Basic Weightlifting Principles

There is a lot of information out there about weightlifting. There are a lot of companies that will tell you to drink their protein shake or take their pre-workout to become stronger and have amazing pumps in the gym. However, any product that a company tries to sell you shouldn’t even cross your mind until you get the basics down. Without the basics, to be honest, you are wasting money. I have personally wasted thousands of dollars on supplements and workout accessories when I was younger and if I would’ve understood the basics, I would’ve seen a lot more gains. I still probably would’ve bought some supplements and workout accessories, but I would’ve been seeing a lot more gains and not because of the stuff I purchased.

Here are my Top 5 Basic Weightlifting Principles

1. Compound Lifts Compound Lifts Compound Lifts

By far the most effective lifts you will do in the gym are compound lifts. Compound lifts are exercises that are using more than one muscle group. Too many people focus only on isometric exercises when compound lifts put more stress on the body, activate multiple muscle groups, and allow you to put the most load on your muscles. Compound Lifts will give you the best bang for your buck.

2. Understand Progressive Overload

I understood this concept to a point when I was younger, and this is why I believe I saw a lot of gains when I was in my teenage years. I didn’t realize I was doing it but I was. Progressive overload is when you gradually increase the stress on your body. To keep it very simple we will look at one exercise. If my program starts with 3 sets of Barbell Squat at 135lbs for 5 reps. Week 2 should either include increasing sets to 4 sets, increasing weight to 145 lbs, or increasing reps to 6-7 reps. Each one of these increases the total Volume (Sets x Weight x Reps). Increasing progressive overload on your body requires your body to adapt and build muscle. As a kid, I always kept a workout log of my training and always pushed for more weight or more reps on my lifts. Unknowingly, I was adhering to the #1 rule of weightlifting.

3. More is Not Always Better

After reading the first principle you are probably thinking you’ll just keep increasing and increasing volume until you have made amazing gains. The 2nd principle is stating more exercise and more volume is not always better. There will be a point in your training where you either hit a wall or plateau. It doesn’t benefit you to try to add more volume to try to break out of the plateau. Your body will fight you if you try to continuously add more and more stress. That is why Deload weeks are so important. Deload weeks can include staying completely away from the gym or quick workouts focusing more on mobility and practicing your main compound lifts. Deload weeks will allow your body to recover and when you pick up after your Deload week you can start at a volume and intensity below where you left off to try to break through that plateau. When you are a more experienced lifting you will understand the warning signs of a plateau coming and give your body rest before you ever hit that wall.

4. Phasing your Workout

Phasing your workout and working in multiple rep ranges will allow your muscles to experience a different type of stress. Doing low reps (3-5) will allow you to put a lot of load on your muscles and build a lot of strength. Switching to a medium rep range (6-12) will allow you to build more hypertrophy and muscle mind connection. Doing 12+ reps will help you improve muscle endurance. It is important to incorporate these different styles but do it strategically. Don’t switch it up every workout. Run a 4–6-week strength phase with a few hypertrophy sets. After the 6 weeks focus more on hypertrophy and endurance sets for another 4-6 weeks. Having a plan or strategy will benefit you more than changing up your routine every time you set foot in the gym.

5. Eat Enough Protein, Carbs, and Fats

Finally, eat enough food. As a beginner, I don’t think it’s necessary to track your Macros but I do think you need to understand what Macros are so you can fuel your body properly. First, get enough protein so you can build muscle. Second, carbs are fuel. Especially if you are a teenager eat a lot of good carbs. You are more than likely burning a lot of calories make sure you are fueling your body with good sources of carbs. Third, fats are essential they will not make you fat unless you overindulge in processed foods. It’s that easy Fats are an essential macronutrient they are in eggs, nuts, and oils and should by consumed be everyone in the right dosage.