Originally published July 15 2005
Weight training tips
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Tips for weight training include working your muscles until they feel fatigued and training three times a week, increasing weight and number of sets as you progress.
Strength training will increase your musculature, your primary calorie burner.
Plus it will strengthen your body and allow it to function more efficiently so you can perform your aerobic exercise at higher levels, which will decrease your percentage of body fat.
It is an individual matter, and you should probably base your decision on practical concerns.
For example, I like to lift weights before my cardiovascular workout, but that's because following a good cardio workout I am perspiring quite heavily and I don't like to be wet while lifting in an air-conditioned gym.
When you lift weights, you want to work your muscles to the point of failure.
That means that they're so fatigued you can barely finish the last few repetitions.
If they're not feeling fatigued when you lift, then they're probably not getting enough stimulus.
For that reason, I recommend that you do all your sets on one side, then switch to the other side.
As you progress, you can increase the amount of weight you use and the number of sets you perform.
A repetition is one successful completion of a given exercise.
In general, a higher number of repetitions using a relatively low amount of weight is conducive to building more muscular endurance.
Fewer repetitions with a relatively high weight will build muscular strength.
Most personal trainers recommend a weight that is between 60 percent and 80 percent of your maximum ability, with 70 percent of your maximum ability being the most common.
This is an acceptable method, but I personally prefer another.
After about a month -- at three times a week -- you will probably be able to progress to two sets of each exercise.
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