Weight Training Routines: The Basic Principles You Should Know

There are a number of people now who are engaged in weight training activities various reasons. However, not too many of them know the basic principles that relate to weight training and weight training routines.  

·          Weight training and strength training are different - Though weight training and strength training are often misunderstood as the same, the two are different and that weight training are but a type of the general strength training. The main purpose though is the same which is to strengthen the skeletal muscles through the use of different and various fitness training equipment(s) used specifically to tone a specific muscle group.

·          Weight training and weight lifting are different - Also, another common misconception when one speaks of weight training is that it is often associated to weightlifting, to body building and even power lifting. These things are different as those mentioned are sports while weight training is a form of exercise which is part of the training of an athlete. Weight training routines are exercise routines that are geared to promote the muscular strength and size.  The routines are types of strength training routines and somehow have similar principles.  In weight training though, the primary focus is to build exercises that would include the repetition of sets or exercises that are geared make the desired strength, endurance and shape of the muscle that you want for your muscles.

·          Weight training equipment and good form – In weight training, it usually involve the use of weight training equipment such as barbells or dumbbells, the use of pulleys and stacks for chin-ups and push-ups.  One must also bear in mind that in weight training, what is required is the performance of the routines in such a manner as it would be appropriate for a particular muscle group which means that you need not transfer the weight to another part of the body but keep the body in good form.  Otherwise, if you don’t use or observe the good form during the weight training, the tendency is that you might encounter injuries or fail to achieve your weight training goal. 

·          Slow but controlled movements on negatives - As you know, even when the movements in weight training are slow, these movements are nonetheless, controlled and well defined.  The routines are in fact relatively safer than any other exercises since the slow pace movements allow one to execute the routine properly to avoid any injury to the body. Also, in weight training, every single routine should be perfectly executed without any cheat to transfer the load to another body part so as to prevent injury and to train without strain. There are also professional fitness experts who can guide you exactly on how to carry out a routine properly.

Minimize the pain and customize weight training program - It may hold true that “no pain, no gain”, but this does not mean that you have to perform every weight training routine the mot painful way.  It is far better to weight train if pain can be minimized if not avoided.  This can be done only through proper execution of routines.  It is important to recognize that weight training routines should differ from person to person.  Beginners have unexercised muscles which may be torn or strained when you do the regular routines that experienced individuals do.  Lastly, it is important to do warm up exercises for 5 to 20 minutes through aerobics before you start wit your weight training.