How to work with free weights. 3 rules that are important for beginners

Almost everyone who comes to the gym for the first time has problems while getting acquainted with free weights. These are primarily kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells. You need to work with them as responsibly as possible. After all, there is a serious risk of injury if you do not calculate the load correctly. Together with an expert we understand how to get the maximum benefit from working with free weights and not to get injured.

The weight of the weight depends on the number of approaches

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The main principle to follow: the more repetitions and approaches, the lower the weight of the weight.

Before taking up the weight, it is necessary to find out how many repetitions are required in a particular exercise, as well as how many approaches are to be performed. This point is very important, because 50 squats will require less weight compared to eight repetitions, it’s not complicated. The main principle is that the more reps and approaches, the lower the weight of the weights. What happens if you ignore this rule and take the maximum weight for a large number of reps? It’s very simple, your muscles will be clogged, and there will be no strength left for the next exercises. And even worse things can happen. For example, injury.

From less to more

What should you do if you come to the gym for the first time or, say, if you are performing an exercise for the first time? Any working weight is selected experimentally. A beginner should use the principle of searching from less to more. First, take a light weight (from one to three kilograms) and try to do a few test reps with it. If it feels very easy, you can increase the weight. Orient yourself on how you feel. They should be approximately as follows: at first it is easy to perform the exercise, by the middle of the approach you already feel a slight fatigue, and the last two or three repetitions are given with difficulty, but the technique does not suffer. The defining words here are: “technique does not suffer”. Improper execution is a direct path to injury.

The first approach can be done with a small weight, feel your strength and conclude whether it is worth increasing the load for subsequent approaches. To work with large leg muscles, you can start with a weight of 8-10 kg. To work with arm muscles, you should start experimenting, as already mentioned, literally with 1-2 kg. This stage should be passed to find a comfortable weight for yourself. Mastering the barbell bench press, men should start with an empty Olympic barbell of 20 kilograms, women – with a body bar of 5-8 kilograms. Ideally, a man should have the power of the press at about the value of his weight, and a woman, in turn, at 50% of her weight.

Do not overestimate yourself

It’s important not to chase big weights. This rule is often neglected by novice athletes, particularly men. Until your muscular corset is not strengthened in the right way, until the technique of movement is not worked out, there is no point in “throwing” yourself on the bar another ten. This approach always leads to injuries. Overdoing the weight violates the technique of the exercise, and the time of “chiting” comes.

Cheating is a deliberate distortion of the technique of execution in order to do more repetitions.

Do not engage in “cheating”, it is a dangerous self-deception. The golden truth – “Quality, not quantity, is important” – is extremely relevant here. It is important to realize that a beautiful and strong body is not formed in two weeks, so you should be patient and increase the load gradually.