Weightlifting Routine Day 4
1. Rest
After three hard days of lifting, your muscles are probably pretty sore and tired. Do not attempt to lift weights, but instead take a day off to allow your muscles to recover. This is just as important as the lifting itself.
A lot of people believe that the more they lift, the more muscle they will build. This is true to an extent, but if you lift weights everyday and never allow your muscles to rest and recover, when are they going to have time to rebuild and get stronger? Remember, lifting weights actually damages your muscle fibers slightly. So take a day off and let your muscles repair the damage. This is the key to making them larger.
2. Cardio
Instead of lifting weights on Day 4, go for a run or ride a bike for half an hour to improve your cardiovascular fitness. Lifting weights is anaerobic exercise, meaning that it does not require oxygen as an energy source. Running, cycling, and swimming are aerobic exercises, which require oxygen to generate energy.
Aerobic exercise is also extremely important to improving your physique and building muscles. The heart is part of the cardiovascular system, which pumps blood carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout the entire body, including to all your muscles. Having a strong cardiovascular system will lead to improved circulation and blood flow to allow for maximum delivery of nutrients to rebuild your muscles.
Also, aerobic exercises burn body fat, which makes muscles look bigger and more defined. So try to include at least 20--30 minutes of cardio in your workout routine every few days. For more information, check out the health benefits of weightlifting and exercise.