How to Begin

Start with a program that works ALL muscle groups 1-2 non-consecutive days
a week (never work the same muscle two days in a row)
!arm up with "-1# minutes o$ light cardio to avoid in%ury
&hoose one e'ercise $or each muscle group (see (elow) and do 1 set o$ 1#-1)
repetitions o$ each e'ercise
*t+s a good idea to start with machines (i$ you e'ercise at a gym) ,hey+re
easier to use and you+ll condition your muscles (e$ore moving on to $ree
weights- which re.uires a (it more coordination and the use o$ more muscles
to sta(ili/e your (ody
0ive yoursel$ at least a day o$ rest (though you may need more a$ter the $irst
workout) to recover
1ach session- add either 1 repetition and2or a $ew pounds o$ weight to each
e'ercise to progress
3ou want to challenge yoursel$- not kill yoursel$ ,he $irst $ew weeks- $ocus
on learning how to do each e'ercise rather than on how much weight you+re
li$ting or how many e'ercises you+re doing 3ou have plenty o$ time to (uild
muscle4
A$ter ) or more weeks o$ consistent strength training- you can change your
routine to make it more di$$icult (see (elow)
Stretch (etween sets and a$ter your workout
What Exercises Should You Do?
*$ you don+t know much a(out weight training- consider hiring a personal trainer to
help you set up your program 3ou should work all o$ your muscle groups each week
so that you avoid muscle im(alances- which could lead to in%ury 5or detailed
in$ormation on speci$ic e'ercises- see How to &hoose 3our 1'ercises
Below is a list o$ muscle groups along with sample e'ercises using (oth machines and
$ree weights *$ you+re a (eginner- you only need to choose one
&hest 6 (ench press- chest press machine- pushups- pec deck machine
Back 6 seated row machine- (ack e'tensions- lat pulldowns
Shoulders 6 overhead press- lateral raise- $ront raise
Biceps6 (icep curls- hammer curls- concentration curls
,riceps6 tricep e'tensions- dips- kick(acks
7uadriceps 6 S.uats- lunges- leg e'tension and leg press machines
Hamstrings 6 deadli$ts- lunges- leg curl machine
&alves 6 cal$ raises
A(dominals 6 crunches- reverse crunches- o(li.ue twists- pelvic tilts
Choosing Your Sets, Reps and Weight
&hoosing your reps- sets and weight can (e the most con$using part o$ strength
training How many reps and sets you do will depend on your goals
To lose body fat, build muscle 8se enough weight that you can 9:L3
complete 1#-12 repetitions and 1-; sets (1 $or (eginners- 2-; $or intermediate
and advanced e'ercisers) <est a(out ;# seconds-1 minute (etween sets and at
least one day (etween workout sessions
!or muscle gain 8se enough weight that you can 9:L3 complete )-=
repetitions and ;>sets- resting $or 1-2 minutes (etween sets and ; or more
days (etween sessions 5or (eginners- give yoursel$ several weeks o$
conditioning (e$ore you tackle weight training with this degree o$ di$$iculty
3ou may need a spotter $or many e'ercises
!or health and muscular endurance 8se enough weight that you can
9:L3 complete 12-1) repetitions- 1-; sets- resting 2#-;# seconds (etween
sets and at least one day (etween workout sessions
,o determine how much weight you should use- start with a light weight and per$orm
one set &ontinue adding weight until you can 9:L3 do the desired num(er o$
repetitions See !eight ,raining 1#1 $or more in$o
5or a variety o$ strength training workouts- visit my !orkout &enter ,he :o !eight
!orkout is a great place to start4 Back to 1'ercise $or Beginners
Getting Started
*$ you want to lose $at or change your (ody- one o$ the most important things you can
do is li$t weights ?iet and cardio are e.ually important- (ut when it comes to
changing how your (ody looks- weight training wins hands down *$ you+ve hesitated
to start a strength training program- it may motivate you to know that li$ting weights
can6
Help raise your meta(olism @uscle (urns more calories than $at- so the more
muscle you have- the more calories you+ll (urn all day long
Strengthen (ones- especially important $or women
@ake you stronger and increase muscular endurance
Help you avoid in%uries
*ncrease your con$idence and sel$-esteem
*mprove coordination and (alance
0etting started with strength training can (e con$using--what e'ercises should you
doA How many sets and repsA How much weightA ,he routine you choose will (e
(ased on your $itness goals as well as the e.uipment you have availa(le and the time
you have $or workouts
The "asics
*$ you+re setting up your own program- you+ll need to know some (asic strength
training principles ,hese principles will teach you how to make sure you+re using
enough weight- determine your sets and reps and insure you+re always progressing in
your workouts
1 9verload6 *$ you want to get stronger- you need to use more resistance than
your muscles are used to ,his is important (ecause the more you do- the more
your (ody is capa(le o$ doing- so you should increase your workload to avoid
adaptation *n plain language- this means you should (e li$ting enough #eight
that you can $%&Y complete the desired number of reps 3ou should (e
a(le to $inish your last rep with di$$iculty (ut also with good $orm
2 Brogression *n order to avoid plateaus (or adaptation)- you need to increase
your intensity !ith strength training- you can do this (y increasing the
amount o$ weight li$ted- increasing the sets2reps- increasing or changing the
e'ercises you+re doing and2or change the rest intervals (etween sets 3ou can
also change the order o$ your e'ercises ,his means increasing your intensity
every week
; Speci$icity ,his principle states that the way your (ody adapts to e'ercise
depends on the type o$ e'ercise you+re doing ,hat means- i$ you want to
increase your strength- your program should (e designed around that goal ,o
gain strength and mass- you want to train with heavier weights closer to your 1
<@ (1 rep ma') *$ you want to (uild endurance and strength- you+ll want to
stick with lighter weights and a rep range o$ =-12
C <est and <ecovery <est days are %ust as important as workout days *t is
during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change- so make sure
you+re not working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row
Be$ore you get started on setting up your routine- keep a $ew key points in mind6
1 'l#ays #arm up (e$ore you start li$ting weights ,his helps get your muscles
warm and prevent in%ury 3ou can warm up with light cardio or (y doing a
light set o$ each e'ercise (e$ore going to heavier weights
2 &ift and lo#er your #eights slo#ly( ?on+t use momentum to li$t the weight
*$ you have to swing to get the weight up- chances are you+re using too much
weight
; "reathe ?on+t hold your (reath and make sure you+re using $ull range of
motion throughout the movement
C Stand up straight) *$ your mother could see you now- she+d pro(a(ly slap a
(ook on your head Bay attention to your posture and keep everything straight
1ngage your a(s in every movement you+re doing to keep your (alance and
protect your spine
Choosing Exercises, Sequence & Weight
3our $irst step in setting up a routine is to choose e'ercises to target all o$ your
muscle groups 9ne way to make sure you+re doing this right is to work with a
personal trainer who can help you set up the right program $or you and educate you on
proper $orm *$ that+s not an option- consider renting or (uying a workout video
Strength training videos can give you visual instruction without the cost o$ a personal
trainer ,he only limitation is that- once you ad%ust to that workout you might have to
get another video4 9ne more option is to hire an online personal trainer *t+s cheaper
than hiring a trainer at the gym and- at @y 5itness 1'pert- you get the same kind o$
personal treatment as you would at a gym or at home
5or (eginners- choose at least one e'ercise per muscle group
,he list (elow o$$ers some e'amples6
&hest 6 (ench press- chest press machine- pushups- pec deck machine
Back 6 one-armed row- seated row machine- (ack e'tensions- lat pulldowns
Shoulders 6 overhead press- lateral raise- $ront raise
Biceps 6 (icep curls- hammer curls- concentration curls
,riceps 6 tricep e'tensions- dips- kick(acks
7uadriceps 6 S.uats- lunges- leg e'tension and leg press machines
Hamstrings 6 deadli$ts- lunges- leg curl machine
A(s 6 crunches- reverse crunches- o(li.ue twists- pelvic tilts
&heck out the strength training and cardio workouts availa(le at !orkout &entral
Se*uence of Exercises
@ake sure you choose at least one e'ercise $or each ma%or muscle group
,he muscles to work include6 &hest- (ack- shoulders- (iceps- triceps-
.uadriceps- hamstrings- calves and a(dominals
*$ you leave any muscle group out- this could cause an im(alance in your
muscles and possi(ly lead to in%uries
@ost e'perts recommend starting with your larger muscle groups and then proceeding
to the smaller muscle groups ,he most demanding e'ercises are those per$ormed (y
your large muscle groups and you will need your smaller muscles to get the most out
o$ these e'ercises 5or e'ample- in a (ench press your shoulders and triceps are
involved in sta(ili/ing your arms- so you want them to (e strong so you don+t drop the
weight on your chest ,he (onusA By the time you get to your shoulder and triceps
e'ercises- your muscles will (e warmed up and ready to go However- this isn+t
written in (lood so do what works $or you *n addition- you don+t necessarily need to
do as many sets with your smaller muscle groups since they+re used so much in other
e'ercises
+o# ,uch Weight To -se
,he easiest way to determine how much weight you should use on each li$t is to guess
(not very scienti$ic- huhA)6
1 Bick up a light weight and do a warm up set o$ the e'ercise o$ your choice-
aiming $or a(out 1# to 1) repetitions
2 5or set 2- increase your weight (y " or more pounds and per$orm your goal
num(er o$ repetitions *$ you can do more than your desired num(er o$ reps-
heavy up again $or your ;rd set
; *n general- you should (e li$ting enough weight that you can 9:L3 do the
desired reps 3ou should (e struggling (y the last rep- (ut still a(le to $inish it
with good $orm
C *t may take awhile to $ind the right amount o$ weight $or each e'ercise
" *n general- you can use heavier weights with larger muscle groups such as
chest- (ack and legs 3ou+ll need smaller weights $or the shoulders and arms
Choosing Repetitions and Sets
+o# ,any Reps.Sets To Do
3ou+ve $igured out how much weight to use $or your chosen e'erciseswhat a(out
the num(er o$ sets and repetitionsA 3our decision should (e (ased on your goals ,he
American &ollege o$ Sports @edicine recommends =-12 reps $or muscular strength
and 1#-1" reps $or muscular endurance ,hey also recommend at least 1 set o$ each
e'ercise to $atigue although you+ll $ind that most people per$orm a(out ; sets o$ each
e'ercise *n general6
5or $at loss6 ?o 1#-12 reps using enough weight that you can 9:L3 complete
the desired reps and 1-; sets (1 $or (eginners- 2-; $or intermediate and
advanced e'ercisers) <est a(out ;# seconds-1 minute (etween sets and at
least one day (etween workout sessions
5or muscle gain6 ?o )-= reps enough weight that you can 9:L3 complete the
desired reps and ; or more sets- resting $or 1-2 minutes (etween sets and ; or
more days (etween sessions
5or (eginners- give yoursel$ several weeks o$ conditioning (e$ore going to this
level 3ou may need a spotter $or many e'ercises
5or health and muscular endurance6 ?o 12-1) reps using enough weight that
you can 9:L3 complete the desired reps and 1-; sets- resting 2#-;# seconds
(etween sets and at least one day (etween workout sessions
+o# &ong To Rest "et#een Exercises.Wor/out Sessions
Again- this will depend on your goal Higher intensity (ie- when li$ting heavy)
e'ercise re.uires a longer rest !hen li$ting to $atigue- it takes an average o$ ; to "
minutes $or your muscles to rest $or the ne't set !hen using lighter weight and more
repetitions- it takes (etween ;# seconds and 1 minute $or your muscles to rest
,he American &ollege o$ Sports @edicine recommends training each muscle group 2
to ; times a week But- the num(er o$ times you li$t each week will depend on your
training method *n order $or muscles to repair and grow- you+ll need a(out C= hours
o$ rest (etween workout sessions *$ you+re training at a high intensity- take a longer
rest
Where to Wor/out
3ou don+t have to %oin a gym to get a great strength training workout A gym is nice
(ecause you+ll have access to (oth machines and $ree weights- so you have plenty o$
variety *$ you do %oin a gym- it+s a good idea to incorporate (oth types o$ e.uipment
into your workout routine $or variety !hat+s the di$$erenceA ,his article e'plains all
*$ you decide to workout at home- here are a $ew items you might want to consider
(uying6
<esistance (ands are around D) to D1" ,hey+re small- light- travel well and
you get get a $ull (ody workout with it
?um((ells ,hey+re cheap and you can do a variety o$ e'ercise with them
5ind them at your local ,arget or !almart 9ther options include a (ar(ell set-
an e'ercise (all and2or a weight (ench
A step is more e'pensive (a good one goes $or around D=" or so) (ut you can
use $or everything $rom step aero(ics to weight (ench to plant-holder
(although * don+t recommend it $or that)
5or tips on setting up your home gym- check out this in-depth article
5or more- see Best Strength ,raining 1.uipment
A(s and Back
,ry these uni.ue and challenging e'ercises $or the a(dominals and the lower (ack $or
a strong- $unctional torso
Scroll to the (ottom $or instructions See your doctor (e$ore you (egin any type o$
e'ercise program and modi$y the e'ercises where needed
Bridge with Leg Lift
Lie $ace up on the $loor- knees (ent Bush (ody
into a (ridge position- supporting your weight on
your $eet and arms Straighten one leg up- heel
$le'ed and slowly lower leg out to the side a $ew
inches !*,H98, moving the rest o$ the (ody
8se the a(s to sta(ili/e your (ody and don+t hold
your (reath ?o all reps on one leg- then switch
sides
Balancing Ab Twist
Begin (y lying on your side and push up so that
your (ody is supported (y right arm- $eet stacked
Straighten le$t arm and (alance $or a moment- then
sweep the le$t arm down and twist the (ody- turning
it towards the $loor while keeping the rest o$ the
(ody in place S.uee/e the a(s and hold $or 2
seconds- then go (ack to starting position
Wheel Slide
8sing an a( wheel- ad%usta(le dum((ell (see
picture) 9< simply a piece o$ card(oard- (egin on
hands and knees with wheel in $ront- arms straight-
a(s pulled in <oll wheel out- keeping a(s tight
(?9 :9, A<&H BA&E4) as $ar as you can
com$orta(ly go- then s.uee/e the a(s to roll (ody
(ack to starting position 1ach workout- go a little
$urther out
Bicycle
Lie $ace up with lower (ack pressed to the $loor
&radle head in your hands- el(ows out- and (end
right knee- pulling it towards your chest while
touching the knee with the opposite el(ow Begin a
slow pedal motion (y touching opposite el(ow to
opposite knee- alternating each side Eeep the a(s
pulled in (don+t let them (ulge out) and (reath
continuously
Deadlifts
Hold a (ar(ell or dum((ells in $ront o$ thighs- $eet
hip-width apart and a(s pulled in ,ipping $rom the
hips and keeping the weight close to your legs-
lower the weight to mid-shin (or wherever is
com$orta(le) while keeping the legs straight ((ut
not locked) Li$t (ack to starting position and make
sure the a(s are pulled tight throughout the
movement
Back Extensions
Lie $ace down with hands either (ehind the (ack or
lightly cradling the head Li$t upper (ody o$$ the
ground a $ew inches- keeping head and neck in
alignment 5or a challenge- then li$t $eet o$$ the
ground keeping legs straight (knees don+t have to (e
together)- hold $or 2-C counts and lower
The Wor/out
?o this workout ;-C non-consecutive days a week
Ber$orm each e'ercise $or 1-; sets o$ 1#-12 repetitions ((eginners start with 1 set o$ 1# reps)
0erfect !orm 0ointers
Eeep (ody sta(ili/ed throughout the movement
?on+t swing or use momentum
,ake C-) seconds $or each repetition
@ake sure a(s are pulled in tight throughout each movement
'l#ays(((
!arm up with "-1# minutes o$ cardio
?o this workout in addition to an upper (ody- lower (ody workout and regular cardio e'ercise $or (est
results
Lowering your calories can help you lose more (ody $at
Beginner Abs & Back
,he $ollowing e'ercises are (asic moves targeting the a(s and (ack Always avoid
any e'ercises that cause pain and- i$ you $eel lower (ack strain- modi$y the move to a
com$orta(le range o$ motion or place a rolled up towel under your hips to support
your lower (ack
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&heck with your doctor i$ you have any in%uries or medical conditions
!arm up with some light cardio (e$ore this workout
Ber$orm each e'ercise $or at least 1 set o$ 1#-1) reps
?o each e'ercise slowly and $ocus on good $orm $or each rep
Crunches
Lie on your (ack with your hands crossed
across your chest or with your $ingers on
the sides o$ your head Blace your $eet on
the $loor with legs (ent ,o (egin the
e'ercise- li$t your torso- li$ting shoulder
(lades o$$ the $loor and crunching your ri(
cage towards your lower (elly Hold $or
two counts- then lower slowly to the
starting position <epeat
Reerse Crunches
Lie on your (ack with knees (ent- $eet a
$ew inches o$$ the $loor Slowly contract
the a(dominals- $ocusing on rotating the
pelvis up and (ringing your knees towards
your ri( cage &oncentrate on letting your
a(s do the work Hold at the top then
slowly lower your knees to the starting
position <epeat
!bli"ue Crossoer Crunches
Lie on your (ack with knees (ent- hands
(ehind your head Eeeping lower (ack
pressed into the $loor- li$t your shoulder
(lades o$$ the $loor and then curl your
upper (ody diagonally across your (ody
towards your right knee &ontract your a(s
and o(li.ues as hard as you can at the top
o$ the movement Lower (ack down and
repeat on the same side (e$ore switching
sides
#lank
Begin (y placing el(ows on the $loor and
resting (ody on the knees Bull the a(s
tight to hold your (ody in a straight line
$rom head to knees without sagging in the
middle- eyes looking naturally $orward
Hold this position $or as long as you can-
rela' and repeat ; or more times
Dead Bug
Begin (y lying on (ack- knees up and (ent
at I# degrees ,ake the arms straight up
overhead and hold this position $or a
moment- making sure a(s are in tight and
your (ack isn+t arching o$$ the $loor (i$ it
is- lower the $eet to the ground $or this
e'ercise) Slowly lower the right arm and
le$t leg towards the $loor while keeping
the lower (ack on the $loor Bring them
(ack up and lower the le$t arm and right
leg to the $loor &ontinue lowering
opposite arm and leg $or a total o$ 1# reps
Back Extensions
Lie $ace down with hands either (ehind
the (ack or lightly cradling the head Li$t
upper (ody o$$ the ground a $ew inches-
keeping head and neck in alignment 5or a
challenge- then li$t $eet o$$ the ground
keeping legs straight (knees don+t have to
(e together)- hold $or 2-C counts and
lower
Su$erhu%ans
Begin on hands and knees- hand directly
under shoulders- knees under hips and
(ack straight- a(s tight Slowly raise right
arm and le$t leg up until level with the
(ody- holding your (alance and keeping
torso tight Lower (ack down and repeat
with the le$t arm and right leg ,ake your
time--this e'ercise will challenge your
(alance4
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