Weightlifting for Beginners: Essential Tips and Advice for getting started
Are you thinking about starting with weightlifting, but don't know where to start?
Weightlifting is a rewarding and fun form of exercise that improves your overall health and well-being. In addition to increasing your strength and muscle mass, weightlifting can also improve your bone density. All of thee factors are important for everyone, even if you're not trying to get buff: increased muscle mass and bone density reduce your risk of injury, improve the way you age, and boost your metabolism. It can also help to improve your balance, coordination, and overall athletic performance.
(If you have serious health conditions, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider and a certified personal trainer. They can help you to determine the best weightlifting program for your individual needs and goals, and provide guidance on proper technique and form.)
Here are some tips and advice for beginners who want to start weightlifting and get the most out of their workouts.
1. Start with a light weight and focus on proper form
It's better to start with a lighter weight and focus on using proper form than to lift a heavier weight with poor technique. This will help to prevent injury and ensure that you're learning the movement and range of motion for each workout. It may not feel impressive, lifting weights is one of the simplest ways to check your ego.
2. Learn from a pro
Weight lifting is actually a simple form of exercise, but all the equipment can make it intimidating. Ask a personal trainer to teach you how to do each movement properly, or watch trainers on YouTube explain to learn what different lifts do and how to execute them properly.
3. Incorporate all parts of your body
Weight lifting strengthens the body parts you use to lift. If you only exercise your arms, your legs will see little benefit. It’s valuable for your whole body to be strong, so you need to incorporate lifts and work every part. Many people hate training their legs, but our legs make up about 20% of our body mass and are a great place to build calorie-burning muscle. Besides, they take you everywhere you go.
4. Make a (simple) plan:
Weight lifting can take a lot of energy and leave your body tired and sore. To make the most of each session, make sure to put together a plan of what you’re going to lift each day, in what order, and how intensely. This is typically called “programming” and can become very complex. You’re just starting though, so keep it simple. 3-4 lifts per session are a great place to start, and you should consider alternating muscle groups between training sessions to give your body time to rest. To keep your workouts interesting and effective, make sure to vary your routine over time.
5. Patiently test and learn your limits
Weight lifting is most effective when you push your limits. To know where your limits are, you have to test your limits. The safest way to do this is by starting a lift with a very light weight, and doing 1-3 repetitions. If it feels easy, move up in weight and do 1-3 more repetitions. Keep doing this until you can complete the lift only with serious effort. This is your “max”, and you want to workout somewhere just below it to make sure each workout is a challenge.
6. Take notes
Keep track of how much weight you are lifting and for how many reps. There are too many factors to remember every detail of every workout, so taking notes is necessary track progress over time and identify areas that are developing quickly or areas that need extra work.
7. Rest and recover
Weightlifting can be intense and will leave you tired and sore. You will need to rest and invest in recovery. Many people take rest days as an excuse to do nothing, but rest days can be an active form of recovery. You can massage your muscles on a foam roller to help speed up recovery, do light recovery exercises like walking or yoga, or take the time to stretch.
8. Find what makes it fun
You may not like weightlifting at first, but like many things in life, you need to find what makes it fun. Set strength improvement targets, find movements that feel good, lift with a fun playlist, or use lifting as an excuse to get a new outfit you feel good in. Explore and find a way to make it something you enjoy.