Weightlifting is a form of exercise that can benefit your body in a variety of ways, depending on how you do it. Although it can be used to build muscle mass, it can also be used to produce a net loss in body weight if that is your goal. It can also be used to strengthen your heart in the same manner as aerobic exercises such as jogging or swimming.
Effects
Weight training has several effects on your body. First, like any other exercise, it increases your heart rate and burns calories. The degree to which it performs these functions depends on how you lift. Second, it builds muscle mass. This function depends on how you lift as well as other factors such as diet and sleep. Third, it raises your body's resting metabolism, which is the measure of how much energy your body uses to pump your heart and perform other critical functions. It raises your metabolism by building muscle mass and taking advantage of the fact that muscle uses more calories than fat, according to Purdue University North Central.
Reps, Sets and Exercises
You perform one "rep", or repetition, when you lift a weight one time. In order to maximize effectiveness, lift the weight slowly and smoothly, and lower it just as slowly. Don't hold your breath while lifting, warns the Mayo Clinic. You perform one set when you lift a weight as many times as you can in a row without stopping. Most weightlifting programs require more than one set per exercise, with a short rest between sets. After performing several sets of the same exercise, you will move on to the next exercise. Most workouts include between five and 10 exercises.
Process
Weightlifting builds muscle by slightly injuring your muscles as you lift. Your body not only repairs this damage, but also builds the muscle slightly stronger to cope with its new demands. In order to make progress, you need to keep increasing these demands by adding weight, reps or sets as soon as your body is capable of doing so. Food is the fuel with which the body rebuilds muscle, and rest, particularly sleep, is the time during which it does this. You should never work out two days in a row, because this will over-train your body and result in a net loss of muscle strength and mass. Most weightlifting programs demand two or three workouts per week, lasting anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour per workout.
Muscle Building
All weightlifting techniques build muscle mass, but some do so faster than others. In order to maximize growth in muscle mass, use a weight that you can lift eight to 12 times before stopping. If you can lift a weight 13 times, it's time to add weight until you get to a weight you can lift about eight times, counsels physician Edward Laskowski. Exercise large muscle groups such as your thighs, chest, back and buttocks. Useful exercises include the squat, the dead lift and the bench press. Rest for two or three minutes between sets. Such a routine will maximize muscle growth but not cardiovascular benefits.
Cardiovascular Workouts
If your primary focus is cardiovascular benefit, then lower the weight you use, increase the number of reps and sets, increase the speed of your lifting and shorten your rest period between sets. The more you do this, the greater the cardiovascular benefits and the fewer muscle-building benefits your workout will produce. Few weightlifters use weights light enough to perform more than 15 reps per set.
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