Weights For Beginners

Want to start adding weights to your fitness regime but don’t know where to start? Whether it’s for strength, weight loss, lean muscle gain or overall fitness, here’s some simple advice to get you started. If you want to know more, make sure to ask a member of the team on your next visit!
Common Mistakes To Avoid

1) Using too much weight, too soon; always start lower than your expected ability and work your way up that first workout. If your form suffers, you are swinging the weight, or using momentum, this indicates you may be using too much weight. Greater momentum increases the potential for injury and reduces the effectiveness to the muscle group being targeted.

2) Not using enough weight; always play it safe, but if you can perform 30 reps with a certain weight, it’s likely time to increase it a bit. Tip: Increase the weight no more than about 5% at a time.

3) Moving through repetitions too quickly, going too fast; there is nothing gained by lifting weights fast. Some of the perks of lifting weight in a slow and controlled manner, include more total muscle tension and force produced, more muscle fibre activation both slow and fast twitch fibres, and less tissue trauma. Remember, a joint is only as strong as the muscles that cross it; if you haven’t lifted in a long time, or ever, be careful what you ask of your joints.

4) Not resting long enough, or resting far too long; both can be a workout killer. Tip: The recommended rest period is between 30-90 seconds, for overall fitness.

Handy Hints!

1) Perform a weights based workout at least two times a week to see and feel a difference.

2) Take one day off from weight training between workouts.

3) For health gains, at least one set of 8-12 repetitions should be performed to fatigue; this means a weight heavy enough to tire the muscle significantly in 8-12 reps.

4) For fitness gains, two sets of 8-12 repetitions should be performed to fatigue; again with a weight heavy enough that the muscle is tired and unable to continue without a 30-90 second rest period.

5) It should take four to five seconds to complete one repetition through a complete range of motion; in a slow and very controlled manner.

6) Rest at least 30 seconds and no more than 90 seconds between sets of each exercise; and 1 to 2 minutes between each exercise.

Don’t forget, we’re here to help so if you want some help on what weights to be doing, make sure to ask us!

Sourced: bodybuilding.com