1. One of the main weight training principles is a good warm-up. It is necessary to prevent injury and prepare the muscles for work. A warm-up should consist of static stretching of the muscles, aerobic exercise to warm the muscle, and lifting of light weights at each station through the entire range of motion. Range of motion involves movement from complete flexion to complete extension of the joint.

2. Breathing properly is one of the weight training principles. The proper method of breathing is to exhale while exerting and inhale on the relaxation portion of the lift. Breathing allows the muscles to receive oxygen and rid of waste products. Correct breathing also helps prevent or reduce the chances of hernias, ruptures, and blackouts due to lack of oxygen.

3. Strength is increased by heavy resistance, while endurance is increased by high repetitions. The muscles will gain in these areas only by putting the muscles under a load which causes the muscle to work harder than normal. This overloading of the muscle is known as the "Overload Principle".

4. Strength, endurance, and muscle size will increase, within limits, in response to repetitive exercise with progressively increased resistance or loads. This is the overload principle and the basis for all weight lifting and conditioning programs. Exercises which do not overload the body's systems have very little benefit.

5. Three important factors in weight training principles which will dictate progress are the intensity of the stress put on the muscle, the duration of the training period, and the frequency of the workouts. Intensity is the most important, since the amount of fatigue a muscle undergoes is important in determining the training effect or benefit.

Duration is the time length of the workout, while frequency is how often you workout. The critical factor is placing greater-than-normal stress upon the muscle during regular training periods (Overload Principle).

6. The optimal number of workouts per week (frequency) is three to five, with 24 hours rest between heavy workouts of a muscle group. The rest allows the body to completely metabolize waste products from the cells or fibers of the muscle.

7. Progression is another important one of the weight training principles. The person should begin with a weight which will require a great-than-normal effort, but does not require maximum effort. They will progressively increase the weight and/or the number of repetitions with each set.

8. Short frequent rest pauses, usually between sets, should be observed to prevent the muscle from becoming fatigued early in the workout session. Rest pauses give the body time to get blood to the working muscle. Blood delivers oxygen and energy while it carries away waste products. In a normal weight training session, the optimal length of rest is a 3 to 1 ratio of rest to work.

9. A hard weight workout should not be performed less than 48 hours before a competition. If you follow these principals you may not turn into the Incredible Hulk, but you will be on your way to developing a better body. It is also good to keep in mind that recovery, rest and a healthy diet of amino acids and protein help bring everything together!

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