Weight Training Fundamentals and Protocols for Beginners

This guide will cover the weight training fundamentals and protocols for beginners.

Although almost anyone can pick up a pair of dumbbells to start their warrior journey to building strength, power and a muscular physique like some of their favorite anime warriors, it's imperative to know what the goal is, how much weight to lift, when to modify the lift and how to progress appropriately to train more efficiently, prevent potential injuries and burnout. This guide will cover the weight training fundamentals for beginners.

Overview

F.I.T.T. Acronym

What is 1RM?

Goal 1: Muscular Endurance and Protocols

Goal 2: Muscular Hypertrophy and Protocols

Goal 3: Muscular Strength and Protocols

Goal 4: Muscular Power and Protocols

Common Weight Training Methods

Overtraining Symptoms

Final Thoughts

F.I.T.T.

To start, successfully achieving weight training goals is due to a combination of factors that follow the acronym F.I.T.T.

Frequency - How often do you train?

Intensity - How hard do you train?

Time - How long is your session?

Type - What type of exercise(s) are you completing?

The F.I.T.T. principle provides basic programming guidance giving warriors a broad idea of their overall training. This principle should be re-evaluated at least every 4-6 weeks. This re-evaluation can give warriors the opportunity to measure their progression, re-evaluate the efficiency of their training program, re-examine current goals, and modify their training program if necessary.

What is 1RM?

Throughout this article, we'll be using the term 1RM to help you determine the weight load you should use for each training protocol. 1RM is short for 1 Repetition Max. This is the max amount of weight you can lift for an exercise. For example, if you're 1RM is 100 pounds for a chest press and it's recommended to lift 75% of your 1RM for a muscular endurance protocol, you will implement a weight load of 75 pounds to train muscular endurance for your chest press.

Goal 1: Muscular Endurance

Muscular endurance training can help warriors enhance the ability of targeted muscles to perform at sub-maximal level for an extended period of time. This can include skills such as but not limited to completing 50 consecutive pull ups, executing 100 consecutive round house kicks or running a 10k route without stopping.

Muscular Endurance Protocol

Repetitions: 10-25

Sets: > 3

Rest: < 30 sec.

Weight Load: 65% - 75% 1RM

How to combine training protocols for a 16 week muscular endurance program

Muscular endurance - 4 weeks

Muscular strength - 3 weeks

Muscular endurance - 3 weeks

Muscular strength - 2 weeks

Muscular endurance - 4 weeks

Goal 2: Muscular Hypertrophy

Muscular hypertrophy training can help warriors build muscular physique and define their muscular aesthetics. Depending on the hypertrophy goal, warriors can bulk up like Broly or build definition like Saitama or Caulifla.

Muscular Hypertrophy Protocol

Repetitions: 6-12

Sets: 3-4

Rest: 30-90 sec.

Weight Load: 67% - 85% 1RM

How to combine training protocols for a 16 week muscular hypertrophy program

Muscular hypertrophy - 4 weeks

Muscular strength - 3 weeks

Muscular hypertrophy - 4 weeks

Muscular strength - 2 weeks

Muscular endurance - 3 weeks

Goal 3: Muscular Strength

Although muscular strength can naturally be improved from hypertrophy training, following a strict muscular strength training protocol can help warriors take their strength to a different level that's beyond the average human's abilities. Muscular strength training can help warriors push, pull and lift heavy objects.

Muscular Strength Protocol

Repetitions: < 6

Sets: 3-4

Rest: 2 to 5 min.

Weight Load: 70% - 85% 1RM

How to combine training protocols for a 16 week muscular strength program

Muscular hypertrophy - 4 weeks

Muscular strength - 4 weeks

Muscular power - 2 weeks

Muscular hypertrophy - 2 weeks

Muscular strength - 4 weeks

Goal 4: Muscular Power

Muscular power is the ability to produce large amount of force over a short period of time; in other words, this involves moving a heavy object as fast as possible. Muscular power training can help warriors lift max weight from floor to overhead such as the clean and press, execute fast, powerful kicks and jump higher.

Muscular Power Protocol

Repetitions: 1-6

Sets: 3-6

Rest: 2 to 5 min.

Weight Load: 30% - 70% 1RM

How to combine training protocols for a 16 week muscular power program

Muscular hypertrophy - 4 weeks

Muscular strength - 4 weeks

Muscular power - 2 weeks

Muscular strength - 4 weeks

Muscular power - 2 weeks

Common Weight Training Methods

There is no one method that is "best" to achieve your goals. Most importantly, the best method is the method that works for you, your abilities and your schedule. Below are just a few common weight training methods that can help you get started with your journey but not a permanent path. Best option to get started is to experience the different methods on your own terms and determine what method is best for you.

Total Body:

Full body workouts can allow warriors to train multiple muscle groups together and can be a time-saving method for the time crunched warriors.

Muscle Isolation:

Although in reality, no exercise will truly only use one muscle group, muscle isolation places more focus on muscular aesthetics in one targeted region and less on warrior function.

Upper and Lower Split

As the method states, this method requires warriors to split there weight training days by upper and lower days. Upper body day can focus on chest, back, shoulders, arms and abdominals. Lower body day can focus on quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Push, Pull, Leg Split

This three day split method requires warriors to split their days between push, pull and legs. Push day can focus on push movements such as chest press, shoulder press and tricep press. Pull day can focus on pull movements such as lat. pulls, back rows, and bicep curls. Leg day can include lower body exercises such as squats, deadlifts, lunges and hip bridges.

Overtraining Symptoms

Even though following a well-designed training program can prevent burnout and potential aches and pains, experiencing overtraining symptoms is still a possibility and it can take weeks or even months to recover from overtraining. If you experience any of the physical or mental symptoms below, it's time to take a break and re-evaluate your training to continue on your path for success.

Muscle or joint pain

Extended soreness

Lack of or decrease in progression

Unexpected weight loss or gain

Decreased motivation

Depression

Anger

Anxiety

Final Thoughts

Achieving weight training goals will take time, dedication and planning. No matter where you're at on your journey, remember to follow the fundamentals, listen to your body and move at your own pace.

References:

National Strength and Conditioning Association