Are You Just Lifting Weight or Actually Training?
Here are some important questions to ask yourself:
Why are you lifting weights? Are you trying to gain more power and strength, or are you trying to actually build a better body?
The reason these questions are so important to consider is because you have to approach your workout differently depending on what your goals are.
What Is Your Goal?
Setting your goals or sights on what you're really trying to accomplish is the first step in deciding if you are just lifting weights, training for strength and power, or training like a bodybuilder. Maybe you're just going to the gym to try a burn a few calories and get a good feeling because you're actually exercising. If that's the case, then you are just going to the gym to lift weights. There is nothing wrong with this, at least you're doing something! But, without considering yourself to actually be in 'training' and working out that way, you probably won't hit the goals that you may have set. On the other hand, if you have set a goal that you want to hit a certain strength level, then you need to train for that. It's the same with training for more of a bodybuilding type goal (to gain more muscle, get ripped, or whatever your goal is).
Once you've decided what you main goal is, now its time to set up a plan of attack.
Training for Strength (Power Lifter)
If you are really just going to the gym to be able to lift the most weight possible, great! Power-lifters are after the highest one rep maximum they can possibly handle. So to reach higher levels of strength the general rule of thumb is to workout with lower reps (2-4 range) and heavier weights. Essentially you may not have to use the same strictness of form that someone training for size will have to because your whole goal is to lift as much as you can. If you've ever watched a power-lifter in action, you'll notice that they are throwing everything they have into the lift. Of course form is important so you don't injure yourself, so make sure you know what you're doing if you decide to just train for strength.
Training for Size (Body Building)
Training for size or body building is a very different game. Instead of just trying to lift the most weight you can, you should instead focus on stimulating muscle fibers to grow. There are many different intensity techniques you can use to help accomplish this, more than we have time to consider at this point. Some popular ones include drop sets, super sets, full contractions, partial reps, and more.
Decide what your goal is, and then get the information that you need to achieve those goals. Not everyone goes to the gym for the same reasons. And that really doesn't matter. What's important is why you're going and what you're doing to accomplish your goals.
Related Tags: strength training, gain muscle, power lifting, super set
About the Author:
Dan Patterson is an editor of BodyFitnessInfo.com, a website that offers free information about many health and fitness topics such as how to gain muscle and body building tips.
Recent articles in this category:
- 3 Day Diet Reviews Forthright Opinion About The Program
Are you considering going on the 3 day diet? Reviews are hard to come by, but I'm going to give you - 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet What It Is And Is Not
The 3 Day Chemical Breakdown Diet has been called by many other names such as the 3 day heart diet, - The Biggest Lose Weight Program At Jillian Michaels
Although it seems almost unimaginable, nearly incomprehensible, a few people in the United States do - Essential Marathon Accessories
Short distance runners have an idea of what their essential kit is - trainers, shorts and a vest. A - Maintaining Health And Fitness With Exercise And Nutrition
Nowadays remaining fit and healthy has become very important. We all lead such a fast-paced life tha - Flatten Your Stomach Exercising Just Minutes A Day!
Are you missing the flat, six-pack tummy that you had 10 years ago? Or have you been fighting the ba - Get Rid Of Cellulite With Exercises
Cellulite is a common condition in women; it is not a result of being fat or overweight. Cellulite o - Why Do I Need A Personal Trainer? (part 2)
Following on from points one to five, we continue to look at why hiring a personal trainer could tra - Why Do I Need A Personal Trainer? (part 1)
Anything in life worth having takes effort and when it comes to getting the body you want, never has - How Do I Choose The Best Whey Isolate Easily Guide
As the owner of a supplement company, I get many questions about what makes our Whey isolate better
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Can A Treadmill Supercharge Your Life?
You know it. That person staring at you in the mirror knows it. You need to lose weight. But with - Training with Free Weights Will Not Get You Toned
Oh, and Santa Claus DOES exist.Well, it's safe to say both statements above are false.One of the mos - The Secrets of a Killer Ab Workout
Out of all the body parts that you can exercise, your abs are one of the most important muscle group - So How Can I Really Get Ripped Abs?
Next to the 'bi's' and 'tri's' in the arms, the next region that almost every body in the gym may se - When Should I Do My Cardio, Before or After Strength Training?
Friends I actually stumbled on the answer to this in a very interesting, yet eye-opening way.See her - A Good Exercise Routine Is Vital To Your Fitness Quest
At the beginning of every New Year, the local Leisure Centers, Sports Clubs, Gymnasiums, etc etc, ar - I'm New at Working Out with Weights, Any Suggestions?
The popularity and importance of strength training is becoming more and pronounced wherever the issu - Choosing the Correct Home Exercise Equipment
Exercise schedules should include three parts: Strength training, aerobic exercise, and flexibility - Tips and Tricks on How to Exercise
Everyone knows that exercise is necessary for better health and a better sense of well-being. Howeve - Hey, Some Teenagers Would Like to Pump Iron too
The average male, even from childhood, instinctively knows that perhaps very little else attracts th