Weight Training 101

 Most people come to me because they know strength training is important, but need to learn how to do it.  It can be a very overwhelming thing for people to try to learn, especially on their own.  I'm a huge advocate for strength training, and always let my clients know how important it is for our bodies.  After the age of thirty, you lose about half a pound of muscle a year if you don't strength train.  Some reasons you should be strength training include - it builds muscle and reduces body fat, increases strength, increases bone density, increases metabolic rate (burn more calories throughout the day), prevents injuries, helps prevent diseases, and makes everyday tasks easier (carrying groceries, picking things up, walking up the stairs etc.)

The Basics:

You don't have to be a bodybuilder to strength train.  Everyone benefits from it and should incorporate it into their exercise routine.  It's recommended that strength training be done 2-3 times per week to at least reap the minimum benefits.  While there are many different approaches and plans, I'm only going to give examples of two basic ways to structure your workouts.  These two ways will incorporate working every major muscle group throughout the week, which is important so that your body is in balance.  You want to be working every major muscle group so that you don't develop muscle imbalances which could lead to injuries or poor posture.  

Two Basic Options:

3 Total Body workouts throughout the week

-Incorporate 1-2 exercises for each major muscle group

-Quads, hamstrings, chest, back, biceps, triceps and shoulders

-Compound exercises are a great way to work more than one muscle group at a time (for example: a squat with an overhead press)

Split Routines (Split your workout days into different muscle groups)

-Example: Day 1: Back/Biceps, Day 2: Legs/Abs, Day 3: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps

-Incorporate 2-3 exercises for each major muscle in the split

Repetitions and Sets:

When trying to build muscle you should aim for 8-12 reps.  Anything over 12 will be working for muscle endurance.  However, I always recommend lighter weight and more reps (15) for beginners so that they can learn proper form and movement first.  You should be tired by the 12th rep and that's when you know you are using the right amount of weight.  

You should aim for 3-4 sets.  You can rest 30 to 60 seconds between sets, perform 2 exercises back to back without rest, perform 3 in a row without rest etc.  You can choose any of the options listed; just keep in mind your fitness level. 

Rest:

Allow your muscles to recover.  When you strength train, you are breaking down your muscle fibers and they need time to rebuild.  Don't train the same muscle groups on consecutive days.  

Change It Up:

Our bodies are GREAT at adapting, so you should be progressing every 4-6 weeks, which means you'll need to change things up a bit.  Simple things you can do to change it up include - increase your weight (especially if it's getting easy at your current amount), switch up your rest periods between sets (you could also perform "active" rests between sets doing exercises such as jumping jacks or mt. climbers), your positioning (incline bench instead of flat or change the order of your workouts during the week.  

Gym or At Home: 

The great part about strength training is you don't need a gym.  I try to utilize a bunch of different fitness equipment as much as possible. Medicine balls, kettlebells, BOSU balls, stability balls, dumbbells, cables, your own bodyweight etc.  the possibilities are endless!  If the gym isn't your thing, you can still get an effective workout in at home. 

Extra Tips: 

Write down your fitness goals.  Write down your short-term goals as well as your long-term goal.  It's important to know what you are working toward and it will help keep you motivated.

Write down your workouts ahead of time.  Planning ahead is key!  If you have your workouts on your calendar for the week and already have them written down, you'll be less likely to skip out.

Track your progress.  Keep track of the amount of weight you're using for your exercises so you know if you are progressing.  As mentioned above, every 4-6 weeks you should be able to increase your weight.  Also, tracking your progress will help keep you on track and once you start to see results it will keep you motivated to keep going!

Lastly, don't get discouraged.  Your mind will want to give up way before your body does.  Keep pushing yourself and keep reminding yourself why you started.  You may have a few slip ups along the way and that's okay!  Just get right back on track and keep going.  One of my favorite sayings - Small steps lead to BIG changes!