Weight Lifting Tips

When approaching weight lifting, there needs to be a set plan in place. Are you planning a bulking phase or a cutting phase? These weight lifting tips will help you to pin point what you want to focus on as you begin your weight lifting.

There are many reasons to lift weights. These can include but are not limited to: weight loss, gaining weight, strengthen joints, improved energy, and improved metabolism.

Before embarking on this journey however, it is important to plan ahead. We want to determine whether we are looking to gain weight or lose weight. Weight lifting is generally divided into two categories: the bulking phase and the cutting phase.

The bulking phase is designed for individuals that want to focus on increasing their muscle mass and in effect gain more weight. While the cutting phase is mainly designed for weight loss.

The individuals main focus is to cut back on the amount of fat present in the body being careful to preserve as much muscle tissue as possible.

Many beginners make the mistake of focusing on both bulking up and losing body fat. While results may vary, this method is technically not possible. When you are bulking or gaining weight there is an increase in caloric intake. When you are losing weight you are creating a caloric deficit. Do you see the problem here?? Your efforts will be cancelled out. It is important to focus on one thing at a time.

When bulking. the source of the calories and the intensity of the workouts will determine the success of your bulking phase. The goal here is to add muscle not extra fat. For optimum results it is best to determine your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) and add 500 calories.

You want to add good calories to your diet to increase results (avoid chips, soda, and empty calories in general). BMR uses age, weight, and height to determine the minimum amount of calories that need to be consumed in order for your body to function properly.

When cutting, calculate the basal metabolic rate and subtract 300-500 calories from the result. The main goal here is to focus on maximum fat loss. It is important not to implement crash diets, they may hinder your results. If not done properly, muscle tissue will be lost while cutting. You don’t want your hard work to go to waste. In order to conserve as much muscle tissue as possible, slowly decrease the amount of calories consumed. Measure your bodies reaction and proceed from there (healthy weight loss is 1 pound a week or a decrease of 500 calories a day). The calorie deficit can be created by adding aerobic exercise or simply by cutting back on what you eat.

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