Much bewilderment surrounds weight lifting, leading the typical trainee to burnout, injury and fatigue. However, there is good news: sound muscle building advice can be summarized into 3 easy-to-follow steps...
Follow these weight lifting tips closely and they will repay you with a Superman physique.
1. Choose your exercises wisely.
Any weight lifting benefits are directly influenced by your choice of exercise.
But which muscle building exercises should you use? The correct exercises for YOU is your answer!
Since no two people are alike, your choice of exercises should be tailored to your individual needs and genetic make-up. For instance: tall, long-limbed trainees typically respond to the deadlift exercise better when compared to squats due to leverage issues. Alternatively, the squat exercise generally favors the shorter-limbed trainee - such factors should be taken into consideration when making your exercise choice...
For example: do you struggle to bench press, yet find the dip exercise yields you better results? Then choose the exercise that WORKS FOR YOU. Follow step 1 of your weight lifting tips, and you will avoid frustration and possible injury while playing into the hands of your genetic strengths. Choose your muscle building exercises wisely. Choose what works.
2. Select the right routine for you.
Selecting the right weight lifting routine is vital to any gains you might make. For example, a busy mom or dad will be unable to train 3 times a week and hope to make progress, just as someone weight training over 50 will require more recovery time between workouts. A better approach would involve selecting a full-body workout trained every 5 or so days. Such an abbreviated routine would typically allow for recovery plus a strength and/or muscle increase, with no risk of burn-out or injury...
So which is the best weight lifting routine? The best weight lifting routine is one that focusses on the largest muscle groups, i.e. the legs, hips, butt and back...
And what is the best way to target these muscle groups? Make COMPOUND EXERCISES the cornerstone of your muscle building routine, paying SPECIAL attention to the squat exercise and the deadlift.
Ignore these two important exercises and all your hard work in the gym will count for nothing.
3.Practice perfect form.
More injury is caused by ignoring this cardinal weight lifting tips rule, yet practicing perfect weight lifting form is easy if you heed the following important message:
Earn the weight on your bar!
What does this mean? It simply means that many trainees add weight onto their barbell BEFORE they are physically ready... in a hurry to LIFT BIG WEIGHTS, they sacrifice form and CHEAT the weight up! Walk into any gymnasium, and you will see trainees hoisting heavy weights that are beyond them - this is the road to certain injury.
So what is the answer?
- Select weights that comfortably fall WITHIN your limits, working PROGRESSIVELY into heavier poundages
- Practice a controlled '4 seconds up, 2 seconds hold, 4 seconds down' rep speed.
- Follow SMOOTH exercise form - NO JERKY MOVEMENTS! Learn how to squat correctly and practice proper deadlift technique
- Use exercise visualization to push you onto greater gains.
- Chart your building muscle goals with your personal training log.
Do THIS, and your gains will be earned safely. Click here for more building muscle tips
