Your Questions, Answered: Strength training for beginners

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Lifting weights is possibly still one of the most misunderstood workouts today. We unload some of the commonly-asked questions - and misconceptions - about weight training and answer them here. 

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Q: Can I get hurt lifting weights?

Not if you select the appropriate exercises and execute them properly. 

A good coach is great at getting you to where you want to go, but a great coach will get you there safely. It all boils down to getting the right guidance with your workout selection, your execution, your rate of progression - all while keeping an eye on your training programme and goals. 

What’s important is to make sure you’re in safe hands so you can get to the results you want. 

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Q: Will I get bulky from lifting weights? 

Not unless you’ve been prescribed a programme that’s aimed at bulking you up (which can be hard work). 

In fact, lifting weights can get you leaner. Yes! 

Here’s the thing: bulking up usually involves a diet plan where you are in constant caloric surplus, getting the right hormonal balance, and performing highly-specific lifting workouts and programmes. Without all these factors, you cannot get “bigger and bulkier” just by lifting weights alone. It’s a distinctly different training programme from one where the objective is to gain muscle mass to look like a bodybuilder. 

Still have your doubts? Try this: Take some measurements and photos of yourself before you start your lifting programme. Trust the numbers to show for it, instead of avoiding or abandoning weight lifting based on how you feel you’re getting bulkier. 

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Q: Weights or cardio?

Both!

Lifting weights builds muscle and gets you strong so you can resist injury. Think of the human body as a machine where the muscles function as “shock absorbers”. The stronger and more healthy they are, the better they are at absorbing an impact that comes with a movement, like jumping or running. 

Meanwhile, cardio gives you a good aerobic capacity so you can develop the endurance that’s necessary for recovery, life and all other fun stuff. Each will also help you get better at the other. 

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Q: Do I need fancy equipment or an expensive trainer to do strength/weight training?

You can get into lifting weights without buying any equipment. You don’t even need shoes.

But strength training is a skill, and you do need expert guidance to get started and to move along in your journey - someone who is experienced enough to show you what exercises to do, how to do them with proper form so that you don’t injure yourself, and to work out a programme that best caters to your capabilities, your needs and your goals. 

Of course, there’s a ton of good information and resources that we can turn to online these days. But this can also be overwhelming to the point that we often find ourselves more confused instead. Then there’s also the misinformation. 

A good trainer doesn’t have to be expensive or out of reach. In the same vein, the more expensive trainer isn’t necessarily always the “better” one. You know where to find us.