Slide show: Weight training exercises
PreviousNext1 of 11Starting a weight training program
Weight training is an important part of any fitness program. Combined with aerobic exercise, weight training can increase your strength and muscle tone, increase muscle mass, improve your bone density, help maintain weight, and help you lose fat. Ready to start a weight training program?
If you’re new to weight training, consider working with a fitness specialist or trainer to learn proper form and technique to help avoid the risk of injury and get the most benefits.
Warm up with five to 10 minutes of stretching or brisk walking. Then choose a weight or resistance level heavy enough to tire your muscles after 12 to 15 repetitions.
With the proper weight, a single set of 12 to 15 repetitions can build muscle efficiently in most people and can be as effective as multiple sets of the same exercise.
To give your muscles time to recover, rest one full day between exercising each specific muscle group, and remember to complement weight training exercises with aerobic activity.
The Department of Health and Human Services recommends incorporating strength training exercises of all the major muscle groups into a fitness routine at least two times a week while getting at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.
To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
See more Multimedia Nov. 01, 2022
- Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed Oct. 23, 2020.
- AskMayoExpert. Physical activity (adult). Mayo Clinic; 2020.
- Brown LE, ed. Strength Training. 2nd ed. Human Kinetics; 2017.
- Haff GG, et al., eds. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 4th ed. Human Kinetics; 2016.
- Langton B, et al. Utilizing body weight training with your personal training clients. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. 2018; doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000433.
- Laskowski ER (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Oct. 26, 2020.
.
Note: This article have been indexed to our site. We do not claim legitimacy, ownership or copyright of any of the content above. To see the article at original source Click Here