Research ArticleOpen Access

Fitness-Related Resistance Training-with which Training Intensities do Recreational Athletes Train?

Volume 4 - Issue 1

Christoph Eifler*

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- Department of Applied Training Science, German University of Applied Sciences for Prevention and Health Management (DHfPG), Germany
*Corresponding author: Christoph Eifler, Department of Applied Training Science (Fachbereich Trainingswissenschaft),German University of Applied Sciences for Prevention and Health Management (Deutsche Hochschule für Prävention und Gesundheitsmanagement-DHfPG),Hermann Neuberger Sportschule 3,Germany

Received: April 09, 2018; Published: April 19, 2018

DOI: 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.04.000980

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Abstract

Training intensity is considered to be one of the most important loading parameters in strength training.This also applies to fitness-related strength training in commercial fitness clubs. More than 10 million recreational athletes perform fitness-related resistance training in German fitness clubs. However, hardly any evidence can be found on the implementation of scientific training recommendations to control the training intensity of resistance training within this setting. The common used method to control training intensity in fitness-related strength training is to quantify the athletes’ rate of perceived exertion (RPE). It is widely unknown if this approach to control training intensity is in accordance to the recognized recommendations in the relevant scientific training literature. This gap in research was a desideratum for a multicenter-study in German fitness clubs.

One branch of research in this study was the evaluation of the realized weight loads of recreational athletes working with RPE-based training intensity in relation to the one repetition maximum (1-RM) as a recognized reference value to control training intensity in strength training. Training intensitiesof 211 recreational athletes (N=99 women, N=112 men) were analyzed. The average realized training intensity over a training period of six weeks was 54.50% of 1-RM (±6.58). This training intensity lies far off from any scientific training recommendations and is clearly too low. It must be called into question, if strength training with such low intensity is an effective and efficient workout to reach the expected training goals of fitness customers. These study results confirm the need for evidence-based strength training protocols in fitnessrelated resistance training.

Keywords: Fitness; Resistance Training; Training Intensity