How to Begin Weightlifting

Step 1

Think about the guys you've seen that you've found to be the most intimidating of anyone. They walk into the room, and their presence dominates the atmosphere, and they become the center of attention and conversation! The one thing you'll notice all those men have in common is that they're absolutely stacked; they've turned themselves into walking pillars of testosterone and muscle.

Step 2

Guys who lift weights find that becoming a Campus Man [client will add link to signup form] is a great way to get affirmation (not to mention attention from the ladies) for their hard work in the gym. So, once you start building muscle, take it to the next level by becoming a "Campus Man."

Step 3

Mr. Curt James can attest to the incredible transformation that a serious weightlifting plan can have on a man's confidence and happiness. This man was able to completely reinvent himself, going from a flabby 190 to a sculpted and powerful 175 in less than a year. If you have the focus and willpower, you can do it even faster. With a good diet, and the right tools and advice, you too can become a Campus Man.

Step 4

Ultimately, all a determined man needs to be able to reinvent himself is the right equipment, and the right attitude. You know you have the heart to become the next man of steel. Let us help you find the right tools and resources to help you along the way.

Step 5

Debate Among Experts Weightlifting Training When most guy seek to learn how to get bigger muscles, the first question they ask is: which workout plan should I follow? There are many different Workout Plans, and weightlifters switch workout plans over time. A weightlifter will not follow the same workout plan forever, because he will change his workout routine once it's benefits lessen. Different trainers instruct their clients to follow different workout routines, but we recommend one of these products, which will give you a workout plan.

Step 6

Books CampusMen.com Recommends for Weightlifting Training Men's Health Book of Muscle $23.10 Compiled from information from some of the authoritative men in the industry, this guide to Godliness is packed with information. One of the best, most important aspects of this book is the emphasis it puts on compound movements. The Squat, the Dead Lift, and the Bench are all areas of key focus. While it's important to work all muscle groups, this book talks in depth about how to use the fundamentals of power lifting to build the most muscle over the shortest period of time. The authors also go into a great summary about the kind of diet a good bodybuilder should be on. They emphasis (rightly so) that diet is every bit as important as heavy lifting if the goal is hard, lean muscle.

Step 7

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding $17.10 The Godfather of modern bodybuilding spills everything he knows! This is a classic and comprehensive analysis of bodybuilding, written from the perspective of a man who turned his weightlifting hobby into one of the most impressive professional bodybuilding careers in history! Arnold not only details the most effective exercises for every single major muscle group, but even dives into the etiquette within the sport. He'll teach you how to pose down with the best of them, and teaches us that sometimes good showmanship can help a man win out over someone that's a bit bigger than us. This masterpiece of muscle-building has literally everything aspiring muscle-men need to start pumping up with the best of them.

Step 8

DVDs for Weightlifting Training For those non-readers who prefer a DVD to a book, we recommend these DVDs... Men's Health "Huge in a Hurry" $35.99 Make no mistake, the content on this disc is designed around one thing: Getting you a much net muscle gain in as short a period of time as humanly possible. This workout video puts a lot of focus on power lifting, and lifting as heavily as you can safely handle for fewer reps than you might be useful. Exerting such a huge, concentrated effort for fewer reps is a great way to shock your muscles into something they're not used to, forcing them to grow. Even if you're a hard gainer, or have struggled with weightlifting in the past, you will be gaining strength and size by leaps and bounds. This is a serious set of routines, and most of them will require a spotter to pull off effectively, but the results are well worth the effort!

Step 9

In these books or DVDs, you will learn about these concepts: Clean Diet, Muscle Groups, Progressive Resistance, Training Plateau, Grazing Meals In Bodybuilding, Importance of Testosterone, Effects of Overtraining, Resistance Training, How many repetitions should I perform?, How frequently to train each muscle, Why you need a Spotter.

Step 10

Advanced Weightlifting Training Techniques You Will Learn in These Recommended Books or DVDs It is not all about the workout plan. One of these recommended books or DVDs will teach you techniques on how to effectively build muscle by combining the techniques below WITH your workout plan - to build muscle and avoid wasting your time:

Step 11

Cheating At End Of Exercises Muscle Failure should be the goal in any serious lifting routine. If you are trying to blow up your shoulders, your rep count during shoulder presses should not matter to you as much as your effort. Your last rep should take the absolute last bit of energy your deltoids have, to the point where you cannot possibly perform another without resting! Forced Reps, German volume training - GVT, Overloading - Progressive Overloading, Partial Reps, Pyramiding, Rest-Pause, Burn Reps

Step 12

Different grips are important, especially with compound movement exercises. By changing up your grip, you are hitting the same muscle from a different angle. This makes sure that the entire muscle group gets developed equally, and will boost your gains accordingly. For example, when bench pressing, a wider grip will target the pectorals and front deltoids more intensely. A more narrow grip will put more focus on the triceps. Double Workout Routine, Exercise Intensity, Quality Weight Training, Rest Pause Training, Superset, Split Training Routine, Partial Rep Training, Pyramid Exercises, Explosive Repetitions

Step 13

Muscle Confusion is key to the success of any long term workout plan. Your body is exceptionally skilled at adapting to stress. By doing the same routine over and over, your body will only build enough muscle to handle that old, tired routine, and absolutely no more! Instead, you must constantly change your workout in order to keep the level of difficulty consistent for each muscle group. For example, if you're able to do more than ten to twelve pullups in a row without difficulty, you're cheating yourself! It's time to add weight, so you can really see your laterals getting stronger! Try doing sets on a lateral pull-down machine using 20 to 30 pounds over your own body weight. Drop Sets

Step 14

Be Successful in Weightlifting Training By Learning Muscle Group Names When being introduced to new exercise names and different muscle groups, you can save a lot of time and confusion by learning the basics of anatomy. Just the basics. This will help you in ways you may not consider. Some guys take forever to know the different names of muscles and make mistakes such as performing exercises intended for the wrong muscle group. Choose one of the two products below - a poster or a book/manual. These can be of great help for a beginner!

Step 15

Although there are cheaper posters available, we highly recommended spending a little more for the Fitnus Male Exercise/Muscle Guide $21.99. This laminated poster shows you a lot more than the names of the muscle groups. It also lists the most popular exercises for each muscle group. This can be of great help for a beginner trying to memorize all of the numerous exercises and how which muscle group they help. There is another bonus to having this poster on your wall. Girls will see it and take an interest in your transformation. If girls walk into your apartment or dorm, they will definitely ask about this poster! What a great chance to get to take your shirt off to show them your gains!

Step 16

If you want something you can carry with you, or you are the type of guy who wants more details, order Strength Training Anatomy $14.93. Strength Training Anatomy offers detailed illustrations about your muscles! This book is not a lot of lengthly text. This manual is very easy it is to follow. This book also depicts exactly how you should be doing exercises to properly work each muscle - this avoid "cheating on form" (also called "bad form") - which is common in beginners.

Step 17

Supplements You Must Buy for Weightlifting Training Supplements "add" to the foods you eat normally through the week. Supplements fill the gap your normal diet does not meet. These books and DVDs will explain which supplements are necessities. Why and when these supplements should be taken is too extensive to explain in this article. We encourage you to invest some time in reading one of our recommended books. We'll give you a hint: you need a certain amount of protein for every pound you weigh, but there are different kinds of protein that range in price and effectiveness. Protein can get expensive. Read up to avoid wasting your money.

Step 18

Benches You Can Buy For Weightlifting Training at Home Some guys are intimidated by the big huge bodybuilders at a gym and prefer to invest in equipment - so they can work out at home. If this is the case for you, we recommend you choose the: Bowflex PR1000 Home Gym $599.00 This Bowflex is a unit that's incredibly easy to assemble, and even easier to start using. Hands down, this has to be one of the most effective, most convenient ways to start getting huge. Over time, Bowflex pays for itself in what you would save over a traditional gym membership, and save time by keeping you from having to drive out to the gym week after week. To be as compact as it is, it offers more variety of exercises than any other home gym package on the market! It is better than other home gyms out there because�

Step 19

4 Items You Must Buy For Weightlifting Training Finally, you'll need some basic supplies for the gym. Buy these Weightlifting Supplies:

Step 20

Men's Health Training Log $10.17 Strength training is immensely difficult, and takes a lot of discipline to maintain consistency in. It's this consistency that helps build strong bodies, so It's important to keep a journal of your efforts, and the results that you're getting from them. What better way to maximize the time you're investing in yourself?

Step 21

Weightlifting gloves - we recommend Harbinger Pro FlexClosure Wash & Dry Gloves - A good pair of lifting gloves can really save your hands from building up unsightly callouses! It's important to pick a good, durable pair like the Harbringer Pro FlexClosure, because they hold up very well over time. The stitching in many other gloves can loosen from use.

Step 22

Lifting straps - You use these for many pulling exercises. Buy the Schiek Sports Schiek Lifting Strap Long $19.95. Another important element of safety, especially when you're dealing with free weights. There is no faster way to ruin your weekend than to drop a dumb bell on your foot. Quality lifting straps such as these ensure that the iron stays attached to you, even if you can't hold onto it for a moment.

Step 23

Weight belt - Buy the Valeo VRL 6-Inch Padded Leather Belt for only $15.50. Weight belts are essential if you want to save your lower back from injury during heavy squatting or dead lifts. If your form is less than perfect, it's possible to sustain a lot of damage that could have you out of the gym for weeks. Considering the low cost and safety that's offered, this is a great deal and leather holds up much better than Velcro versions. Our recommended books or DVDs will explain what this equipment is for and how to use them.