Dos and Don’ts of Effective Strength Training
A retired financial professional in Florida, Lee Chimerakis maintains an active lifestyle. An avid runner and cyclist, Lee Chimerakis works out weekly and is particularly focused on strength training exercises.
Weight training is an effective way of increasing muscle and strength, burning fat, and boosting bone density. However, these benefits are only seen when such exercises are done properly. Below are several dos and don’ts of weight training:
- Do balance training. When weight training, the exercises should work a variety of muscles, including the chest, shoulders, abs, and legs. This promotes rapid muscle growth throughout the body and reduces the risk of injury or pain in areas of the body that aren’t being worked enough.
- Don’t skip warm ups. The risk of injury dramatically increases when a cold muscle is worked out. Because of this, warming up before any exercise routine is essential. For strength training, athletes should enjoy an aerobic or a cardio activity five to 10 minutes before their weight routine.
- Do listen to the body. All too often, people try working through pain when strength training. This should never be done. Instead, if any exercise is causing pain, individuals should stop doing it and try lowering the weight. They may also need to check their technique or form.
- Don’t rush a workout. Individuals who rush their strength workouts often rely too heavily on their momentum to lift each weight. This doesn’t provide the muscles with the best amount of work. Instead, it’s better to complete each exercise slowly to isolate each muscle group better.
Weight training is an effective way of increasing muscle and strength, burning fat, and boosting bone density. However, these benefits are only seen when such exercises are done properly. Below are several dos and don’ts of weight training:
- Do balance training. When weight training, the exercises should work a variety of muscles, including the chest, shoulders, abs, and legs. This promotes rapid muscle growth throughout the body and reduces the risk of injury or pain in areas of the body that aren’t being worked enough.
- Don’t skip warm ups. The risk of injury dramatically increases when a cold muscle is worked out. Because of this, warming up before any exercise routine is essential. For strength training, athletes should enjoy an aerobic or a cardio activity five to 10 minutes before their weight routine.
- Do listen to the body. All too often, people try working through pain when strength training. This should never be done. Instead, if any exercise is causing pain, individuals should stop doing it and try lowering the weight. They may also need to check their technique or form.
- Don’t rush a workout. Individuals who rush their strength workouts often rely too heavily on their momentum to lift each weight. This doesn’t provide the muscles with the best amount of work. Instead, it’s better to complete each exercise slowly to isolate each muscle group better.
