Recommendations To Help You Work Into A Good Strength Training Program

When most people think about starting a workout routine, they instantly think about running on the treadmill or using an exercise bike. These exercises do help you burn calories, but they can become boring and they don't optimize your body's potential to burn calories even while you are not working out later in the day. Here are some tips to help you use weight training equipment to build on your core strength and your body's muscle tone for an all-over better workout program and better fitness results.

Use the Right Weight Resistance

As you start using weight equipment in your gym, you can use the weight machines or the free weights to work the muscles in a variety of areas of your body. But it may be difficult to determine how much weight you should be using to get a good workout. If you are planning to complete some full body workouts, such as a squat or lunge, consider starting out with just using your body weight. This will help you get the exercise down with the appropriate form while you strengthen these muscle groups that may not be very strong yet. You can also complete plank exercises and push-ups to help boost your overall muscle strength.

After some time, you can work up to adding in weights to your strength training. However, selecting the right amount of weight depends on your ability and your comfort level. Start out with a lower weight and complete several reps to see how the weight feels. As a recommendation, the right amount of weight shouldn't push your muscles to their maximum right away. Based on a one to ten rating schedule, look for a weight amount that is approximately 60 to 70 percent of your maximum ability.

As you feel more comfortable and your strength increases on each exercise, move the weight up on your weight machine or add another five pounds to your weight bar to push yourself toward more muscle strength. This will help you build on your efforts in a safe manner.

Set a Good Workout Schedule

You may be tempted to complete your strength training exercises every day, but this can put you at risk for an injury. As a beginner at weight training, start out by lifting weights two times per week with several days of rest in between. After several weeks you can increase your weight training days to three per week, then add in a fourth day after several more weeks.

This spacing out of your training days will allow your muscles to heal and repair themselves, which is how you build muscle. Working muscles that are still sore is not going to be any benefit to you. 

For more information on weight training and weight room equipment, contact a fitness product provider.

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