Exercise is for everyone. Anyone can find an aerobic program that is interesting. And everyone needs strength and weight training routines to tone and strengthen muscles that are not sport-specific.
When you use one or two specific aerobic exercises you are working and strengthening only specific muscles. Weight training routines will help you to tone and strengthen most of your large muscle groups.
Weight training routines use resistance and weights to tone your muscles. This program will also condition your overall musculoskeletal system, increase your metabolism, strengthen and sculpt muscles. Weight training routines will also help to increase bone density, lose weight and become more fit at the same time.
People who incorporate weight training routines into their exercise programs will also have greater control over balance, prevent accidental falls and injuries, and will find that they recover from illness and injury faster since they are fitter. With your improved strength, you’ll also play your sport longer and with less effort.
Weight training routines can be designed with the help of a fitness trainer, with information from articles, books, and friends, or through interactive Internet program developers. Most routines will include the type of exercise for large muscle groups, the amount of weight, the number of repetitions or reps, and the number of sets – times you do the reps with a 1-3 minute rest between.
Your weight training routine should include an exercise for each major muscle group in the upper and lower extremities as well as core muscle groups in the abdominal and spinal muscles. The weight training routine will be between 3-4 sets for each exercise with 8-10 repetitions for each set. You must use the correct amount of weight for each exercise and rest 1-3 minutes between sets.
Let’s start from the beginning – the major muscle groups include the upper extremity groups such as the biceps, triceps, back, chest, and shoulders as well as the lower extremity groups like the glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves and hip flexors, and extensors. Don’t forget the core muscle groups in the spine and abdominal muscles.
Your weight training routine should not be done daily. There should be at least a 48-hour rest between workouts for specific muscle groups. Some people rather work out the total body 3 times a week while others prefer to do upper body work 2 days and lower bodywork 2 days a week.
Working out every day leads to overtraining, injury, and fatigue. During a weight training routine, your muscles have minor rips and tears to the muscle. In the 48 hours, you should have between workouts the muscles will repair themselves and become larger and stronger – at the micro-level of course. Over time these micro tears and repairs lead to stronger muscles and a fitter body.
The amount of weight you lift during a weight training routine should be able to be lifted safely 8 times with perfect form. By the last repetition, you should feel tired. If you feel you could continue in the perfect form then you have improved to the point where you can increase the number of repetitions (not beyond 15) or increase the weight. You are at the right weight when you can do 8-10 reps for 2-3 sets with perfect form.
Use these basic tips to maintain a strong weight training routine and build strong muscles and a fit body. Weight training routines will keep you healthy, reduce your risk of bone loss and improve your sense of well-being. These are great benefits from 30 minutes 3 times a week doing a weight training routine.
