Course: NVFC Health and Wellness Training Modules Length: 30 minutes Module: Muscular Strength and Endurance Module Overview Instructor Notes Instructor s background Purpose of lesson Module objectives Advocate provides a quick introduction to his/her background including name and qualifications/experience. Include information about the health and wellness program, if applicable. Also introduce students to the NVFC and why this training is being offered. This module is designed to provide information about muscular strength and muscular endurance. The instruction covers the differences between strength and endurance, health benefits and components of training, and considerations. Upon completion of the Muscular Strength and Endurance module, the participants will be able to identify and describe basic concepts of muscular training and apply the health benefits to their activities of daily living and job duties. The student should be able to: 1. Describe the importance of muscular strength and endurance. 2. Describe the health and job benefits of strength training. 3. Outline the four main components of training programs. Page 1 of 6
4. Describe consideration concepts including neutral alignment, activities of daily living, overload, and progression. 5. Identify concepts of specificity of training and relate outcome to desired job duty capability. 6. Describe importance of exercise sequence and range of motion. Lesson Content Muscular Strength and Endurance Muscular Strength Muscular strength is absolute strength, or the amount of total force a muscle can produce at one time to move an object. This used to be measured using the one rep max test for bench press and leg press/squat; however the one rep max test was found to be invalid and unsafe as the test usually resulted in the individual actually being able to lift more weight or ended up getting injured trying to lift the maximal weight. At this time there is not a valid or safe test to evaluate absolute strength as recognized by the American College of Sports Medicine. Muscular Endurance Being able to perform the same movement repeatedly requires that a muscle has enough strength and stay power that it can perform the movement in a skillful way without getting tired. A great example of muscular endurance is the 12-15 reps performed in sets of 2-3 during strength training workouts. Health Benefits of Strength Training The addition of a strength training program helps the exerciser increase their lean body mass, which helps them burn calories faster (and more efficiently) for energy and weight loss. It also increases their ability to perform activities of daily living, such as lifting groceries, shoveling snow, etc., with less stress and greater ease. The weight-bearing stress placed on the bones during strength training as well as the stress placed on the bones at the muscular insertions increases the bones ability to sustain stress and helps in the maintenance of healthy bone mass. Page 2 of 6
Strength training, when used for the total body, can help exercisers develop muscular symmetry between opposing muscle groups (chest, abs, hip flexors vs. upper back and shoulders, lower back, hip extensors). This symmetry can assist in improving and maintaining posture. Strengthening these groups also helps eliminate lower back weakness, therefore reducing lower back pain. Strength Training Program Components Recommended Frequency 2-3 days per week Intensity Volitional fatigue = 19-20 RPE: This means the muscle/muscle group can NO LONGER perform the exercise with good form or without recruiting other muscle groups to assist. As an example, if you need to swing the arms and/or sway the back to complete the final reps of a bicep curl. The goal is to stop 2-3 reps before volitional fatigue (16 RPE). Time For the beginning exerciser: 1 set of 3-20 reps (approx. 30+ min) 1 set of 10-15 reps if greater than 50 yrs old Type 8-10 exercises to include all major muscle groups (chest, back, quads, hamstrings, abdominals, shoulders, biceps, triceps) Modalities for Strength Training/Muscular Exercise Exercise machines Body Weight Exercise Tubing Free Weights Guidelines and Considerations Neutral Alignment The spine should maintain its normal s shaped curve during all activities. Make sure the shoulders are back, the chin is neutral, and the hips, knees, and ankles stay in alignment during strength training. Page 3 of 6
Kyphosis: coughing or bowing to the king. The upper back will be hunched, with the shoulders rounded forward and the chest lowered toward the floor. Lordosis: praying to the lord. The mid thoracic (lower back) region will have an over emphasized curve causing the shoulder to pull back and the buttocks to also be pushed back. Activities of Daily Living When possible, the strength training program should include exercises that mimic the activities a person performs on a regular basis during their day (i.e., step-ups for taking the stairs; squats for sitting and standing; etc.) Train Entire Body Make sure to focus on all muscle groups and upper body and lower body groups equally. This will help to prevent muscular imbalances of chest versus back, or hip flexors versus hip extensors, which can cause pain to the lower and upper back and impair flexibility. Muscle Gain PATIENCE with muscle gain is important. While the initial gain will seem huge (2-4 lbs in the first 8 weeks), the gain will plateau off and average at about 1-2 lbs per month. This is why we see people gain weight during the beginning of their exercise program and start to lose weight shortly after. Progression and Overload Increase in resistance takes the exercise more into the anaerobic threshold, which will decrease the amount of time the exercise can be performed. The safety standard set by the ACSM for increasing intensity, specifically resistance, is 5-10%. This means that when adding resistance, never add more than 10% for any exercise. 2-for-2 means that when the exerciser can comfortably perform 2 or more additional repetitions during 2 consecutive workouts, then they are ready to increase their weight. Specificity Training specifically for the movement pattern, speed, joint position, and type of contraction improve those specific movement parameters. Page 4 of 6
Exercise Sequence The small muscle groups of the body support the large muscle groups during exercise. For example, during a chest press the deltoids (shoulders) and triceps assist the chest in concentric phase (the up motion) of the movement, therefore those muscles need to be strong enough to assist the chest. If those muscles are fatigued, then the chest would have no assistance during the lift, which would compromise the exercise and safety of the exerciser. Speed Momentum is one of the largest contributors to injury during an exercise program. When the muscle starts to fatigue, it is a normal response to move faster to get it over with. However, increasing speed during the lift will increase the likelihood that form will break down and that injury will result. Use the bicep curl example given before the shoulders swing forward, the back sways for leverage and the weight is moving through the motion fast; injury to the back and shoulder is a common occurrence. When momentum takes over, the muscle is no longer performing the exercise. Using the 1,2 concentric count (upward motion) and the 1,2,3,4 eccentric count (lowering motion) will help reduce momentum and injury Range of Motion (ROM) The ROM used during any exercise should only be to the pain-free range of motion the muscle group acts upon. If there is pain at the joint, the exercise needs to be modified, either by lessening the resistance, decreasing the range of motion, or changing the exercise completely (i.e. changing lunges to leg extensions). Additional Resources American Council on Exercise www.acefitness.org ACE Personal Trainer Manual (3rd Edition) (ISBN 13:978-1-890720-14-8; ISBN 10: 1-890720-14-3) National Volunteer Fire Council www.nvfc.org Heart-Healthy Firefighter Program: www.healthy-firefighter.org Page 5 of 6
Module Review Instructor Notes Teaching trategies Suggestions to assist in getting the message across: 1. Organize your notes and points. 2. Ask your audience learner-centered questions. 3. Encourage discussion during the teaching. 4. Provide specific examples that impact the audience. 5. Ask for participation! For instance: 1. Ask your audience what the difference is between muscular strength and muscular endurance to begin engaging. 2. Exhibit some proper strength training techniques if you feel qualified, and highlight proper form. 3. Research some basic muscular strengthening workouts and bring them as a handout. Review Administer evaluation Allow time to review the main points of the course and to answer participant questions. The participant evaluation should be completed at the end of the module and returned to the instructor. Evaluations should be submitted to the NVFC. Page 6 of 6