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The Beginner’s Toolkit:
How Do I Start A Weight Training Program?
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Monday, or Day One: Chest and Back
Begin with a 10-minute warmup on a cardio device —
just enough to
get the blood flowing. Follow this by light stretching of the entire
body.
Incline Dumbbell Presses, Palms In
This is
performed with your palms facing your head rather than turned out. This
technique will go a long way to preventing rotator cuff (shoulder)
injuries, especially in older trainees. I use it exclusively.
Begin with the weights overhead, and lower slowly
and controlled
(again, please consult with a trainer for form and instructions, or
look into a book called “Keys To The Inner Universe” by Bill Pearl.)
Lower the weight in about 4 seconds, and push it back up in 2. Start
with a set of 12 repetitions, with the 12th rep being a little
challenging. This is your warm-up.
Do another set of 12 reps, but this time increase
the weight a bit
and make that last rep pretty hard. Do only ONE more set with more
weight, and this time get 8 reps, with the 8th rep being very
challenging, but not requiring assistance. Write the poundage down,
then simply increase it the following week, or increase the number of
reps. If you hit 15 reps for the first work set and 10 for the second,
increase the weight for sure.
Seated Cable Rows
Using a cable row, common in every gym, repeat the same set and rep
structure as above. Again, you are only performing two hard sets
of one exercise per body part. This is all you need!
Keep your back “straight”, not bent, when doing cable rows. Picture
something pulling your elbows backwards in your head as you contract
and squeeze the back muscles. Really put your mind into it.
Conclude your workout with 30-40 minutes of
cardio. Work your way up
to this, but eventually perform 40 minutes at 65-75% of your maximum
heart rate, which is about 220 minus your age x .65 or .75. So, if
you’re 50, this would be 220-50 = 170 x .75 (if you use 75%) for a
target heart rate of about 125-130 (no need to be super-specific here.)
This will really crank the fat-burning!
Total Workout Time: Under 1 Hour
Next:
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Weight Training Tips
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Weeks 1-2: Ease In
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Weeks 3-4: Step It Up
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Day One: Chest and Back
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Day Two: Legs And Abs
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Day Three: Shoulders And
Arms
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