Weight Lifting 101: 9 Tips to Get You Started

Some of the most frequent questions I get from my friends concern lifting weights. I get it. The gym is an intimidating place as it is, but sauntering onto a floor of thick-necked guys grunting as they bench-press 350 pounds, it's downright frightening. Plus, lifting weights isn't as intuitive as hopping on a machine is. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

If you get over your fears of being mocked while lifting weights or of "doing it wrong," you'll see that it does wonders for your body shape and your weight loss efforts. So without further ado...here are some general tips and ideas for hitting the weights:

• No One Is Laughing At You. Let's just tackle this one right away, because this fear is what keeps people from going to the gym regularly or branching out and trying new exercises. No one wants to look silly, I know. But let's face it - most exercises look ridiculous. Have you actually ever watched people doing squats or lunges? It's hilarious. It looks insane. But the truth is, everyone is afraid of looking like an idiot at the gym. They're so worried about it that they're not paying any attention to you, unless you really do something nuts, like scream as you're lifting. 

• Free Weights or Machines? If you're just starting out and don't know proper form, I highly recommend machines. They will guide you on a path and keep you from overextending too much or injuring yourself in other ways. But free weights are so much better, because they call in other supporting muscles to help. This means that while you're, say, working your biceps, your shoulders and forearms will be called into action, too. It's like three workouts for the price of one. The potential for injury is a lot higher, though, so be careful. I've thrown out my back a couple times doing free squats (talk about looking like a dork). A great way to learn proper form is to take group classes at your gym; the instructors are great about giving tips. You can also opt for a personal training session - many gyms offer one free one when you sign up for a membership. Just be ready to resist a huge sales pitch when you're done.

• The Magic Number: 15. Everyone starting out with weights wants to know how much they should lift. The answer lies in 15 repetitions - if you can easily breeze through 15 reps, your weight is far too light. If you struggle to make it to 10, your weight is way too heavy. To get the true weight you need, you have to be honest with yourself about the effort it's taking you to get there. Your muscles should burn a little. When you hit that 15th rep, you are so ready for that break. If that's not how you feel, keep adjusting your weight until you feel like you've got it.

• Doing Sets. You didn't think you were just going to do 15 reps and be done with it, do you? You're so cute! Any weight-lifting exercise should involve ideally three sets of 15, with breaks of between 30 and 60 seconds in between each set.  

• Increasing Your Strength. Carefully watch how you feel after 15 reps whenever you work out. Is it becoming easier? Are you not burning as much when you're done? It may be time to crank up the weight by another five or 10 pounds.

• Mythbusters. Ladies, you are not, I repeat NOT, going to bulk up. I know you've seen those massive women in the weight lifting competition, but there is no way you're going to look like that unless you start sticking syringes full of anabolic steroids in your arm. What weight-lifting will do is tone you. You'll see more definition in your arms, legs and abs. But it is biologically impossible for women to bulk up simply by doing 30 minutes of weights a few times a week.

• Take a Break. Never work the same muscle two days in a row. Always, always have at least a full day of rest. I'll explain why in the next bullet point. An efficient way to get a full-body weight workout each week while still getting the rest you need is by breaking it down: do upper body and abs one day, legs the next.

• What's Happening? I'm more likely to follow the rules if I know why they're the rules. So, I'll go ahead and explain what's happening to your muscles when you lift weights: You're damaging your muscles. You're creating tiny little tears. As those tears repair themselves (on your day off, you see), you're gaining new muscle tissue. If you don't rest, you risk fatigue and painful injury.

• Stre-e-e-e-tch. Always stretch the muscles you just worked, holding each stretch for 20 seconds or longer. You'll help lengthen them and minimize soreness the next day. And I know you like that.