Since jogging, aerobics, and other forms of cardiovascular exercise began to rise in popularity, many people have neglected to add weight lifting to their exercise routine. However, some form of resistance training is necessary for health and fitness. Weight lifting maintains muscle and bone as a body ages, helps with fat loss, and can even protect against injuries. Thus, while cardiovascular exercise is important for heart health and endurance, some well-planned sessions in the weight room can be a great way to get started on meeting your fitness goals.
Before you start a weight lifting routine, make sure you know what you are doing. Doing exercises with improper form can lead to injury, which will slow down your progress. If you have never lifted before, it is a good idea to ask one of your gym's trainers or an experienced friend to show you how to do each exercise in your routine. You can also find many videos online of expert lifters demonstrating proper form.
Write down the amount of weight you use for each exercise in a workout journal. This will help you keep track of your progress over time. You will get the satisfaction of seeing those numbers increase. If you reach a plateau and can't increase weight for some time, you can adapt your routine to get past it.
Keep track of how many sets and repetitions you will do of each exercise. You should plan this out in advance, based on what your goals are, and include these numbers in your workout log.
Think about what your goals are when you are planning your workouts. The routine you choose will determine how your body responds to it. For instance, if you are lifting to gain strength, you should be doing 5-8 repetitions per set. If you are trying to increase muscle mass, 8-12 reps per set is more effective.
Warming up properly is important to preventing injury. A few minutes on a treadmill is a good way to start a workout, and you should perform a set of each exercise with fairly light weight to warm up before your heavier sets. After your workouts, passive stretching is a good way to avoid soreness and increase flexibility.
Be aware of how fast you should be lifting. You should always be in control of the weight: lower it slowly rather than dropping it. This is important for safety, and it also means that you are working your muscles throughout the entire exercise.
The effectiveness of your workouts will largely depend on how well your body can repair itself afterwards. Make sure you give yourself enough rest time after a workout. Don't work the same body parts on consecutive days. Also, make sure you get plenty of sleep and healthy food.
These tips will help you get started with your first weight training routine. By following this advice, you will make your body healthier and stronger. When you make weight lifting a part of your life, you will find that your body functions better and you are capable of more things. Weight lifting can give you a new level of fitness that you will notice in your day-to-day life.
"By the way, if you liked what you read and want more information about Building Muscle."
You can download my free ebook available at, http://www.exerciseworkouttips.com
Marc Ouellette has helped thousands of people reach their goals by incorporating workout routines and simple meal plans to build muscle and lose weight.
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