HISTORY OF WEIGHT TRAINING

Hippocrates explained the principle behind weight training when he wrote "that which is used develops, and that which is not used wastes away." Progressive resistance training dates back at least to Ancient Greece , when legend has it that wrestler Milo of Croton trained by carrying a newborn calf on his back every day until it was fully grown. Another Greek, the physician Galen , described strength training exercises using the halteres (an early form of dumbbell ) in the 2nd century. 

Another early device was the Indian club , which came from ancient Persia where it was called the "meels." It subsequently became popular during the 19th century, and has recently made a comeback in the form of the clubbell.  The dumbbell was joined by the barbell in the latter half of the 19th century.

Early barbells had hollow globes that could be filled with sand or lead shot , but by the end of the century these were replaced by the plate-loading barbell commonly used today. [1]  The 1960s saw the gradual introduction of exercise machines into the still-rare strength training gyms of the time. Weight training became increasingly popular in the 1980s, following the release of the bodybuilding movie Pumping Iron and the subsequent popularity of Arnold Schwarzenegger . Since the late 1990s increasing numbers of women have taken up weight training, influenced by programs like Body for Life ; currently nearly one in five U.S. women engages in weight training on a regular basis.  Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the strength and size of skeletal muscles . It uses the force of gravity (in the form of weighted bars, dumbbells or weight stacks) to oppose the force generated by muscle through concentric or eccentric contraction .

Weight training uses a variety of specialised equipment to target specific muscle groups and types of movement.  Weight training differs from bodybuilding , weightlifting , and powerlifting , which are sports rather than forms of exercise.   Weight trainers commonly divide the body's individual muscles into ten major muscle groups. These do not include the hip , neck and forearm muscles, which are rarely trained in isolation. The twenty most common exercises for these muscle groups are described below.   The large muscles of the lower body are normally trained before the smaller muscles of the upper body, because these exercises require more mental and physical energy. The core muscles of the torso are trained before the shoulder and arm muscles that assist them. Exercises often alternate between "pushing" and "pulling" movements to allow their specific supporting muscles time to recover. The stabilising muscles in the waist should be trained last.

Personal Training and Rates

Jodi Griffin .  Personal Trainer .  I have been personal training for over seven years.  In addition to personal training, I enjoy competing in bodybuilding and figure competitions.  These experiences have helped me to discover the mental and physical challenge of peak performance.  In my first competition, I took 3 rd place in Miss Natural Michigan in bodybuilding and recently, I place 3 rd in my first figure contest.  As a trainer, I have enjoyed working with clients of all ages from 10 to 86.  I am ISSA certified for personal training.  I hold additional certifications in Healthy Moms and Older Adults.