Knowing the benefits of engaging in resistance training is one thing, trying to get those benefits is another. Many students across campus find a way to do cardio activity. Not as many will do weight training for various reasons, including (but not limited to): 1) no time to add another type of exercise or 2) a person thinks he/she will get big bulky muscles.
There are multiple ways to get weight training into a schedule and it really does not take as long out of your day as one might think. A person only needs to do a minimum of 2 days per week to get some benefit from weight training (though 3 days would show more results).
This video talks about how muscles will grow (and what is needed to do so): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tM1LFFxeKg&feature=emb_logo
In order to create a successful program, a person needs to understand what types of exercises he/she could do. These types include Isometric, Isokinetic, and Isotonic (which has two actions, concentric and eccentric action). The following presentation provides a short explanation of the various types of resistance training exercises that one could participate in:
Click Here for a website that describes the different types of weight training
So machines or free weights can provide you with ample types of exercises for a person to do. Beginners should probably start on machines so they get to know the movements associated with working out varying muscle groups. Machines mainly have a person focusing on the Concentric ("Glossary") aspect of muscle movement, which is where a person focuses on lifting any weight up against gravity. Then, after a period of time or when a person feels comfortable with their knowledge of resistance training, they can move onto using free weights because it does provide a better "workout". Most people doing free weights will also use the Concentric muscle action as their focus. But more advanced weight trainers may also begin to use the Eccentric ("Glossary") muscle action, which has a person assist a weight lifter to get a heavy weight up against gravity, then slowly resist gravity on the way down. Eccentric exercise will work a muscle to a greater degree, but also cause more muscle soreness (so beginners should stay away from doing this type of activity). For more information on Eccentric exercises, you can go to this https://www.verywellfit.com/definition-of-eccentric-weight-training-3498370.
Some athletes will use a training technique called Plyometrics ("Glossary"). But they should only be performed by those people whose bodies are strong enough to resist impact on the joints. So if you are a beginner or been exercising for a while, but not strong enough yet, you might want to avoid these types of exercises.
But you don't need to go to the gym to get a workout, you can use resistance bands, such as these:
hhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRYJGLU0bO0
Now if you want a more serious workout and have been doing resistance training for a longer period of time, you may want to try some of these (watch all the way to the end for some fun and look at some of the onlookers in the back of the gym as the video progresses to harder exercises):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POdzasJklxw
To actually put a program together for yourself, you again need to follow the F.I.T.T. principle.
For Frequency, a person should do at least 2 weight training sessions a week (3 is a little better). But if you do more than 3 sessions a week, you need to be sure to rest a muscle group for at least one day before lifting again. So many people will "split" their routine and do upper body one day, lower body the next day, then keep repeating (one day off a week would be very beneficial to have to let your body recover if you lift the other 6 days during the week).
The Intensity of the activity really depends on the resistance a person uses (or how much weight they use). If you want to build bulk or size, you will end up using heavier weights. If you want to just be more toned or defined, lighter weight or resistance will work better for you.
The Time aspect of F.I.T.T can be related to the number of exercises you choose to do and how many Sets ("Glossary) or Repetitions (reps) ("Glossary") you complete per set. Beginners can start to do only a few exercises when they first go to the gym (or at home... or wherever!), but eventually you will want to workout the 8-10 major muscle groups in your body (more on that in the next presentation).
And the Type of activity relates to what you choose as your resistance (e.g. body weight, machine or free weights)
To expand on the F.I.T.T. principle and provide a better idea of what to incorporate in a weight training program, please view this presentation:
Click Here for information on the F.I.T.T. principle
The last point to discuss when creating a program for yourself using resistance training is safety. If a person does not follow good technique, if he/she uses unsafe movements, then an injury can occur. To further elucidate this point, please view this presentation: