No matter what activity we’re talking about, starting over yet again is never an easy thing. Fitness newbies who want to start with strength training may find it intimidating to operate those complex machines, with levers and pulleys, or simply don’t want to work out next to that pumped and tanned guy.
However, every story comes down to the simple truth: cardio is not enough, and one needs strength training in order to get fit. Even just a few days of light strength training can mean a lot to your physique.
So, if you’re starting fresh, a few tips are certainly going to come in hand. We have compiled a list of the most frequent advice that personal trainers give to strength training beginners.
5 Tips To Strength Training
1. Don’t Forget To Warm Up
Before starting with your strength-training routine, it is important to stretch and warm up. You can begin with some brisk walking, jogging, or dynamic stretching which will increase your range of motion and loosen up your muscles through various controlled movements.
These type of stretches you perform will make a difference in exercise and flexibility because not all types of stretches are suitable for every type of exercise. Consider making some changes if you feel that your current stretching routine doesn’t appear to improve your overall flexibility.
2. Know Your Options
Don’t go to the gym and only hang around dumbbells, because there are many more modes of strength training at home or at the gym.
You can use exercise balls, medicine balls, kettlebells, weight bars, resistance bands, and even your own body weight. Also, if your gym offers strength-training classes, you should take advantage of it because it’s a great way to learn how to keep your routine fresh and to learn your ways around new equipment.
3. Proper Form And Technique
You must know proper form and technique in order to make sure that you’re working the right group of muscles without straining.
You should invest in a single training session if you can, help from a personal trainer can be very beneficial in terms of learning correct motions, grips, and positions as well as creating a good strength-training routine.
Stefan Aschan says that injury prevention is especially important for beginners. One can improve more quickly with good form in the weight room.1
4. Amount Of Weight And Imbalances
In order to find the right amount of weight for a specific exercise, you must do a little bit of experimentation. If you’re performing bicep curls, your arms should be working hard, but you shouldn’t feel extreme fatigue and discomfort (except by the last few reps of the last set).2
Up your weight, if you can perform all sets without breaking a sweat, or lose some it if you feel extremely fatigued by the second.
As for imbalances, if you want each side of your body to work equally, you should isolate each of them during strength training. This is done simply because most people are stronger on one side of the body than the other.
Single-leg squats, for example, allow you to put all the weight on the working leg, instead of letting the stronger leg perform more of the work.
5. Routine Changes
You must let your exercise routine evolve and incorporate new exercises into it. Your muscles can get bored with your workout, so making your training session different will ensure that they work to their full potential.
These tips will get your strength-training going in no time. The last important advice is to let your body rest properly after intense strength-training.3 In order to let muscles heal in between workouts, the average person needs 24-48 hours.
Fitness beginners sometimes tend to overdo their workout program which should be avoided in order for muscles to heal properly and be ready for the next training session.
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