Strength training has become a buzz word in the fitness industry, so much so that a workout routine is considered incomplete without it. While there are many benefits that strength training offers, from bolstering bones to balancing hormones, most men jump on the bandwagon as a result of demonstration effect, that is, imitating the actions of others. You see a big guy at the gym, flexing his muscles while working out with weights and are influenced to do the same. You ask yourself, “If lifting a pair of dumbbells can bulk me up like that, why should I not do it too? And how heavy could those weights be, anyway?
Pumped to start practice, you overlook the what, when, how and how much of those strenuous exercises and jump straight into strength training with no prior knowledge. Unfortunately, many million reps later, you find out that the routine isn’t reaping any benefits and redirect your energy to something else altogether. This is what the strength training trajectory of most beginners, who lack awareness and guidance, looks like. The idea pumps them up, but when they actually get to it is when they realize that there is more to strength training than meets the eye.
Before you start strength training, if only you take the time to find out its nitty gritties from those who know better - where to begin, what exactly to do and how much, you can dodge a series of common, but completely avoidable mistakes. By equipping yourself with the advice of experts, you can replicate their results and sustain them for a long time.
If you’re new to the world of strength training, AskMen India shares a 6 step guide to help you get started:
Stretch before you start
In the excitement and enthusiasm of starting strength training, a lot of people tend to underestimate the importance of warming up. Stretching the body is especially essential for beginners, since their muscles are not used to the movements that go into the activity. A light, pre-workout routine boosts blood flow to dormant muscles and activates them.
This alleviates stiffness, preparing your body to perform at its full potential and yield better results. Low intensity cardio exercises such as jogging on the spot and jumping jacks, as well as simple yoga asanas make a wonderful warm up routine.
Explore different options
A lot of people tend to have a very narrow understanding of strength training. They think that the activity is only limited to lifting weights, specifically dumbbells, when the truth is that the scope of strength training goes far beyond.
Weight lifting is only a subset of strength training. There are many more areas that you can explore as a beginner. Bodyweight exercises, or calisthenics as they’re so called, do not require any equipment and involve building your strength using the weight of your own body. It includes exercises such as squats, lunges, push ups and planks among others.
Explosive strength exercises involve exerting maximum energy towards an activity in the shortest amount of time. And plyometrics, on the other hand, are power-inducing exercises centered around jumping. You should also spend some time to figure out how heavy a weight can you lift comfortably.
Take technique seriously
The effectiveness of a strength exercise depends on your form and technique. If you compromise on your posture while lifting weights for instance, or do not follow the correct procedure, your efforts won’t yield any results. You may end up working on another set of muscles or worse, injure yourself in the process.
Technique lays the foundation of an exercise and so, it’s very important to get that sorted from the start. As a beginner in strength training, your focus should be on perfecting the smallest movements, including intensity, angle and engagement, as opposed to doing too many repetitions. It becomes difficult to break bad habits as your training programme progresses.
Fix imbalances first
Almost every person has some muscle imbalances, whether that means their upper body is stronger than their lower body or that their right side is broader than their left. Even a pair of joints can display varying levels of flexibility. Your right knee may be stronger, more stable as compared to the left and cause you to lean on one leg by default.
While imbalances are unavoidable to some extent, you should work towards minimising them to prevent consequences. Exercising in such a form can have serious repercussions. If you deadlift while having unequally strengthened knees or hips, for instance, you may end up injuring your body. This is especially common among beginners who are not acquainted with their body’s weaknesses as yet. So, always start with simple strength exercises that strike a balance between all parts of your body.
Less is more
A common misconception among beginners about strength training is that increasing the intensity or frequency of an exercise will help generate better and faster results. They push themselves to do as many as a hundred reps of an exercise at a time, leaving their body sore and strained as a result. And yet, when the results don’t show and their muscles look just the way they used to, they get demotivated and drop off their decision to work out regularly.
When it comes to strength training, ‘less is more’ is a fundamental rule that many aren’t made aware of. As a beginner, especially, it’s better to do a few reps with proper technique as opposed to many covereps with minimal concentration. Moreover, you should do more sets with longer rest periods. This allows your muscles some time to recover from the rigour and prepare itself to perform just as powerfully as in the last set.
Get enough rest
Rest and recovery are as crucial a step in building your body’s strength as are training hard and eating clean. Most beginners tend to neglect its significance, thinking that the more they strain their body, the better results it will yield. This theory, however, is absolutely bogus.
You should work out because you love your body, not because you hate it. Exercising should make you feel good about yourself at the end of the day, not have you drop dead on the bed right after. Getting a good night’s sleep is a primary requirement for good health, as the body uses this time to calm tensed muscles and replenish lost energy.
Now that you’re equipped with all that you need to know about strength training, it’s the perfect time to start off!
Cover artwork by Dhaval Punatar/AskMen India