Purchasing a set of barbells and dumbbells or obtaining a membership card from a gym is the initial step if you plan to take up weightlifting. However, after obtaining a way of accessing exercise equipment, you cannot just pick up a dumbbell, lift it repeatedly, and then stop when you feel like doing so. This will cause little effect on your body, moreover, it can injure you. You instead have to develop a systematic routine for your workout.

Workout routines pertain to the type of exercise and the number of sets and repetitions that are done for a specific muscle. A common example of a workout routine consists of the following: three sets of the flat bench press, three sets on the incline bench press, and two sets of flat bench dumbbell flyes. If you are relatively new to the said terms, you may find their definitions on the Internet or you can ask a weightlifting trainer in your gym.

Here are some general rules in making workout routines. First, you need to have time for rest after each weightlifting day. This will prevent you from over training, which can strain your muscles and injure you. Second, you should dedicate a specific workout day for every muscle group. For instance, you can work on your biceps and back during Mondays and focus on your triceps, chest, and shoulders during Wednesdays. This will allow each muscle to recuperate properly. Finally, you need to plan how many repetitions, or as weightlifting buffs would call them, "reps" you would do for every muscle. The number of reps normally range from six to ten. It is a good idea to lessen the reps as you make your weights heavier.