R.I.P body fat. Say hello to RIPPED muscles.
Getting swole is real tough but once you get out of that workout, you’ll be the tough one. However, if you think that becoming tough is all there is to strength training, it’s not.
There are so many more benefits that you can get from strength training such as increased muscle-fiber size, increased tendon strength, boosted confidence, stronger bones, and enhanced heart health to name a few. Before you get started though, here a few tips that just might help you get a low down on what is strength training.
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8. Know Your Goals
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Sometimes, a journey without a destination is fun but when it comes to strength training, setting your goals is essential because it’ll help build the foundation of your workout – it’ll tell you how many reps (repetition of the same exercise) and how many sets (the number of times you repeat a rep) you have to do.
If your goal is to lose body fat and build muscle, the number of reps and sets that you have to do are significantly less than those who want to have muscular endurance. To add, make sure you’re reminded of your goals – write them down, input them in your phone, or make a vision board of your dream body.
7. Start Small, Start Simple
Don’t jump into the pool without knowing first how to swim. Just like in swimming, in strength training, it’s best if you work up to heavier weights rather than immediately shocking yourself with them. Set small and achievable weight goals. Alternate cardio and lifting weights so your whole body gets a workout instead of isolated areas.
Safety tips:Warm up before lifting so you can increase your range of motion and reduce your risk of injury. Experts recommend working on larger muscle groups first because they’ll take the most time and effort to tone.
6. Test Your Weights
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Wait! Don’t just grab those weights. According to those who do strength training, lifting weights that are too heavy is just as bad as lifting weights that too light. If you lift weights that are too heavy, you could injure yourself and reduce the effectiveness of your workout. If it’s too light, you’re not being challenged.
The perfect weight should be able to challenge you while maintaining proper form – after a rep, you should feel fatigued but not in pain. A suggestion is to begin with your body weight which means doing squats, push-ups or utilize dumbbell, medicine balls, resistance bands.
5. Practice Proper Posture and Form
You know how in school or in front of a computer, your elders constantly tell you to sit up straight because that’s proper posture and it’s good for your body? Well, when strength training, maintaining proper posture and form is essential to making sure that you don’t strain your muscles and end your workout earlier than expected.
To have proper posture, you must stand tall with your chest lifted and abs held tight. Proper form, on the other hand, means moving in a slow and controlled manner that will focus more on the contraction and extension of the muscles which will produce less tissue trauma.
4. Challenge Yourself but Don’t Go Overboard
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Your aim here is to identify your limits, go past them but not too far in one go. It’s much better to focus first on how to do each exercise properly first rather than pay attention to how much weight you’re lifting or how many exercises you’ve accomplished. If you’re a beginner, you can start out with exercises that can utilize your body weight and prepare you better.
Among the few main exercises you can do are squats, which can test your form and stability; pushups, which engage your chest muscles, shoulders, pectorals; planks, which can give you a strong and stable core; deadlifts, which can increase your strength for lower-body lifts; and rows which can give you better posture.
3. Switch it up and Balance It Out
Ever heard of the term “workout plateau“? It’s when your body adapts to whatever stress you’re putting it under and it’s no longer showing results. Yes, in strength training, the same thing can happen but you can also push past it by either switching things up like doing other exercises or increasing your weights gradually so you can be pushed a bit more.
If you really want to go for a toned and balanced body, then incorporate workouts that pair an upper body exercise with a lower body exercise. A few examples are squats and push-ups as well as walking lunges and lat pulldowns.
2. Rehydrate and Refuel
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It’s simple. If you’re hydrated, you won’t feel so weak, you won’t get sick as quickly, and you’ll be more effective in the weight room. When it comes to food, working on a stomach that’s fed will help keep your focus on the workout rather than your grumbling stomach.
Note: it’s best to ingest a small, balanced meal with equal portions of lean protein and complex carbohydrates. You’re going to have to eat 30-60 minutes before a workout or 60 minutes after.
1. Listen to Your Body and Rest
When your body is screaming no more, take a break and rest. Being a little sore or feeling achy or tired the day after your session is fine, but if it hurts to the point that you can’t move anymore, then it’s time for a well-deserved rest. If you keep pushing yourself, you will constantly break down your muscles they won’t be able to repair themselves and recover. However, if you really can’t help but exercise, then work out the part of your body which isn’t sore.
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