One too many beginners in strength training just pick up the barbells and dumbbells at a David Barton Gym with neither a solid plan nor a solid understanding of the risks. This obviously isn’t advisable since the risk of injuries increases with ignorance! Here are our tips in building your beginner strength training program, preferably with an experienced personal trainer.
#1 Know Yourself First
In doing so, you will also be able to know your capacities and limitations, a must in formulating an effective, efficient and safe workout program. You may want to list down what you can and cannot do at present, as well as what you want to be able to do in the future through your workout plan.
If you’re a beginner, then you should focus on performing the big lifts first, as well as on perfecting your form and technique. You should also concentrate on effective progressive overload, a term that refers to adding more weight and/or more sets to challenge yourself.
#2 Set the Right Goal
SMART. This is the acronym used to describe the best criteria for setting goals – specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound. When your goal meets all of these criteria, then you will more likely achieve it.
For example, your goal can be stated as, “To gain 5 pounds of lean muscle within 4 weeks.” You have a specific goal (i.e., gain lean muscle) that can be measured (i.e., 5 pounds) and realized with the right diet and training program within a certain period (i.e., 4 weeks).
Of course, you must consider a wide range of factor that will affect your success. Aside from the usual age and current physical condition, these include your lifestyle habits, demands of your job, and family history (i.e., genetic limitations). For example, your workout program will be different if you have a stressful job in comparison when you have an easier one.
#3 Believe in Your Program
This may sound cliché but clichés are such because these have a grain of truth! Your weight training program must speak to your mind and body. You will find that when it does, your desire and determination to achieve your stated goal comes more naturally.
Think about it: When you believe in your workout plan, you will work harder and smarter. You will also be more consistent in the frequency, duration and intensity of your sessions, which will contribute to your success. Your passion will be an important part of your journey toward becoming the weightlifter or bodybuilder you want to be.
In the end, the best workout program is the one that works for you! You have to be involved in its formulation as much as in its execution.