incorrect, but they're just a few specific
mechanisms of the large spectrum of benefits resistance training offers.

My primary goal of this class is to shift our perspective. We want to move beyond the
conventional views and dive into the impact resistance training can have on the overall
quality of life. This class is not just about gaining muscle or losing fat; it's about
understanding the power of resistance to move closer to a life of vigor, vitality, and
longevity.

Drawing parallels from our previous discussion around the Power of Aerobic, we will dig
into how the general population should approach resistance training. Like we discussed
the implications of aerobic work introduced by Dr. Kenneth Cooper in the 1960s can
have great health benefits for everyone, we will do the same for strength training. We
find that every form of exercise, when understood at its most simplest, most basic form,
offers benefits that transcend the superficial or what we only see on the outside. In this
class, we will explore the lesser-discussed but most impactful benefits of resistance
training.

Imagine a life where your body supports every endeavor with ease, where age doesn't
dictate your capabilities, and where every muscle, joint, and ligament functions in
harmony, allowing you to embrace life's adventures with enthusiasm. That's the vision
we're chasing, and through this class, we aim to lay down the foundational knowledge
and tools to make this vision a tangible reality for everyone, regardless of experience.

By the end of this class, I hope you'll not only see resistance training as a tool for
physical transformation but also as a lifelong companion that enhances every facet of
your life.

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MECHANISMS AND BENEFITS OF RESISTANCE

Resistance training, at its core, is about placing intentional stress on the body to induce
positive adaptations. It's a balance between external load and internal resilience, one
where the body responds, recovers, and flourishes. But what exactly happens beneath
the skin when we squat, push, pull, etc?

Understanding Resistance

Resistance training involves using an external load or bodyweight to induce muscular

contractions, creating a mechanical stress that microscopically tears muscle fibers.
This intentional damage might sound counterintuitive, but it is precisely what leads our
body into a state of repair, resilience, and growth…we would call this adaptation. The
outcome? Enhanced endurance, motor control, muscle endurance, muscle strength, and
so on.

Mechanisms of Resistance Training

Mechanisms, in the context of exercise, refer to the underlying processes or

physiological pathways that translate specific exercises into tangible adaptations.
These mechanisms show the cause-and-effect relationship between exercise and the
ensuing physiological responses. Below are some examples of mechanisms at play
during resistance training.

● Muscle Fiber Recruitment and Activation: When lifting weights, our body recruits
an increasing number of muscle fibers to generate the necessary force. This
recruitment challenges the muscles, priming them for growth and strength.
● Hypertrophy: Resistance training acts as a catalyst for protein synthesis within
muscles, leading to hypertrophy, or the enlargement of muscle cells. This is the
foundation of muscle growth.
● Neural Adaptation: The benefits aren't just muscular; they're neural. Resistance
training refines neural pathways, enhancing muscle activation, coordination, and
force production.
● Motor Control and Balance: Resistance training is pivotal for neuromuscular
coordination, refining movement quality, balance, and overall coordination.

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 ● Metabolic Adaptations: Resistance training is extremely metabolically
demanding. It optimizes muscle metabolism, enhancing energy utilization, fat
burning, blood sugar control, and even the overall metabolic rate.
● Connective Tissue Strengthening: Beyond muscles, resistance training fortifies
tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues, synthesizing proteins like
collagen, bolstering joint stability, and minimizing injury risks.
● Bone Density Augmentation: Bones aren't static; they're living tissues. Resistance
training stresses bones, prompting remodeling processes that enhance mineral
density, offering protection against conditions like osteoporosis.
● Joint Function and Stability: By strengthening the muscles surrounding joints,
resistance training offers stability and minimizes injury risks, especially in pivotal
weight-bearing joints.
● Cardiovascular Health: Often overshadowed by its musculoskeletal benefits,
resistance training also increases cardiovascular health by refining resting heart
rate, blood pressure, arterial function, and overall cardiorespiratory abilities.

The Deeper Benefits

While the physiological benefits of resistance training are commonly acknowledged, its
broader implications for life are incredible. Imagine a senior losing their autonomy due
to an inability to climb stairs or use a restroom independently. Such seemingly simple
tasks involve complex movements like lunging, pushing, squatting, and core
stabilization. Resistance training prepares us for these life challenges.

Also, the hormonal benefits for both men and women, the lessons in recovery, and the
ability to withstand challenging activities are invaluable. But remember, like all things,
moderation is key. It's about fitness for life, not short term gains and fat loss.

The Mind's Muscle

Resistance training's psychological benefits are a treasure trove waiting to be explored.

Overcoming physical resistance, adapting to challenges, and recovering from them not
only sculpts the body but also the mind. Conquering a weight or mastering a movement
infuses a sense of accomplishment, flooding the brain with feel-good neurotransmitters
like dopamine. But, as with all things, balance is essential. While resistance training can
be a powerful ally, it shouldn't become a crutch. How do you feel on days you skip it?
That's worth pondering.

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RESISTANCE FRAMEWORK

Ok, now let's dig into laying out a framework for resistance training. You can think of this
framework like a lifecycle for resistance training. This framework serves as the
backbone of the strength training for life, guiding our every move, keeping us honest
during its implementation.

At the heart of our resistance training framework lies the concept of functional
movement patterns. These aren't the isolated, specific movements like shoulder
abduction or ankle dorsiflexion. While these undeniably exist and play their roles, our
focus is broader. We center our attention on six foundational patterns that encompass
the entirety of human movement: Squat, Bend, Lunge, Push, Pull, and Core. These
patterns form the foundation of resistance training. Instead of getting lost in the myriad
of individual movements, we ask: How can these specific movements support and
enhance our primary patterns?

Digging a bit deeper into this approach, we have the contraction continuum
framework—a structured progression model that we teach in our OPEX Coaching
Certificate (CCP) program. This continuum begins with mastering motor control, laying
the foundation for movement. Once this is achieved, we progress to building strength
endurance, and eventually, we challenge ourselves with maximum contractions.

For the purpose of this class, we'll keep the spirit of this framework, but will simplify
even more by placing it into two separate and linear phases: Learning and Doing.

● Learning: Before diving into the advanced, complex, or varied realms of

resistance training, one must first master the basics. This learning phase is
dedicated to understanding and perfecting the six functional global movement
patterns. Depending on an individual's prior movement experience, genetic
makeup, and adaptability, this phase can span from a few months to several
years. How do we gauge the successful completion of this phase? To understand
how to perform a simple assessment on your client, visit our class here in
LearnRx Coaches Eye, but a simple litmus test exists. Ask yourself: Can the
individual execute each of the six patterns with efficiency and precision?
● Doing: Post the learning curve lies the realm of doing. This isn't about relentlessly
chasing newer goals or pushing boundaries at all times. Instead, it's about
consistency. It's about ingraining resistance training into one's lifestyle, ensuring

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 that each of the six patterns is addressed, practiced, and challenged regularly.
Yes, within this domain, there's room for specific goals—be it muscle building,
enhancing strength, or boosting endurance. However, in the grand scheme of
life-long vitality, these objectives are secondary. The primary goal is consistency,
ensuring that the practice of resistance training becomes as routine and
indispensable as brushing our teeth…we just do it.

WEEKLY SPLIT

We can go down a huge rabbit hole when it comes to what kind of split we go with to
implement resistance training. With many variables at play, from experience to
individual goals, the challenge lies in creating a split that's both effective and
sustainable. But for the purpose of this class, I will propose an “optimal” (for most)
scenario: A split that incorporates resistance training 3 times per week, targeting the
entire body in each session.

3 Times Per Week

Training three times per week strikes a solid balance between exertion and recovery. But
why 3? Empirical experience and research suggests there is something special about
lifting weights 3 times per week. When total volume is constant, frequent training
sessions can lead to superior muscle growth. This frequency taps into and maintains
the protein synthesis in muscles, an important process leading to muscle growth.
Although our emphasis is on training movement patterns rather than isolated muscles,
a 3 times weekly split ensures most muscles are exposed at least 2 times a week, given
a full-body approach.

While strength gains can be witnessed even with minimal training (1-4 sets weekly), the
most significant improvements occur with higher volumes (10+ sets weekly). A 3-day
split, with an average of 3-4 sets per pattern, aligns with this volume, maximizing
strength gains without overstepping into diminishing returns and doing too much for
most.

Full Body Resistance (FBR)

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The goal with this approach is to target the entire body (upper and lower) in each
session. Why? The high frequency offers multiple opportunities for skill development
and motor control. While it's particularly advantageous for beginners, due to the
repeated exposure facilitating pattern learning, intermediate and advanced trainees can
reap substantial benefits from the frequent exposure to FBR as mentioned above.

The Ideal Split

An optimal resistance training split isn't just about resistance; it's a blend, factoring in
aerobic exercise and outdoor, in nature, activities. For a deeper dive into aerobic
activities, our class "The Power of Aerobics" provides some great insights here.

Here's a proposed daily layout:

DAY TRAINING

Monday Full Body Resistance

Tuesday Easy Aerobic

Wednesday Full Body Resistance

Thursday Easy Aerobic

Friday Full Body Resistance

Saturday Tough Aerobic

Sunday Easy Aerobic (preferable outdoors)

If we dig into what we are doing specifically on these FBR days, the possibilities are
endless and we can get creative based on goals, priorities, number of exercises, etc.
Below is a very simple example that can be customized based on goals, exposure, and
any other client specific consideration.

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 ● Monday:
● A1. Squat (compound)
● A2. Pull (compound)
● B1. Push (accessory)
● B2. Bend (accessory)
● C1. Lunge (accessory)
● C2. Core (accessory)
● Wednesday:
● A1. Bend (compound)
● A2. Push (compound)
● B1. Pull (accessory)
● B2. Squat (accessory)
● C1. Lunge (accessory)
● C2. Core (accessory)
● Friday:
● A1. Lunge (compound)
● A2. Pull (compound)
● B1. Push (accessory)
● B2. Bend (accessory)
● C1. Squat (accessory)
● C2. Core (accessory)

This example includes compound and accessory exercises, ensuring a well-rounded and
balanced approach to exercise selection that we are hitting in compounds. Also,
assuming that each pattern includes 3 sets per bout, we are performing a balanced 9
sets per week per pattern. If we increase to 4 sets, we are performing 12 sets per week
per pattern (which might be overkill for most clients).

EXERCISE SELECTION

The topic of exercise selection is always a tricky one as it always comes down to a few
considerations, here are a few that we see over and over-

1. Capabilities- What exercises is the person capable of doing?

2. Intent- What is the goal of the program?
3. Interest- What kinds of exercises does the individual enjoy performing?

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 4. Access- What kind of equipment does the
individual have access to?

Capabilities

Each individual's abilities and limitations play an

important role in exercise selection. While one
client might be capable of performing compound
lifts effectively, another might only be at a place
where they are able to perform machine work,
bodyweight exercises, and more accessory-type
exercises. Things such as lack of mobility,
structural imbalance, experience, strength, past
injuries, and motor control significantly influence
what exercises an individual can safely and
effectively perform.

Intent

The overarching goal of the training program

dictates exercise selection. Training for
hypertrophy would prioritize exercises that
maximize muscle tension, damage, and recovery
while strength-focused intent will focus on
exercises that create a neural response and the
ability to overload. Keep the mechanisms of
training in mind whenever you have a specific
intent and ensure the exercise selection can elicit
the proper response.

Interest

The level of interest and enjoyment of a training

program significantly impacts one’s compliance to
that training program. While it's essential to utilize
effective exercises that elicit the dose response you are looking for, it's also important
to consider what the individual enjoys.

Access

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The availability of equipment and facilities can't be overlooked. If someone has access
to resistance bands and a cable machine, you will be limited to the doses that those
implements can elicit no matter what the goal of the program is. While a fully-equipped
gym offers a plethora of exercise options, limited equipment or home-based settings
might require more creativity in exercise selection and a dose of reality when
considering what outcomes can be met with limited equipment access.

Compound vs. Accessory

Compound exercises, like back squats or deadlifts, engage multiple muscle groups
simultaneously, offering bigger “bang for your buck” benefits (depending on the intent).
They can be foundational to any resistance training program for some. Accessory
exercises, on the other hand, target specific muscles or muscle groups, refining and
complementing the benefits of compound movements.

Variation

Once one has learned to move through all six patterns of movement, it is my opinion
that variation is the foundation of the “Doing” phase of resistance training. Variation
offers a lot of benefits-such as continued interest and engagement in the program, the
opportunity to learn new movements, and a varied stimulus based on minute shifts in
exercise selection. Introducing variations or modifications to exercises can keep the
training stimulus fresh and prevent plateaus.

PROGRESSION

Progression is at the heart of any successful training program-it’s why we lift weights,
do aerobic work, etc…to progress by improving or for some, to avoid getting worse. But
what exactly does progression mean? At its heart, progression is improvement and
advancement, whether that's becoming more consistent, improving specific health
markers, for some, improving self-worth, or building confidence.

Understanding Progressive Overload

Central to the concept of progression is 'Progressive Overload.' It’s the systematic

enhancement of the training stimulus to continually challenge the body, leading to

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adaptation and growth. The idea is simple yet profound—incrementally increase the
training demands, ensuring that the body never quite settles, always evolving, adapting,
and improving. The concept of progressive overload trascents strength training or
fitness-it’s a concept that we can use across many aspects of life from work, to learning,
and more.

1. Training Stimulus and Adaptation: Progressive overload acts as the catalyst that
disrupts homeostasis, inviting the body to adapt, grow, and improve. It is the
interplay between stress and adaptation, where the body is nudged out of its
comfort zone, leading to increased resilience and adaptation.
2. Modulating Variables:
a. Exercise Selection: The exercises we do serve as the vessels carrying the
overload. While the specific exercises might not be the sole focus, they are
the mediums through which stress is applied, targeting specific muscles
or movements.
b. Repetition and Intensity: The synergy of repetitions and intensity used
impact the training stimulus. Varying these elements, based on the goal,
ensures that the muscles are continually challenged.
c. Volume: The cumulative training volume, or the total sets and repetitions,
is a key variable in modulating training intensity, particularly pertinent in
hypertrophy-focused training but has also been found to be important in
strength building as well.
d. Rest: The rest periods between sets and exercises are not merely passive
intervals but actively contribute to performance, recovery, and the overall
training effect.

Growth and Expression:

Progression means different things based on the training goal, primarily as it relates to
growth and expression.

● Growth (Hypertrophy):
● Focuses on structural adaptations, embodying muscular enlargement and
enhancement.
● The exercise selection here is versatile, primarily serving as a means to
apply stress to target muscles.
● Progression leads to subtle increases in reps, loads, or overall volume,
always keeping the muscle under sustained and evolving tension.
● Expression (Strength and Performance):

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 ● This aspect zeroes in on a more objective outcome, maximizing
load-lifting capacities, and honing neural adaptations.
● Here, specificity is important, where exercise selection really matters when
one wants to see improvements in particular lifts or movements.
● Progressive overload unveils itself through intensities and loads,
underscoring the importance of recovery and neural efficiencies.

PROGRAM DESIGN
Ok, now let's put everything together and discuss principles around designing a
longevity-based program for your clients. I will take the frameworks we discussed to
build a longevity-focused program design.

Define Intent

Before we dig into what the program will be, we must first understand where are we
trying to take the client? What is the intent? What are the objectives? For a
longevity-focused program, the intent isn't necessarily about reaching one’s maximum
physical potential, instead, it revolves around:

● Enhancing overall quality of life.

● Building functional strength that supports day-to-day activities.
● Promoting joint health and reducing injury risk.
● Encouraging consistent movement throughout one's lifespan.

The intent shapes the program's direction, ensuring every decision aligns with the
overarching goal of long-term health and vitality.

Build Split

Given the intent, a longevity-based program benefits from a balanced approach in

resistance and aerobics. As a reminder-

● Opt for a 3-day per week full body resistance.

● Incorporate the six foundational movement patterns regularly.
● If time allows, perform aerobic work on days where resistance training is not
done.

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Determine Exercise Selection

With a clear split in place, we can start to look at what will be in the program itself. Keep
in mind the 4 exercise selection considerations we discussed earlier-

1. Capabilities- What exercises is the person capable of doing?

2. Intent- What is the goal of the program?
3. Interest- What kinds of exercises does the individual enjoy performing?
4. Access- What kind of equipment does the individual have access to?

Before we dig in and design the program, let's use a sample avatar for context:

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The Program

Download the program HERE

This program is built on the foundation of longevity-biased principles of strength and

aerobic training. The main intentions of this design are to enhance overall quality of life
by building functional strength that supports day-to-day activities and a solid aerobic
base to support day-today activities. The program has two main characteristics

1) Move intentionally, daily

2) Variety in exercise selection for exposure and enjoyment

The program emphasizes prioritizing compound exercises in order each resistance day
while allowing for accessory-type exercises. You’ll notice a great amount of variety in
the training program to maintain engagement, align with his personal preferences, and
allow an opportunity to explore different exercises while sticking to the same split and
rep-scheme weekly. Also, he has earned the right to include variety in his training.

CONCLUSION
In this class, we took a deeper dive into the power of resistance training, not merely only
as a tool for strength and hypertrophy, but for overall health, well-being, vitality, and
longevity. We explored the fundamentals of resistance, from its physiological
mechanisms to its profound impacts on quality of life. By understanding the
foundational movement patterns, the principles of progression, and the importance of
individualized program design, we've painted a picture of strength training's potential.
This journey underscores the idea that resistance training is not just about the weight
lifted but about enhancing life's every facet. As you use these principles in you and/or
your client’s strength training program, remember to have great alignment with the why.

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