Weight Training: 5 Rules to Memorize :

"Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions, they become habits. Watch your habits, they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny."
-- Frank Outlaw

Weight training can be both incredibly fulfilling and sometimes frustrating. A great deal of mystery surrounds effective weight training methods , but it's key to try to decipher truly effective tips amongst all the information on this topic. Additionally, you need to be open to change and create specific goals for yourself to better understand how to approach your own fitness program.

Throughout my 20-plus years of training experience, I have observed people's resistance to change. Every Monday in most health clubs and home gyms, hundreds of people are performing the same routine, exercises and repetitions. Change is one of the best tactics to stimulate a loss in body fat, increase strength and endurance, and enjoy your routine . Think of the body from "the inside out."When you lift weights, the body senses stress and its job is to adapt as quickly as possible. When it begins to adapt, you stop seeing results. However, once the training parameters change, the body must re-adapt, thereby accelerating your progress.

Strategic, well thought out change in your weight training and overall fitness routine is pivotal to ongoing progress and consistency. There are several essentials to weight training. The following tips will help you get started by simplifying key essentials and have you on your way to physical change, increased strength and, ultimately, a more enjoyable fitness regimen.

1. Develop a specific goal.
This is where you truly begin. Knowing what you are working toward and creating a mental picture of your goal will determine your weight training parameters and program, as well as increase your focus and dedication. Is your goal to reduce body fat, increase muscle "tone," train for a competitive event, or increase energy? Different training parameters apply for a person who wants to just "tone up" versus someone who is training for a marathon.

The more specific your goal, the more effective your program. Write them down! Make them measurable and realistic (i.e. lose 5 pounds; increase the weight of an exercise by 5 percent, etc.) This is where your eDiets journal becomes invaluable.

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