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Weight Training 101
12/09/2020

WEIGHT TRAINING 101 – GETTING STARTED

Prevailing wisdom suggests that we need to ‘hit the gym’ if we want to build muscle, get stronger, and improve our health.

But, the truth is, so long as we follow the basic principles of effective training, we can achieve great success at home, on the beach, in the park, and anywhere else. And the best part is, we can do it without having access to any equipment.

Today, we’ll go over everything you need to know.

1. Always Warm-Up Well

A good warm-up is vital for effective training because it:

  • Raises our core body temperature
  • Sends more blood to our muscles
  • Warms up our synovial fluid (that lubricates our joints)
  • Prepares us mentally for training
  • Warms up vital enzymes that play a role in energy production
  • Drastically decreases the risk of injuries

To achieve these benefits, as little as five to ten minutes of warming up should be enough. A combination of light cardio with some dynamic movements will do the job.

2. Prioritize Proper Technique Over Heavier Weights Every Time

Many trainees make the same mistake:

To progress quicker (be it to lift heavier weights, do more reps, or something else), they sacrifice proper training form. This is counterproductive because it prevents us from training the correct muscles, hinders our athletic performance, and increases the risk of injury.

Be mindful and make sure that your technique is great before pushing for progression. You can also film some of your working sets and review your performance every few weeks.

3. Get Yourself Some Useful Equipment

So what if you can’t (or don’t want to) train at a gym? Does this mean that you can’t train productively? No, it doesn’t.

The truth is, you can achieve fantastic results with bodyweight training alone. If anything, you can enhance your training by investing a bit of money in the most basic of equipment. This includes:

You don’t have to get all of these. You can start with one or two and gradually add more to your arsenal. By the time you accumulate a collection of training equipment, you will have fantastic workouts in the comfort of your home.

As you can see, home weight training is entirely possible, and you can make it work, so long as you warm-up well, focus on the basic principles of training, and investing a bit of money in several critical pieces of fitness equipment.