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Health Background and History
Taken from Variables for Weight Lifting and Exercise © 2001 Anthony Sell - All Rights Reserved
Consulting a doctor before beginning a resistance training program is very important, especially if the individual is on any type of medication. This becomes even more important if you intend to take any nutritional of dietary supplements, as combining the wrong types of medication can have devastating consequences.
It is also important to consult a physician if you have any chemical imbalances that may accelerate overtraining, or otherwise impede progress. It is not unlikely that a prescription of regulatory medication may change if the metabolism is altered.
Boxers, even before entering the ring on the day of the fight, are recorded burning as many calories as if they had just fought four rounds, simply from pre-fight anxiety.
Stress in normal life can work the same way. In order for there to be muscular tension, the body needs to use fuel. Even slight muscular tension, if continued over a long period of time, can deplete energy stores that are better used for repairing muscle tissue. Physical tension from stress also inhibits the body's ability to rest, not only with insomnia, but if the muscles cannot relax, healing cannot easily occur.
Another consideration, when determining goals and progress are serious injuries that have occurred in the past. This is especially important for weightlifting, as damaged ligaments may not support as much weight as can be expected. Scar tissue inside of muscle fibers from severe tears may also decrease strength and prevent quick muscle growth.
Of all the characteristics that are appreciated when determining progress, body symmetry is highly prized. Individuals may find that one side of a particular muscle group may be weaker than another and consequently not as toned (well shaped) or as large as the other. This will require further work in order to prevent muscular imbalances.
Advanced athletes will also have a proclivity toward adaptation, which will require greater variety and intensity to prevent. As a weightlifter gains experience, the body becomes accustomed to the types and amounts of stress placed on it, and does not need to work as hard to accomplish the same amount of work, this in turn causes slowing or cessation in growth.
Similarly, athletes who come from a long history of one particular type of training, e.g., dancers or runners, will have a different progression in their weight training than someone who has only weight lifted. Having spent a large amount of time working in another manner of training. Flexibility, muscular endurance, muscle composition, overall stamina, metabolic rate, resting heart rate, these will all vary depending on the individual's previous fitness experience.