Weightlifting and spending time at your local gym are an important part of building self-confidence, self-discipline, and blowing off steam. Whether you want to build muscle, lose weight, or just keep active, lifting weights also has effects of increasing endorphins and resultant happiness, and the activity often carries over to a can-do attitude in other areas of your life.
Weightlifting: A Little Bit of Weight Goes a Long Way
Weightlifting helps build a solid core not only physically, but emotionally. The choice and consequent determination involved in intentionally lifting weights includes an inherently positive, forward-moving psychological benefit. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, weight training not only strengthens the body, it also “tones the spirit.” Indeed, weightlifting not only lets you blow off steam, it puts you firmly behind the wheel of your physical fitness destiny. And once you experience being your own captain in one aspect of life, other aspects of your life will become invested with more willpower and discernment.
Motivation: Getting Pumped Up
Pay attention to how you are feeling. Sensitivity to your body is one of the hallmarks of a successful weightlifter and bodybuilder. If you’re feeling sluggish and low-energy, consider just going for a short jog around your neighbourhood instead. Learn to read your emotions and your body’s feelings and it will help a lot. Wear light clothing, not large baggy heavy-fabric shirts or pants. Weightlifting gloves are also often a good choice, particularly if the grip on free weights (the ones in the racks at your gym) are heavily scored and will cut your bare hands.
If you are in the mood to pump some steel it is best to do some stretching before lifting weights, and visualizing your exercises just before or in-between doing them. You may even go so far as to complete the motions without weights before doing them with weights. Listening to music may also be helpful addition to your weightlifting routine, and is recommended by famed bodybuilders such as Sylvester Stallone.
In terms of music, listen to whatever turns your crank; in his book on weightlifting, which is mentioned later in this article, Stallone talks about always being ready to switch it up, to keep the high energy going, and relates a humorous anecdote of how once at the gym with other celebrities he was feeling his energy lag and went and switched on loud bluegrass music. Most of the others looked at him like he was a nutjob, but the jangle of the banjo was enough to get him ready to go again.
Recommendations and Exercises
Generally, two to three times per week is an effective amount of time to spend in the gym. Overdoing it at the gym or going to frequently is likely to take off more muscle than it puts on. Sufficient rest, along with eating reasonably healthy food, are two of the most important keys to building muscle, self-confidence and health.
Have a routine you follow and actually follow it. A set is the process of lifting weights up and down multiple times. Repetitions (reps) are the amount of times you lift the weight in each set. Bring a list to the gym of exercises you will do and how many sets and reps per set you wish to achieve. Often, eight or ten reps at a time are best for gaining muscle and obtaining an optimally-healthy workout. Have a small towel or facecloth to towel off sweat and make sure to wipe down your equipment after using it.
Stallone Knows Best
A very helpful book for an aspiring, or even an accomplished weightlifter, is Sly Moves: My Proven Program to Lose Weight, Build Strength, Gain Will Power and Live Your Dream by Sylvester Stallone and David Hochman.
In the book, Stallone lays out a philosophy of life alongside a detailed fitness and nutritional guide that is sure to impress the dullest potential disciple of a healthy lifestyle. For a guide of exact weightlifting routines, muscles worked, and optimal reps this book is indispensable. In an encouraging, down-to-earth tone, he expounds the attitude and outlook that got him where he is against all odds and explains how it can get you there as well, while combining this advice with a variety of practical, detailed workout routines.
Disclaimer: This article is a source of information only. It should by no means be considered a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical professional who should always be consulted before beginning a fitness program.
