Too often I see those who are new to lifting following advanced workouts that cripple their form, ability and potential. They take advice from magazines just looking to sell copies and from friends who lack any knowledge to actually make a positive influence. So I want to provide a few tips for those who are new to lifting but don’t know what they should be doing. This is also for those who want to give advice to their friends who are new to lifting but have no clue what to tell them…
1. Form- The most important aspect of lifting, whether you are just starting out or you are competing in the Olympics, is form. Having good form allows for a few things. First, it allows for greater potential for max weight. The better your form is, the more weight you will eventually be able to do. Second, it allows for your body to benefit from the intended function of that exercise. For example, have you ever seen anyone performing bicep curls but they are actually jerking the weight around? That is bad form and they are actually not isolating and using the bicep as much as they think. Instead they are using their back for assistance and taking most of the work OFF of the biceps, therefore not getting the exercises intended use. Having correct form will also help prevent injury. Many individuals who refuse to squat or deadlift will tell you they don’t do it because “it’s bad for your back and knees.” Bull****. It’s bad for your knees and back when your form is poor and the weight is too heavy for your personal strength. The problem is, too many people refuse to learn proper form, so right off the bat they eliminate so many useful exercises and also limit their potential.
2. Exploration- This is another crucial part of learning your body and preferences as a novice lifter. For some reason there is a popular belief that if you go to the gym you need to have a written workout to follow. When you are new to lifting this is not necessary, in fact, it shouldn’t be done. Because it is something new, your body needs to explore. You need to try different exercises, use different body parts, explore with all equipment. Why? Because you don’t know what works for you OR what you enjoy. You also don’t have a set goal in mind that you are working towards. Power lifters try to lift as much weight in bench, squat and deadlift. For that reason, they train those three lifts predominantly with other auxiliary exercises. But that doesn’t mean that’s what you should be training nor does it mean you should come in wanting to be a power lifter, bodybuilder, and so forth. That’s what the exploration stage is all about. Your only goal as a novice lifter should be to try everything and determine what direction you want to go in from there.
3. Repetitions- like I stated above, when you are new to lifting you need to master the form of the exercises. However, the form doesn’t just come from picking up a bar and trying it. It takes practice, as does everything. For this reason, you should be working with as many repetitions as possible in order to get that form and technique down. Whenever we are new to something it is naturally going to feel awkward. But eventually our body will adapt, as long as we continue to work at it. Therefore, you should not be trying to lift maximum weight before you are positive that your form is tip-top. Once you have mastered the form through repetition, the weight will start increasing tremendously, but you can’t have one without the other.
Obviously this is just a guideline of how you should approach lifting if you are new to the skill. I will not sit here and write you a workout to follow and guarantee results. That’s not how it works at the beginning stage of a skill. Explore, work on your form and practice, practice, practice! I will guarantee if you do that, you will have a more successful lifting career and a lot more fun in the weight room.
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