Weightlifting Workout Routines

One of the most effective ways to burn fat and increase muscle mass is by incorporating weightlifting workout routines into your weekly fitness plan. Lifting weights may sound like a “guys only” thing to do, but the reality is that far too many women skip the weights, head to the cardio equipment, and wonder why they aren’t seeing any results. Lean muscle eats away at fat not only during your workout, but continues to well after your workout is complete. With a multitude of weightlifting equipment options available, you are almost guaranteed to never have a boring workout again. Check out these weightlifting workouts that will have your body begging for mercy!

Lifting Weights vs Cardio

For all the women out there who shy away from the weights at the gym and instead spend 2 hours on the elliptical, it’s time to come to grips with reality. Weightlifting workout routines will absolutely revolutionize the way your body looks, functions and feels! Your metabolism (metabolic rate) is the key to fat loss, and by lifting heavy weights on a consistent basis, you will increase your metabolic rate and burn off calories like crazy! Doing consistent, long sessions of steady state cardio can actually damage your metabolic rate by eating the very muscle that should be burning fat. Fellas, this should be a no-brainer for you! If you haven’t picked up a dumbbell in months, give your head a shake, get off the exercise bike and pump some iron! Here are some basic free weight workouts that will get your started on the path to achieving the body you always dreamed of, but never could quite figure out how to get!

What To Avoid?

Whether you have lifted weights in the past, or are just getting started, there are a few important things to keep in mind.

• Never start your weightlifting workout without warming up your muscles first. By spending 5-10 minutes on the treadmill or elliptical, you will warm up the large muscles in your body and increase overall blood flow. This will prep the muscle to be worked hard.
• Lifting too much weight or not enough weight can both have a negative effect. Too much weight often leads to poor form and exposes you to injury. On the flip side, lifting weights that are too light will lead to little or no results.
• Slow your roll when it comes to completing your weightlifting workout routines. It’s not a race. By slowing down the positive and negative muscle movements (ex. bicep curl [positive], bicep release [negative]) you activate more muscle fibers thus generating maximized results.
• Don’t get stuck in a rut! Avoid doing the same weightlifting workouts for more than 6 weeks. Switch things up continually to keep your body guessing and adjusting.

Track Your Weightlifting Workout Routines

One of the best ways to keep motivated with any fitness routine is to look back on the progress that you have made. Take some pictures of your body when you first start your new weightlifting regiment, and set some measurable goals to achieve. If you don’t track your progress, it can be very easy to lose motivation and allow your brain start coming up with great reasons why you should just stay in bed. Try keeping a journal that tracks your individual workouts, which is an easy way to actually see the improvements you are making on paper. At the end of the day, you need to motivate you, so do whatever it takes to keep yourself pushing forward. Before you head to the gym, check out our  workout page