Raise your dumbbell if you've ever had a question about free weights.
Lifting weights can help you drop pounds, lower blood pressure, and improve bone density. But—as you know if your dumbbell's up in the air right now—there's way more to lifting than just lugging around whichever weight is available at the gym. You've got to think about the perfect number of pounds, the best workouts, and the right number of reps—and it can get overwhelming.
Personal trainer Rachel Cosgrove, author of Drop Two Sizes and creator of the Women's Health Spartacus 4.0 Workout in the Women's Health Personal Trainer subscription tool, gave us the scoop on the biggest weight-lifting mistakes she sees and how to correct them. These quick tips will help you get awesome results, faster—and they'll answer all those nagging questions you've always had.
(By the way, you can lower the dumbbell now.)
You're Forgetting About Your Core
When you lift weights, you're probably focusing on your arms—but you might be neglecting your center, says Cosgrove. If your core isn't on your radar, you could end up injuring yourself, she says, "because your back will have to compensate." In order to make sure you're using the right technique, pay attention to your ribs, says Cosgrove: If they're sticking out, your core is probably not engaged. To assume the right position, think about bringing your ribs together and bracing your core (as if someone were about to punch you in the stomach).
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You're Using Too-Light Weights
"Women tend to be really good at high reps with light weights," says Cosgrove. But if you want to see true fat loss, you have to stick to heavy weights, she says. You'll build lean muscle—the kind that helps burn body fat—faster, and save time in the long run. Go for a weight with which you can only get six to eight reps at most, says Cosgrove. What's the ideal poundage? The trick is to focus on your body, she says: "Start light with good form and only add weight as you get stronger and can maintain form."
You Don't Have a Weight-Lifting Routine
You probably know that if you repeat the same exercises with the same weights for the same number of reps every time you lift weights, your body will plateau. But if you never do the same program twice, you could also be slowing your results. "If you keep changing up your routine, you never get a chance to progress and master anything to really push your body beyond what it is used to," says Cosgrove. You'll be better off if you settle in with a three-day-per-week program over the course of about four to six weeks, and then—only once you've mastered it—move on to another.
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You're Not Even Giving Free Weights a Chance
Don't let the fancy equipment fool you; Cosgrove says the most effective equipment in the weight room is free weights. "Lots of women skip the free-weight area because they are too intimidated," says Cosgrove. "Using free weights is more effective than just sticking to the seated machines because you use your body in a more natural movement than being on a fixed machine, and it allows all of your stabilizer muscles to work—more muscles working means more calories are being burned." Unsure of where to start? Cosgrove recommends adding bodyweight exercises to your current routine to get comfortable on the mat. Once you've mastered the basic movements, grab a dumbbell or two. For example, once y ou can perform six to eight bodyweight squats, try them holding a pair of dumbbells. Check out seven more tips for weight-lifting newbies here.
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