Still struggling to shed those extra pounds? Weight training can truly make the difference in your workout regimen. It can help tone, define, and strengthen your muscles creating the lean look you desire. In addition to regular cardiovascular exercise, weight training can help put the cap on your exercise routine! With regular weight training, you’ll burn more calories throughout the day as well.
Here are some of my favorite weight training tips:
- If you are just beginning an exercise routine, focus only on cardiovascular exercises (running, cycling, swimming, elliptical) for the first 2-4 weeks. In order to prevent over-exertion and indulging in extra meals to compensate for the newness of exercise, save weight training for weeks 4+ in your exercise program.
- Do free-weights before using cable or selectorized machines.
- Train Large Muscle Groups before training Small Muscle Groups
- Do Multi-Joint exercises before doing Single-Joint exercises
- Alternate exercises between Upper Body and Lower Body
- For general health and fitness- high repetitions at a lower weight is generally more beneficial than low repetitions at a higher weight. I suggest repetitions of 10-10-10 or 10-8-6 with 30 seconds to 1 minute breaks between repetitions.
Take these six tips and your own personal preferences and you should be able to write and practice your own exercise routine. Be sure to get cleared by a physician before beginning any sort of weight training regimen. If additional help is needed or preferred, you may consider hiring a personal trainer, talk with the fitness personnel at your gym, or ask your doctor for recommendations.
*Training methods as listed by American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Exercise Prescription Guidelines.
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