How to Develop the Right Weight Lifting Workouts
Did you know that weight lifting workouts actually improve your body’s ability to lose weight, while at the same time getting toned and fit? If you have been working out with an aerobic program, adding weight lifting can help you achieve results faster than with cardio alone.
When creating a program, there is a basic outline you need to use. Before beginning exercise, make sure to warm up for about ten minutes. This gets your muscles ready for your weight lifting workouts. Failure to warm up can damage muscles when they are exposed to sudden heavy weight lifting.
Choose a resistance of weights that will leave your muscles tired after about 12 repetitions. When participating in weight lifting, a single set of twelve reps can build muscle better than doing multiple sets with a lower weight.
Weight Lifting Workouts Basics.
Lifting weights actually works by microscopically tearing the muscle fiber and forcing it to recover stronger than it was previously. You need to rest your muscles in between your weight lifting workouts so they can recover. In the early days, muscle builders would only give a couple days of rest, however your body needs more. Studies and results have shown that a muscle group benefits with a resting period of a minimum of days off, preferably 5 days. On your off days, make sure to participate in some type of aerobic activity.
Below are some weight lifting workouts to consider for different muscle groups. Not all of these should be combined within the same day workout.
1) Chest – Bench – (Incline, Decline and Flat) or Dumbbells (Incline, Decline and Flat), Peck Deck, Bench Fly’s, Cable Rope Fly’s and Cable Crossovers.
2) Triceps – Bench -(Close grip), Skull Crushers with Dumbbell, French Press with curling bar (preferably on decline bench), Over head rope triceps extensions, Kick backs, Rope pull down extensions and cable pull down extensions both (Palms in and palms out).
3) Back – Pull ups (wide grip), Pull ups (close grip, palms in), Heavy Rows (wide grip and close grip), bent over rows with straight bar. Bent over fly’s. Straight leg dead lifts, Bent leg dead lifts and Roman chair or equivalent with exercise ball.
4) Biceps – Standing straight bar, Standing curl bar, Standing dumbbell curls, Preacher curls, Sitting concentration curls, Spider Curls, Hammer Curls, Cable Rope Curls and Cable bar curls (palms in and out).
5) Legs and Gluts – Squats, Leg Press, Lunges, Leg curls, Leg extensions, Calf raises and Leg raises (Front and Back).
When working out with weights, you need to make sure that you have a balanced workout. Work your core muscles, arms, shoulders and legs. Use a variety of equipment to get the maximum results. There are choices of free weights or machines, and you can determine which combination works best for you.
If you have any questions about proper weight lifting techniques and safety measures, make sure to consult your gym’s expert. Someone should be able to help guide you with the right technique until you have it mastered. Proper form, with lighter weight will give you results far faster than heavy weight with bad form. If you are putting in the effort, then you should maximize results with the best technique and the best weight lifting workouts.
Safety should always be your first priority when working out. Make sure you have realistic goals. You might want to see instant results, but slow and steady tends to work better in the long term.
It is important that you take precaution with your joints, as they are the weakest parts of your body. Your wrists will be impacted by any kind of exercise that involves your arms, and your shoulders run the risk of dislocation if you move them wrong when holding heavy weights. Be very careful to do the exercises properly, and stop at the first sign of serious discomfort of pain in your joints. You can save yourself from a serious injury by being sure not to extend your joints too far.
Disclaimer: Unless you have been working out regularly and are familiar with the weight lifting workouts, it is always best to work out at a gym with a trainer that can help you to understand the workouts and do them correctly. Lifting any kind of weight has the potential for injury, but working with a professional trainer will help to ensure that you are doing the exercises correctly and thereby reducing your risk of injuring yourself.
