Weight Training DVD

I’m sure you’ve noticed just how many weight training dvd programs are available today.  Why is this?  I feel there are a couple reasons for this…

The fitness industy is a booming trend in America, especially with the percentage of obesity in today’s society.  No one wants to necessarily be obese, so people are constantly looking for the next best workout routine to quickly overcome their weight issues.  Unfortunately, there is no ‘magic pill’ or weight training DVD that can transform people overnight.  They quickly become bored or give up their routine, and are in search for the next best thing.  Corporations are in tune with this cyclical nature and keep pumping out course after course and through clever marketing, people keep buying and buying.

Another reason is the glorification of being muscular.  Don’t get me wrong, it feels great when you’re packed full of muscle, but pressures of society really make this a common desire for especially men.  Again, there is no ‘magic pill’, but there are plenty of weight training DVD programs that can help you achieve this.

I can’t stress enough that the most important factor is sticking with a fitness program.  If you don’t see results immediately, they will come in time.  Nothing can happen over night and it takes time and dedication to transform your body into the figure that you’re after.  Weight training DVD programs are a great resource for showing you how to effectively build muscle in a safe and proper method.  While not every weight training DVD will cover all exercises and techniques, you can built a small library and really hone in your own custom weight training routine.

There are a ton of weight lifting workouts on the market today and it can
sometimes be difficult to decide which one is best suited for you and your
fitness goals.

One extremely important factor when considering certain weight lifting
workouts is your experience and fitness ability.  If you’re new to lifting
weights, you may want to jump in head-first but you need to be cautious and
start slowly.  Nothing will derail your fitness dream train quicker than
burning out too quickly, or even worse – an injury.  Advanced workouts can
contain more difficult movements which can cause problems for those who are new
to weight lifting and may not necessarily have the required core strength to
perform the exercises.

On the flip side, if you’ve been around the weight lifting world for a
while, you’re going to want to skip past the beginner weight lifting workouts
and go for that more advanced program.  For the most part, beginner programs
will just be a re-hash of information and exercises that you already know, and
will end up being a big waste of time (and money) for you.

The most important point here is to be honest with yourself and choose a
program that’s appropriate for you.

As a general rule of thumb, beginners should stick to more full-body
movement exercises within their weight lifting workouts.  This will give
them the quickest results and will really build up their core strength so they
can one day do more advanced exercises. That old cliché of doing 100 dumbbell
curls in your bedroom will get you nowhere fast and will most likely just
discourage you from working out.  Stick to compound exercises (multiple
muscles at a time) and you’ll be much better off in the beginning.

Advanced lifters can get more into the isolated weight lifting workouts, but
should not completely neglect the compound exercises.  Isolating specific
muscles within exercises can really have great results once that core strength
is present.  Another great tip for those who are more experienced is to
play around with the idea of doing a split.  This entails breaking up your
muscle group exercises across different days of the week to really get that
pump.

These are just a few examples and tips you should consider when choosing
weight lifting workouts.  If you follow these steps and are honest with
yourself, the sky is really the limit when it comes to your fitness success.
Best of luck to you and your endeavors, and remember to keep on keepin’
on!

When it comes to a weight training diet, a lot of people don’t realize just how huge of a role it plays in achieving their fitness goals.  I saw a funny Bowflex commercial the other night where the ACTOR on the commercial says something like “Diet?  The only diet I need is my Bowflex.  I can eat anything I want”.  It’s amazing the material they’ll use to just sell a few of their home fitness equipment and weight training dvd.

While for a few people, this may be true.  They are blessed with a naturally fast metabolism and can get away with eating whatever they want and not gaining a pound.  However, for most of us, a weight training diet is a critical peice of our fitness puzzle and is required to achieve the results we’re after.  This is why it’s so crucial to develop your diet game-plan early on and stick with it.  The old stereotype of diets being crappy and hard to stick to is no longer an issue.  There’s a ton of great information (and food) out there to help you stick to your plan and really get the most out of your weight training diet.

It’s a pretty simple concept when it boils down to caloric intake.  If you take in less calories than you expend, you’re going to burn fat and lose weight.  If you take in more calories than you expend, chances are pretty good that you’re going to begin storing fat and gaining weight.  Diet is really 90% of the equation, with fitness and exercise being the other 10%.  It’s always easier to intake less calories than it is to burn them off.  For instance, running on a treadmill for 60 minutes at 7mph will burn approximately 965 calories, which is much less than the amount of calories you would take in my consuming a Big Mac meal.

I just wanted to take a few moments to re-iterate how importaing a weight training diet can be.  Many fitness products and weight training DVD programs on the market today only contain exercises and routines and completely overlook diet.  When searching for your perfect weight training program, you’re best off selecting one that includes both exercise routines AND diet information that you can apply.  You’ll end up reaching your desired results more quickly and have a head-start on living a healthy and enjoyable life.

Weight training routines can be excellent for your overall well-being.  They can be used to help add muscle to your body, as well as trim any of that unwanted fat.  However, there are a few areas to be aware of before adopting weight training routines.  Specifically, you need to ensure that before you begin your workout, you properly warm up and stretch.  This is a critical step that people often overlook because they’re so gung-ho about training and seeing results.  Let me tell you from personal experience that no one should overlook the concept of warming up and stretching before weight training routines.  Without this key step, you really put yourself at risk for injury, which can have long-lasting effects on your body as well as your ability to reach your fitness goals.

If you want to become stronger, weight training routines will be your number one source for increasing strength.  Combine your routine with stretching and warm-up exercises and you’ll not only be better prepared for lifting weights, but you’ll also be more flexible.  This is key since the process of lifting weights can actually tighten your muscles, reducing your flexibility.  You don’t want to end up like one of those meat heads that can’t lift their arms above their shoulder-level, do you?

Before begining any weight training routines, you’ll want to check with your physician to make sure you’re body is capable of handling the stress weight lifting can cause.  These types of programs aren’t for everyone, especially those with health conditions, so it’s always best to check with your doctor first.  Secondly, you’ll want to look for weight training routines from professional instructors so you’ll be sure you’re doing the right exercises and using the correct format.  You can discuss exercises with your friends, family, and gym partners, but please always follow the advice of trained professionals and no one else.  It’s not worth risking an injury to try a new ‘experimental’ exercise.

One of the most common weight training routines is called a ’split’, which means you split your weight training throughout the week to ensure your muscles have the optimum amount of rest time.  This rest time will allow your muscles to grow more quickly and for you to become stronger at a much faster pace.  For instance, on Mondays you might work out your legs and abs, Wednesday might be your back, shoulders, and triceps, and Friday might be your chest, biceps, and forearms.

Lastly, before beginning any weight training routines, you need to make sure you’re comfortable with the equipment and that you know exactly how to use everything in a safe form.  Some examples of equipment include dumbbells, resistance bands, and barbells.  If you’re unsure how to use any specific item, there are a ton of resources on the internet (be cautious of the source) as well as within your local gym.  Generally people love to help, so if you’re looking for information, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.