How to lift more efficiently and progress faster(For beginners)
I have been lifting for a few months, though I am still a pretty new I would like to share the stuff that I have learned. I am on Stronglifts 5x5, and it is going great for me.
1. Start a Beginners linear progression program.
If you are just starting out, you probably don't know the right lifts to do. Follow a program by people who actually know what they are doing! If you make your own program you could waste time, and cause harm to yourself. Its easy to become unbalanced (Ex: More chest work then back work, which can cause damage to your shoulders). Programs made by professionals will get you stronger faster. They will know the right lifts and rep ranges to use. It will make everything easier for you. Some great examples for workout plans are:
Starting strength= http://startingstrength.com/
Stronglifts 5x5= http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
2.Focus on form over weight.
Its easy to get caught up in wanting to look stronger and hit your goals, but sacrificing form for weight is terrible. It can lead to injuries, and it becomes a viscous cycle. If you sacrifice form one workout, the next workout where you will lift heavier you will also sacrifice your form again because your not strong enough and it will continue for a long time until its even harder to fix. For example, I have some strong and pretty beefy friends who have been working out for a while, but they half rep their squats. Don't let your ego cause your body damage!! Also make sure to start with a low weight when you start a workout plan to make sure you get the form down.
3.Keep a record of your workouts.
If you don't keep a log of the weights and exercises you did in one workout, you wont know how much weight to use next workout. If you do Stronglifts, there is an iPhone and android app that keeps track of your weights and tells you what weight to use next time (http://stronglifts.com/apps/). I also have a notebook that I use to keep track of my accessory lifts.
4.Don't work out too much.
Its easy to think that the more working out you do, the stronger you will get, which is not necessarily true. Your body needs time to recover, that is when your body builds muscle. If you can just stick to the plan, you will probably get better quicker because of less injuries and more recovery time.
5.Focus on strength first before hypertrophy.
Start out with a strength program instead of a hypertrophy(Muscle size) program. To start a hypertrophy workout you need to be able to lift enough weight for it to make an impact. Start out getting stronger first. Stay in the 3-8 rep range at first to build strength before you progress to the 8-12 rep range.
6.Eat enough!
When you start lifting, you will probably need to eat more calories and protein to help your muscle growth. If you don't eat enough, you could probably fail at lifts and not get strong as quickly. Its a great idea to start recording all your food eaten to an app like MyFitnessPal(http://www.myfitnesspal.com/), and don't try to lose weight while lifting.
7.Stop doing crunches!
Abs are one of the only muscles that I do hypertrophy over strength, but not crunches! Crunches are bad for your back, and they aren't the best workout for building abdominal size and strength. My six pack is standing out more then it ever has before when I switched to 8-12 heavier weight workouts from crunches.
Starting strength= http://startingstrength.com/
Stronglifts 5x5= http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
Its easy to get caught up in wanting to look stronger and hit your goals, but sacrificing form for weight is terrible. It can lead to injuries, and it becomes a viscous cycle. If you sacrifice form one workout, the next workout where you will lift heavier you will also sacrifice your form again because your not strong enough and it will continue for a long time until its even harder to fix. For example, I have some strong and pretty beefy friends who have been working out for a while, but they half rep their squats. Don't let your ego cause your body damage!! Also make sure to start with a low weight when you start a workout plan to make sure you get the form down.
3.Keep a record of your workouts.
If you don't keep a log of the weights and exercises you did in one workout, you wont know how much weight to use next workout. If you do Stronglifts, there is an iPhone and android app that keeps track of your weights and tells you what weight to use next time (http://stronglifts.com/apps/). I also have a notebook that I use to keep track of my accessory lifts.
4.Don't work out too much.
Its easy to think that the more working out you do, the stronger you will get, which is not necessarily true. Your body needs time to recover, that is when your body builds muscle. If you can just stick to the plan, you will probably get better quicker because of less injuries and more recovery time.
5.Focus on strength first before hypertrophy.
Start out with a strength program instead of a hypertrophy(Muscle size) program. To start a hypertrophy workout you need to be able to lift enough weight for it to make an impact. Start out getting stronger first. Stay in the 3-8 rep range at first to build strength before you progress to the 8-12 rep range.
6.Eat enough!
7.Stop doing crunches!
Abs are one of the only muscles that I do hypertrophy over strength, but not crunches! Crunches are bad for your back, and they aren't the best workout for building abdominal size and strength. My six pack is standing out more then it ever has before when I switched to 8-12 heavier weight workouts from crunches.
0 comments:
Post a Comment