Weight Training For Beginners: Introduction

Finding Your Beginning In Weight Training

Weight training for beginners opens up a new world in strength, cardiovascular and athletic performance.

Also, as beginners you are at the peak and a prime time to start weight training. Over the next six months-to-year, you will see strength, muscle and body-tone increases like no other time in your lifting career.

Even for Women, this time is unique and offers a lot of encouragement and positive inspiration.

Weight training is a great way to relieve stress, anxiety and outside negative influences. It even builds other things for beginners, such as: confidence, a stronger sense of well-being and self-esteem. Weight training is as much psychological as it is physical. It will change your life, if you let it…

Learning From Experience

First off: I would like to thank you for dropping by to see the weight training for beginners article, often most people's first experience at something will have the biggest effect on them.

I would like your visit to be positive, so... in this article we go into some of the different aspects of weight training for the beginner that you will run into.

I have some 35+ years experience, with that said; let's see if we can't take some of the guesswork and uncertainty out of how to get started...

I will assume you’re new to weight training, (if your not used to physical exercise), consider seeing your family doctor or health care provider and explain what you are doing... 

A professional’s opinion is a great first step.

Building Discipline Into Weight Training

When I mention discipline: I actually mean: self-discipline.

Self-discipline: in general terms, is the ability to control your feelings and overcome weaknesses that many of us have in our  personality's; this ability that you build over time is a way of building a defence against temptation in everyday life...

Self-discipline and self-control give you the power to control your life.

Self-discipline here in-weight training for beginners, is generally achieved through effort and most effort is not easy to say the least!

Discipline is built by continually being repetitious, this repetition does need change and variety, including enthusiasm in order for you to stick to it.

As confidence comes so will other things, like results seen in the mirror from your hard-won effort. As these results develop and you will notice them; discipline and self-confidence - now begin to feed off each other.

Making it easier to stay focused on your training goal, once you have created something you can see and feel. 

Discipline is like anything else, it is much easier to feel and understand it once you begin to see results - give weight training time, your body is not a machine you dial up or down.

Set a Goal With Rewards

learn to set a realistic goal  with rewards, as a beginner everyone who has ever had any success in any sport, or fitness aspiration, including weight training set goals. This is like building a bridge from the dream to the reality of the goal.

Weight training for beginners can be very mental, when I was a beginner, I would keep myself on track by...

always asking myself repetitively the same question; 'how do you think others arrive at their training goals and achieve the things they want out of life?

It takes work and determination to cross the finish line to your goal, just know: the first time you do it, it will change your life forever.

This ultimately is how others achieve their goals: there are no big secret’s out there; it takes persistence and motivation to set a goal as a beginner, because the thought of failure can creep in...

just remember, it's a proven fact - 71% of people who set realistic goals with rewards... Go on to achieve them!

Finding The Right Weight For Your 10 to 12 Reps

In this introduction to weight training for beginners, you should have some understanding of reps  and sets  what they are and how to perform them... 

One of the ways to find your proper weight increment to achieve 10 to 12 reps is: experiment, e.g. on the bench press… Start light, start with 40 or 50 pounds or less, if need be.

This set and rep range is effective for beginners of either gender.

Choosing the proper exercises and the performance of them is going to make the best use of your time in the gym; also take the time to select the appropriate weight for your lifting level. For instance:

Each exercise will differ regarding your natural strength and athletic ability. If you can’t get 10 or 12 reps, the resistance is telling you, your using too much resistance.

Balance the resistance in relation to your reps. (training to failure is unnecessary as a beginner, stick with the reps as mentioned). 

There’s a fine line with the word Failure in regarding weight training for beginners. 

Mentally your muscles and nervous system, will tell you when you’ve had enough, just make sure you’ve done enough.

This is why there’s a 10 to 12 rep range here, if your bodies telling you that it’s time to rack the weight anywhere in this range – then you now know that the level of stimulation is in the proper rep zone.

Training With Proper Form To Prevent Injuries

As far as weight training for beginners goes; I can’t stress to you enough the most important thing about reps even above how many of them you should perform are...  reps should be performed in strict style. There are two primary reasons for this.

1. Safety.

2. Effectiveness.

Whatever you or the general public assumes they understand about strict form: the weight itself rarely causes injuries – but bad technique does.

As a beginner or intermediate using 40 or 50 pounds can cause far more damage than an exercise performed with 100 pounds in strict form.

The bodies joints, ligaments and tendons that support them are not designed to have resistance as elastic bands to slingshot heavier weights into the air.

Amazingly, you can still walk into commercial gyms and fitness centers, and still witness beginners, intermediates, even some advanced athletes, training in this fashion.

This is usually ego training nothing more, use the proper weight keep it smooth in good form, staying strict and focused on each exercise.

The Top 10 To Stay Focused On As Beginners!

10 things for beginners to make a mental note of, this list goes a long ways to your training and eventual outcome of what you want to experience from your efforts in the gym.

 1   Keep your repetitions at a medium speed.

 2   Keep your form strict and tight.

 3   Keep your movements, fluid do not jerk or bounce at either end of the repetition.

 4   Lower the weight into a full stretch and a full contraction at the top of each movement.

 5   As a beginner aim for 10 to 12 repetitions.

 6   3 - 5 total sets for the major body parts, chest, back and legs etc. 2 - 4 on smaller  ones.

 7   Concentrate stay focused on your repetitions in each exercise.

 8   Make sure the joints and muscles that you’re exercising are well warmed up.

 9    Lower the weight slower than you raise it.     

 10  Pay attention to the feed back from your muscles on each exercise you preform.

The Weight Training Experience

As you become more physically conditioned, you will discover weight training in your own way and how to incorporate it into your own style, and discover new strengths that you never even knew you had.   

Maturity always shows its true colours - by helping others - giving praise where it’s needed and always leading by example.

You will find over time as you develop, coworkers, friends and family will see this in you and will begin to treat you differently.

There has always been a natural sense of respect and appreciation for people that have accomplished a higher level of fitness, this of course depends on what level you take your weight training to - but it will ultimately reflect on your life!

Patience: building consistency and repetitious discipline as a beginner has its challenges, this commonly gets missed or overlooked for beginners is: practising the art of patience! 

You don't have to be the most patient person in the world, but it does help, just try avoid being in a hurry, weight training for beginners is a lifestyle, not a sprint.

The best bodies in the business were built by trial and error. learn to practice and feel each exercise, being persistent and consistent... builds patients.

Only consistent effort with the weights builds this kind of discipline and character uniquely in each athlete, essentially you're: changing yourself from top to bottom inward and outwardly, so... You need to be patient!

Concluding Weight training for beginners :

Start each and every workout, even if it’s a short one, by thoroughly warming-up, stretching all the joints, tendons, ligaments and muscles that you will be working that day.

Even some light cardio for 5 to 8 minutes is a great way to warm up and get your body’s mind and muscles oxygenated and ready for lifting.

As beginners; whatever you put into your work-outs... is exactly what you will receive. As you mature in weight training, the younger less experienced will be watching you in and out of the gym, as you gain in experience... so set a good example by being one.

All I wish to really say is please: be careful, warm-up well to prevent injuries, stay focused on what you’re doing in each work out. Be courteous and gracious to others, this goes a long ways towards each person’s happiness in every gym.

By simply coming to visit with your interest and passion in place: Know that you are important, and very needed! You are the continuation of the weight training lifestyle, I wish you all the best as you move from beginner to advanced. Good Luck!                                                               DWT

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