How to Get Started With Weightlifting
Weight training is an excellent way to improve your strength, develop muscle mass, and to raise your overall level of fitness. Starting out lifting weights can seem a little daunting, but you will quickly learn about the different types of weightlifting equipment available and to understand the variations in the lifts used in both weightlifting and powerlifting.
Determine Your Weightlifting Goals
Define what you personally want to achieve from weight training. It might be to enhance athletic performance, increase body mass, maximise strength or to lose weight. It is a good idea to enrol in a gym where you can get expert advice and instruction and also try out a wide range of different weightlifting equipment. When starting out, the machines found in a gym can help a beginner, who likely has less integrity in the joints and lacks core stability. Machines found in gyms can support weaker body areas while allowing individual muscles to be strengthened before progressing onto the use of free weights.
Establish your Weightlifting Routine
It is really important to develop the correct form and good lifting habits to prevent frustration and possible injury. Take advantage of a gym to master the basic techniques with professional instruction, and to establish a realistic, personalized and safe routine. Gyms also have the benefit of being fitted out with the whole range of weightlifting equipment, including dumbbells, barbells, weight benches, and bumper plates. This will allow you to learn how to utilise each piece of equipment safely and effectively.
When starting out you should aim to train two or three times a week with complete days of rest in between. In just twelve weeks you can expect to see notable results. It is vital to first master the correct technique using very little or even no weight. All movements should be executed in a calm and controlled manner. You actually get more benefit from a lift performed slowly, as this produces greater muscle tension without overstraining your joints.
Dumbbells and Barbells Explained
Dumbbells are a good training tool to start out with as they are small, compact and you can use them anywhere. They are particularly useful for noting and remedying imbalances between one side of your body and the other. Some dumbbells have weights that can be adjusted so you can gradually increase both the weight and the number of repetitions as you gain strength. For maximum fitness gains you should complete your set of repetitions, then rest for 1-2-minutes and repeat.
Barbells are excellent for building strength, as they allow you to advance clearly and slowly by increasing week by week the amount you lift. Barbells are lifted using both hands at once and different lifts work out different parts of the body. Lower body movements such as the deadlift begin with the bar on the floor, for others like the squat or the press you will also need to invest in a rack and a bench. Add more weight plates or bumper plates to increase the weight gradually – not more than 5% each time, and slowly increase the repetitions again with each new weight you attempt. When you can comfortably perform 30-repetitions it is time to increase the weight again.
If The Shoe Fits…
As you advance you might want to invest in some weightlifting shoes which are specially designed to maximise the force that you can exert. Once you get bitten by the bug and discover how much more energy you have, and how much better you feel and look, you may decide to go on and learn more about the sports of Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting.
As a beginner, remember to start out slowly and build your abilities as a weightlifter in a safe and sustainable fashion. Make sure that you have access to the right weightlifting equipment, take the time to learn the proper form and technique, and stick to your routine.
For more information on weightlifting talk to one of our Fitness Consultants or see one of our expert Personal Trainers.