How often do we attempt to do something and never really get started or do it for a short period of time and then quit. How do we change this pattern? It mostly lies in getting the right information and that's why with great tips, weight lifting can be fun.
Weight lifting is not only about building a Mr. or Ms. America body which is something few of us will ever achieve unless it becomes a compulsion. Most of us just want to be fit and trim, not feel like we're not able to cover up enough when we go to the beach. We have all heard of the typical American diet and the statistics like the increasing obesity rate. We know that it is not always as easy as calories in, calories out and the rest gets stored (fat). Regular exercise is one of the ways that we can gain control of our fitness levels and if we can adopt a regular regimen we will be well on the way to having the body we want.
Most of us have heard of the workout one day rest the next philosophy and there is a great deal of merit to that. This can mean 3 or 4 workout days a week, not always schedule friendly with our hectic lifestyles. The truth is that we can get significant strength and fitness gains if we can commit to working out 2 times a week. This will allow us to ease into a muscle building routine and find what is going to work best for us.
The next consideration is what type of results we are looking for. Do we want to tone and trim or build and bulk? For tone and trim we want to do lower weights and higher repetitions. This would be 2 or 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions with enough weight that we are fatiguing the muscles with each set. For build and bulk we want to do higher weights with lower repetitions. This means 2 sets of 8-12 repetitions using enough weight that the final repetition is about all that we can handle.
The first and one of the most important considerations is to warm up properly. This is best done by doing 10-15 minutes of cardio, either some apparatus designed for that purpose (stationary bike, stair stepper etc.) or simply jogging in place. This gets the blood moving through the body and reduces the possibility of injury.
There are some important points to consider while performing the exercises. Each repetition should be slow and controlled, taking 4-6 seconds to complete. Focus on using only the muscles that are being isolated by the exercises, if we "cheat" by bending our back or twisting our body we diminish the gains. Wait about a minute between sets of an exercise and 1-2 minutes between different exercises.
Last and of equal importance is to find a good program to follow. With great tips, weight lifting will be a rewarding experience that will last a lifetime.
To find more great tips for weight lifting success. take a look at No Nonsense Muscle Building.
This is an excellent guide offering complete weight lifting routines for both men and women along with a nutritional plan to optimize your workout.
