You should start your weight training program with both short-term and long-term goals. Goal identification is an important means of maintaining interest and enthusiasm for weight training. A key point is to set realistic short-term goals that can be achieved in the first few weeks of training. Achieving these goals provides the necessary motivation to continue training.
Develop an individualized exercise recipe
The exercise prescription for strength training has three stages: the initiation phase, the slow progression phase, and the maintenance phase.
Start-up phase
The main goal of the initial phase is to build strength gradually without developing undue muscle pain or injury. This can be accomplished by starting your weight training program slowly, starting with light weights, a high number of reps, and only 2 sets per exercise. The recommended frequency of training during this phase is twice a week. The duration of this phase varies from 1 to 3 weeks, depending on your initial level of physical fitness. A sedentary person can spend 3 weeks in the initial phase, while a relatively well-trained person can only spend 1 to 2 weeks.
Slow progression phase
This phase can last from 4 to 20 weeks depending on your starting strength level and your long-term strength goal. The transition from the initial phase to the slow progression phase involves three changes in the exercise prescription: increasing the frequency of training from 2 to 3 days per week; an increase in the amount of weight lifted and a decrease in the number of repetitions; and an increase in the number of series performed from 2 to 3 series.
The goal of the slow progression phase is to gradually build muscle strength to the desired level. After reaching your strength goal, your long-term goal is to maintain this strength level by entering the maintenance phase of the strength training exercise prescription.
Maintenance phase
After reaching your strength goals, the problem now is, how do I maintain this strength level? The bad news is that maintaining strength will require a lifelong weight training effort. Strength is lost if you don’t continue to exercise. The good news is that the effort required to maintain muscle strength is less than the initial effort required to gain strength. Research has shown that only one workout per week is required to maintain strength.