This document provides guidance on designing resistance training programs for muscular strength and endurance. It discusses the principles of resistance training, including specificity of training and progressive overload. When planning a workout, a needs analysis should be conducted considering a client's history, goals and preferences. Key variables to consider include exercise selection and order, training frequency, load and repetitions, volume, and rest periods. A variety of methods can be used to progress training intensity over time including increasing weight, repetitions, sets or decreasing rest. Periodization is also recommended for planning long-term training.

1. ESSENTIAL
PRINCIPLES OF
RESISTANCE
TRAINING
Designing Muscular Strength & Endurance Programmes

2. Why Resistance Training?
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Build muscle
Prepare for sport
Posture
Weight Loss
Body Shape
Bone Density
Manage conditions
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

3. Principles of Resistance
Training
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Specificity of training
SAID (Specific Adaptations to
Imposed Demands)
Progressive overload
Variation in training
Prioritization of training
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

4. Planning a resistance training
workout
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Needs analysis (history, goals, preference)
Exercise selection
Training frequency
Exercise order
Training load and repetitions
Volume
Rest periods
(Baechle & Earle, 2008)
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

5. Needs Analysis
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Any adverse PARQ information
Exercise history (current status, past
experience)
Goals (what could the goals be?)
Exercise mode selection
Evaluation of the practical needs (sport,
lifestyle)
 Frequency,
energy systems, muscle groups,
injury prevention

Stage of training (periodisation) & endurance programmes
Designing muscular strength

6. Needs Analysis: Female Athletes and
ACL
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Common mechanism
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deceleration, twisting,
pivoting, change of direction
8 times more likely in
women
Wider pelvic girdle,
 Quads angle of pull,
 Smaller quads,
 Tibial torsion,
 Narrower femoral notch,
 Lower ham:quad,
 Slower force production,
 Smaller ACLs

Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

7. Needs Analysis: Female Athletes and
ACL
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8 areas of concern (Wilk, 1999)
 Increase
hip strength in 3 planes
 Strengthen hamstrings
 Controlled valgus stress
 Controlled knee hyperextension
 Increased neuromuscular reaction
 Increased thigh musculature
 Increased endurance
 Increased speed
Wilk, K. E., Arrigo, C., Andrews, J. R., & Clancy, W. G. (1999). Rehabilitation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in the female athlete. Jnl of Ath. Training, 34(2), 177–193
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

8. Exercise Selection
• List the ways(modes) that you can
train muscular strength & endurance...
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

9. Exercise Selection – some
considerations
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What could effect your choices?
Multi-joint v single joint
Core v assistance
Specific biomechanics
Whole body approach
Time constraints
Availability of equipment
Free weight v machines
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

10. Exercise Selection – some
considerations
Anatomical
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Legs
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Arms
Abs
6 Fundamental Movements
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Squat/Lift
Lunge
Twist
Push/Pull
Gait
Maintaining balance
McGill, S.M. (2009)
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

11. 
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Momentum
Alignment
Stability
EFFECTIVENESS
Safe and Effective Exercise
not very safe
SAFETY
very safe
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

12. Teaching Resistance Exercise
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NAMSET
 Name
the exercise
 Areas the exercise works
 Muscles involved in the exercise
 Silent demo (sometimes)
 Explain the exercise
 Teach, observe, and correct
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

13. Training Frequency
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ACSM guidelines
 2-3
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non-consecutive days
Training status
Stage of season
Other training/split routine
Training
status
Frequency
guidelines
Beginner
2-3
Intermediate
3-4
Advanced& Earle, R.W. (2000) Essentials of strength training & conditioning (2nd Ed.) Champaign, Il: Human
4-7
Baechle, T.R.
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

14. Exercise Order
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What order can the exercises go in?
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Power, other core, assistance exercises
Alternate Upper and lower body exercises
Alternate push and pull exercises
Supersets and compound sets
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Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

15. Training Load & Repetitions
Training Zone
Fitness goal
Resistance
1 – 3 RM
Muscular Power
Very Heavy
3 – 7 RM
Muscular Strength
Heavy
8 – 12 RM
Muscular strength and
Endurance
Moderate
13 – 25 RM
Muscular Endurance
Light
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

16. Training Load & Repetitions

Issues around using
1RM...
Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd Ed.) National Strength and
Conditioning Association. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

17. 1RM
Training Load & Reps
(testing, tables)
Goal
Strength
Power –
Load (%1RM) Goal Reps
≥85
≤6
80-90
1-2
Single effort
Multiple effort
Hypertrophy
Muscular
Endurance
75-85
67-85
≤67
3-5
6-12
≥12
Baechle & Earle 3rd Ed

18. Training Load
Peterson, M.D., Rhea, M.R. and Alvar,B.A. (2004) Maximizing strength development in athletes: A meta-analysis to determine the dose-response
relationship. J. Strength Cond. Res. 18(2):377–382.[full text]
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

19. Progression of the Training
Load

Timing
 2-for-2

rule
Quantity
 5-10%
 Dependent

on training status
See Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. (2008). Essentials of
Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd Ed.)
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

20. Volume
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The total amount lifted in a session.
Strength & power
Training goal
Goal
Reps
Hypertrophy
Strength
<6
Muscular endurance
Sets
2-6
Power single effort
1-2
3-5
Power multi effort
3-5
3-5
Hypertrophy
6-12
3-6
Muscular
Endurance
>12
2-3
Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd Ed.) National Strength and
Conditioning Association. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

21. Number of Sets
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Untrained client for muscular fitness:
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One set 8 – 12 exercises, slow to moderate speed.
Conditioned client for MS&E:
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Three sets 8 – 12 exercises at 3 – 7RM – Strength
Three sets 8 – 12 exercises at 15 – 25 – Endurance
Each set must be taken to the point of momentary
muscular failure for gains to be made
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

22. Number of Sets: single set
training
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Nautilus, 1970s
Time efficient, increased
adherence, less injuries
Not enough volume, lacking warmup sets, limited variation
Reasonable for beginners
All studies greater than 14 weeks show multiple
sets to be superior to single sets for long term
performance enhancements
Wolfe, B. L., LeMura, L. M., & Cole, P. J. (2004). Quantitative analysis of single- vs. multiple set programs in
resistance training. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(1), 35–47.[full text]
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

23. Rest Periods

Dependent on
 Goal
of training
 Relative load lifted
 Athletes training status
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

24. Rest Periods
Rest between sets
Goal
Strength
Power –
Rest length
2-5 min
2-5 min
Single effort
Multiple effort
Hypertrophy
Muscular
Endurance
2-5 min
30s-1.5 min
<30s
Bachle & Earle 2nd Ed

25. Methods of training
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Simple Circuit
Basic Sets
Delorme-Watkins
Berger
Pyramid training
Negative reps
Partial reps
Pre-, post- exhaust
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

26. Circuit Resistance Training
40-55% 1RM as many times as possible with
good form for 30s.
15s rest.
Next exercise.
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More general conditioning, body comp., MS, M, CV
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Become familiar with each lift
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Improve technique
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Gradual increase in exercises
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

27. The Sets System
A single set of each exercise is performed for
8 – 12 repetitions (75% of the 1RM).
Significant gains in strength have been
demonstrated using the single set approach.
It is also quick and very efficient.
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

28. Basic Sets System
Exercise
Sets
Repetitions
Resistance
Rest
Leg press
3
15
15 RM
30–60 sec
Bench Press
3
15
15 RM
30–60 sec
Upright row
3
15
15 RM
30-60 sec
Leg curl
3
15
15 RM
30-60 sec
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

29. Delorme-Watkins System (10RM) (1945)
A gradual increase in workload, whilst
maintaining the same number of reps in each
sets
Set 1
10 reps at 50% of the 10 RM
40Kg
Set 2
10 reps at 75% of the 10 RM
60 Kg
Set 3
10 reps at 100% of the 10 RM
80 Kg
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

30. The Berger System
A system that research suggests that by
performing 3 sets of six repetitions each with
the same 6RM was the most effective method
for improving muscular strength.
Set 1
6 reps
30 Kg or 100%
5mins rest
Set 2
6 reps
30 Kg or 100%
5mins rest
Set 3
6 reps
30 Kg or 100%
5mins rest
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

31. Pyramid System
Set 1
10 reps
at 55%
of 1 RM
55 Kg
Set 2
6 reps
at 65%
of 1 RM
65 Kg
Set 3
3 reps
at 80%
of 1 RM
80 Kg
Set 4
1 rep
at 100%
of 1 RM
100 Kg
Set 5
3 reps
at 80%
of 1 RM
80 Kg
Set 6
6 reps
at 65%
of 1 RM
65 Kg
Set 7
10 reps
at 55%
of 1 RM
55 Kg
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

32. Negative reps
Resistance > 1RM
Lower more resistance than lift
Spotters raise the weight
Use the machine as assistance
Greater increases in strength?
DOMS
Heavy eccentric training results in neuromuscular adaptations
Hortobagyi et al, 1996 Jnl Appl Physio
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

33. Partial reps
“The Burn system”
When set cannot be completed in full, half or
partial reps are carried out.
5/6 reps
Used with isolation exercises
Hypertrophy and strength gain
Massey et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Aug;18(3):518-21
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

34. Pre & Post exhaust system
Compound ex cause fatigue in synergists prior
to major muscles
Pre-exhaust  iso then compound
Post-exhaust  compound then iso
Massey et al. J Strength Cond Res. 2004 Aug;18(3):518-21
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

35. Descending sets
Drop sets / Triple drop / Strip sets
1 set to volitional fatigue
Load decreased then repeated
Usually 3 drop sets after first
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

36. Staggered sets
v1. Similar to supersets
Antagonistic pairing with rest between
v2.
Compound sets
Different body parts with no rest
Repeat the small circuit
Decreases training duration
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

37. Progressing Intensity

Increase Loading
Increase Repetitions
(within rep range for goals)
Increase Sets
Increase Exercises
Decrease Rest Intervals
Vary Exercises
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Periodisation?
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Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

38. Plyometrics

Issues
 Client
capabilities
 Appropriate programming
variables used
 Safe and effective
execution and facilities
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

39. Planning a resistance training
workout







Needs analysis (history, goals, preference)
Exercise selection
Training frequency
Exercise order
Training load and repetitions
Volume
Rest periods
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes

40. Further Reading
Click here
for more
resources
Baechle, T.R., Earle, R.W. (2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (3rd Ed.)
National Strength and Conditioning Association. Champaign IL: Human Kinetics.
Ratamess,N.A. et al (2009) ACSM Position Stand: Progression Models in Resistance
Training for Healthy Adults Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 41(3):687-708 [full text]
McGill, S.M. (2009) Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance. Waterloo, Canada: Backfitpro
Inc.
American College of Sports Medicine (2009) ACSM's Resources for the personal trainer.
Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins [amazon][Ch 16 Resistance exercise]
NASM (2008) NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training (3rd ed.) Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Designing muscular strength & endurance programmes