Weight Training Exercises

Still using the resource Champions Body For Life, below is a list of exercises for each part of your body - which you can do with dummbells and leg weights if that's all you have, but which will work best with a barbell and a leg-exercise extension on your weight bench.

The last few times I've told you about weight training, I've described the exercises and how you should perform them. I'm not going to do that here.

Go to your local library and check out a book on weight training, or buy one from your local book store. There's a difference between body building and body sculpting - you dont' wan tto be taking any supplements to build extra muscle, or cause your metabolism to go faster - artificial ways to heighten your metabolism are not good for your heart.

But the best way to learn how to do weight training exercises is to have someone knowledgeable show you in person. Lacking that, you need a book that explains all the moves, and to which you can refer when you're first starting out. (And of course there are several websits that have videos on how to do the various exercises.)

You do not need to do every exercise listed below, especially if you're just starting out. Use one exercise for your chest, one for your shoulders, one for your belly, one for your thighs, one for your calves...you do not want to over train.

If your workout starts to get boring, that's when to substitute one exercise for another, to add variety.

Upper Body - Chest (Women should do these exercises to prevent breast sag in old age, if for no other reason!)
1. Dumbbell bench press
2. Incline dumbbell bench press
3. Dumbbel Flyes (very good, exxercises muscles not generally used)
4. Barbell bench presses
5. Seated dumbbell presses
6. Standin barbell presses

Shoulders
1. Dumbbell side raises
2. Bent-over dumbbell raises

Back
1. One arm dumbbell rows
2. Dumbbell bench pullovers
3. Incline dumbbell bench rows
4. Bent over dumbbell rows

Triceps (Keeps your under arms nice and firm and prevents widows jiggle)
1. Standing dumbbell extensions
2. Bench dips
3. Lting Dumbbell Extensions
4. Dumbbell kickbacks

Biceps (for that nice, muscular curbe)
1. Incline dumbbell curls
2. Seated dumbbell curls
3. Standing barbell curls
4. Hammer curls

Lower Body - Quadriceps (those muscles in the front part of your thigh)
1. Dumbbell squats
2. Barbell squats
3. Dumbbell Sumo squats
4. Step-ups

Hamstrings - the muscles on the underside of your thigh - gets rid of "thunder thighs")
1. Dumbbell lunges
2. Straight leg deadlifts
3. Leg extensions
4. Leg curls (also god for calves)

Calves
1. Seated calf raises
2. Standing dumbbell calf raises
3. One leg calf raises

Abominables (well, abdominals, if you want to get technical)
1. Crunches (a modified form of situp, easier on your back)
2. Twist crunches
3. Bent knee leg raises