Lifting weights has many health and aesthetic benefits and contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just reserved for body builders and professional athletes. Weightlifting can aid with weight loss, improving bone density, increasing muscle tone and strength and more. It can be quite intimidating lifting weights at the gym when you aren’t knowledgeable about the basics of weight training and can easily lead to injury if not done correctly. This is why equipping yourself with information and knowing the basic dos and don’ts of weight training is important.
Weight training is an organised exercise in which muscles of the body are compelled to contract under tension using weights, body weight or a number of different devices in order to stimulate growth, strength, power as well as endurance. Weight training is also called “resistance training” as well as “strength training”.
You don’t need to be a bodybuilder or a professional athlete in order to reap the benefits of weight training. When done properly, weight training can assist you to lose fat, increase your strength and muscle tone, as well as enhancing your bone density. If done inaccurately, however, weight training won’t give you these advantages — and may even result in injury.
Check Your Weightlifting Technique
You might pick up weight training techniques by watching friends or other people in the gym, however sometimes what you see isn’t safe. Incorrect weight training technique may lead to sprains, strains, fractures in addition to other painful injuries which may impede your weight training efforts.
If you’re just starting out, work with a knowledgeable weight training specialist — a physical therapist, personal trainer or other fitness specialist who’s very familiar with proper weight training technique. If you’ve been utilising weights for a while, consider scheduling time with a personal trainer to double-check your technique as well as identify any changes you may need to make.
Always Warm Up Beforehand
Before you start to lift weights, you need to warm your muscles up. You are able to do this by taking a 5-to-10-minute walk on the treadmill, skipping, jogging in place, and even doing a couple of stretches. By warming up your muscles, you significantly decrease your chances of becoming injured.
Wear Shoes Which Provide Great Traction
The shoes that you wear when you lift weights should be comfortable and also provide good traction so that you don’t inadvertently slip and injure yourself. Invest in a quality shoe brand which will last you a long time as opposed to choosing for a less expensive brand which may wear out quickly thereby hampering your ability to perform the exercises.
Begin With Lower Weights And Then Work Your Way Up
Don’t begin with the heaviest weight that you can probably lift. Simply because you can lift it once, it doesn’t mean you should be lifting the weights it repeatedly. Pick a weight which you can lift for at least three sets of 12 repetitions. As time progresses, you will be able to slowly increase the heaviness of the weights which you use.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
If you would like to learn more about lifting weights – in addition to other forms of exercise – then you need to do our Personal Training Diploma. Follow this link for more information.
