Do Your Weight Training

Most guys want to build muscle, to be ripped.  Most women want to be toned, but not at all bulky.  That being said, men generally like to sling around barbells and dumbbells.  Women, on the other hand tend to shy away from them.  Men like to do curls and heavy bench presses so they can look like the Incredible Hulk.  Women like to hit the elliptical or use 1 lb dumbbells so they don't end up like looking like a dude.  I know it's a generalization but there's alot of truth to it.  Whether you're a fan of weight training or afraid of what it will do to you, you need to add weight training to your fitness regimen.  And more importantly, you need to understand why you're weight training and put the right plan in place.

Top 5 Reasons to Weight Train

Weight training, or resistance training, is a critical piece to getting in shape.  Here are 5 great reasons to include it in your plan.

1. Strength.  Everyone wants to be stronger.  From the scrawny 13 year old boy who wants to impress a cute girl, to the grandmother who wants to rearrange her furniture, and everyone in between, we all want to be stronger.
2. Definition.  No one is going to turn their eyes from someone with good muscle definition.  There is some argument about where a line might be drawn around too much, but for the most part, with more muscle definition, you'll look better in and out of your clothes.
3. Less Injury.  Non-contact related injuries happen when you have an imbalance in your muscles.  Back pain may very well be related to weak ab muscles.  When a muscle is not strong enough to do its intended function, the other muscles pitch in.  After a while, these muscles can get overworked and lead to injury.
4. Better Balance.  As you strengthen your muscles, especially by doing functional strength exercises that engage your big muscle groups (chest, back, legs), you have no choice but to strengthen all of the supporting muscles.  The stronger your small muscles are, the better able you will be to support yourself and stop from tripping over your feet and falling on your face.
5. Burn Fat.  An additional pound of muscle will burn 50 additional calories every day through normal activities just to support itself.  That means you have increased your metabolism.  The higher your metabolism, the more calories your burn in a day and the higher your caloric deficit.  The higher your deficit, if you're eating the right kinds of foods, the more fat you will lose.

How Many Reps

No matter what your goals are, weight training is going to help you get there.  But, you have to know where you want to go and how to get there.  The key is in the reps.  Before we get into reps, keep this one point in mind:  The weight you choose should be enough that you can just barely finish the last couple reps.  Fifteen reps with a 1 lb dumbbell, when you could do 1500 reps is not going to net the same effect as doing fifteen reps of a 20 lb dumbbell where you really need to squeeze and push the last couple reps.  Also make sure you rest between sets.  Heavier weights require more rest to allow the muscles to heal.  If you goals are to burn fat or increase endurance, shorten your rest.  Remember your goal and rest appropriately.

I Want to Get Huge

Before you can get huge, you need to get in shape.  Don't go into the gym on the first day and try to push out 50 lb curls.  To build muscle, shoot for 3 sets of 6 - 8 reps.  And remember, the last couple need to be really hard.  You want to really have to fight to get out the last rep of that last set.

I Want to Get Toned

Toning is probably where most people should start.  Toning will start to build a good foundation of muscle.  As you read earlier, more muscle kicks up your metabolism.  That means less fat.  Less fat means you can see more of your muscles.  When you can see more muscles, you look more toned.  For toning, shoot for 2 or 3 sets of 12 - 15 reps.  Again, you want to struggle to squeeze out the last couple, so pick the right weight, and change if it feels too hard or too easy.

I Want More Endurance

Muscular endurance is alot like cardiovascular endurance.  You need to keep your system under load for extended periods of time to build up the system.  To increase endurance, target 3 - 4 sets of 15 - 20 reps.  You want to use a lighter weight here since this is a ton of reps, but by the end, you should still be struggling.

I've given you a number of reasons as to why you need to incorporate weights or resistance training into your routine and I've given you a foundation.  Now it's time to get out there and

Sling That Iron!!!