Answers To All Of Your Weight Training Questions

Answers To All Of Your Weight Training Questions

When you begin a weight training regimen, you can be overwhelmed with questions about setting up your routine correctly. You want to get the most of your efforts and see the best results possible. When you are scrolling through social media, you're continually reading conflicting information. Do this, not that. Never do this, but always do that. It's nonstop. 

The more you read, the more you begin to bounce around, doubting your decisions and using more of your energy focusing on changing your workouts than on the actual exercises themselves. Let be clear by saying there is no definite wrong or right way to exercise, as long as it works for you. I want you to stay dedicated to your plan of action and only use tips from others if you see where they will benefit you. 

I've been guilty myself, back in the beginning of my fitness journey, as taking fitness leaders advice, that I knew or followed, like the gospel. Anything they said or wrote, I was a believer. I'd follow what they said to a T and began to realize that I needed to find what works best for me, my schedule, and my body and stick with that. I ended my endless maze-like attempt at getting fit with the information everyone else had. 

I learned a lot from all of them, and as I became more educated, I soon realized that not all of their information was correct. It wasn't that they were misleading me, they were giving me information based on their personal opinion, which doesn't always work for everyone and that's ok. 

Fitness is a journey, and I say that because getting to your goals can have a lot of twists and turn, ups and downs and plenty of roadblocks. At the end of the day, what helps you along the way, is ultimately what works best. Where I began and where I am now looks totally different and had I not tried many different things, I would not be where I am today, happy and fit. I did things wrong. I did things right. The thing I did best was I kept going. 

Having trained hundreds of clients and seeing all their trials and errors, I have tried to simplify getting to the end result. I've seen what works and what doesn't work. I have studied religiously so that I was a true guiding light to my followers. If there's one thing that I wanted to instill in them and you as well, is to be consistent. You don't have to be perfect, but consistency will get you far in life, with everything you do. 

I have compiled all the questions that I get asked the most frequently over the many, many years of training clients. The answers to some of the questions may be obvious, and some may really shed light on your workout performance. Implement these into your fitness plan where you see fit, and you may be surprised where you progress by merely tweaking a few things into your regimen. 

SHOULD YOU USE MACHINES OR FREE WEIGHTS?

If you're just starting out, I'd strongly advise using the machines. The machines provide stability while working your muscles. They tend to keep you in proper form and provide you support, keeping you less susceptible to injury. When beginning an exercise program, you may be weak and need a little assistance to gain strength. However, as you start to develop strength, you don't want to become dependent on only using machines. 

Free weights allow you to develop your stabilizer muscles, which are very important to our everyday lives. Lifting a car seat, carrying heavy grocery bags are just a few movements that become easier as we become fit. While using free weights, you strengthen your core, which keeps you from life-changing injuries, such a bad back. Developing your abs is also aesthetically pleasing. Who doesn't want a tight, developed mid-section?

Free weights are not just dumbbells. There are kettlebells, Bosu balls, TRX, barbells, bands, and ropes. I highly recommend utilizing both free weights and machines in a well-balanced routine. Your entire body needs to be taxed and used. From standing up, to climbing stairs to picking your kids up, every muscle counts when wanting a more comfortable daily life. 

SHOULD YOU WORKOUT IN THE AM OR PM?

This can be a loaded question, and many will argue this until the end of time. You'll read so many different arguments about this, so I'll break it down as best as I can for you. Let me first start by telling you this. I'm a firm believer that you have to do what works for you. If you can only workout in the morning, then do it. If your life only allows you to exercise before heading to bed, that's what you need to continue to do. In all reality, you're only going to stick with what works, so do that. 

Studies have found that lifting weights at night helps you become stronger due to the levels of cortisol are lower at night time. Cortisol is the hormone responsible for breaking down muscle tissue as part of its job in regulating blood sugar. Now, if you find that exercising at night tends to prevent you from falling asleep, stick with your morning exercises. 

Some believe that working out in the morning helps burn more fat because you're most likely working out on an empty stomach. Again, for every argument that this is true, there's another one contradicting it. I, personally, favor working out in the morning for the simple fact that I'm sure to get my workout in and over with before my day begins and distractions happen. I feel most energized first thing in the morning and after I eat dinner, so you see I could workout at either time. 

It honestly works either way, and you have to do what's best for you. If you workout in the evenings, but you find yourself skipping several workouts a week, it may be time to try a morning routine. On the other side of this, if you find yourself aimlessly working out in the morning and you feel weak, try an evening session to see if you feel any different. Your body will tell you what works and what doesn't. The trick is to pay attention to what your body is telling you. Don't miss the signs because that may be the just the answer you're looking for. 

SHOULD YOU EAT BEFORE YOU WORKOUT?

Here's another open-ended question. Many will tell you that you must consume carbs before working out to have energy get through your workout. Others will say that exercising on an empty stomach allows the body to burn fat for energy instead of the foods you consumed prior. 

I work out on an empty stomach, not because of any scientific research. I prefer it. I feel better and more energized. Now, years ago, I only worked out after eating a full breakfast of eggs and oatmeal. I thought I would be sick if I ever tried working out on an empty stomach. By chance, I had to do a workout before eating, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much better I felt. 

It is essential to supply your body with protein, especially with weight training. Your body needs protein to heal correctly, so you need to make a point to have protein following your workout. If you need something on your stomach before a workout, I'd place some carbs here and save your fats and proteins for after your workout. 

If you want to lose weight, you must stay within your calorie range, no matter how or where you're placing your food. If you want to gain more muscle mass, be sure not to cut your calories down too much. Your body needs those extra calories to grow. Your body is an incredible machine, and it wants to work perfect for you, but you must nurture it with healthy food, and enough of it, whether it's before or after your training session. 

SHOULD YOU DO CARDIO OR WEIGHTS FIRST?

Depending on your goals, cardio and weights can have a different effect on your body. Doing only cardio will help you lose weight. Only doing weights will help you gain muscle mass. Marrying these two can be tricky at times, and you need to find balance. A well-balanced regimen would be implementing both, especially for your heart health. 

If you really want to gain strength and change the composition of your body, start with the weights first. You want your body to be well-rested and ready to lift the heaviest weight possible, but if you begin with cardio first, you're decreasing your energy, therefore lessening the bodies ability to lift heavy. Proper form is vital with any weight lifting program, so doing cardio beforehand tends to make you less likely to stay in proper form, as it will be a bit fatigued. 

Place your cardio for after your weight training session or add small bursts of cardio in between your weight sets. Add jumping jacks, mt climber, jump ropes or jump squats during your training to get the heart-rate up without compromising your form or balance while lifting. 

I always tell my clients, the weight training part is like the meat on your plate, and the cardio is like the potatoes of the plate. Your primary focus should be on the lifting, and you can add a side dish of cardio. (can you tell I'm all about food?) 

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU INCREASE YOUR WEIGHT AMOUNTS?

The way weight training transforms the body is absolutely magical. Your body will respond wonderfully to weight training if you continue to challenge your muscles by increasing your weight amounts, slowly and steadily. By making those muscles work harder every day, week, and month, they respond with beautifully, sculpted muscles that make your body a head-turner. 

Women, in particular, doubt their ability to lift heavier. They always begin with a much lighter weight than their body is capable of lifting and they quickly become comfortable using the same light weights, week after week. If you're doing this, you're holding yourself back from so much positive change. You're strong and can quickly become even stronger. 

So instead of fearing the thought of adding more weight amounts, start believing you can and try it. If it's too heavy, you'll know it. Just don't forget to retry in a few weeks. Don't become sedentary with your amounts. I like to use the rule of thumb; if the last three reps are done without strain, it's time to increase the volume.

Let's say you're doing a set of twelve reps, and you go from one to twelve without any struggle, you are going way to low on your weight volume. It's time to try heavier, and you can do so by merely adding two or five pounds. If you feel that is still too heavy, decrease your rep amounts instead of jumping back down to the original weight. You'll be surprised by how quickly your body gains strength, so keep trying to increase, slowly but surely. 

Keep your form in mind, the foremost. The form is much more important than anything else on the gym floor. If you're doing the exercises incorrectly, the rep and weight amounts don't matter. Once you've established form, begin increasing your weights. 

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU REST BETWEEN SETS?

Depending on your goals, the rest period between your sets is essential. You need to stay focused on your workout mentally, and your body needs to perform at it's best. Rest periods allow both of these to occur. Without them, you hurriedly rush through your routine, wasting a lot of periods that you need, both mentally and physically. 

If your primary focus is to muscle growth or maintaining muscle mass while dieting, stick to a rep range of eight to twelve reps and your rest period pretty short, about one to two minutes max. 

If your main focus is gaining strength, keep your reps low and your rest periods long. I'd advise staying in the rep range of five to eight and your rest period as long as you need. 

If you want to train for endurance, keep your rep range between fifteen and twenty, using lighter weights and your rest periods only thirty seconds long. You want that heart rate up. 

Whichever path you are on, pay attention to your rest periods as they are just as important as your routine. You need to keep your mind laser-focused on your workout and goals. The rest periods do matter when wanting to reach the next level. I know it's easy to feel rushed when your day is filled with deadlines and responsibilities but to get the full effects of your hard work, allow your body to rest appropriately in between reps. 

HOW LONG SHOULD YOU FEEL SORE AFTER A WORKOUT?

Have you ever worked out and woke up the next morning feeling like you were hit by a bus or beaten terribly by a baseball bat? Walking is difficult, and you may even have difficulty lifting your arms to brush your hair. We've all been through this, so there's nothing wrong with you.

There is an official term for this. It's called DOMS, delayed onset of muscle soreness. Have you heard the saying, "no pain, no gain."?  When it comes to weight training, there is some real truth in this. Now, that's not to say you should feel this way every time you work out. The more conditioned you become and the more dialed in your nutrition is, the less prevalent DOMS will be. 

Small micro-tears in the muscle causes delayed onset of muscle soreness. When the muscles recover, it's going to improve stronger and denser, which is what we want to happen. That is where change happens. However, if you feel intense pain in just one particular area, you may have an actual injury. 

Laying around is the worse way to try to recover from DOMS. You want to get up and get that body moving. Go for a walk, do a light stretch, and return to the gym, focusing on a different group of muscles to work on, while recovering. 

Again, if you aren't suffering from DOMS regularly, this doesn't mean you lack in your fitness routine. You'll go some time without feeling DOMS, and you may try something different and feel like you're back to day one. Keeping the body guessing and challenging the body at certain times is essential to keep your body progressing to the next level, and soreness can go hand in hand with this. 

CAN YOU WORKOUT EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK?

When you're on a sweet roll with your workouts, hitting the weights every day of the week, you fear taking time away. If you have a particular goal set, that is time sensitive, you worry about taking time off or falling behind on weight loss. 

Fear not. Your body needs time to rest and recover. Your results are based on how quickly you recover. However, this doesn't mean that you need to lay around on the days you're not exercising, and it certainly won't mean that you'll fall further away from your goals. 

You do need to take "active" rest days, meaning you rest by not lifting for a day or two, but keep your body moving by doing other things, like hiking, swimming, rock climbing, biking or taking a yoga class. There are many benefits from "active" rest days, not just moving your body. 

These days away from the gym floor, can keep your mind fresh, your motivation high and allow you to involve loved ones on your journey to a fit and healthy life. You may inspire them to start living a more active life by enabling them to see that you can work your body without necessarily hitting weights and hard-core cardio. 

Stepping away from training and being active outdoors can also help strengthen muscles you're missing during your workouts.  Maybe you don't work your hamstrings enough in your fitness regimen, but a day of hiking will surely work them into shape. 

Use "active" rest days to keep you in the habit of exercising and prevent you from falling into the trap of slowly skipping your workout times. Staying active allows you to stay on track without overworking your body, and it gives you something to look forward to after a long week of hard workouts. They are just good for the soul and a nice break from the everyday grind of life. 

CAN YOU TRAIN ABS EVERY DAY?

Ah, if only I had a dollar for every time I get asked this question! It's a great question and one you'll get a different answer by everyone you ask. Let me start with pointing out that there is no such thing as spot reduction. You can't just look at your abs and decide that you will train them six days a week and expect a six-pack to appear by the time your beach trip arrives. It doesn't work like that, unfortunately. 

Your abs depend on more than just your specific training. Diet is a crucial factor when trying to get your abs to show. Now that we have that out of the way, you must remember that abs are muscles, just like your biceps and triceps. They need time to recover, as well. 

Keep in mind that you’re continuously working your abs during your squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings, and other balance moves. You're working them more during your workouts than you probably think, especially if you're engaging them during your lifts, which you should. By doing so, you're preventing using your lower lumbar and causing significant injury. 

Aim to train your abs three to five times per week and be wise in picking ab moves. Instead of doing crunches every time, mix up your regimen as your abdominal wall consists of lower and upper parts. You need to focus on hitting all aspects of your abs. Do planks, bicycle crunches, side planks, hanging abs, and reverse crunches to have a stable mid-section. 

Your abs are vital to preventing life-changing injuries and should not be avoided in your workout regimen. Focus on your abs during your lifts and finish your routine with a well-rounded ab circuit. If you do not see your abdominal muscles, add more cardio, and dial in your nutrition. 

HOW MANY DAYS A WEEK SHOULD YOU WORKOUT?

Deciding how many days a week is solely dependent on you, your goals, and your schedule. You can work out six days a week or only two days a week and get results. You need to be honest about what your daily life will allow with time allotted for exercising and build from there. 

If you can dedicate six days a week, you will need to be strategic with your routine. You will need to be careful not to overtrain your muscles or fizzle out from exhaustion. Like I said, your body needs time to rest and recover. You need to perform a routine that breaks down muscles groups into specific days. Create a workout with different splits, so you're on a cycle. 

If you're only able to work out two or three days, be sure to cover all muscles within those days. Set up a circuit with all muscle groups covered, like squats, pushups, and presses. You can also split the days up into a push/pull routine. 

There is no set rule on how many days is perfect for working out. Your goals, your body type, and your time are the only thing that determines what's best for you. What won't work is setting the bar too high, expecting yourself to work out more than you're capable of. By doing so, you'll fail and walk away feeling like you're not cut out for getting fit. It all depends on what you can realistically commit too. 

CAN YOU TRAIN THE SAME MUSCLE GROUP TWICE DURING THE WEEK?

So many think they do every muscle group once per week and they're good to go. That may true for some, but if you lack in a particular area, like your legs, I'm here to tell you, hit them more during the week. You have to allow rest periods in between these lifts, but yes, you can train the same muscle group more than once in the same week. 

Be sure to set up a routine that allows you to hit, let's say, your legs more than once. If you're weak in an area, the only way you will get stronger there is to focus and train it more. Space them out and keep your protein intake in check. Recovery is everything when it comes to your results. 

Now, if your shoulders are looking great, don't solely focus on just your shoulders. Yes, train them weekly, but if your legs are lagging, add more leg movements and maintain your shoulders. Train smarter, not just harder. Be honest with what needs more attention and don't avoid the body parts you don't like to train. They will not develop or gain strength by doing so. You want your body well-balanced, and by not having a balanced body, you're more susceptible to injury. 

I hope all these questions about weight training has helped you and can guide you on throughout your journey. Always remember, you have to do it the way it works for you. If you're a busy professional with limited time from work, you can still be fit and trim. Don't get hung up on those on social media who spend hours a day at the gym. You get your exercises in where you can and dial in your nutrition. 

If you're an overwhelmed, stay at home mom, get a few tools, such as dumbbells, a band, and yoga mat and allow yourself thirty minutes a day to exercise and release your stress. You don't need to be at a gym to get fit, and you don't need to do grueling workouts to transform your body. 

If you're currently working out daily and not seeing the results you hoped for, take these tips and tweak your regimen, just a little bit and see how the body reacts. Take baby steps so you can see what works and what doesn't work. There's no need to revamp your entire regimen. 

I hope you reach all of your goals and stay true to what makes you happy and successful. There's nothing worth being unhappy, and fitness doesn't need to rule your life. Keep your mind and body well-balanced, and everything will fall into place. Getting fit is not easy, and I'm proud of you for working towards your goals. 

If you need some fun, simple ways to keep you on track and inspired, please sign up below to be on the inside loop of tricks and tools to fast track you to all of your goals. I'd love to be a guiding light on your path to greatness. 

Aimee Schwinabart is the founder of The Purely Fit—online workouts, nutrition, and fitness coaching that actually work! She specializes in short (super effective) daily workouts combined with customized nutrition plans to help real people shed excess fat to reveal toned, lean muscles. The Purely Fit approach to looking and feeling great prioritizes small, steady, super efficient workouts and nutrition upgrades to help you stay with it once and for all!