There are very few people who really understand how to weight train properly. If there were, there would be more muscular people in our population. If you’re considering starting on a program to build up your body, consider the following weight training tips before you select a gym.

1. Define your short-term and long-term goals, and write them down.
2. Commit yourself to a single program, and stick to it for no less than twelve weeks.
3. Become educated about the entire program before you begin.
4. Find and hire a good trainer to teach you how to exercise properly.
5. Make a long-term commitment and focus on gradual progress.

Weight Training Tip: Goal Setting

Pace yourself for the long term. Set reasonable goals. Don’t expect to become a contender for Mr. Universe in the coming year. Determine how much muscle you would like to add over the next three months; over the next six months; and over the next year. Once you have determined what you want to achieve in a year, apportion those gains to be achieved proportionately over that time. In other words, if you aspire to a weight gain of sixty pounds at the end of a year, develop a plan that will enable you to gain five pounds each month.

Weight Training Tip: Commitment

Lack of commitment is the key ingredient in the recipe for failure. Commitment is nearly impossible to maintain if you do not understand the details of the program that you are committing to. Make sure that you research the program in which you are interested. Make sure that you understand every detail of the program, its purpose, and its expected result. If you don’t understand a characteristic of the program, contact the program’s developer. Once you select a program, stick with it. Don’t simply try it for a while, and quit because, without sufficient evidence, you think it isn’t working as you expect. This “try and fly” method of selecting a program is self-defeating. Commit and stick with a program and measure your progress over time before you evaluate.

Weight Training Tip: Education

Entering into any program of body building is based upon nothing more that faith, if you don’t understand how training works and why it is beneficial. A good rule of thumb to follow is, if you cannot explain the subject to others who want to understand how to transform their bodies, then you do not know enough about the subject. This level of ignorance is easy to correct. Buy a book by a knowledgeable recognized expert. Learn about training, nutrition, and recovery. Educate yourself online. When you’re educated about body building, you’ll make better decisions for yourself and for those who come to you for advice.

Weight Training Tip: Practice Proper Technique

If you’re not a dentist, imagine what kind of a job you would do removing your own wisdom tooth. It’s not a pretty picture to visualize. Let’s face it, you’d botch the job. The same logic applies to trying to design your own weight training program, and it is illogical. Many people act as illogically when they begin to exercise. They spend good money to join a gym, and then work out using a program that they have designed, putting their tendons, ligaments, joints, and muscles in danger. Don’t be illogical. Find a trainer that you can trust, and let him or her teach you the proper way to safely pursue your body building goals.

Weight Training Tip: Progression

Enter you exercise program with a step-by-step attitude toward progress. Don’t get carried away with increasing the challenge. Don’t increase your bench press weight by 25 pounds in the first week, you’ll provide no benefit. Instead increase the weight by a few pounds every week until you reach the ultimate weight goal. This gradual planned progression will result in some notable muscle gain. Set short term goals to improve slightly at each subsequent workout.

Conclusion

Simplify your weight training efforts by following the goal setting, commitment, education, proper technique, and progression weight training tips given above. Following this advice will make the time you spend in your body building efforts more rewarding and move you more quickly to you weight gain and muscle building aspirations.