If you’re new to weight training, understanding the basics is mandatory. Beginners often think of dumbbells or barbells for weight training, but that’s not necessarily the case. You can interchange weight training for strength or resistance training, so the equipment expands to kettlebells, body weight, resistance bands, or resistance machines. It’s all about working against a resistance, whether it’s gravity or the force it takes to stretch resistance bands. Strength training builds muscles, burns fat, and boosts your metabolism to help you lose weight.
Understand how to use each piece of equipment before you use it.
Every day new strength training equipment seems to emerge. Besides the type of equipment normally considered like barbells, medicine balls, or sandbags, there are weighted vests, leg weights, suspension training straps, and entire pull-up systems. You can even make weights with water bottles and sand. Bodyweight exercises have been around for centuries. Master bodyweight exercises first unless you have a trainer. Learning the proper form and technique is vital. Focus on feeling the muscles you’re working. Once you’ve mastered bodyweight workouts, move on to other equipment.
Let your muscles rest 48 to 72 hours after working them.
That’s especially true if you do intense training. When you do strength training, you’re making micro tears in the muscles you worked. It takes 48 to 72 hours for those micro tears to heal. The tissue formed when they heal builds strength and muscle tissue. If you don’t allow the muscles to heal, they continuously retear. Instead of building muscles and getting stronger, you’ll get weaker and lose progress. If you want to do weight training daily, work on different muscle groups, allowing each group to rest appropriately between sessions.
There are differences in how you train to build bulk and how you train for strength.
To build bulk, you do more repetitions with lighter weights. To build strength, use heavier weights and fewer repetitions. Workout to failure. When you first start on any new weight training exercise, take it slow and focus on form. Proper form is key to avoiding injury and maximizing benefits. If you’re out of shape, start with a modified form of the exercise when doing bodyweight exercises, such as knee-bent push-ups or using just the bar for barbell exercises.
- Use enough weight or resistance to do ten repetitions without affecting your form. They shouldn’t be easy, especially the last two, but still allow enough energy to do one more.
- The older you are, the more beneficial strength training becomes. After the mid-30s your body loses muscle tissue. Muscles tug on the bones to keep them strong, so muscle loss can lead to osteoporosis. Strength training builds muscles and bone density.
- Create a strength training circuit or a strength training high intensity interval training—HIIT—workout. You’ll burn calories faster, accomplish more in less time, and combine a cardio workout with strength training.
- Strength training improves the quality of life for people with arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, and back problems. It’s heart-healthy, reduces the risk of diabetes, and can help relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
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