Author Archives: schatzi

Key Writing Process Technique: Schedule Time for Your Project

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Have you noticed how easy it is for other “priorities” to push your writing project to the bottom of your To Do list? Yes, you want to write the novel that has buzzed around in your head for the past year. Yes, you want to publish two blog posts a week and get your ezine out on schedule. But somehow you just don’t get around to them, or when you do, you’re under such pressure that your creative juices run dry.

If this happens to you, take a look at your schedule. Have you slotted time in it for your writing project? Writing projects require unhurried, focused time scheduled for the days and hours that fit best into your lifestyle. If those days and hours coincide with the times you feel most creative, all the better.

Set Writing Appointments

Take a look at your lifestyle and writing process. Then determine what writing schedule works best for you. Are you more creative and productive when you write at the same time and days every week? Or do you accomplish more when you set aside a day exclusively for writing?

For example, if your goal is to publish two blog posts weekly, the best option may be setting aside an hour every Tuesday and Thursday to write and publish a blog post. Or the best option may be to set aside a day every month to write eight posts and schedule them for publication.

Honor Your Writing Appointments

Once you have scheduled your writing time, honor it. Treat it with the same respect you give appointments with your client, CPA or doctor.

The unexpected, of course, does happen. Your boss or client may require your immediate attention. Your child may come down with the flu. When the unexpected pulls you away from your scheduled writing time, don’t cancel your writing appointment. Reschedule it, preferably for the same day. Hold to your commitment to fulfill your goal for that specific writing appointment.

Conclusion

To ensure that your writing projects do not get edged out by other professional or personal items on your To Do list, schedule writing appointments. Choose times when you are most productive and creative and that also fit your lifestyle. Once you have set your writing appointments, honor them.

When you schedule writing appointments and hold your commitment to them, you enable your writing projects to move smoothly and steadily to successful completion.

The Best Online Courses

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Distance learning is generally associated with furthering an education and the option of distance learning, along with opportunities provided by online courses, are making it easier for a large number of people to learn something innovative. Online courses can be opted for educational purposes or just for fun. A person can learn how to paint with watercolors or master a foreign language not for educational reasons, but simply for entertainment.

Almost all skills, trades, and subjects can be learned with the help of online courses. A lot of people are using technology to work for them by looking for online courses to learn about innumerable topics. It is easy to find colleges, universities, and businesses that offer degrees or specific courses online.

Online courses are available in all fields, from accounting to graphic designing, and law to psychology. Whether an individual is looking forward to starting a career or to make more money, online courses offer an opportunity to earn any online education, advanced degree, or certificate, which is valued by companies all over the world. The main advantage of online courses is that individual can engage himself into online learning anytime and anywhere at his own convenience.

Online courses offer technical training to those who work closely with computers as well as offer training in business management and administrative services. Courses in areas such as engineering, law and legal studies, philosophy and religion are also available online. Social sciences, history, and healthcare related courses are also accessible online.

In the past few years, there has been an incredible increase in accessibility of colleges and universities offering various educational and occupational online courses. The main reason for this is the availability of various degree courses offered online by these universities that can probably be finished in half the time than conventional universities. Almost all online courses provide an easy to use guide to cooperate and work on assignments with classmates and learn from them as well as the teachers or expert faculty.

3 Golden Ways to Create Meaning in Your Career

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Creating Meaning in Your Career (New year, new career!)

Have you promised yourself to not let another year go by stuck in an unfulfilling career?

Change is the order of the day, and so we are blessed with the opportunity to stop and reflect on our future personal and professional goals. Many people like you have made New Year’s resolutions to make some changes in their career path, either by altering it, finding another place to work, or veering off in another direction completely. The questions raised are how and when do I make these career changes?

A better question may be why. Why create more meaning in your career? Why make changes? Rest assured, there are many ways to find meaning in your career, but before you can make corrections to your career plan, you must first consider what you are looking for in a career. Are you looking for something more in the position that you currently hold? Are you looking for a change in environment within the same field? Or are you looking to discover a totally new career field? If you are seeking meaning, you are no doubt seeking something that is missing, something that perhaps your soul intends and needs to express to the world.

What kind of gold digger are you? The digger, the jumper, or the intuitive?

Planning for a career can be likened to panning for gold. There are three styles of “gold diggers.” The first style is the person who picks one spot and digs and digs. This person may or may not find gold, and often does not know when to stop digging. They often are so focused on the perceived value of the gold that they hardly take notice of how boring their job has become. The second kind of gold digger jumps around from spot to spot, panning on the surface, never venturing deeper to see what may be below. Sometime they may find a nugget here and there, but most of the time they never hit the jackpot. The third kind of gold digger uses her intuition to lead her to the gold. S/he use a variety of approaches, depending on what their inner guidance is saying. S/he may sometimes dig deeper, try another location, and even change directions entirely by ditching the pan in favor of the mine. This person often hits the jackpot!

Real Gold vs Fool’s Gold

In terms of your own career development, consider whether you choose a job or company and dig in deep, hoping to one day find a sense of meaning? Or do you jump from job to job, position to position, and company to company hoping to finally feel fulfilled? How about planning your career in accordance with your inner guidance, the small voice that tells you when to stay, when to go, and when to try something completely different?

Most people who lack meaning in their professional lives, also lack clarity. You must know what you are looking for and why you are looking. You must also know what you want from a career— money, prestige, creativity, a sense of pride, security, or happiness, etc. In order to create meaning in your career, you must decide what makes a “golden opportunity ” and one that is nothing more than a golden stone.

Using Your Internal Career Map

To create more meaning in your career this year, you must commit to finding your gold by following your intuition. You must listen to what your inner voice is saying. Does it say “stay where you are, reinvest yourself, and find the meaning.” Does it say “seek out another environment, rejuvenate yourself, and find the meaning.” Or does it say “explore another trade, reengineer yourself, and find the meaning.”

Each of these career transitions require courage. Courage is the ability to face difficulty or danger without fear. Courage requires listening to yourself and believing that there is a higher self that sees what is best for you, and acting on what you know needs to be done. At times, staying in your comfort zone can be exactly what is needed, and other times taking a risk can create the confidence needed to strike out and find a new environment or path.

By becoming a courageous, intuitive gold digger, you can create meaning in your career and discover the professional riches that were waiting for you all these years.

***Excerpt from Michelle’s new book, Get Your Career on the Fast Track

Students With College Potential Need Active Parenting

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I have been hearing things from College Leaders, Career Services Professionals, College Professors and Adjunct Instructors that should concern you. Those comments have to do with college students and the way they think and operate. They make me wonder if recent high school graduates can survive in college and in the real world.

Parents are responsible for teaching, guiding and coaching their children, while giving them a broad range of opportunities and experiences. The best parents help their children learn and grow, so they can function effectively and succeed in their adult lives.

Areas of concern include:

Short Attention Span – Do your children quickly lose interest in most things, lack concentration and move too quickly from one thing to another? To operate effectively in college and in the work world, many assignments require students to pay close attention for long periods of time.

Electronic Devices – Are your children only interested in their electronic devices and ignore opportunities for physical, cooperative or interpersonal activities with friends? Team efforts and face to face communication are still required at most colleges and in most organizations.

Printed Material – Are your children unwilling to read stories and books, even short ones? In college and in the work world papers, reports, manuals, proposals and books still exist. Libraries exist too. Are you helping your children learn to utilize all of the resources that are available?

Correct English – In this day of electronic devices, symbols, emoticons and abbreviations have taken over. However, correct spelling, grammar, punctuation and a good vocabulary are still necessary in college and beyond. Are you helping your children learn to write and speak properly?

Communication – All students will need to communicate effectively. People with good communication skills will generally do better in college and in their careers than people with poor communication skills. Since verbal, writing and listening skills are learned at an early age, parents should be aware of the role they play.

Social Skills – Students today spend so much time on their electronic devices, some are losing the ability to interact with and build relationships or friendships with the people around them. That is not good. People with poor social skills are often left behind.

Entertainment & Fun – If your child must be constantly entertained and things must be made fun before they will participate or contribute, that may become a problem. Few colleges and employers go out of their way to entertain students or make the work fun and exciting. Students are generally treated as adults and expected to get things done, no matter what.

Perseverance – Do your children give up easily and avoid things that are long, difficult or complex? Colleges expect students to handle the complex assignments that are required in their coursework. Additionally, employers need people who will stick with the difficult challenges, overcome the obstacles and find ways to get the work done well.

Work Ethic – Is your child determined to succeed, dependable, on time and willing to work hard, in order to take care of his/her responsibilities? Who will hire a student who doesn’t care whether he/she succeeds, is not dependable, is frequently late and will not stick with it to get the job done?

Immediate Gratification – Do your children expect some kind of appreciation, encouragement, recognition or reward for every little thing they do, even halfhearted efforts or mediocre results? If no reward is given what happens? Have they been successful with any difficult or complex long-term goals? Colleges and employers expect people to pursue and accomplish long-term goals with little immediate recognition and few short-term rewards.

Sensitivity – Are your children considered to be fragile, sensitive and easily offended? Can they handle criticism, disappointment and being corrected? These things are all part of college and employment life.

Flexibility – Are your children willing to consider alternatives, opposing views and willing to compromise or are they stubborn and inflexible, even in the face of solid arguments and evidence? In a learning environment, students and employees are expected to be flexible, accept new ideas and continuous change, work with a diverse group of people and constantly look for new ways to do things better.

Self-confidence – Are your children able to stand up for themselves, speak out, take action with self-confidence, go against the thinking of their peers and take a few calculated risks, when necessary? On the other hand, do they frequently get bulldozed by stronger personalities?

Anger – Are your children quick to anger, often intolerant, demanding of others or take irrational actions? Do they lack self-restraint and empathy and always expect others to adjust to them? That behavior will not get students very far in college.

Personality – Are your children friendly, positive and outgoing? Students with great personalities make friends easily and are well-liked. That is important both in college and after graduation.

Clear Thinking – Do other people see your children as being illogical and unrealistic or clear thinking and right on target? Fuzzy thinkers do not do well in college or in the work environment.

See The Future – Do your children understand what it takes to be successful in college and in their careers? Are they thinking about and preparing for their futures? Successful students can see what will be needed and take steps to get prepared.

As parents, your job is to shape the way your children think and behave. To do that, you will need to give your children opportunities to experience, learn, perform and make mistakes in a wide variety of situations. Along the way, you should be the ones to coach and guide them. That is called active parenting.

Key Writing Process Technique: Schedule Time for Your Project

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Have you noticed how easy it is for other “priorities” to push your writing project to the bottom of your To Do list? Yes, you want to write the novel that has buzzed around in your head for the past year. Yes, you want to publish two blog posts a week and get your ezine out on schedule. But somehow you just don’t get around to them, or when you do, you’re under such pressure that your creative juices run dry.

If this happens to you, take a look at your schedule. Have you slotted time in it for your writing project? Writing projects require unhurried, focused time scheduled for the days and hours that fit best into your lifestyle. If those days and hours coincide with the times you feel most creative, all the better.

Set Writing Appointments

Take a look at your lifestyle and writing process. Then determine what writing schedule works best for you. Are you more creative and productive when you write at the same time and days every week? Or do you accomplish more when you set aside a day exclusively for writing?

For example, if your goal is to publish two blog posts weekly, the best option may be setting aside an hour every Tuesday and Thursday to write and publish a blog post. Or the best option may be to set aside a day every month to write eight posts and schedule them for publication.

Honor Your Writing Appointments

Once you have scheduled your writing time, honor it. Treat it with the same respect you give appointments with your client, CPA or doctor.

The unexpected, of course, does happen. Your boss or client may require your immediate attention. Your child may come down with the flu. When the unexpected pulls you away from your scheduled writing time, don’t cancel your writing appointment. Reschedule it, preferably for the same day. Hold to your commitment to fulfill your goal for that specific writing appointment.

Conclusion

To ensure that your writing projects do not get edged out by other professional or personal items on your To Do list, schedule writing appointments. Choose times when you are most productive and creative and that also fit your lifestyle. Once you have set your writing appointments, honor them.

When you schedule writing appointments and hold your commitment to them, you enable your writing projects to move smoothly and steadily to successful completion.

Benefits of Continuing Education

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Are you stuck in a rut at work, doing the same job year after year with little or no hope of moving up the ladder? Do you constantly wish you could switch gears midway through your career in pursuit of that dream job? Are you the idealist who believes education is a continuous process and has an undying thirst for knowledge or the realist who just wants that promotion and the consequent increase in salary?

The situations described above may be different, but the solution to all of them is one – continuing education. The term continuing education, which includes degree credit courses amongst many other types of learning activities, is generally used to refer to education that is imparted to students who are older than the traditional age of university-going students.

According to a national survey of students in continuing education, the adult learners in both two-year and four-year college degree programs were considerably older than traditional students.

Rising Numbers

In it’s latest higher education projection, the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics reported that the total enrollment of students who are 35 years or older in degree granting institutions is expected to increase 7 percent between 2005 and 2016.

One of the important reasons for continuing education could be the state of economy. According to an annual report by Sloan Consortium, a group of organizations dedicated to quality online education, bad economic times often have a good impact on education. It pushes working professionals to enhance their skills not just to retain their current jobs, but also to improve their chances of advancing as well as increase their employability.

Some of the common benefits of continuing education are:

• By enrolling in advanced or graduate degrees in their field, adults improve their chances of climbing up the corporate ladder and an increase in salary. There are certain specialized roles, such as nursing administration, which usually require professionals to obtain advanced degrees.

• Many people pursue an education to enhance their skills and position themselves favorably in the job market.

• Sometimes, continuing education becomes necessary if you want to switch careers and you don’t have the qualification, training, or experience to enter the new profession of your choice.

• Some adults pursue education because they have a hunger for learning. For them, education is a lifelong quest. Some pursue degree programs related to their professions, while others choose fields that they are interested in, which may or may not be related to their professions.

• For some, the reasons for continuing education have nothing to do with learning or earning. They look at it as something which will improve their image amongst friends and family.

• Successfully completing continuing education courses is known to have a positive impact on people’s self-esteem and quality of life.

Education may be a necessity for some and a passion for others. But the fact remains that for many, it may not be possible to give up a full-time job for continuing education. That’s where online degrees and distance learning programs are helpful – as they allow working adults to learn and earn at the same time.

A wise old man (or woman) once said that it’s never too late to go back to school. The greatest tribute to that age-old adage is being paid by the working adult population of our country that fights all odds to go back to school!

Do You Know What to Expect From a Successful Coaching Relationship?

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Are you interested in finding a coach, but don’t quite know what to expect? This is how a typical coaching relationship works!

You can divide a coaching relationship into seven distinct phases. Although in practice one phase may flow into another, the following description gives you a good idea of what you can – and should! – expect from your coaching agreement, whether you are interested in life-, business-, career-, or any other type of coaching.

1. The Introductory Session – In this initial meeting the coach and coachee get to know one another better by discussing professional backgrounds, identifying the key coaching issue, and deciding how they could best work together. During this phase the foundation for a trusting coaching relationship should be established. If this meeting goes well, the actual coaching objective, as well as the recommended length of the coaching relationship, may be discussed.

2. The Coaching Agreement – Once you have established that there is a positive wavelength between you and your perspective coach (and vice-versa!), it’s time to define the framework for your coaching relationship. What are your goals and expectations? How many sessions will you need? Where should they take place and when? What if you have to cancel? And, also important: What is this all going to cost?

3. The Onboarding or Threshold Session – Now the actual coaching begins. You’ll discover that at first your coach will only ask you – a lot of! – questions. These questions allow the coach to collect relevant information about you, identify core problem areas, analyze blockages you may have, as well as locate your areas of potential growth and development.

4. The Strategy Session(s) – You will now begin getting feedback from your coach. This feedback is based on the analysis from the last session. You and your coach will discuss and decide relevant ways to change your behavior in the main areas that will guarantee you get/stay on track to achieve your coaching goal. Your coach is not giving you instructions or “orders. Your coach is simply “refereeing” as you bring your own inner conversation to the open, and strengthening you in your decisions as you commit to something you probably already know.

5. The Accountability Session(s) – It’s time to translate the ways you have agreed you need to alter your behavior into concrete and regular tasks. This is where your own will power and discipline make all the difference. Your coach now functions as your accountability partner. Someone you agree to check in with regularly, to report on your performance since the last session, to celebrate your milestones with and analyze any difficulties or setbacks you might experience.

6. The Benchmarking Session(s) – Above and beyond just completing the tasks you and your coach have set, your coach will support you as you assess your own progress in working towards your goal. What has happened along the way? What exactly has changed – for you and for your situation? Coach and coachee take an opportunity to analyze the efficiency of the agreed strategies and decide further ‘next steps’ – or realize they need to start all over and develop new strategies and tasks to ensure the ultimate success of their coaching relationship.

7. The Closing Session – Coaching doesn’t simply stop. The final – most valuable – step is the evaluation of what worked for you (as well as what did not) and why. Honesty and clarity in this phase ensures that coachees feel motivated in the future to utilize any new methods, techniques and competencies they have developed during their relationship. Remember: Successful coaching is always help on the way to self-help! This session also provides valuable feedback for your coach on his/her coaching competencies, helps reinforce effective approaches,and indicates possible areas in which the coach can upgrade their own skills.

I purposely avoided discussion the question of certification during your vetting process. Because – whether you choose to work with a certified coach or not – the most important thing your potential coach should bring to the table is their rapport with you!

It’s important that you feel ‘at home’ with your coach in order to have an effective coaching relationship. It’s essential you choose a person you feel you can trust with your doubts and uncertainties; someone from whom you can take the ‘hard questions’ when things get rough, as well as truly celebrate your milestones and victories. Without that level of trust, your coaching experience will never reach it’s full potential in getting you on track – not only to achieve your specific coaching objective, but to help you better help yourself in the future.

Choosing an English School

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The Internet is a great way to learn and practice English. However, for many people, going to an English school can still be a valuable part of improving their skills.

Some people learn English to quite a high level without ever having a formal lesson. They may learn from the Internet, or books, but their speaking ability is likely to be limited. Or they may simply make friends with English speakers, but their mistakes may not be corrected and they may not get a chance to practice all the necessary skills.

Language is a means of communication; it allows you to exchange ideas with other people. By joining a school and taking formal lessons you will get the opportunity to benefit from the advice of a native speaker and to communicate in English with others. You will have the opportunity to practice different skills and receive valuable feedback on your performance.

There are now more English schools than ever before. This article gives some advice on finding the right one for YOU.

Types of English

It is important to know why you want to study English before choosing a school. Do you want to practice conversation, study for an exam (such as TOEFL or TOEIC), or learn English for a specific purpose (eg business or academic purposes)? Be sure that the school you choose will give you the right kind of lessons.

Recommendation

If a friend or colleague has been satisfied with a school then that school is worth considering. But remember, people learn in different ways, and a school that suits your friend may not be the best one for you.

Trial lessons

Most schools or private teachers will be happy to give you a free trial lesson. It is a good idea to have trial lessons with a few different schools (or teachers) before deciding. When you visit a school for a trial lesson try to ask some of the other students what they think about the school. There are no rules on what makes a good lesson; the best lesson for you is the one you feel most comfortable with.

Teachers

When you are considering different schools be sure to ask about the experience and qualifications of the teachers. Avoid schools that employ teachers with no experience or qualifications in teaching English.

Systems

Some schools have systems in which every lesson follows the same pattern. Systems can sometimes be a good way to learn, but no system works for every learner all the time. Avoid schools where the system seems to replace proper preparation by the teachers.

Group or private lessons

Private lessons cost more than group lessons, but you will benefit from the complete attention of the teacher. Small groups give you the chance to communicate with other students. If you are thinking of joining a school with larger classes be sure that lessons give you lots of chances to practice your English in smaller groups. Avoid schools where the teacher spends most of their time lecturing the class.

Accreditation

Some schools have been accredited by an outside organization such as the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) or ACCET (Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training) in the United States or the British Council in the UK. This means that the schools have been inspected by the accreditation body and found to be of good quality. It is a good sign if a school has been accredited, but there are many good schools without accreditation, especially smaller, privately owned schools.

Fees

There is a saying in English that “you get what you pay for”. This means that if you do not pay very much you will not receive much in return. Qualified and experienced teachers get higher salaries than “backpackers”, so it is not a good idea to choose a school simply because it is cheap. It is also good to avoid schools which insist on charging you a lot of money at the start and which do not offer refunds if you find the school is not good for you.

Private teachers

Often you can learn more from a good private teacher than by joining a school. A private teacher will get to know your particular needs and can concentrate on meeting them without being restricted by school rules and regulations. Often you can build a greater rapport with a private teacher than at a school.

If you are interested in studying with a private teacher, take trial lessons with two or three to find one you are happy with. Avoid private teachers who never seem to do any preparation for lessons (unless of course you just want to practice “free conversation”.

Social events

Many schools run a program of social events such as parties or outings. These are good for two reasons. Firstly, they will give you the opportunity to communicate in English in informal circumstances. Secondly, as you become more familiar with teachers and classmates so you will gain in confidence and learn more in class, eg by being less afraid of making mistakes.

Studying overseas

The best way to learn English is to spend some time immersed in the language and culture of an English speaking country.

Are PMP Exam Prep Courses Worth Your Money?

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They say practice makes a man perfect and this is absolutely true in case of the Project Management Professional or PMP exam. This exam is considered as highly intimidating and challenging, and the best way to ensure that you pass through it with flying colors is to practice and prepare for the test. For good results, you need to practice well and the PMP exam prep courses come really handy to help you prepare for the examination.

What are the PMP exam prep courses?

These are powerful and rigorous tools that will help the individuals who are determined to give their hundred percent for the test. Those who wish to make sure that they leave no stoned unturned would like to try all options available to ensure that they are well prepared for the exam and the prep courses simply cannot be ignored. There are many people who are apprehensive about choosing an online course and they wonder whether or not it is worth their money. These people fail to realize that the prep courses are absolutely brilliant and they challenge your capabilities in diverse ways to ensure that you are completely ready for the test.

Those who consider that these online preparation courses are a waste of time are actually living in a misconception and committing one of the biggest mistakes of their lives. With all those rigorous and well designed PMP exam courses out there, an individual has absolutely no excuse to sit for the examination without good preparation. Thus, all those aspiring to take the challenging PMP test should understand and value all the options available before taking the plunge.

Despite the various advantages associated with the PMP exam prep courses, it is unfortunate that several people are still apprehensive about it. Many people live with the misconception that they are capable of mastering all the information provided in the materials on their own, however this is not a feasible idea. No wonder some people are blessed with the power to self study and grasp all the minute details; however the majority of the population finds it difficult to prepare for the exam without any help. Thus these preparation courses come really handy and they greatly benefit the individuals to understand this unique exam and prepare for it.

There are many aspects of these prep courses that make them truly worthwhile. They help you understand various important things that you may not be familiar about these exams. Furthermore, as these courses are updated regularly as per the latest trends and changes in the industry, they help you get a better picture of the various aspects of the test.

If you are still wondering whether these prep courses are worth your time and money then the answer is yes in most cases. These online courses will provide you the opportunity to practice for this challenging examination to the best of your ability. As we have already mentioned at the beginning of the article, practice makes a man perfect, so the more you struggle with the possible questions, the better will be your preparation for the test.

Strength Training Guide

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Strength training is done purely to improve strength and can either be used on its own, such as by power lifters and other strength athletes, or combined with other training methods, most often muscle building. It is most different to other training methods in that the health and fitness benefits are minimal due to the low rep, high rest periods involved.

How To Train

Of all training methods, strength training is the one most likely to cause injury if not done with good technique after a thorough warm-up and stretching routine. This is because the greater the resistance and the fewer the reps done the better. In fact any more than 6 reps and it is no longer classed as strength training. Ideally a single repetition done with maximum resistance is most effective (commonly known as the one-rep max), but it also brings with it the greatest risk of injury due to the intense stress placed upon muscles, joints and the body overall. Strength training forces the body to engage the whole of the muscles involved in the exercise to complete the repetition. Then while resting, the muscles are repaired and their size increases to better cope with the demands next time. Though this is nothing like the increase gained by training for muscle building.

Generally 2 or 3 reps is recommended with 3 sets per exercise.

Rest Periods

Adenosinetriphosphate, or ATP for short, is stored in the body and is what fuels muscle contraction. There isn’t a large amount available however, so it must be made on demand by the phosphocreatine system (which is where creatine supplements can help). This is also stored in the body and like ATP, it is ready and waiting to be used for energy. But these stores are also limited and after the first 10 seconds or so of exercise they’re exhausted and take a while to recover. This is why strength training involves low reps and longer rests between sets. The minimum is 3 minutes, but if you’re serious about training only for strength, 5 or more is better.

Exercises

Most weight training exercises can be for strength training, but compound exercises involve the most muscles and should form the core of any strength training program. Especially Squats, Deadlift and Bench Press. The other exercises involved depend on the individual goal but will almost always involve split routines, where different muscle groups are worked separately on different days.

In Summary

For pure strength training, do 2 or 3 reps per set and 3 sets per exercise, with 3 to 5 minutes rest period between each set. As I said earlier however, strength training can be combined with other training methods to produce less specific results.

Pyramid Training involves increasing the resistance of each set as the number of reps decreases, or can be done the opposite way, decreasing the resistance of each set as the number of reps increases. This creates a more rounded workout but the result depends on the amount of reps. For example, increasing the reps up to a maximum of 10 will sacrifice some gains in strength, but will cause a greater increase in muscle mass. While increasing the amount of reps to 15 and beyond will have more of a general conditioning effect, defining the muscle more but with much less benefit to strength or muscle size.

Periodisation

This is similar to pyramid training but mostly used by people who have a specific goal and time frame, such as a bodybuilder who is training for a competition or a sportsman who wants to maintain fitness in the off season without over training. For example, a bodybuilder might spend 6 weeks training with a maximum of 3 reps per set to increase strength, which he would then use to build muscle by doing 10 reps per set for another 6 weeks. Finally he would increase his reps to 15 or more per set for 6 weeks for greater muscle definition, which would be complete on the day of a competition.

There are many other ways to train, each with its own advantages and disadvantages, which is why it’s so important to know your strength training goal before you begin.