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SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR BASIC STRENGTH TRAINING
 1.
If you have any orthopedic or other musculoskeletal problems, a history
of heart disease or high blood pressure, are pregnant, or have any
physical disabilities or chronic illnesses be sure to check with your
physician before beginning this program. The Workout with Weights
is not intended for use by children.
2. When you pick up your weights (just like when picking up a box,
etc.), bend your knees as you bend over, and lift the weights up by
straightening your legs, not by using your low back muscles.
 3.
Always breathe while lifting. It is easiest if you get into the habit
of exhaling on the effort (hard) portion of the lift, and inhaling
on the recovery (easy) portion of the lift.
4. Keep a bottle of cold water nearby and take frequent small drinks
during your workout. Cold water empties from the stomach more quickly
than warm water, so it is less likely to cause a bloated feeling.
 5.
Stop an exercise if you cannot complete the full range of movement
without extreme effort. If you are losing control of the weight, or
if your exercising muscles begin to quiver at the end of the movement,
you are most likely using too much weight. So, go to a lighter dumbbell,
or use no weight to complete the set.
6. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes at all times. Do not wear rubberized
suits or sweat belts during exercise. These simply make you lose more
water, and actually increase your risk of dehydration and possible
heat stress problems.
7. Always move the weights in a controlled fashion, and keep pace
with the cadence demonstrated for each exercise.
8. Research has shown that 2-3 days per week is optimum for strength
training. After weightlifting, always allow the muscle(s) used a day
of rest.
 9.
We suggest that if you are going to do an aerobic workout and the
Workout with Weights on the same day, if possible, do the aerobic
workout first. Aerobic exercise provides a good warm-up for the strength
and flexibility exercises. If you take a studio aerobics class on
the same day as the Workout with Weights, be sure to skip the portion
of the aerobics class that emphasizes strength development.
10. Some exercises in the Workout with Weights have a 15 second rest
period between sets. Be sure not to skip the rest period. The rest
allows the muscles to replenish their energy supply, and also reduces
the risk of overworking them. |
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The Workout with Weights is designed to develop a balance of strength
in the body's major muscle groups using the well-established protocol
of progressive resistance training (PRT). PRT simply involves using
a weight which allows you to accomplish all repetitions of a given
exercise. As you begin with a given weight, the last couple of repetitions
should be challenging, not impossible, but not easy After a couple
of weeks at that weight, you will notice that the last repetitions
of an exercise are quite easily accomplished. At that point it is
time to "progress to an increased resistance," in other
words, use a heavier weight.
Don't expect daily improvement. You may find that some-times a workout
is actually more difficult than the previous work-out, even though
you are using the same amount of weight. This is normal. But if you
stick with your program, you will undoubtedly see significant improvements
on a month-to-month basis. Be patient and persistent and you will
accomplish your goals.
You should expect to feel muscle soreness a day or two (or three!)
following an exercise session, especially when you first begin. The
exact cause(s) for this are not known, but scientists have some good
evidence that it results from microscopic injury to muscle and connective
tissue which is to be expected. Just be sure to allow a day of rest
between exercising the same muscle groups. And be sure to do the stretches. |
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 GUIDELINES
FOR CHOOSING YOUR WEIGHTS
 To
help you choose the appropriate weights for you, the weights listed
in the tables for CLASSES I & II have been included only as a
guideline. Because there is a tremendous difference in beginning levels
of strength, even for those who have never trained with weights, you
should use the following "guestimate" method to pick your
starting weights:
After you have practiced an exercise using no weight, and are sure
that you are properly completing the full range of the movement, select
a weight for the exercise that seems reason-able to you. Then move
the weight through the full range of the movement.
If you cannot complete all repetitions of the exercise with proper
form, or without excessive effort, you have picked a weight which
is too heavy. In this case, rest for a couple of minutes, then select
a lighter weight, and try again. Repeat this process for each exercise
until you have the weight which makes you work to complete all repetitions,
but does not cause your muscles to quiver at the end of the effort.
On the other hand, if you initially select a weight which allows you
to complete all repetitions properly, with very little effort, you
will need to select a heavier weight.
Once you have the appropriate weight, stick with it for two weeks
before moving to the next heavier weight.For those exercises with
more than one set, you may find that you will want to use decreasing
amounts of weight. If the first set is too difficult, or if your muscles
are fatiguing before the end of the set, select a lighter weight for
the second and/or third set of exercises. |
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  ALTERNATIVES
TO USING A FLAT BENCH
For the exercises which suggest that you use a bench (dumbbell fly,
reverse trunk curl, dumbbell chest press), there are alternatives
to the flat bench we use in the Workout with Weights. You can use
a picnic bench, as long as it is sturdy enough to support your weight
without wobbling. Also, make sure that it is long enough to support
your head when you bring your feet up onto the bench.If you don't
have a bench and don't want to buy one, the floor will certainly
work for many of the exercises. Be aware that you are sacrificing
some range of motion for exercises such as the dumbbell flies and
chest presses. Be sure to use a mat or blanket of even thickness
to cushion all the way from your head to your buttocks.
Don't use a pillow or a pad which places support only under your
upper or lower back, since this increases the likelihood for arching
your lower back.For seated exercises [biceps curls, triceps curls,
front raise (optional), lateral raise (optional), bent-over row,
quadriceps extension] you may use a sturdy, straight-backed chair
without arms. Be sure to use correct form through the entire range
of motion. You can also use a chair for the one-arm rows if you
are able to comfortably support both your hand and one knee on the
chair seat. You'll probably want to pad the chair seat with a mat
or blanket if you're using a wooden chair. You can certainly put
your legs up on a chair instead of a bench for the abdominal crunches
in CLASS II. |
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THOUGHTS ON THE USE OF A BARBELL
Some individuals prefer doing the squats and lunges in CLASS II
with a barbell instead of two dumbbells.
This is fine as long as you follow the same "guestimate"
method for selecting the amount of weight you will use. Also, pad
under the bar where it rests on your upper back/neck.
Support the bar-bell across the top of your shoulders, not with
your neck. Don't hyperextend your neck by sticking your chin forward,
or arch your lower back as you move toward the floor. Be sure to
watch that your knees stay in alignment over your feet, and don't
let your knee bend beyond 90 ° (your thigh and lower leg should
not bend to more than a right angle). |
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