If you go to the gym everyday there is bound to be a few important weight lifting rules you have forgotten or disregarded because you think you are elite. This post will look at some important weight lifting hacks that you need to know for the gym. Read it, even if you are an expert.

1. Technique is the most important thing
When it comes to weight lifting nothing else is as important as your technique. Good technique will allow you to grow muscle size and develop strength while bad technique will hamper your progress and probably give you an injury.

2. Change your routine structure
If you are doing the same weight lifting routine you were a month ago then you will not be growing at your optimum. You need to change up your weight lifting routine as often as possible to stop your body getting used to the movement and the order.

3. Change your lifting style
The same goes for your lifting style. If you do super slow reps (like you should) then you should occasionally add in some fast ones and increase the intensity. These are all ways to keep your body guessing.

4. Warm up with weights
A lot of “experts” forget to warm up well. They go for a little jog on the treadmill and think that their arms are ready for lifting. Well, actually, the treadmill doesn’t work your arms. If you are going to be doing some heavy weights you need to prepare your body with some lighter versions of that movement.

5. Stick to compound exercises
If you are a regular gym junkie you have probably long since forgotten about compound exercises and are just hitting the isolation exercises. This is understandable as all the fancy machines at the gym make it so easy to do. However, compound exercises that work multiple muscles at once are the best way to grow muscle, burn fat and add strength. Why not use them?

6. Work your weakness first
If your biceps are lagging behind the rest of your body then work them out when you are fresh and full of energy. You will be able to handle more weight and you will have more focus to apply to correct technique.

7. Stick to free weights
This is an oldie but a goodie. I fall into the trap of getting my weights routine done on the gym machines occasionally. However, when I use free weights I have better results in terms of muscle size and strength. Free weights are better because they force you to use more stabilizer muscles which the machines cancel out.

8. Slow your reps down
Weight lifting should not be done at speed. Each rep should be slow and concentrated and done with perfect technique. I bet if you do slower reps you will be able to handle less weight. Why? Because you are so used to cheating with the fast motions - you haven’t actually been targeting the muscles correctly.

9. Flat bench is a boring bench
If all of your bench press is done on a flat bench then you are a boring person indeed! Try switching to some incline and decline presses and see how your chest reacts. Much better I imagine.

10. Switch to dumbbells
The dumbbell gives you a great ROM (range of motion) and forces you to use more stabilizer muscles. I find that a bench press done with dumbbells is twice as good as a barbell as it allows me to get a nice deep stretch in the muscle on the decline part of the motion.

11. Mirrors are for checking technique
I have noticed a lot of people at the gym are a little ashamed to look at themselves in the mirror. Don’t be - they are there so you can check if your technique is on par. Checking your hair, on the other hand, is a little strange.

12. Bench press in the squat rack
If you feel like your bench press is not doing what it should be then drag a bench over to the squat rack and perform a set there. The reason I suggest this is because the squat rack has a perfect up and down movement. This will allow you to “feel” what a bench press should be like so when you go back to the normal bench you will get the technique correct.

13. Breathe
Make sure you breathe properly. I have seen so many noobs at the gym holding their breath because they are struggling to lift a weight that is too heavy for them. Your breath should be deep and deliberate. Exhale on the push part and inhale on the decline. Of course there are some more advanced breathing techniques but these are for professionals.

14. Contract the muscles mentally
Remember, the contracting the muscles mentally is just as important as the weight lifting itself. For example, if you do a bicep curl you need to tense the muscle at the top of the lift instead of just letting it rest there. Weight lifting is not just about going up and down.

15. Eat before training
You should have a light meal about 30 minutes before you hit the weights. Make sure it has some low gi element, protein and a good amount of carbs. If you don’t eat your contractions will be weaker and you will not be able to handle the weight you could normally.

16. Stretch afterwards
This might not seem like a hack but actually it is one of the most important. Stretching after your session will help with muscle recovery and this will mean you can get back to the gym faster than normal. Stretching also has many other benefits for the weight lifter.

17. Don’t forget your legs
If you are trying to gain muscle and you don’t train your legs you are very foolish indeed. Training the legs causes your body to release masses of testosterone and as a result the rest of your body will grow like a weed. By training your legs you will actually cause other muscles in your body to increase in size. How could you forget them?

What other hacks should we include? Leave a comment.

Related Posts

• Weak Muscles: How to Build Up Lagging Muscles
• Gym Safety: The 5 Biggest Dangers of Weight Lifting
• Why Heavy Weight Does Not Always Equal Huge Muscles
• Bodybuilding Q and A: Ask Ryan Rapenport
• Huge Triceps: An Overload of Sets for a Bigger Triceps Workout