Weight Training Blog

I suspect many newer gym-goers are guilty of this: Getting side tracked instead of focusing on the task at hand. I frequently see people in the gym who go there to talk rather than to work out. I’ve seen some people complete a set, and then go and talk to someone for almost an hour, and then return to working out as if nothing had happened. Not only is it a waste of time, but it’s almost like going to workout without doing a brief warm up again since your body has “cooled down” during that hour of being idle. 

True, who am I to tell them what to do, but at the same time, isn’t stupid to be paying a monthly fee to go into a building and talk? That’s what they have Twitter for.

I recommend going to the gym armed with an mp3 player – whether it be a fancy iPOD that you got ripped off for, or a SanDisk SanSa mp3 player you got at Wal Mart for 35 dollars. Doing this will help you stay focused by drowning out any and all side conversations that you might otherwise find yourself getting involed in. Also, make sure that you have good music to listen to before going as well. Try to pick something out that will get you going.

Some people I know can only listen to techno while working out because the beat gets them going. Others listen to Metallica or other metal, and some people listen to rap. The bottom line is listen to whatever it is that’s going to get you going. 

The more time you spend working out and the less time you spend talking in the gym will make the difference of seeing your desired results quicker.

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably best that I take an entire week off from lifting in order to give my body a break from constantly working out. I noticed that I wasn’t putting up the same numbers that I used to, and I hadn’t taken a week off from lifting in more than a year.

I’ve done some reading around online and it’s generally recommended that every 6 to 8 weeks of lifting a week off should be taken in order to stimulate muscle growth and allow your body to repair any minor injuries that it may have suffered without you even knowing it (Like microtears) . Those who have taken such time off have said that after returning from their week long break they feel stronger, more energetic, and more motivated to hit the iron than they were before. Whether or not I’d take a week off every 6 to 8 weeks is still something I’d have to think about. I’m personally a fan of listening to what my body is trying to tell me rather than trying to follow some sort of routine that my body can’t fit into. 

After a while of lifting you’ll learn to listen to your body. If it starts telling you “no more” by not allowing you to lift as heavy weight as before, then a break might be in order. Also, if you suddenly find yourself lacking the urge to go to the gym, then it might be your body’s subconscious telling you that it needs a little break. 

You’ll also begin to notice that a lot of what is behind building muscle varies from person to person; so learning to listen to what your body is telling you and then reacting in the right manner is an invaluable tool to have while in the gym.

I’ll be sure to post my outcome and thoughts on the break when it’s completed. And of course, I’ll be sure to keep the updates coming while I’m off. Who knows what I’ll do with all this spare time for the next 7 days…

This advice will probably only apply to those of you who are relatively new to lifting.

A lot of times while I’m in the gym I notice people who don’t really push themselves far past breaking a little sweat. I suspect the next day they wake up and they are a little sore, but not to the point where they don’t want to walk because their legs hurt too much, or they don’t want to swim because their chest and shoulders hurt too much. Let me tell you that if I’m not sore the next day after working out, I’m disappointed in myself and think that I didn’t do a good job the day before while in the gym.

If you want to get big and see results, then you have to push yourself and give it 100% every set, and every rep that you perform. Am I saying max out on every set? No, not by any means. But for starters, you should try to aim for between 10 and 12 reps per set, and that should leave you struggling when you hit the second to last rep. If you’re banging out 10 or 12 reps without a problem, then it’s time to increase the weight.

Don’t let yourself fall victim to going into the gym on auto pilot. Make sure that you’re aware of what’s going on and change things when you notice your body no longer responds to your work.