Transform Your Body With Weight Training

You’ve heard those two words echoed like whispers down a dark hallway in a horror movie, “Weight Training”. If you haven’t weight trained before, we’re here to chase away the scaries and help get you on the path to transforming your body.  Weight training can be your friend, and we’ll give you a few key tips to get you started on the path to stronger bones, bigger muscles and increased strength!

Weight Training Benefits

For some, weight training brings to mind thoughts of lifting hundreds of pounds, veins bursting through your neck, with a heavy dose of Wimbledon style grunting. But there other ways you can incorporate weight training into your workout without feeling like you have to lift heavy.

The fact of the matter is, weight training should absolutely be incorporated as a fundamental element of your workout routine. When you introduce strength training or weight training, you’re improving the function and efficiency of your muscles and nervous system. A few additional benefits of weight training?

• Increased bone mineral density – reduced risk of fractures or osteoporosis
• Improved balance
• Management of arthritis, and other chronic diseases
• Improved sleep
• Reduced symptoms of depression

More importantly, as we age weight training is crucial to our health. According to the American Council on Exercise, as we hit the age of 30 we begin to lose roughly half a pound of muscle every year. Couple this with the slowing of your metabolism and you have the perfect recipe for weight gain.

All recipes aside, weight training is the perfect ingredient to fight this and help you transform your body into a lean, mean, weight training machine. Keep reading for simple exercises to add to your workout!

Easy Weight Training Exercises To Incorporate Into Your Workout

You’ve seen instagram fitness influencer after influencer touting some crazy workout move that leaves you questioning, “how effective is this really?” Sometimes, the basics are all you need. Start with a simple incorporation of these upper/lower body exercises:

• Upper Body:
  • Bicep Curls – start with 3 sets of 10 repetitions
    1. Grab anywhere from 5lbs – 10lbs, whichever weight you feel is comfortable, not too heavy but provides enough resistance.
    2. Start with your shoulders squared and elbows tight to your sides, taking a deep breath in.
    3. As you exhale, raise the dumbbells up to your shoulders at a steady pace.
    4. Once in full flexion, slowly bring the weights back down while keeping your elbows tight to your sides, feeling the resistance as you lower the weight.
  • Dumbbell Rows – start with 3 sets of 10 repetitions
    1. Find a flat bench, or similar surface to position yourself with one knee on top of the and your other leg on the ground stabilizing yourself.
    2. Bend at the hips until your back is parallel to the bench. Make sure to keep your core tight! To do this, try to keep your stomach as flat as possible engaging the muscles around your abdomen.
    3. Grab your dumbbell, square your shoulder, take a deep breath in, and keeping your elbow tight to your side slowly pull the weight up while exhaling until your elbow passes your side.
    4. Slowly lower the weight, inhaling, until your arm is fully extended.
    5. Make sure to maintain a stationary position with your upper body. The only movement should be with your arm.
    6. Switch and repeat for your other arm.
  • Push-Ups (yes, the dreaded push-up is still one of the most effective moves for shaping your arms!) – start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions
    1. Lie face down on the floor and place your hands shoulder width apart while holding your torso up at arms length.
    2. Slowly lower yourself downward until your chest almost touches the floor as you inhale.
    3. As you press yourself up, exhale until you reach your starting position. Repeat!

• Lower body:
  • Goblet Squat – start with 3 sets of 10 repetitions
    1. Stand with feet hip-width distance apart holding a kettlebell (comfortable weight) by the handle close to your chest.
    2. As you begin to squat down between your legs, take a deep breath in.
    3. Once your legs are at a 90 degree angle, slowly begin to push yourself out of the squat through your heels, squeezing your bottom, and exhaling as you come up.
    4. Make sure to keep your chest and head up with your back straight.
  • Dumbbell Lunges – start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions
    1. Start by picking out 5lbs – 10lbs dumbbells and placing one in each hand.
    2. Step forward with your right foot so that your feet are about 3 feet apart.
    3. Keeping your pelvis tucked under your sacrum, core engaged, slowly lower down, inhaling, until your right knee is at a 90 degree angle.
    4. Once you’ve reached this point drive your weight through your right heel, exhaling as you push yourself up to your starting position.
    5. Once you’ve completed your set for your right leg, switch to the left!
  • Kettlebell Sumo Squat – start with 3 sets of 8 repetitions
    1. Grab a kettlebell (comfortable but still challenging weight) and pull it into your chest. Make sure to keep your arms close to your body and elbows tucked in.
    2. Place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, with your toes slightly pointed outward.
    3. Keeping your back straight, engage your core and inhale as you lower yourself.
    4. Sit into the squat, pushing your hips back, until your knees reach a 90 degree angle.
    5. Slowly begin to exhale as you drive your weight through your heels and raise yourself back to your starting position

Safety & Efficiency: Get The Most Out Of Your Routine

It might sound like a broken record but we’ll play it safe and continue to play that broken record. Getting these exercises done as fast as humanly possible does not mean you’re being efficient and still getting a good exercise.

DON’T let the momentum do the work for you! It’s important that with each of these moves and any other exercise you perform you are being conscious of your body, posture, and maintaining control of each movement. If you’re experiencing aches or pains with any of these movements be sure to check out Innovative Result’s Active Recovery Class. These workouts are meant to help you restore, renew, and replenish.

Holding your breath during the move can also be detrimental or impede your full ability to benefit from the exercise. Using your breath helps you engage your core, maintain your blood pressure and energy.

Weight training at Innovative Results

Here at Innovative Results, we’re first and foremost not robots. Our goal is for you to enjoy what you do–hence being “The OC’s Fitness Playground”. Working out should be FUN and so should weight training! If you’re ready to transform your body and get fit for summer, come on down and check us out. We give all our new members a FREE unlimited week.