Resistance Training Variables and Programming Flashcards

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the core principles, variables, and autoregulation techniques of resistance training and programming.

Training Volume

The amount of an exercise performed over a given period of time, usually a training session or week, typically represented by the number of repetitions (reps) for a given number of sets.

Volume-Load

The volume of work at a given load (weight), usually expressed in pounds or kilograms (Example: $135\,lbs \times 4\,sets \times 12\,reps = 6,480\,lbs$).

Hypertrophy

The most volume-sensitive adaptation, requiring roughly $10-20+$ sets per muscle group per week for optimal muscle growth.

Intensity

The difficulty or effort required to complete a set or training session; while load is a factor, it is only one variable contributing to this overall effort.

Rest

The time between sets of an exercise, ranging from $15\,seconds$ to $7\,minutes$, which is crucial for determining stimulus and performance set-to-set.

Frequency

The number of times in a training week that a specific muscle group is trained.

Iatrogenic Training Stress

Accumulated fatigue that creates greater recovery demands, limits positive adaptation, or contributes to injury due to failure to account for intensity and load.

One Rep Maximum (1RM)

The maximum weight that can be supported in one repetition of an exercise; used as a baseline to express intensity of load as a percentage.

Neurological Adaptations

Drivers of the 'skill of strength' that allow novice trainees to rapidly develop strength during the initial $8-12\,weeks$ of resistance training.

Autoregulation

The concept of adjusting training based on the feel of the load on any given day, using perceived exertion to manage fatigue and mitigate injury risk.

Relative Perceived Exertion (RPE)

A $0-10$ scale of measuring intensity based on how hard a set feels, where RPE $0$ is effortless and RPE $10$ is absolute maximum effort.

Reps in Reserve (RIR)

A numerical scale reflecting intensity at the end of a set based on how many more reps could be performed before failure; it has an inverse relationship with RPE.

Reps Before Pain (RBP)

A technique used in clinical contexts to keep reps within a tolerable range of discomfort, stopping before symptoms progress to painful.

Strength Endurance

Adaptations involving improved oxidative capacity, capillary density, and motor unit fatigue resistance, typically requiring higher rep ranges of $12+$.

Phosphocreatine Recovery

A metabolic recovery process that requires longer rest periods ($2:00-7:00$) in advanced strength training to ensure the expression of true maximal strength.