Tips for Exercising with Weights
New to resistance training? Here's how to choose the right weight for your workout.
Article By: William Sukala, MS, CSCS
Resistance training is an excellent way to strengthen your muscles and boost your metabolism at the same time.
Which type of weights should you use?
If you're just beginning, keep it simple. If you want to buy weights for use at home, there's no need to invest thousands of dollars on expensive weight-lifting equipment. Start out with a pair of dumbbells or elastic resistance bands. Both are inexpensive, practical, easy to use, and easily stored. Some equipment manufacturers make "selectorized" dumbbells, which allow you to quickly turn a knob and choose the desired weight.
You can also improvise other forms of resistance. A half-gallon of milk weighs approximately four pounds, a thick book might weigh approximately 2 to 3 pounds, and a soup can might register in at around 1 pound. You can even use your food scale to weigh these and other household items before using them in a workout.
Remember, at the end of the day, muscles don't have eyes and they can't tell the difference between fancy chrome dumbbells or a pair of cinderblocks. Go with the type of resistance with which you're most comfortable.
How much weight should you lift?
Next, you need to determine how much resistance to use. Starting out is a simple case of trial and error. Shoot for a weight that you can lift from 8 to 12 times. In other words, you should be able reach eight repetitions but the twelfth one should be somewhat difficult, accompanied by a "burn" and fatigue in the target muscles.
Once your muscles adapt to your starting resistance, then it's time to bump it up a notch. As a general rule, when you can easily perform 12 repetitions with minimal fatigue, go ahead and increase the weight by two to three pounds. In the case of resistance that cannot be quantified, such as elastic bands, go ahead and graduate to the next thickness.