How to work with free weights. 3 rules that are important for a beginner to follow

Observing them, you will get a beautiful and healthy body.

Almost everyone who came to the gym for the first time has problems while getting acquainted with free weights. These are primarily kettlebells, barbells and dumbbells. It is necessary 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 figure out how to get the maximum benefit from working with free weights and not overwork.

The weight of the load depends on the number of approaches

Anna Motiva

World Class Coach

The main principle to follow is: the more repetitions and approaches, the less the weight of the burden.

Before taking up the burden, it is necessary to find out how many repetitions are required to perform 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, everything is simple here. The main principle: the more repetitions and approaches, the less the weight of the burden. What happens if you ignore this rule and take the maximum weight for a large number of approaches? It's very simple, your muscles will clog up, and there will be no strength left for the next exercises. And worse could happen. For example, injury.

From less to more

What to do if you come to the gym for the first time or, say, do 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 several test repetitions with it. If it's very easy for you, then you can increase the weight. Focus on your feelings. They should be something like this: 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 difficult, but the technique does not suffer. The defining words here are: "Technology does not suffer." Incorrect 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 the muscles of the hands, it is worth starting the experiment, as already mentioned, literally with 1-2 kg. You need to go through this stage to find a comfortable weight for yourself. Mastering the barbell press for men should generally start with an empty Olympic neck of 20 kilograms, for women – with a bodybar of 5-8 kilograms. Ideally, a man should have the strength of a bench press by about the amount of his weight, and a woman, in turn, by 50% of her weight.

Don't overestimate yourself

It is very important not to chase large scales. This rule is often neglected by novice athletes, in particular, men. As long as your muscular corset is not strengthened in the right way, as long as the movement technique is not worked out, there is no point in "throwing" another ten on your neck. This approach always leads to injuries. Too much weight breaks the technique of performing the exercise, it's time for "cheating".

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

Do not engage in "cheating", this is a dangerous self-deception. The golden truth — "It's not quantity that matters, but quality" — is extremely relevant here. It is important to understand that a beautiful and strong body is not formed in two weeks, so you should be patient and increase the load gradually.