Weight training is an ancient form of physical training for building the skeletal muscles in your body. It makes use of the force of downward gravity in the form of weight stacks, weighted bars, or dumbbells to oppose the upward force produced by the muscle during eccentric or concentric contraction.1 The eccentric contraction of the muscle produces more muscular power than the concentric contraction does, resulting in a net result of a bigger and stronger muscle. In recent years, the popularity of weight training has gained tremendous momentum as many people have realized its significant health benefits.
Weight training makes use of free weights such as dumbbells and barbells to build the muscles of your arms, legs, and chest and can also be used to develop your core muscles. The most critical benefit of weight training, however, is the reduction in body fat that it leads to. As the weights are lifted and pushed away from your body, the body’s metabolism increases resulting in greater energy consumption and a decreased intake of body fat.2 The end result is a reduction in body fat that you can witness even during your cardio workout at the gym.3
Weight training with weights is also the key to creating long-term fitness and weight loss goals. The cardio workouts performed at the gym are perfect for burning calories and helping you lose weight but it takes time for these changes to become noticeable on your body. When you make use of weight training with weights, however, these changes are more apparent as your muscles acclimate to the resistance provided by the weight training program and your body begins to burn calories even during your cardio sessions at the gym. This process is what helps you maintain your strength and fitness levels over the long term.
What is Weight Training?
Weight training exercises are typically done to develop the muscular mass of the body and function in a manner that increases strength, power, and endurance while giving an effective way of increasing functional fitness. However, this isn’t the only benefit that weight training gives to athletes. It also has many health benefits such as helping to reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, preventing blood clots, improving bone density and balance, decreasing bodily pain, etc.4
Before you start any exercise program, whether it’s weight training or not, it’s important that you learn proper form. Most people who weight train are doing so because it has helped them improve their physical performance while maintaining a healthy weight.5 Learning proper form ensures that you won’t overdo it, you will be able to maintain the proper form even through intense workouts, and that you’ll be able to correct your form mistakes as you go. If you have any doubts about your ability to do a particular exercise, or you just aren’t sure how to properly execute it, then it’s a good idea to consult a personal trainer. They are usually very good at spotting a potential problem or can point you toward a video or book that will show you proper form.
Another important weight training tip for bodybuilders and weight training beginners is that you need to make sure that you’re using enough weight and that you’re performing the exercise in the right way. It’s important that you don’t just go heavier every time you do an exercise, as this can be very dangerous for your muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When training with weights, it’s important that you don’t just start off slow; if you do that, you’ll never reach your goal. In fact, many successful bodybuilders started off slow and gained momentum as their bodies kept growing.6
Benefits of Weight Training For Bodybuilders
Weight training has been considered by many as the best form of physical activity to keep you in shape. However, some people still doubt the benefits of weight training for bodybuilders. This is because they have a misconception that weight training is very expensive and can only be done by those athletes who are rich and can afford expensive gym memberships. Some also think that weight training benefits only occur if an athlete trains with weights. These people are not aware that weight training does not only help in increasing an athlete’s size but also helps him in developing his physique in different ways.7
First of all, training with weights will help in improving your stamina and strength. This will help you to do more repetitions and lift more weights with each set. Your metabolism will also increase, which is very important to bodybuilders as it will help them in burning up fats in the body. This in turn will help the bodybuilders lose weight much faster than any other method.
Another benefit of weight training for bodybuilders is that it will improve your overall athletic performance. Many athletes who train without any weight training benefit from increased strength, endurance, and flexibility. This in turn helps them to gain maximum results from every workout and practice. They will also find it easier to get rid of excess fat during weight training sessions.8
Finally, weight training will also make you lose weight much faster than any other method. This is because you will not have to slow down your metabolism rate. The reason behind this phenomenon is that weight training actually burns calories while you are doing your workouts and when you stop weight training your body will start to adjust to its new metabolic rate. Therefore, you will not lose weight as fast when you stop weight training.9
These are some of the main benefits of weight training for bodybuilders. So if you are an athlete or a bodybuilder, weight training will greatly improve your health, your overall performance, and your overall appearance. In addition, weight training will help you to lose weight much faster than any other method and you will also feel great when you are finished. If you do weight training regularly you will find that you have more energy and that your muscles have become stronger. These are just some of the benefits of weight training for bodybuilders.
Should a Bodybuilder Weight Train?
There are many weight training routines available for bodybuilders. First and foremost, bodybuilders should remember that weight training is a strenuous activity and should be approached with great caution. It should be done in moderation. The number of reps you do in a set should be no less than the maximum number of repetitions you can do in complete rest.
For bodybuilders who have the discipline to follow a weight training routine, the best way to find out how much weight training for bodybuilders should be done is to consult a professional gym trainer or a reputable health and fitness magazine.10 These magazines can help bodybuilders find the appropriate routine for their individual situations. You should never overtrain your body and you should allow sufficient time between workouts to allow your body to recover. Some bodybuilders find it beneficial to do their workouts at the gym where they work out with other bodybuilders. This allows them to get advice from others about proper weight training routines and also gives them a chance to try different exercises in a controlled environment.
In essence, weight training for bodybuilders should be a gradual process that is tailored to each individual’s body. If you need to lose weight quickly, you may find that intense weight training for bodybuilders will not be enough to achieve your goals. You may need to add some strength training as well as some cardiovascular exercise to your program. Just make sure you do all the recommended exercises and eat the right foods so that you can build muscle while staying healthy.
The Differences Between Strength Training and Weight Training For Bodybuilders
Strength training and weight training are similar in many ways, at least as far as the muscles are concerned. They both involve working out the muscles of the body, adding mass, getting stronger, improving bone density, increasing muscle power, and building endurance. These things all help you become healthier and fitter. However, there are some key differences between strength training and weight training for bodybuilders.
There are two major differences between strength training and weight training for bodybuilders. The first is that in order to gain any weight at all, you need to work out your upper body as well. It’s simply not enough just to train your upper body. Your legs and lower body also need to be trained, even if they’re not used as much. This is a good way to balance your training among the two parts of your body.
Another difference between strength training and weight lifting for bodybuilders is that in weight training for beginners, you can start off with low-weight or moderate strength training exercises and slowly increase the weights as your workout gains momentum. You do not necessarily have to lift weights during your strength training routine, but you do need to lift them after working out your lower body, especially if your goal is to gain muscle mass and reduce body fat. This can be accomplished through slow, gradual increases in weight that you’re able to handle. Lifting heavy weights first allows your muscles to acclimate to the stress before slowly going higher, making it easier to maintain proper form as you continue to progress.
One of the most important differences between strength training and weight training for bodybuilders is that in order to get your hypertrophy, you must work your muscle to failure. In other words, your body must stop at nothing to grow. When you perform strength training for beginners, you should not be struggling to lift a weight above your head. Instead, your body should be working at full resistance all throughout your workout, and you should be achieving hypertrophy (growth) at a rapid pace. This is what it’s called overload, and it is required if you want to see results.11
To get stronger, you need to increase both your absolute strength which is the maximum weight you can lift and your relative strength, which is the force or effort you exert on your muscles to get stronger. For example, if you have one arm that’s 90 pounds overweight, you can lift that weight only one time during your workout, but if that same weight is trained three times per week, it will help your relative strength increase dramatically. This is where most bodybuilders fail: they are trying to increase absolute strength through the use of heavy relative strength training.
Therefore, when people ask this question it’s not just a question of which exercises are done but rather, it’s a question of how we best train our bodies in order to reach our goals. We need to ensure that we are maximizing the time and effort we spend in the gym, while also finding the best way to develop the proper muscular movements that fuel our muscular growth.12
Image Credits
EBT / 2021
Active Nation / February 19, 2020
Slideshare / 2021
Fitbod / 2021
1 https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-weight-training Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/expert-answers/metabolism/faq-20058346 Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-start-lifting-weights Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/beginners-guide-weight-lifting-training/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://eliteclubs.com/6-strength-training-moves-you-should-try-today/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/25-strength-training-exercises-best-upper-body-workout-all-time/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/strength-training/art-20046670 Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.insider.com/benefits-of-lifting-weights Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/strength-training/a706472/what-is-better-cardio-or-weights/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.lifehack.org/688549/the-ultimate-workout-routines-for-men Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a25252586/muscle-hypertrophy/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
1 https://www.registerednursing.org/teas/musculoskeletal-muscular-system/ Accessed 13 Jul. 2021.
