Are you new to weight training and unsure what to prioritise? Or maybe you have some experience but are still confused about what to focus on? 

 

If so, you’ve come to the right place because we’ll be going over the five crucial things to prioritise.

 

1. A Warm Up

 

Everyone, regardless of their fitness level, should always start with a good warm-up to prepare for the workout. Doing so is necessary to get in the mood for exercise, improve mobility, boost training performance, and reduce injury risk.

 

A good warm-up doesn’t have to be complex, but it should include three things:

• Some low-intensity cardio to get the blood flowing and warm up the body
• Dynamic stretching (arm and leg swings, high knee jog, etc.) to further warm up and prepare the joints, connective tissues, and muscles
• Warm-up sets for the exercises you will do during your workout

 

2. The Fundamental Movement Patterns

 

Weight training might seem overwhelming and complex, but remembering the fundamental movement patterns will ease the learning process. These are:

• Squat (basic squat, barbell squat, goblet squat, etc.)
• Hip hinge (deadlift, glute bridge, etc.)
• Vertical push (overhead press, push press, etc.)
• Vertical pull (lat pulldown, pull-up, etc.)
• Horizontal push (bench press, push-up, incline press, etc.)
• Horizontal pull (inverted row, bent-over row, dumbbell row, etc.)
• Rotation (cable wood chop, Russian twist, etc.)

 

Each pattern is necessary for developing a portion of your musculature and teaching you how to train in a gym setting effectively. You can begin with a single exercise in each category and build a workout routine. For example:

• Bodyweight squat
• Glute bridge
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press
• Lat pulldown
• Push-up
• Dumbbell row
• Bodyweight Russian twist

 

3. Getting Comfortable With External Weights

 

The next thing to prioritise is learning to use external weights like dumbbells, kettlebells, straight bars, cable machines, and similar. Doing so can be scary for beginners, which is why we recommend starting with the basic exercises:

• Bicep curls
• Tricep extensions
• Lateral raises
• Machine hamstring curls
• Calf raises
• Leg extensions
• Leg press
• Machine chest fly

 

Becoming familiar with the easier exercises will help you develop the confidence and skills to move up to more challenging movements like barbell squats, bent-over rows, and the bench press. 

 

4. Proper Form

 

As you get familiar with the various essential exercises and start using external weights in your training, slow down and check your form. Training with proper technique is crucial for staying safe in the long run, keeping aches at bay, and training your muscles more effectively.

 

Here’s what you can do:

• Slow down – perform each repetition more slowly
• Squeeze the right muscles
• Breathe in when initiating a rep, and out just as you complete it

 

5. Gradual Progress

 

Doing slightly more than before is necessary for long-term progress because small gains add up, and your muscles need a reason to adapt (grow and strengthen). 

 

Instead of worrying about intensity techniques, muscle confusion, or something else, prioritize gradual progress. For example, if you squat with 40 kilograms and do three sets of 8 reps, bump the load to 42.5 kilos the next time and try to get the same number of reps.

 

Adding a few kilos or doing a couple of extra reps might not seem that important, but these minor improvements accumulate into significant long-term progress.

 

Need extra help with your training? Book a walkthrough at one of our locations and we’ll have a chat with you about your goals and how we can help you.