Explaining the basics of a weight training
Many of us are unhappy with our body and would like to change our appearance. Weight training is one way to sculpt your body into the body you’ve always wanted to have. Sometimes diet and exercise, although important to a healthy lifestyle, are not enough- weight training can build muscles and tone them, giving you the shape you’ve always dreamed of.
What is weight training?
Sometimes called resistance training, weight training is the use of free weights, weight machines or your own body to provide resistance to build muscles and endurance. Weight lifters do it, but so do millions of other people who aren’t looking to resemble Arnold Schwarzenegger- they simply want to sculpt and shape their body and increase their strength and endurance.
What are the advantages of weight training?
Weight training offers many advantages including:
- Boosts metabolism- all exercise can provide a needed boost to your metabolism, and weight training is no exception.
- Builds strong bones- as we age, our bones weaken. For women especially, weight training can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis as weight-bearing exercises help to keep bones strong
- Increases muscle strength and endurance- you’ll feel stronger and will have added endurance and energy
- Builds core strength- this can help you avoid back injuries and other injuries that stem from weakened core muscles
- Improves balance and coordination
- Increases self-confidence- not only will you look better, but you’ll feel better too knowing that you are doing something healthy for your body. Toned muscles won’t hurt your self-esteem either!
Basic Weight Training Principles
The Overload Principle- the main idea behind weight training is that to build muscle, you need to lift more or use more resistance than your muscles are accustomed to. As your strength increases, along with your ability to use more resistance, you should continue to increase resistance to avoid reaching a plateau where your muscles are “comfortable”. To put it simply, the amount you are lifting should be enough that reaching the end of a particular routine should not be easy- it should be difficult to complete your reps, but not impossible. You should be able to finish your reps with the same good form you started with.
Progression- weight training must constantly adapt to your changing body. You are not meant to reach a comfortable plateau; instead, you should continue to change your reps, your routine, your order of exercises and the amount of resistance used to be continually challenging yourself towards reaching new goals.
Specificity- specificity refers to your target or goal, which your program should be built around and targeted towards. Your goal may be to increase your strength, in which case you will want to train with progressively heavier weights. If your goal is to lose weight or tone your body, you should design a program that targets all of the different muscle groups.
Rest and Recovery- the days in which you rest particular muscle groups are just as important as the days to exercise these groups. Rest days are the days that provide the opportunity for your muscles to grow, so you will want to ensure you are not exercising the same muscle groups on consecutive days.
Getting Started
Weight training is not an activity that you should just jump into. You will need to do a little research first. If you have limited knowledge of weight training, it is wise to find someone to help you get started and to advise you as you progress. If you can’t afford to hire a personal trainer to come to your home (and the majority of us can’t), consider joining a gym, investing in some how-to videos, or going virtual and hiring an online trainer.
Consider the goal(s) you are trying to achieve. Ask yourself what you hope to accomplish. Are you trying to lose weight? Are you too thin and would like to build some muscle? Have you injured your back and are now trying to strengthen core muscles to prevent another injury? Perhaps you want to tone yourself all over. Whatever your overall goal, your exercise program should be targeted towards that goal. If you use a trainer, he/she will want to know what you hope to achieve before you embark on a weight training program.
Are you healthy enough to engage in a weight training program? If you have any health conditions that may preclude weight training, you should discuss this with your physician. Weight training is meant to build, not destroy!
Keep the following weight training principles in mind
Once you have identified your resource person (if needed), identified your goals and determined that you are fit enough to begin weight training, you will want to keep the following principles in mind:
- Warm up before beginning- warming up your muscles is crucial to avoiding injury. Some light cardio exercises should be sufficient, or you may choose to lift lighter weights. Whichever route you choose, your muscles must be warm and loose to prevent strain and injury.
- Lifting exercises should be done slowly- weights should be lifted and lowered in a smooth fashion. If you have to “heave” the weights to lift them, there is a very good chance that you are using weights that are too heavy for you. Slow and steady wins the race!
- Breathe through the lift- never hold your breath while lifting. Your muscles need oxygen when they are working. Breathe in a slow and controlled fashion while lifting and lowering.
- Posture- posture is everything. Avoid hunching over while lifting- keep your spine straight and your abdominal muscles tight to avoid injury.
READ Planning A Yearly Weight Training Cycle
Now that you know what weight training is, it’s easy to get started. It’s not necessary to go out and buy thousands of dollars of gym equipment. If you have never trained with weights before, enlisting help may be in your best interests. Consider buying a trial gym membership to see if you enjoy this type of exercise- if you don’t enjoy it, you won’t do it. As you see and feel your body changing week by week, I predict that you will become hooked on weight training and will feel healthier and more confident as a result.