Calculate Your Workout Intensity

Question – When following a strength program, how do you calculate out how much you should increase the loads lifted over a specific timeframe to get maximum benefit and be working at maximum intensity? For example, should you aim to increase loads lifted by a set amount of weight (1 -2 kilos) over say a fortnightly period or should you calculate how much to increase loads by on how many reps you can do at a certain load before reaching muscle exhaustion as opposed to worrying about increasing it with a set amount of weight over a certain timeframe?

First of all we have to consider program differences and the experience level of the trainer for such things as intensity, volume and length of a training program. For a beginner a training program will typically run over a 6-10 week period and for our advanced gym goer a training program will be around 2-4weeks. This allows the beginner to learn and consolidate new movement patterns and strength before moving onto more advanced levels of exercise. For the experienced trainer the program will need to be altered more frequently which we will explain later in this article.

Intensity (loads lifted) is usually calculated as a percentage of Repetition Max or RM (maximum load lifted for the selected amount of reps) as it is commonly referred to in the strength program world. Since we are in the real world what may be a better way of looking at intensity would be % of effort. For example if you could not do another rep this would represent 100% effort. If you felt you could have done one more 95% and 5-6 more would be about 80%. The selection of intensity will depend on the clients’ goals and the training experience they have in the gym and this will then influence how many reps are done in the training program. Examples: maximal strength goal will use 1-3reps and will be reserved for advanced trainers. Increase in muscle mass (hypertrophy) and fat loss will use higher reps of 8-12. Initially beginners will start with 70-80% and for the experienced people 80-100%.

Progressing your strength training by adjusting the loads in a set timeframe involves a number of factors. A beginner will see increases in the loads they are lifting more regularly for a program over a 6-10wk period, making most of the strength gains in the first half of the program. The more experienced gym goer will have smaller increases in loads as they are closer to their optimal strength and for this reason will have to change or vary training sessions and programs more readily to continue to growing in strength. This is known as the Law of Diminished Returns. Put simply beginners have potential to make greater relative gains than experienced trainers.

When increasing loads I suggest increasing loads by a small amount often and this will vary depending on the size of the muscle group you are using in the exercise. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph training experience will influence the amount in which you would increase the load of an exercise. Examples of increasing load for squats would be 5% (if your current load for squat was 50kg a 5% increase would mean your new load would be 52.5kg) and for a bicep curl 2.5% (if your current load for a bicep curl was 15kg a 2.5% increase would mean your new load would be 15.4). As you can see this can be difficult to stick to in a gym environment with some machines having plate sizes greater than your percentage, similarly DB sizes may go up more then what you are able to progress.

Let’s put it into real world terms. In order for you to adapt and continue to get results, you must increase your loads lifted every 3rd or 4th session of performing the exercise. I suggest you gradually try to do one more rep each session until you can perform 3 more reps than your nominated rep range with correct technique. Then add a small amount of weight next session and go back to the starting rep range on the program. There will be a point in your program when it takes longer to do the extra 3 reps and the changing or increasing loads will happen more slowly. At this point you have reached a plateau with your current program and will need to change your training program.

Setting a time to achieve a goal for lifting a set load is a great idea and in fact strength coaches will set goals for athletes to ensure they are meeting the level of strength required for the sport and level of competition. However this is easier said then done. There are a lot of considerations to take into account to make such a goal achievable for the individual. Things such as volume of training to be completed, recovery to optimise results, nutrition, and your personal motivation all influence your training. For more advice I suggest speaking with a qualified trainer to alter your program and help set personal goals to get the best results.

Are you getting your 40 winks?

As the world becomes busier, faster, and more demanding place we are finding ourselves squeezing more and more into each day and the working week. This means many of us are disregarding proper sleep patterns due to the hectic lifestyles we live. The common thought being to try to fit more ‘life’ in a 24hr period. The facts show if sleep is disregarded and replaced with demanding activities on the body and mind it will have a negative effect on our capacity to perform tasks. Sleep deficit is now recognised as a modern disease causing poor work productivity, accidents, and low mental acuity through for children at school and adults at work.

Group-based programs help reduce insulin resistance for metabolic syndrome

The Tabaruzaka study published in the Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism journal Sept 2010 aimed to evaluate the efficacy of two group-based lifestyle interventions in ameliorating the risk factors of metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance.


The study followed ninety-eight subjects who had at least one component of MS for 34 months. At month 34, BMI and HDL-cholesterol improved significantly. Insulin sensitivity and hepatic insulin resistance were also improved.

The conclusion was that group-based programs could be an efficient way to prevent MS. Its effects were sustainable, at least in part, for 2 years. These effects may be mediated by an improvement in insulin sensitivity.

5 Quick Tips - Achieving Healthy Weight Loss (Harvard School of Public Health)

1. Ban the strange diets. They may work in the short term, but almost any strange, extreme diet is doomed to fail. Your best friends when it comes to losing weight—and keeping it off? Choosing healthy foods (check out the Healthy Eating Pyramid for ideas) and eating smaller portions, slowly.

Need to develop good postural habits from an early age

Good posture is the essence of good health. Children need to develop good postural habits from an early age. To look after
* Make sure your child’s school bag is a back pack kind which has a strap over each shoulder.
* Ensure your child’s shoes provide good support for any activity your child does
* Any home work desk should have a chair that allows their back to remain straight and head to be level with any computer monitor
* Make sure the light in your child’s room is bright enough for any reading or writing to be done without having to lean forward and straining the eyes