There are many methods and reasons for strength training with weight-lifting equipment. You can train specifically for losing body fat, building muscle mass and overall strength, getting in shape for playing a sport, toning the muscle groups of your body, overall general fitness and conditioning, or for improving your bone density.
Workouts for Starters
Beginners in need of a starting point should first get acquainted with the terminology and practices of working out with weights. Use a routine that keeps the reps (the number of time you lift the weight) and sets (a group of repetitions performed consecutively) simple, such as three sets of 10 reps each. Include exercises that work the major muscle groups, such as the leg press for the hips and thighs, the bench press for the chest and arms, and the lat pull down for the back and shoulders.
Weight Loss Programs
You can get in shape and get fit using weights and still lose weight with the right workout. Using any of the beginner programs for your base routine will help you get started toward a more advanced routine specifically targeted to help you tone up and lose extra pounds. To lose weight, consider adding reps to your exercises, as well as "super-setting" various movements. This is done by doing one set at one station and doing one set at another, repeating the process between two exercises. A rep scheme to help you loose weight is at least 15 to 20 repetitions per set and three sets per exercise.
Targeting Specific Areas
Workouts can be done to target specific sites or conditions, such as medical reasons. If you want to improve your muscle mass and bone density, use weight bearing exercises that load certain areas, such as squats for the back and thighs and shoulder presses for the back and arms. You'll want to increase the weight lifted, and the number of sets up to four, all while decreasing the rep range down to six to eight. If your goal is to improve your flexibility, choose a routine that promotes the range of motion in your joints such as rowing exercises and arm and leg extension and curl movements.
Free Weight Workouts
Barbells and dumbbells are useful in creating your own routine. They are flexible to use and relatively inexpensive compared to some of the machine weights that now exist for in-home gyms. The only issue with free weights are the safety aspects involved, unless you have a spotter. In some cases, the equipment itself can take up more space depending on how many items you have with your workout equipment.
Sport Specific Training
Every sport has its own requirements of strength, speed and size. Often times, the requirements of a specific sport goes beyond working out with weights. It could include core training, which works the abdominal muscles, as well as stretching for flexibility. It might also include some aspects of aerobic or cardio-respiratory training with running, biking or swimming.
Benefits
If you are new to weight training, choose an achievable program that can be accomplished realistically. Do not expect to make same gain later on in your workout program that you may make earlier in your routine. Recovery is important between sessions. Do not try to do too much weight too soon. Yet if you stick with your workout, you will see the improvements in strength and muscle definition over time.
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