I've written comprehensive how to guides for all of the main subjects here at Weight Lifting Complete.
These how to guides are on the following subjects that will interest you:
- Weight Lifting
- Weight Loss
- Diet
- Exercise
- Workout
- Build Muscle
- Home Gym
I'll go into more detail on each of these how to guides and what they contain.
You'll also find links to each of these sections of the site. Within each section, you will find the truth about any topics or questions you might have.
Weight Lifting
Within the weight lifting how to guide, you'll find 11 main subjects shown below.
Weight lifting is very important to building muscle, burning fat, and even weight loss.
Without weight lifting, weight loss will lead to much muscle loss. You don't want muscle loss as you'll look worse and feel worse.
Strength Training
Strength training is the heart of weight lifting.
Anyone who lifts weights should focus on building strength. This means you will be participating in strength training when you lift weights correctly.
Too many people fail because they want to use it to tone up or burn calories. This is a bad idea.
Use weight training, resistance training, or whatever you want to call it to build strength.
When you do, the toning, the fat loss, the muscle gains will all come to you.
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a part of weight lifting.
In order to “build” your body, you need to build muscle in the right major muscle groups.
When you choose all the right weight lifting exercises, you will build muscle so that your body looks more proportional and symmetrical.
Bodybuilding is all about producing the most desired appearance. This should be your desired appearance and not anyone else.
Weight Lifting Exercises
Weight lifting exercises are very misunderstood and many people truly fear weight training.
Many women have been told and have spread the same lies over the years: “Lifting heavy weights will make you big and manly looking.”
Trust me, I don't want my wife to be manly looking. She lifts weights, is very strong (could protect our children from most predators if needed), and looks very feminine just as I love her to look. You won't be manly looking without steroids and other illegal drugs.
You do need to know the best weight lifting exercises, and I will discuss them in the how to guide.
Weight Lifting Supplements
Weight lifting supplements (dietary supplements) are almost always pure garbage and trash.
In other words, you don't need them.
If we're talking about other equipment that helps supplement your workouts, though, this is a different story.
For example, you might call some fractional weight plates a weight lifting supplement OR an exercise poster in your gym.
These things supplement your weight lifting workouts and are very good things.
Weight Lifting Routines
You must have a set of great weight lifting routines to follow.
Most routines fall far short of what you truly need to be successful.
A plan of attack with options for everything you'll run into is needed. For example, if you're having trouble increasing the weight what are you going to do?
You need to know this before starting a training routine.
Weight Lifting Workouts
You'll find a huge number of weight lifting workouts here at Weight Lifting Complete because different programs are used to target specific goals.
For example, if you want to train for maximum levels of strength there are workouts for that.
Or, if you want to train for speed there are workouts for that.
Weight Lifting Equipment
A how to guide for weight lifting equipment is important because you need to use the right equipment to get the best workout.
For instance, you don't need any machines.
The core of your workouts should use free weights. Barbells, dumbbells, and kettlebells are examples of free weight.
Weight Lifting Chart
A weight lifting chart is very important because it is used as a tool to help you with your workouts.
For example, there are many different types of weight lifting charts.
Exercise charts, one rep max charts, weight increase percentage charts, and progress charts are just a few that I'll give you here at Weight Lifting Complete.
Weight Lifting Programs
Weight lifting programs are the best because they give you everything you need to know to make progress.
Many times, a routine that you'll find across the internet is a single routine.
People take these routines and they randomly do them.
This doesn't work well at all. Instead, a weight lifting program will have all your workouts planned out for you.
Weight Lifting Diet
A weight lifting diet must support all of your workouts.
For example, if you aren't eating right you will run out of energy during a tough workout and won't be able to lift properly.
If you aren't eating healthy foods, you won't burn fat and you won't build muscle.
It's really that simple. The healthier foods you eat will lead to better results.
Weight Lifting Techniques
You need to know how to lift weights properly.
The right weight lifting techniques are required to get the fastest results. For example, if you aren't using proper form and technique on deadlifts your strength will increase at a much slower rate and you may injure yourself.
There are other techniques that will lead to instant strength gains.
Weight Loss
A truthful weight loss how to guide is needed all throughout this world.
There are so many lies about weight loss and diet plans that it makes me very sick to my stomach.
I hate seeing people start new weight loss plans every year. The people who stick with those horrible plans are actually in worse shape than the ones who quit.
There's no reason to start a new weight loss plan every year. Instead, you need one that works and that can be used permanently.
Weight Loss Plan
A weight loss plan is required to lose weight effectively.
For instance, you need to strive for 1 to 2 pounds of fat loss each week when attempting to lose weight.
But, you need to be lifting weights so you don't lose any muscle mass along the way.
Quick Weight Loss
The fastest you should attempt to lose weight is 1 to 2 pounds of fat each week. Two pounds per week is starting to get close where you might lose muscle too.
If you use exercise to burn the fat away, you will lose only body fat and keep muscle or build muscle.
Weight loss that is quicker than that is not recommended here.
Weight Loss Programs
Weight loss programs are usually the typical trash that you find everywhere.
Someone is always using their program to sell you some trashy supplements or pre-packaged foods or meals.
Stay away from that stuff. It doesn't work. You need weight lifting, healthy foods, and cardiovascular exercise.
Weight Loss Tips
Throughout Weight Lifting Complete, you will find weight loss tips.
One of the best I can give you right now is to start using the WLC System and measuring your results each week while using system.
You'll find out exactly how much fat you are losing each week and learn how to make adjustments to get even better results.
Weight Loss Diet
A weight loss diet shouldn't be highly restrictive when it comes to calories.
It should be, however, very restrictive on the types of foods you can eat.
Every diet plan you'll find here consists of the same healthy foods that God provided for us to eat.
Weight Loss Supplements
There isn't one weight loss supplement out there that you need.
Forget about them, and save your money.
This is the best piece of advice I can give you. No compromises here. I could try to sell you supplements, but it's not right. They don't work.
Healthy Weight Loss
Healthy weight loss consists of fat loss only.
Unhealthy weight loss is when people try to lose 10 pounds in a week for some silly reason.
“Well, I need to fit in this dress and need to lose 10 pounds this week.”
Well, I say you should have started earlier. You can't lose 10 pounds of fat in a week. You might be able to lose 10 pounds of water, muscle, and fat combined but you still won't fit in that dress.
Instead, plan ahead and get rid of that body fat earlier. It takes hard work and time to burn body fat.
Fat Loss
Fat loss can be achieved at the rate of 1 to 2 pounds of pure body fat loss per week.
If you hit 2 pounds of fat loss per week without any muscle loss, you are doing amazing.
Keep up the great work on the fat loss.
Diet
The vast majority of people in the world need a diet how to guide.
This is needed because there are too many shady companies out there giving bad diet advice.
For example, you don't need a new fad diet every year. They make me sick.
Easy Healthy Recipes
Easy healthy recipes are needed when you're using the WLC System.
Listen, if you don't want to cook you're going to have problems staying healthy. You're going to need a doctor more and more.
Instead, find sources of truly healthy food like local farms and start cooking your own meals.
Trust me, it will save you in the long run. Too busy to cook? Well, change your life then. Too busy to care about your health? You won't have a long life then.
Healthy Food
Truly healthy food was given to us from God.
Yes, meat is good for you when it comes from the right sources.
Anything that is from a natural source (cows are supposed to eat grass and not grain) will be very healthy for you.
Fruit is amazingly healthy for you, but some diets tell you to stop eating fruit because it has naturally occurring sugar. Wow! Bad advice.
Meal Plans
You need to have some type of meal plan.
When are you going to eat? How much are you going to eat?
When are you going to increase or decrease the amount of food you are eating?
Diet Supplement
You don't need ANY diet supplement at all.
Multivitamins aren't needed and are a waste of money. Instead, focus on eating the way you should be eating. A variety of real food gives you an abundance of all the vitamins and minerals that you need.
Other supplements aren't required either. Nothing helps you more than real food.
Diet Plan
Your diet plan should be easy to follow.
Eat at least 3 meals per day. Three to six meals is good.
Spread your meals out evenly throughout the day.
Eat meals and snacks consisting of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Eat balanced meals. No need to cut out carbohydrates or fats or protein.
Exercise
You need an exercise how to guide and learn about all the different types of exercise.
Physical fitness can be improved through different types of exercise.
For example, aerobic exercise will improve your cardiovascular conditioning better than other forms of exercise such as weight lifting for very low reps.
Fitness
Your fitness levels will be increased greatly when using the WLC System.
Strength, balance, flexibility, mobility, and power are just a few things that will improve when using this system.
Exercises
There are many different types of exercises.
Cardio exercises include activities such as walking, joggin, running, cycling, skating, elliptical machine, treadmill, swimming, and more.
Some of the best weight lifting exercises are the squat and deadlift.
Exercise Equipment
You'll need exercise equipment to lift weights and equipment to do cardio indoors.
I actually recommend getting outside for your cardio but sometimes you'll need a backup indoors when it's raining or sleeting or snowing or just too cold or too hot.
Exercise Program
A complete exercise program will consist of weight training and cardiovascular exercise.
Some so-called experts do not tell people to do cardio or lift weights or stretch as an example.
They are missing part of the complete picture.
Exercise to Burn Fat
The best type of exercise to burn fat cardiovascular exercise at a medium intensity for longer periods of time.
All of the new fad is high intensity interval training or HIIT, which works well but doesn't burn as much fat directly as medium intensity cardio.
HIIT also places more stress on your body and can make recovery between weight lifting workouts even more difficult.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is also called cardiovascular exercise.
I am a huge fan of cardio as I went many years trying to bulk up and build muscle. I was told by experts that I don't need cardio, and I need to eat tons of food (doesn't matter what it is).
What horrible advice! I became very unhealthy because of that. Don't take any advice like that or even similar to that.
Workout
A workout how to guide is very important because most people don't know how to workout properly.
For example, you need different types of exercise in your workout routine.
Some people live their life only doing cardiovascular exercise or doing the same body weight exercises over and over again.
Some people ONLY use the same weight lifting exercises over and over and never change to a different variation of that same exercise.
Workouts
You need to be doing workouts throughout the week to get results each week.
You should be doing at least 2 weight lifting workouts per week and at least 2 cardio workouts per week.
Workout Routines
Good workout routines must be used as there are so many bad routines out there.
For example, you should have a plan of progression with every workout routine you do.
Fitness Workout
Any type of workout you do, including strength training, it considered to be a fitness workout.
Physical fitness also includes improvements in your appearance.
This means building muscle and burning fat is a component of physical fitness. Workouts of all types will improve your appearance.
Best Workout
There isn't a best workout that exists.
But there are very good workouts and very bad workouts.
You need to know which type of workout to use when you need it based on the goals that you have.
Bodybuilding Workouts
Bodybuilding workouts are sometimes very different than strength training workouts.
To change to a bodybuilding style of workout, you'll probably add more isolation exercises and less of the best exercises.
I don't recommend this unless you're very advanced and know exactly what you need to do.
For example, your chest might be too large and shoulders are laggin behind. You would stop working the bench press as much because your chest would grow larger and instead focus more on shoulder exercises.
Cardio Workout
A cardio workout can vary greatly depending on the intensity you use throughout the workout.
You can start low intensity to warm up, ramp up to medium intensity over a few minutes, and stay at medium intensity for a longer period of time.
Or, you can continue ramping up to a high intensity and then lower it back down as needed.
Abs Workout
An abs workout consists of exercises that work the abs.
Pretty much every exercise that has you supporting your body on your own while lifting weights will work the abs.
For example, front squats will work the abs very well compared to any crunch.
Workout Plan
A good workout plan is required to make the best progress.
There are bad and horrible workout plans that might give you a little progress and will then have you wasting your time in the gym.
Then, you can go searching all over again wasting more time all because someone sold you on a horrible workout plan.
You won't get that here.
Build Muscle
You need a build muscle how to guide because most people have no idea how to build muscle.
Building muscle is simple when you have the right plan.
Today, you can have that plan.
Building Muscle
Building muscle is easy.
All you need to do is use a workout plan that allows you to increase the amount of weight you are lifting over time.
This is going to take hard work but hard work with the right plan will lead to effective results that are permanent.
Gain Muscle
If you want to gain muscle, simply lift weights progressively (use heavier weight over time) and eat a calorie surplus with only the healthiest foods.
This is how you gain muscle.
It really is that simple. But you have to use the right plan and put lots of hard work forth.
Muscle Mass
The muscle mass you want to build is called skeletal muscle.
There are other types of muscle in your body as well, such as cardiac muscle, but you want to build the skeletal muscle throughout your body through weight lifting.
This is what most people want when they start lifting weights.
But some people don't realize they should lift weights when they are attempting to lose weight because it doesn't make sense to them.
Muscle Groups
There are 11 major muscle groups in your body that you'll focus on building with all of the how to guides you'll find here.
Quadriceps, hamstrings, and the calves are in your lower body.
Chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, forearms, abs, and trapezius are in your upper body.
Muscle Growth
Muscle growth requires a muscle building stimulus.
Lifting heavier weight than your body is accustomed to lifting will provide the stimulus for muscle growth.
What you eat and how much you eat will give your body the building blocks it needs to build muscle mass.
Muscle Building Supplements
You don't need any muscle building supplements.
The only muscle gain supplements that work are illegal (growth hormone and steroids) in the United States and very dangerous. These are addictive drugs that you don't need.
Yes, you can probably take them safely for many years as many people do and get an amazing body, but you'll probably die sooner than you want too. And you'll lose that body once you stop taking them.
It's not worth it. Build what you can naturally and forget about it.
Muscle Building Diets
Muscle building diets should create a calorie surplus so your body has extra nutrients available for muscle growth.
An example would be that you stay the same body weight with 3,000 calories using your current workout regimen.
To build muscle using the same weight lifting plan, increase your calorie intake to 3,300 as an example. See how much muscle you gain for the week. If not enough, increase calorie intake again.
Don't use cheat foods and junk foods to increase the calorie surplus unless you want to gain fat just so you can work on losing it again.
Sore Muscles
Sore muscles are going to occur from working out.
Muscle soreness is not required in order to build muscle.
Most of the time soreness will occur a day or two after the resistance training workout that caused the soreness. This is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
Don't worry as it will go away. I try to prevent extreme muscle soreness in the early weeks of a weight lifting program as you'll see with the design of the WLC Program.
Many people quit due to extreme muscle soreness.
Home Gym
I highly recommend this home gym how to guide from Weight Lifting Complete.
A home gym is highly recommended because you'll be able to workout when you need and no one will bother you or be in your way.
You'll get your workouts done faster and more efficiently.
Home Fitness
Can you get as good of a workout at home as you can in a commercial gym with all those fancy machines?
Home fitness is recommended here at Weight Lifting Complete for many reasons.
If you love going to a commercial gym, that's great too but YES, you can get as good of a workout and probably even better at home.
Bowflex
I do not recommend a Bowflex machine unless you already have one and you want to use it to get started into exercise and working out.
A Bowflex machine is not as good as free weights but it's not a bad option.
The flex rods still provide a good resistance and allows you to slowly increase the resistance over time.
Home Exercise Equipment
Home exercise equipment is highly recommended.
For weight lifting, if you have room, a power rack, barbell sets, dumbbell set, weight bench, and a place to do chin ups and dips is the minimum amount of equipment I recommend.
Cardio workouts can be done outdoors or with 2 to 3 different cardio machines. I recommend a variety throughout the year of different cardiovascular activities.
Home Gyms
You can start building a home gym today just as I started with a low cost pair of adjustable dumbbells from Wal-Mart many years ago.
Now, I have a very nice home gym because I took my time building the gym.
Adding a nice piece of weight lifting equipment here and there really helps over time. It's kind of like slowly adding muscle over time.
Home Workouts
Very effective home workouts can be done when you have a good home gym.
Even a pair of dumbbells will help you get started but you should eventually add a power rack so you can do heavy squats, deadlifts, and other exercises.
I highly recommend workouts at home because you are going to be more consistent, save money, save time, and more.
Exercises at Home
All of the best exercises can be done at home when you have a well equipped home gym.
It really doesn't take much space to do these exercises at home.
A small bedroom can serve as a very good home gym.
Conclusion to How to Guides
I hope you'll find all of the how to guides here at Weight Lifting Complete very helpful.
These are the most comprehensive guides that you'll find anywhere so yes, they will take some time to read and study but you'll learn more here than anywhere.
We appreciate you visiting WLC and hope you enjoy all of the content here.