Do’s and Don’t’s of Lifting

If you’re unsure whether you’re lifting correctly, here are my do’s and don’t’s of lifting!

DO Apply Progressive Overload

You’ll never get stronger if you don’t challenge yourself. You should consistently increase the weight, frequency and repetitions during each exercise whenever possible. It will strengthen your musculoskeletal system. This article breaks it down and explains progressive overload. 

DON’T Egolift to Impress Others

Keeping progressive overload in mind, tread carefully. There’s no point in lifting heavy weight if you are constantly struggling to maintain good form and rep it out. Know your limits, and take your time working up the weight if you need to.

DO Listen to Your Body

While it’s good to push yourself, listen to what your body is telling you. This can apply to exercises that don’t feel right, when you feel you’re too tired to keep going, or if you need a rest day. It’s okay to take an extra rest day if needed. Don’t overwork yourself, and take care of your body, it will thank you.

DON’T Skip Rest Days

I used to want to lift every day, but that’s not ideal. Your body needs to recover to keep going. I lift 6 times a week and rest on Sundays. For others, you may need 2-3 rest days, and that’s fine!

DO Include Cardio in Your Routine

Lifting is great, but so is cardio! Cardio has many benefits such as improving your cardiovascular health and strengthens your immune system. Even walking on the treadmill or going for a hot girl walk outside are great ways to incorporate cardio into your routine.

DON’T Try to Out-Train a Bad Diet

While lifting and cardio go hand-in-hand, you cannot out-train a bad diet. Doing lots of cardio to compensate for your diet will not get you the results you want. Work out, out and eat clean. You don’t necessarily have to restrict yourself either, but don’t solely rely on exercise.

DO the Same Exercises Consistently

Don’t try to switch it up every time you work out. You should maintain the same routine for at least 6 weeks to see optimal results. You can add variations, but you should do the same compound and isolation movements. Sometimes instead of a flat dumbbell chest press, you could do an incline chest press one day instead, which is okay because it’s the same movement. But to apply progressive overload, try to do the same exercises consistently.

DON’T Try to PR Every Time You Lift

It’s exciting to lift heavy weights, but don’t get carried away. Don’t pressure yourself to lift heavier than you need to that day just because you see other people lifting heavier weights than you. Do what feels right that day, and if you do feel ready for a PR, then go for it. But sometimes this can result in ego lifting.

Ultimately, it comes down to the person’s preferences and goals, but these are some ways you can lift “right”. Contact me for more!