Six Things I wish I knew When I First Started Strength Training
Getting into shape is gonna take A LOT longer than you think, so make sure you enjoy the program that you are following.
Building muscle is hard, like really freaking hard! You have to train at the appropriate intensity and progressively overload by adding reps or increasing weight over time. And you have to be consistent. You can’t just go into the gym and throw some weights around here and there and expect results. Depending on the individual, you’ll want to aim for 2-5 days per week of resistance training.
Take rest days. I’m talking to the gym rats here. It can be really tempting to think more is better with strength training. But honestly, your body needs to recover appropriately in order for you to get stronger. You aren’t superhuman and somehow rebuild muscle faster than everyone else. A good rule of thumb - if you are sore, you need a rest day. Go for a walk, ride a bike, but keep the intensity low.
Prioritize protein. You have to eat enough protein to help your muscles rebuild. It’s also important that you are eating enough calories to maintain or gain muscle. It’s ok to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight, but it should be minimal so that you don’t lose a ton of muscle in the process.
Learn to be happy with wherever your body is currently. You are always going to strive to look better, perform better, move better… that’s human nature. But it’s important to enjoy the process and appreciate what your body can do for you right now.
Educate yourself about proper lifting techniques and programming. It is essential that you know how to move well and have well thought out progressive overload programming. Doing random workouts here and there that you find on the internet or your Peloton aren’t gonna cut it.
Exercise will positively affect many aspects of your life because it increases dopamine levels in the body. Dopamine is your feel good hormone. Having enough of this hormone will improve your mental health, sleep, mood, focus, energy levels, immunity… and many other things.
Strength training is essential for keeping you strong as you age or for building muscle mass to look lean and tone.
If you’ve been strength training for a while, but not getting the results you want, hit me up and we can dive into why that may be.
If you are interested in strength training, but don’t know how to start, I’m here to help.
In Health,
Dr. Kira
