Quick Tips for Weight Lifting Beginners
You can hurt yourself a great deal if you aren’t careful when lifting weights. Never over exert yourself, especially if you’re a beginner. Weight training is the best way to tone up and get into shape and we highly recommend everyone giving it a try. And because we want you all to do it safely and correctly, here are some weightlifting tips for beginners.
Always Stretch
It is easy to forget that you need to stretch. This step is vital because you need to warm up your muscles before subjecting them to heavy weights. Stretching is quick and easy so there’s no good reason to skip this step.
Here are some quick stretches:
- Sit down with your legs straight out in front of you and reach for your toes, hold for 15-30 seconds.
- In the same position, spread your legs as far apart as you can and reach for one foot, hold for 15-30 seconds, then do the other.
- Sitting down with one leg in front of you, bend the other leg so your heel is touching your glutes, hold for 20 seconds and then switch legs.
- Stretch your arms by bending one elbow, palm to the back of your neck, using your other hand to pull on the bent elbow, hold for 15 seconds then switch arms.
Fix Your Form
Form is VERY important in any workout, especially weight training because you are carrying heavy equipment. For example, if you don’t keep your back straight and knees in line with toes when doing squats you can injure your back and knees easily. So keep your back straight, core tight, and shoulders open when doing any exercise to avoid straining your muscles.
Bend with your Knees
When bending down to pick up weight ALWAYS bend with the knees. Never arch down to pick up weights because you can throw out your back, especially heavy weights.
Start Out Small
Do not start out with heavy weights if you’re new to weight training. You don’t know your own strength yet and it’s best to start off small. Even if you can lift lets say 15 pound dumbells, you should always begin with lighter weights to warm up your muscles. Progress doesn’t happen in a day or a week. It can take a month for you to build strength, you will notice when it’s time to graduate to heavy weights. Of course the opposite is also true that you should use weights that are too light for you, or else you won’t see any results. It should be challenging, but not painful. And if you do feel pain, stop immediately.
