Weight Lifting for Beginners
by Travis Van Slooten
Weight lifting for beginners can be overwhelming. There is so much
to learn and there are so many resources available to get help from.
Where do you begin? While it's true there is a lot to get your hands
around when it comes to the world of weight lifting, I want to provide
some basic tips to get you started on the right foot.
Before we discuss the basics to make weight lifting for beginners
easier, let's talk about the human body for a minute. There are three
main body types: endomorph, ectomorph, and mesomorph. Each body type
has its own unique charasterics. A person with an endomorph body type
is considered to be carrying around too much fat and tends to have
trouble losing weight. Someone with an ectomorph frame does not have
enough fat or muscle and has a tough time building muscle or gaining
weight. A mesomorph is perhaps the ideal body type with a well-formed
body and can gain or lose weight fairly easily.
Understanding what body type you have is important so that you can
set realistic weight lifting goals. An ectomorph, for example, is
going to have a tough time putting on muscle and will probably never
look like Arnold schwarzenegger in his prime (who has a mesomorph
body type). You can't get a sedan to perform like a sports car and
the same is true of our bodies so the first thing the beginner should
do is set realistic goals.
After setting realistic goals, here are some basic tips that will
make weight lifting for beginners easier, safer, and more effective:
Understand the Lingo
The lingo can make Weight lifting for beginners confusing when they
first get started. The two basic terms that every beginner must know
are "reps" and "sets." A rep is simply one exercise, or movement.
For example, doing one pull up is considered "one rep." Consecutive
reps without a rest form a set. For example, "10 reps" of doing pull
ups is "one set." So if a weight lifting routine that you've come
across calls for you to do pulls ups of "3 sets of 10," you'll know
that means you need to do 10 pull ups, three times (3 sets) - with
rest in between in each set.
Consider Hiring a Personal Trainer
If you're tight on cash, don't pass by this tip so quickly because
personal trainers aren't as expensive as you might think. I'm not
talking about hiring a personal trainer full-time. Hiring a personal
trainer for one to two sessions can go a long way in getting you off
to the right foot and making weight lifting for beginners safer and
more effective. A personal trainer can show you how to correctly execute
your weight lifting exercises to prevent injuries and to make sure
you are working the muscles properly for the best results. They can
also correct any bad habits you might have developed. Weight lifting
for beginners can be so simple with just one or two sessions with
a personal trainer so consider it if your budget allows.
Avoid Spending Too Much Time in the Gym
A lot of guys make the mistake in believing that if they start seeing
results with just 45-60 minutes in the gym, then more time would reap
even greater results! Nothing could be further from the truth. In
fact, overtraining of any kind can actually hamper your results. Spending
too much time exercising can wreak all kinds of havoc in the body.
For example, after about an hour of rigorous exercise, levels of the
hormones in your body responsible for muscle growth start to diminish.
Other hormones, such as cortisol, are released instead and they can
actually destroy muscles and ruin all your hard work. Instead of getting
bigger, you may actually get smaller! Weight lifting for beginners
should not require more than 60 minutes in the gym per session. Beginners
can achieve results with as little as 30 minutes of weight lifting
per session so long as the session is focused and the exercises are
done correctly.
Be Focused When You're at the Gym
Nothing drives me nuts more than seeing a guy reading a newspaper
in between sets. I want to smack the guy in the head and ask him if
he's here to read or lift weights! Save the paper for after your workout.
When you're at the gym, stay focused on the task at hand and you'll
get better results and you'll spend less time in the gym. A lot of
guys who say they lift for more than an hour, probably spend half
the time talking with other people or reading newspapers. If you have
that kind of time, then go for it. For me personally, I don't like
to spend a lot of time in the gym. I like to get my work done and
get out of there.
Concentrate on Large Muscle Groups
There are so many different exercises to learn that weight lifting
for beginners can be down right overwhelming. The best thing the beginner
can do is concentrate on exercises that will work the large muscle
groups. These groups include the legs, chest, and back. You'll get
more bang for your buck spending your time doing weight lifting exercises
that work those muscle groups. The more muscle mass you build, the
more fat you'll burn throughout the day. Since these are large muscle
groups, it makes sense to make them bigger so you can burn more fat!
These are also the muscle groups that will be the most noticeable
to others. What woman doesn't notice a guy with a well-formed "V-shaped"
back or muscular legs in the summer when you're wearing shorts? Let's
not forget about the chest. The chest is one of the first muscle groups
everyone notices! As a beginner, don't waste your time with small
muscle groups because those muscles don't do nearly as much fat burning
and they're not nearly as noticeable to others.
Eat a Balanced, Healthy Diet
Weight lifting for beginners is more than just pushing iron! A poor
diet will prevent the beginner from achieving significant gains. The
body you have today is the result of what you have been putting in
it for the past several months. Get plenty of protein, carbohydrates,
and essential fatty acids and limit junk food, sugars, alcohol, and
fast food.
Get Plenty of Rest
Again, weight lifting for beginners is about more than just pushing
iron. Along with a healthy diet, you need to get adequate sleep. Believe
it or not, but your muscles repair themselves and grow when you sleep
- NOT when you're at the gym lifting. If you're not getting enough
sleep, you're not giving your muscles enough time to repair and grow.
Furthermore, if you're not fully energized when you hit the gym, how
effective do you think your lifting will be? I can lift a lot more
weight and I can push myself harder when I've had a good night's sleep.
Aim to get eight hours of sleep every night.
These are the basics that should make weight lifting for beginners
easier, safer, and more effective.
About the Author
Travis Van Slooten is the founder and editor of http://www.mens-total-fitness.com
- a site dedicated to putting together the most accurate information
and proven techniques to help men lose weight and build muscle naturally.
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