Many people know little about the truths behind weight training, there are false myths, misinformation, and many lies; Let’s take a look at the real information you need to know about weight training.
Weight training is a well-known discipline and dates back to ancient times, where human civilization worshiped the body and beauty; a clear example of this was ancient Greece.
Much later, already at the beginning of the last century, bodybuilding became the favorite pastime of military personnel during idle times, which laid the foundations for the creation of various sports disciplines; And not just for sporting purposes, but as a display of human potential.
Currently, weight training aims at different goals:
- Develop muscle strength
- Maximize the development of muscle mass.
- Gain resistance to effort.
- Improve physical power.
All this through the use of loads (in this case, weights) which are the source of resistance that allows us to take our body to new levels of physical fitness.
And while we associate this discipline with the elite group of bodybuilders who dedicate their lives to training in the gym and developing their bodies for different competitions.
There are those who opt for weight training to improve their athletic performance, their aesthetics and self-esteem, to gain strength, endurance or even as a complement to a healthy life.
If you are within this group of people, which in fact we are the vast majority, weight training can benefit you in a number of ways.
In times where the science of training is making great strides, sports and nutrition will be in charge of helping us achieve our aesthetic and health goals.
Benefits of weight training
Beyond a notable aesthetic improvement and overall health levels, let’s look at some general examples of the main benefits of weight training:
- It allows us to achieve greater muscle development.
- We will improve the flexibility of the muscles.
- Posture will be improved thanks to muscle development.
- It offers us more energy and better mental health.
- Improves the cardiovascular and skeletal system.
- It helps us lose fat.
- Improve balance.
- It slows down the aging processes.
What does weight training consist of?
In general, we all get an idea of the goal of weight training, you don’t have to go to a gym to know what it is about.
But if we get more analysts, we could say that weight training consists of making an isolated group of muscles mobilize a certain specific weight in one or more planes.
To obtain all its benefits, the following must be selected (very carefully):
- A workout plan or routine that contains a set number of exercises.
- An established amount of series per exercise.
- An adequate number of repetitions.
All this aimed at meeting our specific training goals.
And I would like to emphasize in the word SPECIFIC, your routine must be designed specifically for your goals and needs, generic routines do not serve much and can make you end up leaving the gym when you see that you do not achieve the results you expected.
And it is about your goals, the first thing you have to talk to the GYM coach, in this way you can create specific exercise routines that develop one or more specific areas, such as: strength, volume, resistance, power,even lose fat and those extra pounds.
Food and rest are as important as training
While the article is about weight training, I can’t help but tell you that like any other type of exercise, weight training must be supplemented with a specific diet and adequate rest.
These are the three pillars of body development!
And by diet I do not mean to go hungry eh, in fact you probably have to eat more and better food to accompany your training. But for now, let’s continue with the topic that we are going to see this below.
How does load influence muscle development?
The subject is much broader and more complex than the analysis that I will carry out below, and you can see it in the following article:
- WHAT ARE SERIES AND REPS?
- HOW MANY SERIES TO DO EXERCISE?
In general, with heavy loads and a low number of repetitions we will focus on developing muscular strength.
If we use not so high loads and with a medium range of series and repetitions, then we will be focusing on the development of muscle volume.
While with many repetitions but with less weight we will improve the tone of the muscle tissue, we will gain resistance and even power (if we do it with the appropriate technique and speed).
What to keep in mind before starting any routine at the gym?
There are a number of things that are important to mention before you start training with weights in the gym, for this I invite you to read the following article where I touch on various topics, not essential, but that can help you have a general overview about what to expect, what to offer and what to demand when starting in a gym or choosing a trainer for example.
- TIPS FOR GETTING STARTED IN THE GYM
- RULES OF USE AND GOOD CUSTOMS IN THE GYM OR
But what I would like to point out and emphasize is some specific issues. Let’s see them!
First of all, let’s talk about the load systems, these come in different forms: they can be dumbbells, bars and discs or resistance systems within a specific machine such as a system of pulleys and cables, or specific equipment that allows training a single muscle. or muscle group in a specific way.
There are pros and cons in using each type of training, that is, machines or free loads.
More advanced bodybuilders tend to use weights, while for newcomers it may be preferable to start with the use of machines to obtain enough strength for later work with more specific loads.
- You can read more in: weight training vs machine training
Now it is important to emphasize that only weight training is not the golden solution to achieve an optimal body, the ideal is to complement with other types of aerobic training such as swimming, running or using a bicycle. That is, incorporate some cardio exercise.
How and how much? That is something your coach will decide based on your goals and current fitness level.
Ah! And something also very important that we must not forget, before starting any serious training program, it is essential to consult a doctor first. This is even more important in people at risk, it could even be discouraged in certain people.
So, if you can, ask your doctor to carry out the necessary studies to obtain the medical qualification that enables you to train. (In many large gyms they are already requesting them).
The bases of weight training
Since we have talked about the things that you should know and do beforehand, it is necessary that we now talk about the basic concepts that exist behind any type of training and which you must strictly respect, to obtain all the benefits and not harm yourself with injuries neither over training nor under training states.
All training must start with a heat entry
To lower the potential risk of injuries to the muscles and ligaments and to have the body ready for the effort, it is necessary to warm up accordingly, generally with some cardio is enough.
This also helps the heart to be ready to cope with a greater effort and allow more blood to flow to the tissues, with all the good that this means. All about warming up
Maintain adequate hydration
Optimal hydration is necessary to keep the correct electrolyte levels in balance. The excess or lack of water can, in a short time, disturb this balance and generate a wide range of negative side effects that will undermine our objectives. The importance of hydration
Pain is a relative term in weight training
A sharp and strong pain indicates an injury, in any type of exercise we perform, so we must stop exercising if the pain appears suddenly.
While regular pain or discomfort, which appears after training on the muscle that I exert, is usually a normal side effect of training, it is even highly valued by some as a sign of progress.
So be careful to identify these types of pain or discomfort, consult with your coach if you have any questions, he or she is there to advise you, so do not be afraid or shy about doing it.
You have to respect the rest
Muscles take a long time to repair tissue after training. That is why the recovery phase is necessary in any exercise program; and this must be measured and respected. Rest and Recovery
Maintain an adequate diet
We already talked about it, it is very important to eat a diet according to your objectives, keep in mind that in weight training the consumption of proteins is very important, which will be in charge of promoting muscle development and the repair of trained tissue.
And we can obtain these through diet or supplements, obviously if you can do it, the first option is foods such as meats, eggs, dairy products and some legumes, and if this is not enough, then, if it is advisable to go by a protein powder supplements.
- The Differences Between Diet and Meal Regime
- What is Maximum Force and how is it Calculated?
- What is Sub training and how to overcome it?
- What is the best time to train?
- Differences when doing cardio between Fitness and bodybuilding
- What is the Microcycle in Training?
- How to choose the best personal trainer?
- Factors Affecting Training
- Muscle Hypertrophy