If You Failed At A
Weightlifting Program
Failure in this domain of fitness results in a lack of progress.
Weightlifting (resistance) programs fail for two main reasons:
a. They are not TRAINING programs; they are EXERCISE programs.
b. They are part of a weight loss program. Usually people fail at both - one fails to lose weight and also fails improve in weightlifting.
1. The usual weightlifting program is not a training program, it is an exercise program.
The distinction is crucial.
Training is a very special form of exercise, but exercise is not a form of training.
This is similar to a square being a rectangle, but a rectangle is not a square.
To become fitter, you must train.
To train, you must stress your body "so that adaptation (to the stress) results." This adaptation is known as improvement or increased fitness.
"Physical training is beneficial only as long as it forces the body to adapt to the stress of physical effort. If the stress is not sufficient to overload the body, then no adaptation occurs...During physical training, for example, no training effect occurs if the stress is below a critical threshold."
(The quotes are from Brooks GA, Fahey TD, Baldwin KM. Exercise Physiology: Human Bioenergetics and Its Applications (4th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill 2005:7.)
If you have failed at a weightlifting program, either from a lack of progress or you simply gave-up because you became frustrated from the lack of progress, you may be able to receive compensation for your lost time and money, since the program may have been negligently designed and/or you were negligently monitored.
2. The weightlifting program was part of a weight loss program.
If this is the case, you were likely told that weightlifting results in weight loss and/or for every pound of muscle you add to your body, it will burn lots of Calories at rest.
This is clearly untrue.
The goal of a weightlifting program is to increase your strength. Your strength increases by adding muscle to your body.
You have to gain weight to gain muscle.
It is impossible to add muscle to your body when you are losing weight.
Muscle at rest is a pathetic burner of Calories. Each pound of muscle you add burns about 6 Calories per day.
If you have failed at a weightlifting program, either because you were on a weight loss program at the time or you simply gave-up because you became frustrated from the lack of progress in adding muscle to your body, you may be able to receive compensation for your lost time and money, since the program may have been negligently designed and/or you were negligently monitored.
Those possibly responsible to you include: