WHAT MOVEMENTS SHOULD I BE DOING TO GET THE MOST OUT OF MY WEIGHTS WORKOUT?
Picture this, you’re all excited… you are going to the weights section of the gym. You are strong, you are confident, you are walking your way over and then ....
Look at these options, am I meant to use the machines? The dumbbells? Is that a barbell? That looks scary…
And now you are thinking Woah! Wait.. I’m overwhelmed!
I know the feeling and first I want to say props to you for leaving the cardio section and coming to the weights section - YES!! Now before you go and grab the 3kg dumbbells and find the darkest corner of the gym, let me help you get equipped with the knowledge you need to be centre stage.
For weight training to be as effective as possible you need certain movement patterns
Movement patterns are either compound or isolation movements. To apply stress to the most amount of your muscles and get the best results out of your training you should be spending MOST of your time in the gym doing compound movements. Compound movements are: Squat, Hip Hinge, Row, Chest Press & Overhead Press.
Compounds engage multiple muscle groups and will give you the “biggest bang for your buck” for your time in the gym.
See the breakdown below of the various movements so you can mix it up and also know the lingo next time you are at the gym:
Squat - Back squat, Front squat, Goblet Squat, Box squat, Air Squat, Leg Press, Lunges (split squats)
Hip Hinge - Deadlift, Hex Deadlift, Romanian Deadlift, Glute Bridge, Hip Thrust, Good Morning
Row - Bent Over Row, Pendlay Row, Seated Cable Row, Face Pull, Lat Pulldown
Chest Press - DB/Barbell Bench Press, Machine Press, Push Ups, Incline Press/Overhead Press - Shoulder Press, Barbell Overhead Press, Military Press, Arnold Press
These movements should be making up 80% of your program, and then the other 20% be isolation and unilateral movements (movements that only engage one muscle, like bicep curls, tricep extensions, booty bands etc)
So, keep to compound movements as core, and keep the bicep curls until the end if you have time. If you need help with a program or understanding how to perform these movements, send me a DM to organise a chat, shoot me an email to kate@katelambertfitness.com or join my Lifted Ladies Facebook group and post me a question.
Kate xx