The Do's and Don'ts to Weight Lifting

Four Dos and Don't to Weight Lifting:

There are much more than ten rules to productive strength training, but the things you should do are often the things that you do not do, for what ever reason. The things you shouldn't do are usually the things that you do do. You should always use these rules, so read closely.

1- Do not try to replace compound exercises for isolations.

**Compound movements are far more important; not just for the production of more muscle mass in a single exercise. Isolation movements serve a purpose, but it's usually the beginners that add them in as replacements for compounds; you shouldn't do this.

2- Protein is the most important nutrient

**Completely untrue. Protein is used to repair damaged muscle tissue, but too much protein is counter productive. When protein is converted in too large of an amount it results in the body taking the amino acids that it needs before stripping the remaining amino acids of its nitrogen. The non nitrogen amino acids are then used as glucose or stored as fat. When amino acids are used as glucose, it generates ammonia, the ammonia is toxic in more than one ways and often times can be deadly. After ammonia is generated, it then is sent to the liver to be excreted through during during high protein turnover; a phenomenon in which a lot of water is needed to be present usually dehydrating the body. Furthermore, the nitrogen that was stripped is then sent to the liver to be excreted, and has been linked to osteoporosis and kidney stones. Carbs as needed for glucose and fats are needed for a lot of anabolic hormone production.

3- Use machines. The stabilizer maturity required to develop productive strength and hypertrophy with the use of machines is an oxymoron. You are designed to move freely, without the use of assistance through power rods or rails. Your body should work in more than one plane at a time. As a matter of a fact, you put unnecessary pressure on the joints and program incorrect motor pattern with machines anyway. Do not teach your body to move incorrectly! Train functionally.

4- Rely solely on supplements. Supplements are scams; avoid them. Most supplements are there to give you protein or amino acids. There is absolutely nothing that your body needs to grow that it doesn't produce manually. Save your money and spend it on food.

Will "MVP" Riggs

Personal Trainer, Nutrition Consultant