Weight Training Routines

Reasons to choose a weight training routine vary: to increase strength, power, muscle size, muscle endurance, improve athleticism, or enhance your quality of life. A well thought out weight training routine will ensure that you get the best results. Weight training is one of the best ways to improve your fitness, get in shape, and look good. All you need to get started is a cheap set of dumb bells and a bench.

There are two main categories of workout routines: muscle building and weight loss/muscle toning. Either approach will give you the benefit of keeping you healthy and fit. The first thing you need to do is set time aside, one hour, three times a week. You need to stay 100% focused for this entire hour, no distractions.

Depending on what level you are at in weight training, you may need to hire a certified personal trainer to show you the proper techniques of lifting weights.

Tips for Muscle Gaining Routines

Muscle gain must be earned. Your muscles must be exposed to higher and higher levels of stress. The key to building muscle is progressive overload which forces your muscles to do more work for each successive workout. You must utillize the final set of each exercise to expand beyond your threshold. It must be intense to the point where you can no longer do another rep. Your muscles will not grow by increasing the number of sets or reps, they grow only by increasing the weight beyond your previous threshold.

Research has shown that 2-3 reps at max weight does not produce the same results as higher reps. This final set should contain 8-10 reps. If you can't do at least eight, lower the weight until you can. The last set should take you to muscle failure. At that point you are finished. No need to continue exercising. That would be over training. It is now time for the next exercise.

Without strength training overload you will not see progress. If you keep your strength workout routine the same (reps, sets, tempo, rest, and weight), then you will not improve. You must overload your muscles for results to occur.

Tips for Fat Loss & Toning Routines

Weight training is perfect for losing weight because muscle takes more calories for maintenance than fat. Therefore, if you have a greater proportion of muscle to fat your body will burn more calories. This is true whether you are exercising or not. Obviously, it is better to be exercising.

Weight training for toning does not require the element of progressive overload. This approach includes a higher number of reps, lower weights, and slower speed. Toning routines can be used for everyone who needs to get their fitness live up, to build a foundation for more intensive workouts.

This approach to weight training is great for women who don't want to build muscle, believing it will make them look masculine. This approach won't. You can build "feminine muscles", producing the look of a very attractive curvaceous woman.

Cardio
Just because you train with weights regularly does not mean you should forget your cardio workout. You really need to have a balanced routine of cardio and weight training for the optimum benefit. For muscle gaining routines, cardio workouts should be short but intense. A good example is the explosive 100 meter dash. You will notice that sprinters have physiques that are muscular.

Cardio work outs for toning and weight loss should be longer, but less intense. Distance running is a prime example of this. You will notice that most distance athletes are lean and mean. Various cardio exercises to choose from are: running, swimming, cycling, jump rope, or stair climber.

Stretching
For every hour spent weight training, you should spend one hour stretching. Each muscle group exercised should be stretched. The reason why is that weight training shortens your muscles. Stretching them helps make them longer, stronger, and prevents injuries. Think of the physiques of sprinters who must stretch after every workout.

Rest
Do not workout again until you are fully recovered. You must recover from the stress. In weight training, more is not better. Over training, training too frequently, will short circuit your results. Your workout triggers the need and the potential for your muscles to grow. It is during rest and recovery time that they actually grow.

Record Keeping
Track your progress, and modify if necessary. One of the biggest mistakes weight training routine participants make is not tracking their progress. If you want to improve, then you will need to track your workouts (measurements, exercises, tempo, sets, reps, weight, and time). That which is not tracked will not improve. You need to know what part of the exercise plan is working, and what is not. Most importantly, you need to know what the maximum threshold for stress was for that final set, so you can push it up at notch at the next workout.

If your strength training program numbers are not increasing, then you will need more rest between workouts. Weight lifting program modification is necessary when progress is not witnessed.

Nutrition
For muscle gain, you will need to eat frequently, 4-6 meals per day. You will find meal plans ranging from 2,000 to 6,000 calories per day in No Nonsense Muscle Building. As you progress with your weight training routine it is important to support your efforts with excellent nutrition. Start by eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. After your eating is sound, for an extra performance boost, you can go ahead and invest in quality bodybuilding supplements such as Creatine, and Beta-Alanine. For more tips on nutrition, see Weight Training Diet.

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