An essential part of a well-rounded workout routine is weight training. And weight training can be very intimidating, especially if you haven't had any proper instruction i it. A person without proper instruction is actually pretty easy to spot.
Maybe you recognize this specific person at the gym:
- They are watching people around them for ideas and proper form for lifting;
- They are carrying around a magazine article or full magazine, trying out to copy what the pictures are showing;
- They are walking around socializing more than working out;
- They are watching themselves more in the mirror, posing or fixing their hair than working out;
- They sit down on a bench with a couple of weights and do bicep curls and maybe a chest press because that is what they learned in high school and they consider that a full wight training routine.
Safety
Safety is first and foremost in most activities you do, whether cooking in a kitchen, or riding a bike-it doesn't matter. Safety in a gym is imperative to prevent injury to yourself and others around you.
And I have seen some crazy things in my twenty years that make me cringe on the safety aspect of weight training, so let's get the mainstays out of the way:
Follow the gym rules-They are there for a reason-Your Safety!
- Don't run in the weight room.
- Put your weights away so others don't trip on them or aren't able to lift your discarded weights because they are too heavy-clean up after yourself.
- Bring a towel and a water bottle-Why? Because a towel can prevent you from catching germs that may be sitting on a bench or machine left by a previous person; and a water bottle so you keep hydrated and don't pass out. Sounds simple, but you would be surprised at how many people I have helped who have almost fainted during a workout because of a lack of hydration.
- Clean the equipment before and after your workout-I clean before to wipe down anything that was left by someone who may not have wiped the machine down before me, and after, as courtesy for the next gym member to use it. Most workout facilties provide cleaning spray bottles and paper towels-use them!
- Be aware of your surroundings-Love to jump rope? Don't do it so close to others that you will whip them with the rope, or using a kettlebell? Make sure you are not swinging it near someone's melon. No one wants to be knocked out by a kettle bell-Ouch!
There are two things that will always enhance, progress or can hurt your exercise-Gravity and the angles that you perform your exercise in. So what I mean by positioning is this: Look at how your are sitting, standing, balancing, or kneeling. Gravity is always coming down on you, so your angle of your exercise position is going to be affected no matter what. So when sitting in a machine to do a chest press, on a free bench to perform a double-bicep curl, or any other seated exercise, you should always be seated at 90 degree angles. If the bench leans back, then keep it at 45 degree or 180 straight angles. Your back and core will thank you later. ;-)
When balancing on an unstable surface, such as a wobble board or Bosu Trainer, pretend you are a carrousel horse and have a pole directly through your middle top of your head and comes out straight between your legs. (Okay, you can chuckle here; nothing naughty here intended, people!). Keeping your joints soft and not locked out, and your pelvis tilted forward, and you imagine that pole staying straight through you, you will be able to squat and hold your balance in a better, safer position.
Efficient Movement=Effectiveness
Now that you are safe and positioned correctly, let's take a look at making your movements as efficient as possible. Efficiency comes with a few principles-Weight, Range of Motion (ROM), Speed and Resistance. All of these principles effect how proficient your weight training is. By apply these principles, your exercises will be more effective, which in turn creates strength, power, lean body mass, burns more calories most importantly, prevents injury.
Here is an example of how these principles are applied:
Joe is ready to perform a flat bench, free bar, chest press. He has a 45 lb bar above his head and is ready to pump out 12 repetitions.
He needs to add a sufficient amount of weight with plates to create enough resistance against gravity to make his muscles have to contract and work.
Once he finds a proportionate amount of weight, he lifts the bar directly over his chest (NOT over his shoulders! Biggest mistake most people make! In Kinesiology terms, it's called 'the nipple line') keeping his angle of his arms to his chest at 90 degrees and his feet flat with his knees bent at 90 degrees.
Next is ROM which should be a full ROM, lowering the bar at a comfortable speed all the way before touching the chest and contracting his abs and chest to help push straight up again, locking his elbows and keeping his wrists in alignment with his elbows. Another tip to this-always keep your thumbs around the bar-never go thumbless while pushing up-imagine if the bar slipped away from your hands-Ouch! Your thumb is the latch that keeps the bar in place. And the most important tip today: Remember to BREATHE-exhaling on the hardest part of the lift-the push. Add eleven more reps to that one and finish your set! :-)
Just in one exercise, all components are covered: Safety, Positioning, and Efficiency, as well as the principle to weight training-Weight, ROM, Speed and Resistance. And these are able to fit into any exercise you choose! If you keep this information in mind while working out, you workout routines will become much more effective, with greaters gains in strength and power, as well as loss of weight will be achieved faster.
Don't be afraid to make an investment in your health and safety. It is well worth it to hire a certified personal trainer to keep you on track with your fitness goals and to help you put these tips into practice. Best of Luck to all of you in your health and fitness goals!
And if you ever have any questions or comments, I would be happy to answer!
Happy Wednesday!
Yours In Health,
~Merri Lou
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