Weight Lifting Tips

Here are ten weight lifting tips for beginners.

1. Never eat a large meal or sugar based snacks

…. within 2 hours of starting to exercise (there may be exceptions to this rule for special population groups e.g. diabetics). An apple or other fruit, an hour before is fine.

2. Dress properly

…. for your own comfort and safety. Wear loose fitting or stretchable shorts/leotard, a T shirt/vest and/or a tracksuit. Ideally use X trainer sports shoes and not running shoes because they provide you with more support and a stable foot stance. If you have to prioritise which clothing to spend money on make sure that you get a branded pair of trainers first.

3. Hydrate

…. your body by drinking plenty of water (not energy drinks, so called sports drinks or any other type of fizzy drink) before and during your conditioning (on a hot day this might mean that you need to drink a litre or more of water during exercise).

4. Exercise at different times of the day

…. so that you can identify when you feel most comfortable exercising. Once you find, for example that you are a morning person then make your conditioning schedule part of your morning routine and consistently exercise to make it a habit. This might mean that you have to force yourself to exercise even when you do not feel like it. Over time it will become much easier to do this.

5. Warm up

…. for 5 to 10 minutes with for example light stretching before you begin exercising. Key areas to warm up include the neck, shoulders, knees, hip joints and back. Once these freely move through their full range of motion you are ready to go!

6. Focus on your posture

…. just before and during each exercise. You need to engage your core muscles, brace your stomach abdominals, maintain a neutral pelvis position, hold a natural spinal curve and retract your shoulder blades. As your body moves in different positions be aware of these posture rules and try to maintain them. This is explained in more detail later.

7. Think about your technique

…. during every exercise every time. Try not to lock or overextend any joint e.g. always keep your knees and elbows slightly bent. Don’t allow your knees to pass above your toes when squatting. Keep your core fully engaged to avoid any twisting in the lower back and if a foot is meant to be on the floor then put it there with intent! (Like a vacuum cleaner is sucking it down flat). The same applies to your lower back and buttocks when doing most exercises that involve lying on your back (e.g. during crunches your lower back and buttocks should remain as fixed as possible).

8. Learn to isolate, control and listen to your muscles.

Whilst you need to maintain your correct posture you also need to focus most of your energy on contracting the muscles being trained. For example, during a squat maintain the shape of your spine whilst focusing on the feeling of strong contractions in your upper legs and buttocks.

9. Tiredness should occur.

…. if you train correctly. However, never continue an exercise if you are unable to apply the correct technique e.g. due to excess fatigue or injury. In the unlikely case of overtraining some of the signs to look out for include lethargy, lack of progress, insomnia, joint pain and loss of libido, irritability and loss of motivation and mood swings.

10. Warm down.

…. for 5 to 10 minutes after you finish exercising. Focus on relieving any muscle tension with deeper stretching and relaxation. Bring your mind back to Earth and you are ready to go!

If you would like to know more about choosing the right workout routine for you check out my article Choosing The Best Workout Routine For You.

For hundreds of professionally illustrated exercises and workout routines take a look at my unique ebooks and eposters.