Archive for the ‘Weightlifting Beginner’ Category

Downloading and Using a Blank Weight Lifting Chart

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

One of the most motivating things that you can possibly do for yourself at the gym is to be able to look back over the course of time and to see the progress that you have made.  You can easily do this if you are printing out a blank weight lifting chart and taking it to the gym with you every time you work out.  By filling in the information in detail, you will be able to see at a glance exactly how this workout compares with the one that you did the last time you were at the gym or even the one that you did a month ago.

The first thing that using a blank weight lifting chart can give to you is a short-term overview of how close you are to achieving your goals.  All of us that work out regularly set some kind of goals and at times, they may be a bit unachievable.  If you like to reach for things that are over the top, you need to make sure that you are motivating yourself each and every time you’re at the gym.  Compare exactly how you are with this particular workout with how you were with the last one.  If you are noticing an increase in the amount of weight you’re pushing or the amount of reps you’re doing, you are not doing something right.  Perhaps you need to rest a little bit more between workouts or clean up your diet a little bit.

It also helps to be able to look back at your weightlifting routine for the long term and compare how you are now with where you were a month ago or perhaps six months ago.  You will see these changes that are coming over you, sometimes quickly but at times they will be so gradual that you will not really recognize them.  If you take a blank weight lifting chart to the gym with you and fill out the information, you can thenlog it at home and then see exactly how far you have come.  Often, it is much further than what you were thinking.

There are a number of different places where you can get a blank weight lifting chart.  The Internet is, of course, going to be the obvious choice.  Weightlifting websites and personal websites of individuals that lift weights are going to contain these charts for your use.  Not all of them, however, are going to offer you the same benefits.  When you download one of these charts, make sure that it’s not only printable on a single piece of paper but that you are going to be able to manipulate the data inside of the chart in some way or another.  This will not only help you to be able to switch up your workout regularly, which is important to make sure that you are achieving growth but you will also be able to record your data, right on your computer.

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Free Printable Exercise Log Options

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

There are plenty of people that go to the gym regularly that like to be able to keep track of where it is that they’ve been and where it is that they’re going with their exercise efforts. One of the only ways for you to do this is to download some kind of free printable exercise log off of the Internet and to track absolutely every piece of information that you can about your workouts. These exercise logs are not really difficult to find, as a matter of fact there are literally hundreds of them that are available. What makes a difference, however, is choosing one that will work for you.

It would do you absolutely no good for you to go out and download a free printable exercise log off of the Internet that was geared toward cardiovascular exercise whenever you regularly lift weights at the gym. It will be almost impossible for you to tailor this to your specific needs, basically because the columns are going to be completely different from one to the other. The opposite is also true so it is important for you to make sure that you are looking for something that is as specific as possible whenever downloading one of these items.

You also need to make sure that the free printable exercise log that you download is going to be in a format that you can use. For example, some of them use specific programs that will allow you to open and perhaps even edit them on your computer. Most of these try to do so in a language that is universally acceptable but there may be times whenever you do not have the program necessary to open it on your computer. Make sure that you’re able to open it before you spend too much time reviewing it and downloading it.

Something else that you might want to consider is looking for one of these exercise logs that are expandable. Most of them will include information about common things, such as the amount of weight that you are lifting or the number of sets that you are doing. It can be a real benefit to you, however, to write down specific information about how you are feeling or perhaps even what you ate before you went to the gym that day. This can help you to identify things that may help or perhaps hurt your workout routine.

One final recommendation that I would make to you is that when you do find a free printable exercise log, you keep a copy of it on your computer. Make sure that you’re getting rid of any of this information over the course of time because it helps for you to be able to look back into the past to see where you were in order to check your progress. I find myself looking a year or more back in my exercise logs from time to time, and it benefits me greatly. Once you have compiled the information for yourself, you can use it as well.

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How to Use Printable Workout Logs to Your Advantage

Sunday, January 10th, 2010

There are a number of different things that you can do which will help to enhance the amount of growth that you see when you go to the gym.  One thing that you might want to consider carrying on a regular basis is one of the printable workout logs that are available.  These can not only help you to see your progress as far as your immediate growth is concerned, it can also help to give you a glance into the past and see your progress over time.  Both of these are an excellent way to motivate yourself and to continue growing in the gym.

The difficulty is, there are so many different printable workout logs that are available, it can really be difficult to decide on which one you are going to use.  The majority of them are downloadable off of the Internet, and can easily be manipulated, depending on the program that was used in order to create them.  For example, Excel spreadsheets that are made into printable workout logs can easily be manipulated to your exact workout.  A PDF, on the other hand, is usually something that you can only print out as is.

You also need to keep in mind what type of workout it is that you’re going to be doing.  For example, a printable workout log that is for a cardiovascular workout and is going to be much different than one which is used for weight training.  Personally, I split my time at the gym and do a little bit of cardio and a lot of weight training and opposing days.  That is why I have two printable workout logs that I carry with me in my gym bag so that I always have them available.

Once you begin to log information from your workouts, you’re going to find that it is easy to tell how you are progressing.  One thing that you want to make sure that you do, however, is to be as detailed as possible whenever filling out the information.  You should not only write down things such as the amount of reps that you are going where the amount of weight that you’re lifting but also record how you were feeling that day and perhaps what you had to eat before you came in to the gym.  All of these things can really help you to nail down exactly why you’re feeling the way that you are feeling and can help you to enhance your workouts overall.

From time to time, it is also a good idea for you to mix up your workout in order to keep your body guessing.  It is a good idea for you to look for a new workout log from time to time in order to switch your workout.  This is an excellent way for you to realize new growth in the gym, especially if you have hit a plateau.  By switching up the exercises that you are doing, you keep your body from getting accustomed to the exercises that you regularly do.

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Free Printable Workout Log

Friday, January 8th, 2010

If you enjoy exercising or if you are considering getting started on some kind of exercise regime for your health, it always helps to be able to track your progress from as early in the routine is possible.  One of the easy ways for you to do this is to download a free printable workout log that will allow you to write down all of the information so that you can track your results.  Not only is this going to be able to help you to motivate yourself to continue growing, it is also going to give you an overview of where you have been and where you’re going.

If you are looking for a free printable workout log, there are several places that you may be able to find one.  First of all, there are thousands of different websites that have these printable logs available for you that can be downloaded and printed out.  Some of them are going to be in PDF form which is a universal document that can be opened on almost any computer.  The difficulty is, most PDF files are not editable unless you have the full program on your computer.  There are some other free printable workout log downloads which will use such things as Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel.  These also require a paid program in order to open, unless you use one of the free alternatives, such as openoffice.org.

Something else that you need to keep in mind is that not every workout that you are going to do is going to be covered on one of these logs.  For example, you need to find downloads that are specific to what you’re doing, such as if you are lifting weights or if you are doing cardiovascular exercise.  The more specific the workout log is to what you are doing, the easier you will be able to track your results.

You might also enjoy keeping a digital record of your workouts as time goes by.  This can make it very easy for you to compare where you are now with where you were a week ago or perhaps a month ago.  Many of us may not think that we’re making much progress in the gym but whenever we compare our results with what they were a considerable time ago, it’s often easy to see that it is a matter of us not remembering what we were doing back then.

In order to make the most of your workout sessions, make sure that you carry a copy of one of these free downloadable workout log files with you at all times.  Find the most detailed log available which is still going to fit into your exact workout routine and you will be able to record information that will be useful to you for many years to come.  Not only that, it can help you to show other people who may be just starting out with the workout routines exactly how much progress they may be able to see because of their exercise efforts.

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Weightlifting Workout Charts to Help Keep You on Track

Friday, January 8th, 2010

For those of us that work out in the gym regularly, it always helps for us to be able to keep track of every step that we are taking.  For this, we often employ the use of weightlifting workout charts in order to record absolutely everything that we are doing.  Finding these charts can be a little bit of a challenge, especially because there are so many of them that are available out there.  Once you find the information that you need, however, you will be surprised with how beneficial it can be to your overall workout plan.

The first thing that you need to do is to find these weightlifting workout charts in the first place.  The Internet is an excellent way for you to be able to find them and there are hundreds of them that can be downloaded from a variety of different websites.  Some of them are going to be very similar to one another but some will be absolutely unique and will be personal workout charts that other weightlifters have used for their own exercise routine.  These are the ones that are golden, because they help you to step outside of the norm for a little while.

One of the most important parts about these charts is the fact that they must be editable.  Most people just print them out and take them along to the gym with them but I find it to be a much better idea if you can actually manipulate the data right on your computer.  It is still a good idea for you to print out a blank sheet and take it along to the gym so that you can record things while you’re doing them.  Weightlifting workout charts that have been filled out consistently on the computer for several months will give you an easy overview of your overall progress.  It’s an excellent way to keep yourself motivated and to discover ways that you can make differences in your body and workout plans.

From time to time, I also like to change up the type of workout that I’m doing.  There are times whenever I might be doing high-intensity interval training for a few months at a time and then suddenly I’ll switch up and download one of the weightlifting workout charts that may have me doing a circuit on one of the freestanding weightlifting machines.  I like having everything written down in front of me so that I can look down and figure out exactly what I need to do next without taking too much of a break in the action.

One final thing that you might enjoy doing is making up these weightlifting workout charts for yourself.  If you are proficient at using spreadsheet software, you can easily do this and print out blank weight lifting charts for yourself to use at the gym.  Best of all, you can keep a copy of all of your records on your computer and enjoy seeing your progress over the course of time.

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Secrets to Natural Bodybuilding

Sunday, December 27th, 2009

If you are interested in pushing your body to the next level and becoming as healthy and strong as possible, there are some ways for you to do so without any outside help that would be considered unnatural.  The secrets to natural bodybuilding are not only simple, they are easy for you to implement in your day-to-day life.  If you follow this advice regularly, you will not only recognize gains in the gym, you will notice differences in the way that your body reacts, each and every time you’re at the gym.

The one thing that I need to tell you about natural bodybuilding is the fact that you must be persistent in your efforts.  Although it certainly is possible for you to see results rather quickly, you should not expect for massive results to occur overnight.  The slow and steady is going to win the race and you must make sure that you are working out on schedule and doing everything else in order to make sure that you’re giving your body the best opportunity to grow.

Rest and Relaxation

Believe it or not, one of the biggest secrets to natural bodybuilding is getting the proper amount of rest.  This is something that many people who work out regularly tend to overlook and they suffer as a result.  They may be in the gym everyday working out but they are constantly complaining about hitting a plateau or not being able to see the gains that they really like.  The simple truth behind this is the fact that they are not getting enough rest.

Almost anybody that lifts regularly already realizes that the body is actually going to grow whenever it is resting, not while you’re working it.  It would stand to reason that that the more rest you give your body, the more growth you’re going to see as a result.  The real key comes in not allowing yourself to rest so much that you’re going to undo any good that you did in the first place.  A balance needs to be struck.

If you’re working out properly, more than likely you’re going to need about one week of rest before you go back into the gym again.  This may seem like a lot, but it is what is necessary in order for you to see consisting gains and to recognize a difference that you will be a will to see in the mirror.

Water Water Everywhere

Did you realize that your body is up to 95% water?  It is very important, therefore, that you keep yourself fully hydrated at all times in order to get the most out of your body.  This is one of the secrets to natural bodybuilding that is often overlooked, right along with getting plenty of rest.  Drinking enough water is imperative if you want to see your body grow.

I know what you’re probably thinking, water is not going to give your body the nutrients that it needs to keep it fueled.  Although this may be true, dehydrating yourself can not only cause you to see less gains in the gym, it may actually cause you to be injured.  Your body is not going to put up with not having enough water for long and it is going to pull the water from various areas of your body in order to supply the more important areas.  One of these areas that pulls it from is your joints and muscles.

In order to fully hydrate yourself, you need to drink a minimum of half of your body weight every day in ounces of water.  Along with this water, you must make sure that you are taking plenty of sea salt as this will give the water an opportunity to stay in your body and fully hydrate your cells.  As with everything else, a balance needs to be struck between water and salt in order for it to be effective.

Eating the Right Way

One of the biggest secrets to natural bodybuilding is natural eating.  You can’t expect to truly be natural whenever you’re building muscles if you’re constantly feeding yourself foods that are bought at the store in a box and contain a number of different preservatives that are actually bad for you.  If you really want to go natural with your bodybuilding, you need to make sure that you are eating properly.

One other common misconception about weightlifting is that you need to have hundreds of grams of protein every day in order for your body to grow.  In actuality, the body cannot use protein but it breaks it down in order to make it usable as enzymes.  You can save your body the trouble by getting these enzymes through eating raw, living fruits and vegetables.  It may seem like you’re not going to grow but believe me, it really works.

Working out

Even though most people would consider this to be the biggest of the secrets to natural bodybuilding, the fact of the matter is that it really is not all that important.  As long as you are feeding your body and keeping yourself hydrated and rested, you’re going to notice growth, regardless of the type of workouts that you are doing.  There are some type of workouts, however, that will work better than others.

A good example of this is high intensity training, an almost lost form of weightlifting that many people have given up in favor of spending every day at the gym.  The way that you do this type of weight training is rather simple.  Simply lift and cover your entire body through six to eight multi-joint exercises and do each set to failure without repeating it.  If you do this every time you’re at the gym and then rest sufficiently between trips, you are going to see growth as a result.

I want to commend you on your decision to try natural bodybuilding.  It truly is a way of life for many individuals and for those who are able to stick with it successfully, it can take their health and their muscles to the next level.

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