By Kyle Gee
BYU personnel learned fact vs. fallacy of weight training at the wellness seminar held Wednesday, August 6.
The purpose of the one-hour seminar was to educate about strength and weight training and motivate participants to begin or continue a training program, said Autumn Michaelis, coordinator of the BYU Wellness Program.
Jim George, associate professor of physical education, presented the quick-tip seminar.
Before the seminar, George said he wanted to let people know that they can lift weights in an effective and time-convenient way. He also said he wanted go over common myths and fallacies of weight training.
One of the myths people believe is that a lot of time is needed each day for a weight-training program.
To strength train effectively, George said adults with time constraints should pay close attention to FIT: frequency, intensity and time.
'To enjoy about 80 percent of the strength-training benefits, people should try to lift twice a week, completing one set of 8-12 repetitions of all the major muscle groups,' he said. 'They should also try to exercise for 15-20 minutes each session.'
George said there is a difference between endurance training and strength training.
Proper strength training requires heavier weights and fewer repetitions. Going walking with weights is not a strength training exercise, he said.
'You have to lift enough weight to get tired after 8-12 repetitions,' he said.
According to the American Sports College Guidelines, healthy adults who strength train should do 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions to near fatigue 2-3 times per week. These 8-12 reps should be 70-80% of the maximum weight one can lift.
'If you can''t do eight reps you should lower the weight,' George said. If more than 12 reps can be done easily without fatigue, it is more effective to increase weight so that the number of reps that causes fatigue is between 8 and 12.
Irene Windham, who works in the BYU academic support office, said this was the most important weight-training tip she learned from the seminar.
'You can do 100 little reps and not get the results that you can from only doing 8-12 reps at fatigue,' Windham said.
George said that while 15-20 minutes is recommended, working out for only 10 minutes is still helpful.
'Ten minutes of exercise a day is worth it,' he said.
George said he uses rubber tubing and elastic bands with different tensions to strength train in his home before coming to work, sometimes for as little as 6-8 minutes.
Weight training options include free weights, machine weights and elastic bands, George said.
The type of equipment used for strength training doesn''t matter. The key is making sure that the 8-10 reps for done in a way where fatigue is achieved, he said.
George also presented other facts and fallacies of weight training.
Fallacy: The bench press is more important to do than the seated row.
'We want to do both, but for healthy adults who are not athletes, the seated row exercise is more important,' George said. 'We need to get the back as strong as possible to compensate for sitting all day.'
The seated row exercise works the lower back and abdominal muscles.
Fact: Weight training does not burn very much fat.
'Weight training doesn''t burn very much fat but it can elevate your resting metabolic rate,' George said.
Fallacy: Muscle turns into fat when a weight-lifting program is discontinued.
'We can''t turn apples into oranges; we can''t turn muscles into fat either,' said George, after briefly explaining hypertrophy and atrophy.
Fallacy: Legs lifts are a good way to burn extra fat off thighs and hips.
'Spot reduction does not work,' George said. 'You cannot pick a certain part of your body and reduce fat there by exercising that spot only.'
Autumn Michaelis said the seminar had a limited registration for only 135 individuals and that it filled quickly.
Those who attended the seminar held in the JKHB were invited to sign up for a hands-on weight training instruction in the weight room for smaller groups of 20.
'We hope by adding things to the wellness program we''ll continue to have a great response,' said Michaelis.
The next well-wise seminar is scheduled for Sept. 19. The topic is swimming.