Designing Resistance Training Programs

Book excerpt: Designing Resistance Training Programs, Fourth Edition, is a guide to developing individualized training programs for both serious athletes and fitness enthusiasts. In this updated and expanded fourth edition, two of the world’s leading experts on strength training explore how to design scientifically based resistance training programs, modify and adapt programs to meet the needs of special populations, and apply the elements of program design in the real world. Fleck and Kraemer provide readers with a thorough understanding of the process of designing resistance training programs from both scientific and practical perspectives. As with previous editions, the fourth edition includes comprehensive tables that compare data and conclusions from research on core topics related to design of resistance training programs. By summarizing research and content for the reader, these tables offer a study guide, on-the-job reference, or starting point for further research. Designing Resistance Training Programs, Fourth Edition, is the only resource available that presents the body of research in the field in this organized and comprehensive format. The fourth edition has been thoroughly revised to present the most current information while retaining the studies that are the basis for concepts, guidelines, and applications in resistance training. Meticulously updated and heavily referenced, the fourth edition contains the following updates: • A full-color interior provides stronger visual appeal for the text. • Sidebars focus on a specific practical question or an applied research concept, allowing readers to connect research to real-life situations. • Multiple detailed tables summarize research from the text, offering an easy way to compare data and conclusions. • A glossary makes it simple to find key terms in one convenient location. • Newly added instructor ancillaries make the fourth edition a true learning resource for the classroom. Designing Resistance Training Programs, Fourth Edition, begins by outlining the principles of resistance training and exercise prescription, and examines the various types of strength training, including isometrics and eccentric training. This is followed by a discussion of resistance training from a physiological perspective and an overview of how resistance training programs interact with the other conditioning components such as aerobic, interval, plyometric, and flexibility training. Readers will then explore advanced training techniques, how to manipulate training variables in a long-term resistance training program, and ways to plan rest into long-term training that minimizes losses in fitness or performance gains. An important text for students, researchers, and practitioners, this textbook offers the information and tools to help readers evaluate resistance training programs and better understand the context and efficacy of new data findings in this ever-changing field. Designing Resistance Training Programs, Fourth Edition, is an essential resource for understanding the science behind resistance training and designing evidence-based resistance training programs for any population. This text provides the tools for understanding and designing resistance training programs for almost any situation or need.