Ten Rules for Weight Training
Workout Rules
Okay, this goes for just about anything you really care about (i.e., RESULTS).
- Set a goal (or goals) and measure progress (log your workouts!).
- Do your workouts in your head before you step foot in a gym (visualize).
- Enter the gym with a clear head and don't think about the outside world. If you need to, bring your iPod and some tunes that don't let you think about anything but the weights and how your body feels pushing or pulling those weights.
- Do full, complete reps. You can cheat, but do full-range reps.
- Feel the weight. You don't have to train with super-heavy weights. If you are deliberate with your reps (i.e., feel them, note how your muscles feel), you can reduce your weights by at least 20 percent and get a better workout! (Better on the joints, too.)
- Pre-workout protein! (Add some creatine.)
- Post-workout protein! (Add some creatine here, too.)
- Strive EVERY workout to a) increase your weights lifted, b) increase reps performed, OR c) reduce rest intervals (raise your intensity).
- Variety is the spice of life. There are only a few basic exercises you ever need to do (think “compound”), but you can (and should!) change up their order or do variations of them.
- Remember that rules are made to be broken. Next up: Why breaking the rules will make you bigger, stronger, and faster!
