**5. Practical resistance training Programme design for CVD prevention and management**

RT, sometimes referred to as weight training or erroneously as strength training, involves the performance of physical exercise against resistance or weight. While RT is commonly associated with lifting of dumbbells and barbells in a gymnasium setting, it can also incorporate a variety of training techniques, such as callisthenics, Pilates, yoga, free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, isometrics, high-intensity interval training (HITT) and plyometrics [17]. It is this plethora of RT exercise types and programme design iterations (i.e. frequency, intensity, muscle groups, single−/ multi-joint exercise, sets, repetition, rest intervals, etc.) that provides much consternation for many health organisations and health professionals, leading to guidelines


#### **Table 1.**

*Guidelines for resistance training programme design based on CVD risk/presence of CVD (adapted from Shaw, Brown & Shaw, 2021 [17]).*

or position statements for each CVD [17]. While it is these same design considerations that can be fine-tuned, by advanced exercise scientists in cardiovascular therapy, to exact a similar plethora of physiological changes and adaptions that are well suited to CVD prevention and management, practical and easy-to-follow RT regimes do exist for prevention and management of CVD (**Table 1**) [17].
