RESISTANCE TRAINING- Then and now.

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is the only choice you have”.


Earlier, whenever we heard of the term “resistance training” the first thing that used to come to our minds was those huge, bulky, sweaty men with carved muscles lifting tones of weights beyond our strength. But times have changed, resistance training is looked upon and used very differently and efficiently now. Men and women are equally active and benefited with the resistance exercises nowadays.
Resistance training in simple words is the exercise done with the help of weights i.e. an external opposing force most commonly in the form of dumbbells, weight cuffs, therabands, medicine balls, barbells, water bottles, bricks, etc. resistance training is now in the limelight as it has shown beneficial results over the decade.

Resistance exercises allows your muscles (skeletal muscles) to contract voluntarily. The contraction is helping in gaining muscle strength, muscle mass, muscle tone and endurance. Resistance training is a major part of rehabilitation program. After recovery from an injury which resulted in several days of immobility and loss of muscle function. Teaching Strengthening exercises is an important step to be followed by a physiotherapist after the signs and symptoms of the injury or any other musculoskeletal condition subsides. It helps regain the muscle power and strength which was once lost.
Resistance exercises can take some major forms like;
Open kinetic chain exercises and closed kinetic chain exercises.
Open kinetic chain exercises are those in which the hands and feet can be freely moved. The open kinetic chain exercises allows a limited range of muscles of the body to be benefited. Whereas the closed chain exercises includes fixing of the body parts and hence more muscles can be put to use. Open chain exercises can be bicep curls, triceps extensions, bench press, leg extensions, etc. closed chain exercises include push-ups, pull-ups, dips, planks, squats, lunges etc. closed chain exercises enables a co-contraction of many different muscles.

Another type of resistance training can be done with the help of free weights, this is one the most effective type of resistance exercises. As there is an increased amount of resistance in the form of an external force. It increases the amount of work to be done by both primary and secondary muscles (stabilizers).

One more type of resistance exercises may be with the help of resistance machines which are usually available in gyms and rehabilitation centers. It is a good alternative for beginners who has very less muscle strength as it provides a stable and safe mode of exercise. There is no chance of fall of weight on your legs while you cannot hold it efficiently due to weak muscles. There are less number of steps that you need to remember as well as the exercises will be performed only in a certain limit set on the machines. But once the patient gains enough muscle strength it becomes important to move to the next step and start taking up challenges as this type of exercise becomes an easier one. Seated chest press, seated shoulder press, seated leg press, rowing machine etc. can be found in a gym or a rehabilitation center set up.
‘Aqua-therapy’ commonly called as ‘hydrotherapy’ provides an excellent amount of resistance to the limbs along with low impact on joints due to water’s property of buoyancy. Resistance is provided in water against its flow in all directions. There is a higher amount of resistance provided by the water as compared to exercising on land. And hence a better resistance training can be achieved. One more significance of exercise in water is that there are no weights no machines to tolerate while exercising.

Resistance training at later stages and higher levels may lead to micro-traumas in the muscle fibers. But that’s not a matter of concern as the micro-traumas eventually gets healed on their own on taking some rest. So here, rest also becomes an important factor after every exercise session as it promotes healing.

Before beginning with the resistance training there are certain measures that you must keep in mind.  Use the right weight, begin with less amount of weight in initial stages and gradually increase the weight in later stages. Beginning up with the large amount of weight might cause injury and increased pain also, too less weight may not show results and there might not be any progress and improvement in the muscle strength. Pay attention to the frequency, training same muscle repeatedly may leads to a reduced muscle growth. Give your muscles break intervals of 2-3 days.

Regaining lost muscle strength after a trauma or injury is a great achievement. Whenever a patient comes to a physiotherapist with a weak muscle helping that person to regain his muscle strength is an achievement for a physiotherapist too. Both the patient and the physiotherapist gain more strength and confidence. Know a little more about resistance training and try to implement it in your life in the right way.

Take Care,


Jasrah Javed.

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