Are you new to the gym and maybe don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve been training Martial Arts like Muay Thai or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a while and are looking to improve your training and not sure where to start? Well if that’s the case, this is the article for you! This article is going to be your 411 introduction to help you find where to start! And you’re in luck because here at Hammer’s Gym, Nunawading we have state of the art Precor equipment, A Functional Training area and World Class Personal Trainer’s to coach you to your best! So, to start were going to look at some different types of weight training!
STRENGTH
Strength training is typically done in the 1 – 5 rep range with rest periods of 3 – 5 minutes and a total of 3 – 5 sets per exercise. You can also improve your cardio and conditioning while strength training by utilizing active rest periods by skipping, shadowboxing, walking or jogging. Depending on your goals / coaching you will likely find yourself training at %50 – or in the %70 or %80 effort demands. Also known as 5RPE or 7RPE – 8RPE. Strength training can be a great way to boost your athletic performance and is generally done with compound lifts / Powerlifts using Barbells but can also be done with Kettlebells and functional Training equipment too! It is also worth noting that if you are Strength training to boost your athletic performance to compliment your MMA, Boxing or Wrestling you don’t want to overdo strength training to the point your depleted and it is taking away from what you can do in your craft, so remember to leave some reps in the bank!
HYPERTROPHY
Hypertrophy training is generally done by body builders or anyone wanting to increase muscle mass (get jacked). Hypertrophy is generally done in the 8 – 12 rep range for 3 – 5 sets per exercise. During hypertrophy training you will grow on a cellular level, this is can be seen externally when you start noticing an increase in your muscles size, (pretty cool huh?) Hypertrophy is generally done with any area you want to grow, using Compound lifts and Isolated lifts. Hypertrophy is generally done in the 70% – 100% effort demands or 7RPE – 10RPE / till fail. The idea is to maximally break down your muscle fibres as much as possible so they can grow and heal back bigger so generally speaking your not leaving many reps in the bank when you leave the gym. It is important to note that for Boxers, Wrestlers or anyone who must compete in weight classes hypertrophy can make or break you. If you are wanting to go up a weight class and bulk up, Hypertrophy is for you. However, if you are not wanting to go up a weight class or if your already finding it tough to cut weight it may be best to take another approach to your strength and conditioning training, eg Strength, Kettlebells, Functional Training or Calisthenics.
CALISTHENICS (BODYWEIGHT)
Calisthenics training is a great type of training, it’s basically just a fancy way of saying body weight training. One of the best things about calisthenics is that you can pretty much get a full body workout anywhere. You can do a lot with a wall and a hanging bar or even some Olympic rings. Calisthenics is generally a great place to start for anybody wanting to get in shape as its already pretty much the path of least resistance, meaning there is more room for error while you learn correct form of basic exercises(imagine having horrible form with 100kg on your back, very bad idea!!) and can go at your own pace meaning if you can only do 5 reps that’s it, or if you can do 50 reps, you can still challenge yourself no matter your fitness level. Calisthenics is generally done in the mid to higher rep range as it is the safest option of weight training to train till fail with, so 50% – 100% effort or 5RPE – 10RPE. Calisthenics is great for anyone as it also builds cardio and endurance when training especially in those higher rep ranges. As you have probably figured out by now calisthenics is a great way to compliment any training type and is fundamental in any martial art or combat sport – Boxing, Kickboxing, Wrestling or Jiu Jitsu.
WHAT’S BEST FOR ME?
Well depending on a few factors of health / conditions, lifestyle, and your goals of what you want to get out of your training you’ll find your answer. There are benefits and side effects to each of the training types, so it’s important to find what is right for you, calisthenics is usually a good place to start but isn’t the be all end all of weight training. If you are unsure where to start or looking to up your game, you might like to book a session with one of our world class personal trainers to write you a programme to help you reach your goals and teach you correct form. That’s it for todays lesson, happy training yall!
