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Resistance Training

Muscle strength is built through resistance, repetition, and intensity. Progressive resistance training is a method developed by researchers in rehabilitation medicine who were interested in restoring function and strength to injured limbs. It is based on the overload principle. Three sets of exercises consisting of 10 repetitions are done without resting. The first set is done with one-half of the maximum weight that can be lifted. The second set is done with three-fourths of the weight, and the final set is done with maximum weight. As you become stronger, the resistance is increased.

Novacare, a rehabilitation company, has identified senior weight training as a new market. Their "Vigor" program combines modified Nautilus equipment with specialized regimes to encourage older adults to weight train. The machines are lower, wider and more accessible to people who are less mobile. The increases in weight are calibrated in ounces rather than in pounds.