Beginner's Weight Training

This is a simple but very effective weight training routine for both men and women of all ages!

Exercise Routine

Performed three days a week, alternating between exercise days.
Each exercise is repeated three times (3 sets) for ten repetitions.
Rest one minute between sets.

Sets and Reps

Definition

The best way to define a set is by example.  You do ten repetitions, rest, and do another ten repetitions, that would be two sets of ten repetitions. If you rested and did another eight repetitions, you would have done three sets: two sets of ten and one set of eight.

Set and Reps for Beginners

The best set and rep scheme for beginners is the "Endurance" goal selection. You would do one exercise for your chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, legs, abdominals and core. For each of these exercises you would do three sets of ten repetitions and rest one minute between sets.

Exercise Descriptions

1. Pushups

Get on the floor and position your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. Raise up onto your toes so you are balanced on your hands and toes. Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe without sagging in the middle or arching your back.

Your feet can be close together or a bit wider depending upon what is most comfortable for you. Contract your abdominals and keep tight throughout the entire push-up. Inhale as you slowly lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Your chest should not touch the floor. Exhale as you begin pushing back up to the starting position.

2. Dumbbell Rows

Hold a dumbbell, bend over at the waist, and brace yourself on a bench.  With the dumbbell hanging straight down, pull the weight to the outside of your chest with your palm facing in. Your upper arm should be parallel to the floor. Lower the dumbbell slowly and feel the stretch.

3. Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your thighs with your palms facing each other. Raise the dumbbells simultaneously to your sides keeping a slight bend in your elbows. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level.  Keeping the dumbbells parallel to the floor and slowly lower the weights to the starting position in front of your thighs.

4. Alternating Dumbbell Curls

Hold a pair of dumbbells on the outside of your thighs. Your palms should be facing in toward your thighs. Keeping your elbow anchored to your side, slowly raise one dumbbell and as you do so, rotate your wrist a quarter turn so that your palm is facing up at the top position.

5. Chair Dips

Stand in front of a chair and face away from the chair's seat. Sit down on the edge of the seat and place your hands behind your hips. Your hands should be on the edge of the seat and shoulder width apart. Lift you bottom off the seat and walk your feet forward so that there is only a slight bend in your knees.

Make sure your hands are secure on the chair so that you don’t slip off. Keep your chest elevated and head up. Slowly lower your body downward. Be careful that your elbows don’t bend to an angle smaller than 90 degrees. Extend your arms, raising your body upward and supporting your weight with your arms.

6. Free Weight Squats

Squats should be performed with your back straight, and eyes looking forward. You lower yourself to the position where your thighs are parallel to the floor while keeping your knees behind your toes.

7. Reverse Crunch

Lie on the floor and place your hands palms-down at your sides. Keep your knees bent with a 60-degree bend and your feet flat on the floor.  Using your lower abdominals raise your hips and glutes up off the floor keeping your knees bent. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.

8. Plank

Lie on the floor face down with your feet together and your forearms on the floor. Lift your body off the floor until your body forms a straight line from head to toe while keeping your forearms resting on the floor. Hold for 5 seconds and lower your body back down on the floor. Repeat this up and down movement for 2 sets of 10.