Many people are turning to fitness in attempts to improve their appearance and quality of life. In this article we will be looking at a few easy weight lifting tips and exercises for beginners. Have you been thinking about beginning a weight lifting routine, but are unsure about where to start? Even if it has been a long time, or you have never tried weight lifting, there is practically a never ending well of resources that can help you to get started. 

Lifting Etiquette

Most of us aren’t fortunate enough to own a fully equipped workout room, so it’s very likely that you will have to obtain membership to a gym of some kind. This means that you will be sharing space with a lot of other people so in order to prepare you for this, it will be important to learn a few tips about gym etiquette.

• Always bring a towel to wipe down equipment so it can be ready for the person who uses it after you.
• Be sure to return any equipment you use to the state in which it was found.
• Don’t spend excess time resting in equipment that has people waiting for use.
• Leave cell phones off of the gym floor, or tucked into a pocket as it can be distracting to other patrons.

Mistakes To Avoid

Now that you know what some of the rules of etiquette are, it’s time to focus on safety. If you aren’t careful, poor lifting technique can cause serious injury.

• When lifting avoid swinging or throwing the weights around. This can put a strain on joints that culminate in injury.
• Don’t go through reps too quickly. Going too fast can reduce the effectiveness of a lift. Most of the benefit comes from engaging the muscle groups in a slow and controlled manner.
• The recommended rest period is between 30 and 90 seconds. Anymore than that can diminish the effectiveness of your workout.

Start Slow

Also make sure you start slow and easy with any new weight lifting regimen. It is easy to go straight to heavy weights a higher reps like your gym neighbor is doing, but are you sure you can handle this much on your first day? There is nothing wrong with starting at 10 reps per exercise or using low weights to get started. You can then gradually increasing either or both as you go along. This helps to avoid injury and burnout.

Stay the Course

As a rule, no one got ‘out of shape’ in a few days, so don’t expect to get into shape in just a few days.  Consistency is key.  Even as a beginner, you will see good results the longer you stick with a workout regime. When it becomes too easy for you or you become board, just increase either reps or the weight. You can also mix it up with new exercises and activities.