Do you want to improve your health and increase your physical strength? If you want to tone your body, increase your strength and lose weight, you can take up weight training.

There are many different exercises you can choose from, but they have different impacts on your body. Weight training is the use of resistance equipment to help stimulate muscle growth and to increase tone and strength. Weight training is also known as resistance training.

Weight training is easy to do and you can either join a class to do it, or you can buy your own equipment. It does not require a lot of space and it also does not require a daily commitment. In fact, it’s best if you only work out three to four times a week. You can also do it without any special training, though it is helpful to research as much as possible and learn basic exercises. Taking a class at your local gym may be a good start and, if you can afford one, a personal trainer would be very helpful for establishing your unique programme.

Weight training programme

A weight training programme is the routine that you follow on a weekly basis to increase strength, increase muscle mass and improve flexibility. Repetition is the key to weight lifting because that is how you are going to increase strength and maintain it over a period of time. Of course, once a programme is established, it’s not set in stone and you can change it in response to your body and its needs. One of the most obvious ways you’re going to change it is by gradually increasing the weight you lift, as well as the number of sets and repetitions you do.

Tips for beginners

Following these simple tips will help you remain healthy, uninjured and also help increase the pleasure and enjoyment you gain from your programme:

    • Don’t push yourself too hard. If you begin by lifting too much, you’ll only injure yourself and you won’t actually gain any muscles. You need to start at a weight that you can do easily, with only a little resistance.
    • It is better to do a programme that benefits your entire body. It’s fine to try to focus on one particular area of the body or muscle group, but if you want to increase upper body strength, you should not neglect your lower body.
    • Always warm up and cool down. You reduce the risk of injury if your muscles are appropriately stretched.
    • It is normal to be stiff and sore for days, even weeks after you begin. The pain will ease after a while!

Weight training is different from aerobic exercise because it focuses on muscle groups, rather than your heart and circulatory system. Of course, both types of exercise work best when they are used in conjunction with each other.

 

Sources

http://www.exercisegoals.com
http://www.simplifiedfitness.com

 

(Revised by M van Deventer)