Are You Just Lifting Weight or Actually Training?


by Dan Patterson - Date: 2006-12-15 - Word Count: 525 Share This!

We all need to be able to make the distinction between just going to the gym to lift weights, or actually weight training or resistance training. While the wording sounds the same, they are two completely different approaches to your workouts in the gym.

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.

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