Weight Training
Weight training is a discipline that will help you to:
- lose fat
- fight against age related muscle loss
- increase your metabolism, which helps to burn off calories
- strengthen your bones (especially important for women)
- improve your health and
- make you look and feel better.
Weight training is also very efficient from a time spent perspective.
The following tips will help you get started Lifting Weights.
Warm Up and Flexibility
A good warm up routine will let the body deliver blood to the muscles that are going to be exercised. You want the muscles to be warm and the joints to be lubricated when you are lifting.
Stretching is very important so that muscle flexibility is maintained. In the 70's the knock (or excuse not to do it) on strength training was that you would become muscle bound.
To help maintain flexibility, you absolutely must use proper body mechanics when lifting. You also need to move through the complete range of motion available in an exercise. Do not sacrifice good form to try and lift a heavier weight.
Now days the people that take strength training seriously and do it properly, generally have more flexibility than those that do nothing.
Start out Right
Building muscle
is a process and you need to start it out right.
You will be much more successful if you have a plan that includes:
- written goals
- a planned workout schedule (tailored to your goals)
- a commitment to keep up your
weight lifting
for an extended period of time
- nutrition that will build your body up - this is especially important if you are a
hardgainer
(as I am).
Educate Yourself
There is much more to weight training than hoisting weights. There are:
- the different
muscle fiber types
- the importance of your mental focus while lifting weights
- proper nutrition (to build muscle you need to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight) and
-
healthy supplements
for your growing muscles.
Give it a Try!
As I tell my
clients
when starting anything new, don't go hog wild. Start with light weights and move up rapidly. This will keep you from getting too sore and help avoid injury when beginning. Strength training does cause soreness starting out, but your body will adjust as you go forward.
Muscles that are stressed when weight lifting need to be rested 1-2 days before being exercised again, depending on how how hard you are training.
Make a plan, hit the gym and exercise those
biceps
(along with everything else)!
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