Pumping iron? Pressing pounds? Lifting Big Wheels? Working the Boulders? Showing off the Guns? Working out with weights or dumbbells can sometimes make you feel like a meathead, but resistance training and weight lifting is essential to increase muscle mass, keep healthy bones and fire up your metabolism which aids in weight loss. The US Department of Health & Human Services recommends that adults incorporate 60 minutes of strength training exercises on 2 or more days per week.
Honing in on your inner Arnold can be tricky if you’ve never touched a dumb bell before. You need to practice correct form in order for the moves to be effective as well as protect your joints from injury.
So how do you get started when lifting a gallon of milk is a chore? Basic moves like bicep curls or shoulder/chest presses can be practiced without weights at first using your own body weight. Start with 10 bicep curls (or whatever exercise you choose), 1 repetition of an exercise is called a “rep,” and 10 “reps” is referred to as a “set.” It may not feel like you’re working anything at first, but you’ll feel it the next day. I know a girl whose biceps were killing her the next day after playing Wii boxing!
Work your way up to 3 sets without weights then add 1 or 2 pound dumbbells to your reps, 1 set at a time until you feel like you can handle use them on all 3. Then continue to increase your weight so that it’s challenging for you.
You can even do it at home, while watching American Idol! 5 Below is a great resource for on hand gym supplies. They sell dumbbells, resistance bands, yoga balls and blocks, workout videos, jump ropes. You can almost buy a private gym for like $20.
Most gyms offer group exercise classes that incorporate strength training in their schedules. I highly recommend the Les Mils Body Pump class. (Do I sound like a total meat head?) Check out the video, it’s a lot of fun for folks of all fitness levels!
After a BodyPump class I always feel that maybe I am a little closer to getting those “Michelle Obama” arms.
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