Weight training is the foundation of your fitness program. A well planed and properly executed program will add lean muscle to your body, thus giving you a more prominent shape as well as increasing your metabolism. In other words you will look better and burn more calories at rest. Adding lean muscle mass is not the only benefit, you will also be strengthening your joints and increasing your bone density. This may prevent the onset of such conditions as osteoporosis and arthritis.
A well planed program starts by determining your training split. This is the number of days per week that you will be working out (at least 3 ) and the combination of body parts that will be trained on each day. Keep in mind, each muscle of the body should be worked once per week. There are exceptions to this rule, including the abdominals and the calf muscles. These are comprised of a different muscle fiber type and may be trained more than one time a week. A beginner program may consist of three days of weight training dividing the body as follows;
DAY 1 CHEST, SHOULDERS, TRICEPS
DAY 2 BACK, BICEPS, FOREARMS
DAY 3 LEGS ( QUADS, HAMSTRING, CALVES )
*CARDIO AND ABDOMINAL TRAINING TO BE PERFORMED AFTER EACH DAY. THIS IS JUST AN EXAMPLE, PLEASE NOTE THAT MUSCLES MUST BE TRAINED IN ORDER OF SIZE ( LARGE TO SMALL )
The next step is to establish the sets and repetitions for each exercise. Each exercise should be done three times (sets) allowing for one warm up set per body part. While training for mass or thickness , 6-10 repetitions should be used for each working set, 10 being the most you are able to do with proper form. If the primary focus of your training is size reduction,12-20 repetitions should be used. As a general rule the abdominal and calf muscles will respond better to lighter weights and the higher repetition range. keeping a training log will enable you to track your progress and effectively change and increase the intensity of your program.
Two important aspects of weight training are form (technique ) and proper breathing. Unlike cardio training, weight training movements should be done slow and deliberately focusing on the muscles being targeted by the exercise. The standard for breathing is to breathe in on the ecentric (negative) portion of the movement and to breathe out on the concentric (positive) portion. Failure to breathe properly can increase your blood pressure causing light headedness and headaches.
Rest is another consideration in your program. The body does the majority of its recovery while you sleep. An effort to sleep 7-8 hours a night should be made to allow you to recuperate and recharge. We also recommend taking at least one day off per week from all forms of exercise. Over-training is a serious condition and once realized can set you back weeks in progress.
In order for muscle growth to take place your body must be in an anabolic state. When there is a positive nitrogen balance in the blood your muscles are primed for growth. A positive nitrogen balance is achieved by consuming amino acids every 2 to 3 hours throughout the day. A complete chain of aminos is available in any protein derived from an animal source or from protein supplements. While consuming non-animal protein sources you can take an amino acid supplement.
John Mott is a certified personal trainer and fitness enthusiast. He is also a regular contributor to http://bulletprooffitness.com a free information site which encompasses all aspects of fitness.