Weight Training
Final Study Guide
Benefits and Cautions
Benefits:
Weight Control: The more muscle a person has the more calories he/she
will burn while at rest. Muscle is a high-metabolic tissue while fat is a storage
tissue.
Weight Gain: Increasing muscle mass is a healthy and beneficial way to
increase weight without adding to fat stores.
Appearance: Weight training will increase muscle size and tone. This
will improve posture as well as shape and tone body parts.
Time: You can condition and strengthen muscles in a shorter amount of
time by increasing the resistance. This will allow you to reach muscle fatigue in
a shorter amount of time.
Energy: More work can be done with less effort as muscle strength is
increased.
Injury Prevention: Stronger muscles will withstand more forceful impacts
during an activity. Stronger muscles are also more resistant to tearing or
rupturing.
Bone Strength: Weight training will increase bone density.
Flexibility: Moving the weight through its full range of motion will
stretch and tone the muscle.
Balance: Stronger muscles that are more fatigue-resistant will improve an
individual’s balance. This can decrease the chances of a fall that may lead to
injury.
Cholesterol: Strength training lowers cholesterol after 3 to 4 months of
training.
Psychological Benefits: Increased confidence in appearance and self-
esteem as well as decreased stress and depression.
Cautions:
Does not have significant improvement on the cardiovascular system.
Possibility of injury to muscles or joints.
Could get injured by dropping weights on a foot or hand.
Types of Resistance Training
Isometric – contracting muscles while not allowing the muscles to change
length. Example: press palms together at chest level for a count of five.
Isotonic – tension or force is controlled throughout the motion. Example:
free weights
