Prince DeesePrince Deese, an All American Wrestler, a Hall of Fame Football Player, and a State Champion Body Builder, is a certified personal trainer and strength conditioning specialist. Prince Deese and Gina Deese own A.C.T. by Deese, a Fitness & Training Center in Greensboro, NC.
More than 2000 years ago, Hippocrates explained the principle of strength training: “That which is used develops; that which is not used wastes away.”
Maria had always resisted the idea of “working out”; however, when she passed her 65th birthday, she began to experience some irksome problems. She had difficulty lifting her wheeled suitcase up steps, her grocery bags had become a chore to carry, and she had difficulty doing simple kitchen tasks such as opening jars.
She reasoned to herself, “I’m doing what I’ve always done. I walk. I dance weekly. I keep up my home. I’m still working.” But she knew she was totally exhausted by day’s end, a weariness that did not go away with her customary short nap. That’s when she decided to join a gym and seek a trainer.
Maria’s difficulty came about because she counts on her muscles for every move she makes — from standing up or bending down to climbing stairs or carrying groceries. Weakened muscles compromise her ability to do these things. Strong muscles provide the command and confidence at every age to do not just everyday tasks, but all the activities she enjoys.
That’s what makes strength training so important and why it should be part of an exercise routine, especially for older adults. Resistance training, sometimes called weight training, can add years to your life while strength training can make those years fuller and more rewarding, keeping you fit, active, and self-reliant.
Until the 20th century, strength training was very similar to weight training; however, the methods that can be used for strength training have multiplied significantly with the advent of modern technology, materials and knowledge.
Progressive strength training dates back to ancient Greece where tradition has it that the wrestler Milo of Croton (he trained with a newborn calf on his back) once carried an ox into the Olympic stadium, then ate it all the next day. Ancient Persians used a form of the clubbell which has evolved today into the dumbbell and barbell. Another dimension was added in the 1930s when Charles Atlas popularized isometric exercises, followed by the introduction of exercise machines in the 1960s.
The basic principles of strength training involve a manipulation of the number of reps (repetitions), sets, tempo, exercises and force to bring about the desired changes in strength, endurance or size by the overloading of a group of muscles. The specific combinations of resistance and force in these exercises depend on the purpose of the individual performing them.
For example, to gain strength, multiple (4 +) sets with fewer reps must be performed using more force. The benefits of strength training include increased muscle, tendon, and ligament strength, bone density, flexibility, tone, metabolic rate and postural support.
Meanwhile, Maria has realized an additional benefit in her health club membership in the camaraderie that grows when a roomful of individuals work toward a single goal: improved health and longevity.