How To Lift Heavier!

You’ve heard it before – heavy weightlifting is great for your physique. But if you’re wondering how the heck you get started, here are a few pointers...

What do you expect from the gym? It seems an increasing number of us want weights to lift. Where the weights room was once dominated by men, it’s now a space used by men and women alike. According to data, 93 per cent of female gym members at the Gym Group strength train – 65 per cent of them lifting up to three times per week. Indeed, the American College of Sports Medicine has listed strength training as a top-five fitness trend each year for the past decade. But we don't think anyone could have predicted quite what a phenomenal following it now has. Want to get in on the action? We've quizzed the experts to help get you started.

SAFETY FIRST

Don’t start a weight training session cold! Warming up prepares the body and mind for exercise by boosting blood flow to muscles, kick-starting neural pathways and giving you a chance to practise exercise technique without weight. Begin with some light cardiovascular exercise to increase your heart rate, such as five minutes on the bike. Then, move on to bodyweight or light weighted moves that mimic those you’ll be doing in your main workout (think: squats for lower-body sessions; rows with just the bar before back exercises). Don’t overdo the warm-up – you don’t want get too tired to lift the weights – aim for 10 minutes.

FOCUS ON TECHNIQUE