index page number · muscle burns fat! this means that the more muscle you have on your body the...

Index Page Number

Introduction 1

The benefits of strength training include 1

What you are working with 2

Effort 2

Consistency 2

Technique and form 3

The two top exercises 4

On the strength days 5

Intensity 6

Why is muscle so important? 6

Keys to a good metabolism 6

Scales mentality 6

It all comes down to your body composition 7

Challenging yourself 8

Change it up 8

A common myth 9

What is a proper exercise program? 9

Strength training is real exercise 10

The six factors of physical fitness 10

The Hot Metabolism exercise program uses dumbbells 11

Strength training and metabolic improvement 11

Strength training terminology 11

Workout number one and two 14

Instructions for your strength training program 33

Hot Metabolism - Exercise Program A Metabolic Fitness System 1

IntroductionCan you really change the shape and appearance of your body you may ask? Yes, you most certainly can. You are not stuck with what you were born with – you can sculpt a new look if you know what to do and how to do it.

Our society loves beauty. The most admired bodies are lean, symmetrical and firm. So why do we see so many people starving themselves trying to be skinny? Lack of knowledge is the problem.

The main problem is too much focus has been placed on dieting and doing cardio exercise and not enough importance placed on strength training exercise. Most people don’t understand that strength training is how they can shape their bodies into the slim firm bodies they want. Dieting and cardio exercise without strength training causes muscle tissue loss which lowers the metabolism (the bodies engine) allowing body fat to accumulate.

Muscle burns fat! This means that the more muscle you have on your body the higher your metabolic rate, the more body fat your body burns for fuel.So if you want to get rid of the fat on your body, you need to strength train and build strong active muscles that will gobble up the fat from all over your body and leave behind a shapely, firm, lean body.

The benefits of strength training include: 1. A boost in metabolism. Your basal metabolic rate refers to the number of calories you use at rest, and makes up about 60-75 percent of your body’s total energy expenditure. So the more muscle you have on your body, the more calories you burn, all day long. 2. Improved body composition (the ratio of fat to lean body mass). Because muscle is denser than body fat, a person who is strength training will show slower changes on the scale but faster changes in body composition. This is because they are increasing their lean body mass but decreasing their body fat.

3. Increased bone density. Strength training will increase your bone density and reduce your risk of osteoporosis, a particular issue for women but men are also at risk. And if you already have osteoporosis, weight training can lessen its impact. 4. Increased confidence. Walking around and feeling the strength in your muscles can be very empowering. Researchers report that the mental benefits arise as a result of strength training and from the process of mastering physical challenges. So both the process and the outcome benefit both men and women.

Your workouts should be of short duration but high intensity ie focused and working hard. If you are spending two hours in the gym, ask yourself why. If it’s for fun - cool. If it’s because your workout is low intensity and it takes two hours to feel like you did something, you need to kick it up a notch.

2 www.HotMetabolism.com © All Rights Reserved - Carolyn Hansen

What if you needed to be in and out in 45 minutes? What changes would you make to your workout to get everything important in? What low intensity fluff would you cut out?

Aerobic exercise is a great way to keep the heart/lung system fit but it’s not a good way to actually LOSE weight, build muscle mass or increase bone density. It is now recommended that all people over the age of 30 start strength training to increase their bone density in order to stave off obesity, arthritis, osteoporosis, various cancers and a host of other medical problems caused by low bone density and lack of exercise.

What you are working withOur body consists primarily of water, fat, muscle and bone. Your bone structure is fairly well set by the time you are an adult so there is little chance of actually changing it. So that leaves muscle and fat that you have primarily to work with. By altering the amounts of muscle and fat in your body you can alter its shape and appearance.

If you don’t exercise and eat too much food you will lose muscle tone and strength, and you will accumulate body fat. On the other hand, if you begin to exercise on a regular basis and eat nutritious food to fuel your exercise sessions you will lose that excess body fat and increase your muscle tone and strength.

The whole of your body will take on a leaner, tighter and shapelier appearance. Exercise; in particular strength training is the only way you can bring about these changes.

EffortAcquiring yourself a lean, trim body does not happen without effort on your part. The body does not willingly or easily change. It will resist your attempts to make it take on a new shape. More than a haphazard approach to your exercise program is required to make any solid change and effort is a required element which makes the change possible.

As with anything in this life nothing worth having comes without effort, think about your career or relationships - they all require some effort to keep them functioning well. This does not mean going for the “burn” and training with high repetitions and light weight though.

ConsistencyA regular and consistent approach with your exercise program is what will bring the desired changes to your body. Although we want everything in life instantly, patient effort is a powerful tool when it comes to your exercise program.

If you consistently follow the training guidelines in this program you should begins to notice a nice new shape to your body, and the longer you stick with the program the more drastic and pronounced the changes will be.


Technique and formGood form will always give you good results. Focus on your posture, technique and form. Always concentrate on the muscle you are working, and “feel” and “squeeze” it as you take it through the resistance stage. When you release the move, maintain the tension in the working muscle.

To every movement there is a beginning and an end. By performing strength training exercises and movements fast you are then using momentum which is defined as a moving force robbing the muscles of work and leaving you at risk of injury.

The slower and “squeezier” you do your exercises the greater the results you will experience as you will be using more muscle fibers.

Types of exercisesForget the little weights, and forget “muscle sculpting”. Don’t waste your time with exercises like bicep curls or walking on a treadmill. For 99% of all people, exercises like these are inefficient.

While there are literally hundreds of strength training exercises to choose from, very few are actually worth doing. The few exercises that are worth doing are the ones that provide the most bang for your buck. In other words, the few exercises that are worth doing are your ticket to fast results. These special exercises could be called the “20% Club.”

In the business world there is a phrase that 80% of business comes from 20% of your clients or customers. As a result smart companies keep the 20% members happy. Unfortunately many companies make the mistake of showing more concern for potential customers rather than current customers. A similar philosophy can be applied to productive strength training.

Trainees that ignore the 20% exercises that provide the most bang for their buck are the same trainees that never make any meaningful progress. They are neglecting the exercises that provide the greatest benefit. Big mistake! They fail to realize that the “20% Club” exercises will produce 80% of their gains. Actually they may even provide 100% of your gains.

Why work just a few of your muscles when you can work them all at the same time. The most efficient thing you can do if your goal is maximum body shape and fitness then you need to perform full body multi-joint compound exercises.


The two top exercisesBig compound movements such as the dead lift and the squat are superior to machine, isolation-type movements as they allow you to use maximal weight while training a number of muscle groups simultaneously.

Let’s examine these seemingly compatible exercises the dead lift and squat vs. the “leg machines.” Now, I know what you are thinking. They are all working the same muscles, right? So what does it matter whether I do squats or use exercise machines? Well, let’s look at the most obvious issue first?

Squatting is a full lower body exercise that works all the parts of your legs at the same time. Yet, most people will do four different leg machines to try and accomplish what squats will do. By squatting, instead of doing leg press, leg extension, leg curls and calf raises you could be out of the gym in half the time and will have acquired way better results.

So why aren’t more people taking advantage of this? Simply put, most people fear the squat and the dead lift (along with anything else challenging in life) because these exercises are hard and they require some “work”.

It is much more difficult to load 40 kilos on your back and squat down with it till your thighs are parallel to the floor than it is to sit in a little chair and move a bar up and down with your legs. To properly work your legs it does not make sense to be sitting in a chair where your bodyweight and gravity are removed, leaving very little resistance to strengthen major muscle groups.

The lower body is made for strong and vigorous movement, so to strengthen it you should be standing, moving, squatting, bending …not sitting. It is like trying to work your arms while they are hanging by your sides.

Unfortunately a large number of people avoid using proper leg exercises altogether or use leg exercises that are completely ineffective because they do not realize it is the big bang exercises that really hold the power to achieving results.

If you would like the number one and two best exercises to give you the best shaped body well, then you are in luck – this workout program has the two most basic and effective exercises that have ever been invented, the dead lift and the squat. What is the number one benefit of exercises that work huge groups of muscles at the same time? Fat loss!

The dead lift is an incredible exercise, quite possibly the biggest ‘muscle working exercise’ on the face of this planet. Because it works a lot of muscles, in fact it engages pretty much every muscle in your body and therefore burns a large amount of energy into the bargain.


What’s more, it will send your metabolism sky rocketing after training, forcing you to burn a high number of calories between sessions. If you need to lose fat, THIS is the exercise to embrace as it is perfect for both fat loss and muscle toning programs.

But don’t worry! The amount of muscle toning you will gain from using these awesome exercises will not give you large body builder type leg muscles or a huge muscular butt!

It’s quite the opposite. Lean muscle is very compact.

Multi joint exercises like the dead lift and squat will give you the biggest bang for your buck, big payoff exercises done at the correct intensity level can contribute to up to 95% of your results.

Doing low return, small exercises working on small muscle groups may be acceptable once in a while, or for fun but you can spend a lot of time doing them for very little return. It is always best to work in an efficient manner expecting the most results for the least amount of invested time.

You will not get the body you want without learning how to correctly squat and dead lift, and then getting strong in those movements. If you get on a first name basis with these two fantastic exercises then getting the body you want is only a matter of time and consistency.

When doing a squat, your core must be engaged to keep you balanced and stable. So, you are working large portions of your body in one exercise, versus the leg extension working just your quadriceps, (front thigh muscles) then the leg curl working just your hamstrings (rear thigh muscles).

I know a lot of people are saying, “But I can’t do squats because I have bad knees (or ankles, or hips, or whatever).”

Then how do you get in and out of your car, or sit on the toilet, or pick something up?” Everyone can do squats; if necessary you may have to do bodyweight squats with no added weight. You may need to do them with a chair, sitting and standing up again or a Swiss ball wall squat. However you need to do them is fine, just do them okay?

On the strength daysYour job is to lift as heavy as you can, with perfect form. The idea is to get stronger over time, to lift heavier to build the muscle that’s going to speed up your metabolism, make you look leaner, and allow you to eat more.

1.) Long slow cardio is less effective for fat loss than “high intensity interval” or “sprint” cardio. And long steady cardio takes a lot of time.

2.) Strength training, with big movements like squats and dead lifts is more important than cardio of any kind for fat loss.


IntensityIntensity (degree of difficulty) is your friend; it is how you will create the body you want without spending hours and hours. Muscle tissue in men and women deteriorates at almost every stage of life. This is why we must strength train to rebuild lost muscle and therefore rebuild your metabolism.

Why is muscle so important?

• It is the driving force behind your metabolism. • Muscle is an active tissue that is constantly renewing itself therefore requiring energy

(calories). • The primary source of energy for muscle is fat. • Muscle gives shape to your body. • Muscle helps you perform optimally.

The more muscle you have on your body the more fat you burn and the more calories you burn. If you have a certain amount of muscle on your body you can eat a reasonable diet without gaining weight. This is called a good metabolism. A good metabolism doesn't happen by accident although genetics play a part in metabolism, but you'd be amazed how much metabolism can be affected by your life choices.

Keys to a good metabolism

• Strength training • Nutritious eating • Cardio interval training • An active lifestyle • Consistency in all of the above

Scales mentalityWe are often programmed to think we have to weigh a certain amount to be happy. We say to ourselves, “If I could only weigh what I did in high school.” You need to get rid of that scale mentality.

Who cares how much you weigh? The most athletic bodies are often considered overweight if you place them on the standard height/weight chart. Why? Because muscle is so dense that it weighs much more than fat. Muscle also holds about 60% more water than fat tissue causing muscular people to weigh much more than their “skinny fat” counterparts.


The easiest way to understand the dynamics of strength training is to remember these two cardinal rules.

1: Muscle tissue takes up considerably less space (and is much more aesthetically pleasing) than fat tissue.

2: Muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. Too often people who are having fabulous success with their exercise program step on the bathroom scale and get discouraged because they haven’t lost as much weight as they hoped to. Their clothes fit better. They feel better. They look great. But they are still sweating the numbers on the scale.

Your better bet is to pay attention to your measurements. Is your waistline getting trimmer? Are your legs firmer? Do your clothes hang better? You can also get your body composition tested at your local health club. Or test it yourself with a home monitoring device - Tanita and Body Logic both make good home-testing models.

Body composition testing gives you a better picture of what is actually happening as you lose body fat and gain strength, because it breaks your weight into lean tissue and fat tissue. And it’s highly motivating to see those numbers change.

It all comes down to your body compositionWhat you should be most concerned about is your muscle mass percentage and your body fat percentage. That is what it all comes down to, your body composition.

How much muscle and fat is on your body? Does it jiggle and wiggle? Or are you firm and tight? To be truly in top shape you need to have a high percentage of muscle and a lower amount of body fat.

Leg muscles are the biggest muscles of our body and in order to have a great metabolism you must not neglect exercising these potential “fat furnaces”. The vast majority of people don’t realize how strong and powerful their legs can be without getting bulky.


It is understandable that some people, usually women have a fear of lifting with their legs because they often carry a higher amount of fat in their legs and therefore fear adding bulk to their lower half through strength training.

As women don’t have the levels of testosterone necessary to build big bulky muscles so don’t think that if you use strength training leg exercises you will make them significantly bigger. Initially a small amount of muscle growth will occur and before you start to lose the fat on top and inside of this muscle, you may notice a slight size increase, but this is temporary.

You will soon notice how your legs along with the rest of your body gain a new shape, firmness and a leaner appearance. All of which is caused by the muscles becoming more active and therefore burning more fat!

Keep in mind that you can’t Spot Reduce Fat. You will lose fat weight over your entire body no matter which body part you are actually training. In other words, training your legs will not cause you to lose fat on your legs only. It will come off your whole body evenly. Training to lose fat, tone and firm the legs, thighs and buttocks will follow the same regimen as gaining with these differences:

Challenging yourselfMuscles are very smart. If challenged to the limits of their capabilities they realize that they need to rebuild themselves even stronger. Then when faced with that same challenge they will be able to perform at a higher capacity. This is the key to understanding your strength training program.

You must find a way to challenge your muscles. Lifting the same weight every time you perform an exercise will maintain what muscle you have, but not change them. Surely not too many people would like spending an hour in the gym to stay exactly the same.

We all crave to improve ourselves. So we must challenge our muscles by lifting weights that are challenging. There is nothing complicated about it. Just make sure you find yourself slightly challenged by your strength training program. Challenge yourself. Change it upChange is good. Your muscles get used to the same thing over and over again. They get bored just like you do. Boredom causes your muscle to not respond just as it causes you to not want to do your boring workout. Don’t be afraid to change:

• Try some new exercises • Change the number of sets and repetitions of your exercises • Increase or decrease your rest time between sets and workouts • Change the order of your exercises


A common myth

If you stop working out, your muscles will turn to fat. Think apples and oranges: Fat and muscle are two different substances, and one cannot and will not, and has not ever turned into the other. Less of one simply means more room for the other. When you stop using your muscles, your body becomes significantly less efficient at burning calories, which allows your weight to increase, in the form of fat.

If, say, a 65 kilo woman stopped strength training, she may continue to see the same number when she steps on the scale, but her ratio of fat to muscle will shift dramatically. People who strength train can slow the 10 percent loss of strength per decade that occurs in people who don’t strength train. Results should be noticed within three months, and you will continue to improve your body as long as you keep exercising to keep muscles toned and tight.

What is a proper exercise program?Let’s get one thing straight – activities such walking, running, biking, swimming, etc are often construed as exercise by the media, general public and health/medical professionals. These activities qualify as recreational physical activities and do not satisfy the definition of exercise and are not a necessary component of a proper exercise program. There is only one form of exercise that properly satisfies the definition of exercise and that is strength training exercise.

Any activity that does not meet the necessary requirements of meaningfully loading of muscular structures does not qualify as proper exercise. Yes, fun and enjoyable pastime activities and recreation do carry some healthful physical benefits, and do overlap to some degree however; these cannot stimulate the multitude of physical changes that only proper exercise can stimulate. Only when you acknowledge and accept these facts will you truly benefit from proper exercise.

The exercise effect of recreational activities range from little or no exercise effect at all (eg walking, mowing the lawn, golf etc) to the opposite end with more athletic activities like running, mountain climbing, basketball etc. All of these activities are recreational, and the exercise effect is always marginal and incomplete.

Just because an activity elevates the heart rate, fatigues you, induces labored breathing or makes you sweat, do not assume you have meaningful, productive and worthwhile exercise. You can actually have the exercise effect without the activity qualifying as exercise.

Part of the definition of exercise is “perform work of a demanding nature”; if an exercise is not demanding it does not qualify as exercise. Another part of that definition is that exercise must produce “meaningfully loading of the muscular structures to inroad strength levels to stimulate a growth mechanism”.


Strength training is real exerciseThe basic concept with physical exercise is that we are attempting to cause the body to adapt to an imposed stimulus. The body must have a good reason to adapt, or rather it must be forced to adapt. Low intensity, comfortable “fun” activities do not challenge the body beyond its already existing abilities. The body system is simply engaged within its normal capabilities, so there is nothing the body needs to adapt to, nothing extra that requires the body to change. An exercise program must challenge the body over and beyond what it experiences with everyday tasks and activities.

The six factors of physical fitness

1. Muscular size, strength and endurance2. Bone strength3. Cardiovascular (heart/lung) efficiency4. Enhanced flexibility5. A contribution to body leanness6. Increased resistance to injury

Through exercise we hope to see a continuous improvement in these six factors of physical fitness. If we do not see this improvement, then exercise is either partial or non-existent.

It is accepted that both exercise and recreational activities are important in the overall scheme of strength and fitness and a healthy active lifestyle, and they do overlap to some degree. But so that maximum results are obtained from both or either they must first be defined and then be segregated in practice.

The benefits of proper exercise, and the stimuli necessary to produce these benefits, cannot be accomplished with recreational activities.

Exercise is based on the muscular and joint functions of the human body and as we all have these same functions, the general principles and application of exercise are therefore universal and the same for every human being on the planet.

Recreation activity, on the other hand, is personal, fun, chosen pastime activities that are very different for everybody. Consider it a diversion from daily routine and important for our mental health and happiness.

Try not to confuse and mix them both together so you can receive maximum physical benefits from your exercise program and maximum fun from your chosen recreational activities.


The Hot Metabolism exercise program uses dumbbells

Dumbbell exercises offer some tremendous advantages over traditional resistance machines. Here are just a few...

• incorporate stabilizing muscles helping you develop a much more balanced posture and physique

• are extremely safe when done correctly • fit round you instead of you fitting around a machine • allow you to train with the most natural movement patterns • allow you to work through a greater range of movement than resistance machines

One important result of strength training is the increase in physical performance as measured by your strength. Stronger muscles enable you to lift and move things that are heavy. A stronger muscle also provides endurance regardless of what hobby, sports or day-to-day activities that you do.

Another important result of a strength-training program is that your body composition changes. Take an average 170-pound man with 20% body fat, there is 34 pounds of fat and 136 pounds of lean body mass. After strength training, provided everything remains unchanged, he has now 17% fat with 29 pounds of fat weight and 141 pounds of lean body weight. This change in body composition will have a direct effect on the appearance that results in firmer look. Strength training and metabolic improvementFrom our mid 20’s we generally lose about one half a pound of muscle tissue every year as well as half a percent reduction in the basal of metabolic rate. A reduction in the basal of metabolic rate means your body is less able to use the food to convert into energy.

As a result, more of the calories that you consume are turned into body fat. This is the reason that as you grow older, your body composition changes automatically without you doing anything. You notice that you are getting more body fat with less muscle. This is natural and will happen if you don’t do anything.

Therefore, if you are interested in maintaining your body composition as when you are young, you have to be on a strength training program. One of the biggest mistakes that people make when starting a weight management program is that they fail to incorporate exercise or a strength-training program.

Strength training terminologyExercise - the actual strength training complete movement of the muscle group being performed. For example the bench press is an exercise.


Repetitions or reps - one full movement of the exercise from start to the prescribed end-point and back to the original starting position is called a rep. Often you perform each exercise between 8 – 12 repetitions.

Sets - A set is a fixed number of repetitions or repeated exercise movements. For example, doing a bench press 10 consecutive times will complete 1 set. Usually, 1-3 sets make up one exercise routine. The pause between sets is usually 1-1.5 minutes and this allows muscles to retain enough strength to complete the next set effectively.

Positive phase - This is the phase of the exercise that requires your muscles to contract. When you are doing a bench press for example, the positive phase is when you press the weight upwards, away from your body.

Negative phase - This is the phase whereby you slowly allow the weight to return to home position. For example, for the bench press, the negative phase is when you slowly lower the weight back down to your chest.

Overload - To see gains in strength you must always stimulate the muscle more than it is accustomed to.

Progression - The active muscle must continue to work against a gradually increasing resistance in order to meet overload. You need to increase the amount of the weight you use on your exercises to keep progressing.

Intensity - (In the case of strength training) refers to the amount of weight you are lifting and indicates how difficult the exercise is for you to complete. Increasing your intensity (the weight you are lifting) is the key to progression and your success with a strength-training program.

How much time is required for strength trainingMost fitness experts agree that devoting 20-30 minutes to strength training 2-3 times a week is sufficient for strength and muscle toning.

Strength training in a gym or at homeThe exercises in the Hot Metabolism Exercise Program use standard free weights and equipment found in most gyms. All exercises can be done at home if you have the appropriate home gym equipment.

What Do You Need? A gym will have the equipment you need. Building a home gym might be an option if you have no access to a gym. You will need: Bench - standard upright support bench or one you can use in the power rack. Dumbbells - A range of different weights with increments as low as 1.25kg/2.5lbs.


Muscle SorenessWhen you work your muscles that have not been worked for a while, it is normal to feel a dull ache or soreness in the muscles that were trained. This pain is caused by the micro-trauma of muscle fibers from the connective tissues in the body. This is normal and it is healthy. You have probably heard the phrase “no pain, no gain”. More appropriately, it should be coined as “no strain, no gain”.

It is important to recognize that pain is a signal that your body tells you that rest is needed. As such, give yourself 1 or 2 days’ rest and the pain generally goes away. If the pain does not go away and is persistent, consult your physician for further evaluation. Unrelenting pain is something you should not experience. If you are injured, you must stop the exercise immediately.

Common muscular and skeletal injuries are accompanied by inflammation. In this case, an ice pack is a first course of treatment. Any sudden onset of pain, any popping sound or severe relentless pain are all signs that something abnormal is going on in your body.

Pain is a signal that your body sends you to warn you of impending danger. In such situations, stop exercise and consult your physician immediately.

Speed of your movementsSpeed plays a major and important role in the incidence of injury as well as in strength and muscle development. Fast lifting creates momentum and often does not allow significant blood flow to the muscle. Slow movement creates less momentum and less internal friction.

A good strength-training program requires an even powering of muscles throughout the range of motion that promotes blood flow to the specific muscle targets, with a bias towards slow rather than fast.

A common mistake for beginning strength training is the tendency to lift weights too fast and in a jerky motion. Each muscle has a positive phase where the muscle is contracted and a negative phase where the muscle is returning to its original state. It is very important to make sure that the negative phase is 2-3 times longer than the positive phase.

Generally it is recommended that you spend 1-2 seconds for each positive lifting phase and 3-4 seconds for each negative lifting phase.

The Optimum Number of SetsSet - An exercise set is the number of successive repetitions performed on a continuous basis without resting. Generally speaking, most muscle groups require 3 sets, with the first set as warm up. A good program would be to start off with first set at 40-50% of your maximum and followed by the second set at 60% and the third set at 80-90%.


Generally speaking, you should complete 12-15 repetitions on the first set, 10-12 reps in the second set and 6-8 reps in the third set. In another words, as your muscles warm up, you can use heavier weights and scale down the number of repetitions needed to reach the overload point where a muscle will increase in strength.

Interval trainingThis is short bursts of 10-20 seconds of near all out (90%) activity alternated with 30 seconds to one minute (or more) of recovery activity. An example of this would be 10 seconds of sprinting followed by one minute of walking. Repeat this 8-12 times depending on your current fitness level.

Start with just once per week and as you get used to the intensity of it try for a second time. It is hard but you will not believe the results that this type of exercise will give. Total fast fat burning, fitness improving, anti-aging, metabolism boosting magic like nothing else.

Alternate these two workouts - 2-3 times per week with a day off in between. Your interval training can be done on the days between your strength training workouts.

Workout number oneChest press - 3-4 sets of 10-12 repetitionsOne arm row - 2 sets of 10 repsLateral raise - 3 sets of 8-10 repsTriceps extension - 3 sets of 10 repsSquat - 4 sets 10 repsStep ups - 3 sets 8-10 repsOne leg squat off bench - 10 each legStraight leg dead lift - 3 sets 8-10 repsKnee ins - 2 sets 12 repsCalf raise - 2 sets 12 reps

Workout number twoChest flyes - 3 sets 10 reps Pullover - 3 sets 10 repsShoulder press - 3 sets 10 repsDead lift - 4-5 sets 8-10 repsSumo squat - 3 sets 10 repsSplit squat- 2 sets 8-10 repsHip lift - 2 sets 10 repsPlank - 4 x one minute Abdominal crunch - 3 sets 10 -12 reps


Workout number one

Dumbbell Chest Press

The primary muscle group being trained in this exercise is your chest, with your shoulders and triceps in a supportive role.

Lie back on a bench while holding dumbbells in each hand at the outside edge of your shoulders. Be sure to keep the weights chest high. Your palms face towards your feet, as your elbows bend at a 90 degree angle. Keep your head on the bench and your lower back flat – don’t arch.

Press the weight up while you breathe out, keeping the weight directly over your chest. Lower the weight in a horizontal plane with your shoulders as you inhale, keeping your elbows and weights in line with your chest. Do not lock elbows at the top of the movement and then lower the weights slowly. Momentarily pause at the bottom before pressing the weights back up.

Tip – Control the weight all the way up, slightly touching them together. Do not clank the weights forcefully together at the top of the movement.

Focal Point – Create the strongest contraction in your chest and triceps. As the intensity builds, keep your breathing steady and in rhythm with each repetition. Guide your attention to your focal point throughout the set.

Don’t Do – Don’t allow your elbows and the weights to float past your shoulders toward your head. Keep your shoulders and the weights in line.


One Arm Dumbbell Row

The primary muscle group used in this exercise is your back, with your core muscles, shoulders and arms in a supportive role.

Get into a push up position either on your knees or in the full push up position.Start lifting one dumbbell up pulling the weight to the middle of your rib cage. Keep your shoulders parallel to the floor. Pause slightly at the top of the movement before slowly lowering the weight. Keep your elbow close to your body and your back flat throughout the movement.

Tips – Do not rotate your torso or head as you lift the dumbbell.

Focal point – Contract the muscles in your back, tightly squeezing your shoulder blades together.

Don’t do – Don’t turn your chest and head upward while rowing the dumbbell up. Keep looking down throughout the entire range of motion.

This exercise can also be done by placing one knee and one hand on a bench and the opposite knee on the bench and foot on the ground.


Dumbbell Lateral Raise

The primary muscles used in this exercise are the shoulders, with support from the upper back and chest muscles.

Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart. Start with the dumbbells at your sides. Raise the arms to the point where they are even with your shoulders, palms facing down to the floor. Keep your arms almost perfectly straight, forming a T with your torso. Keep your knees slightly bent while performing the entire range of motion. Pause for a moment at the top and lower the weights slowly.

Tips – Keep your palms facing downward to isolate your shoulder muscles. Lift the dumbbells slowly rather than swinging them. Keep the dumbbells directly at your sides do not let them travel to the front of your torso.

Focal point - Try and create the fullest, most complete contraction of your shoulder muscles.

Don’t do – If you cannot do the movement slowly and with good form you are likely using too heavy weights so use lighter ones.


Lying Dumbbell Triceps Extensions

The primary muscles used in this exercise are your triceps which are at the back of your upper arm. Sit on the edge of a bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Lie back, keeping the dumbbells close to your chest. Keep your palms facing each other, your hips and lower back firmly grounded on the bench.

Press the weight up directly over your chest. Slowly lower the dumbbells, bending your arms at your elbows. Pause briefly when the dumbbells are just above your head. Keeping your elbows stationary lift the dumbbells as you straighten your arms.

Tips – Keep your elbows stationary throughout the movement. Do not move your elbows above your face or chest. Keep the dumbbells parallel to each other throughout the movement.

Focal point – Draw your attention directly into your triceps creating the strongest contraction as your arms straighten.

Don’t do – Do not bring the weights directly over your chest between each repetition and do not allow your elbows to shift out to the sides of your shoulders as your lower the dumbbells. Keep your elbows in line with your shoulders.


Dumbbell Squat.

The primary muscle groups used during this exercise are your quadriceps and hamstrings, with your calf muscles in a supportive role.

Hold the dumbbells with palms facing in towards the body. Feet should be shoulder width apart and both feet pointing straight ahead. Squat down till your upper legs are parallel with the floor. It is important to squat down low enough so you are taking your hip and knee joints through their full range of motion.

Pause briefly at the bottom of the movement then return to the standing position.Keep the movement smooth never jerky or bouncy.

Tips – Be sure to keep your chin up and your eyes straight ahead to help you maintain proper balance.

Focal point – Feel the strong contraction of your quadriceps muscles as you lower your body down, and of the hamstrings as your press your body back up.

Don’t do – Do not allow your back to round forward when you lower the weights. Keep your back flat and sit down into the squat to lower the weights.


Dumbbell Step Ups

Start standing in front of platform to step onto. Hold the dumbbells at your side and keep your arms straight throughout the exercise. Keep in close to the platform at all times.

Step up onto the bench making sure to keep your back and arms straight and your shoulders retracted. Step back down to the floor leading with the same foot that you started with until all of the required repetitions are done then change sides.

Tips - Keep good erect posture throughout movement. (Pull tummy button in towards spine and try and keep it there)

Don’t do - Step down carefully onto the floor - do not bounce.


One Legged Squat off Bench

Sit on bench with one leg out to front and arms stretched out for balance. Stand up on one leg then slowly sit back down again. Use the strength in your leg muscles to do the work.

Do all repetitions on one leg then swap legs and repeat with other leg. For added intensity hold a dumbbell in hands.


Dumbbell Straight Leg Dead lift

The primary muscle group used in this exercise is your hamstrings, with your glutes (buttocks) in a supportive role.

Stand straight with feet shoulder width apart. Rest the dumbbells on the fronts of your thighs with your palms facing towards the fronts of your legs.Bend forward at the hips and slowly lower the dumbbells letting them travel down the fronts of the legs while keeping the knees soft and the legs almost straight.

While concentrating on the muscles in the back of your legs, raise your upper body and the weights to the starting position.

Tips - Keep your hands close to your shins, arch your back slightly and stick your chest out throughout the exercise to keep the weight supported by your hamstrings.

Focal point – Feel your hamstring muscles lengthen and stretch as you lower and raise the weight.

Don’t do – Do not round your back at any point during the exercise.


Knee Ins

Sit on the edge of a bench and bring knees up and in towards chest. Hold briefly then stretch legs out.

To add intensity (extra difficulty) to the movement hold a small weight between your feet.

For variation try twisting slightly to the side alternately when pulling knees in.


Dumbbell Single Leg Calf Raise

Holding a dumbbell in your right hand at your side, stand upright and place your left hand on the top of something for support.

Stand on just your left leg. Rest your right foot slightly out behind you. Push up so you are on the tips of your left toes.

Pause briefly then slowly lower back down till your heel is lower than platform to stretch calf muscle.

Do all repetitions of one leg then swap the dumbbell to other hand and repeat on other leg.


Workout number two

Dumbbell Chest Flyes

The primary muscle group being trained is your chest, with your shoulders and triceps in a supportive role.

Lie back on a bench while holding dumbbells in each hand keeping the dumbbells close to your chest. Keep your palms facing each other, your hips and lower back firmly grounded on the bench.

Begin with elbows slightly bent and lower the dumbbells out to the sides, making a T with your arms and your torso. Don’t let your arms go below the bench. Then press the dumbbells up in an arc, as if you are giving someone a hug. Lightly touch the weights together above your chest and slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position. Be sure to exhale on the way up and inhale on the way down.

Tips – Don’t allow your hands to lower below your shoulders. This can place additional stress on the shoulder joint. Drive the weights together from your chest and avoid using your arms to move the weights together.

Focal Point – Draw your attention directly into your chest throughout this exercise, keeping your breathing steady and consistent.

Don’t Do – Keep the weights in line with your elbows and shoulders and don’t allow your arms to rotate.


Dumbbell Pullovers

The primary muscle group used in this exercise is your back, with your chest, triceps and abs also in a supportive role.

Lie perpendicular across a flat bench with only your upper back on the bench. Your feet are approximately shoulder width apart and flat on the floor. Push your hips up so they are almost parallel with your shoulders. Hold the dumbbell with flattened hands against the inside upper plate of one end straight above your chest.

Slowly arch the dumbbell out above your head, keeping your arms almost straight. Stop when the dumbbell is horizontal with your head and slowly lower. Slightly pause and bring the dumbbell back above your forehead.

Tips – You should feel your hamstring (rear of upper thigh) working to maintain the proper position of keeping your hips up.

Focal point - Keep your core muscles tight while contracting your back, chest and shoulder muscles while at the same time extending the dumbbell out making a large arch with your arms.

Don’t do – Do not allow your hips to drop down at any point in this exercise.


Standing Dumbbell Press

The primary muscles worked in this exercise are your shoulders with the chest, upper back and core muscles in a supportive role.

Stand with feet at shoulder width apart. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height. Press them upwards until they are overhead. Pause at the top of the movement and gently touch the dumbbells together. Lower slowly and repeat.

Tips – Don’t lower the dumbbells too low on your shoulders. Keep your tummy button pulled into towards your spine to maintain good posture.

Focal point - Keep all of your upper body muscles tight while lifting the dumbbells overhead. Try and let your shoulder muscles do the work.

Don’t do - Do not swing the weights at any time. Use good control throughout the movement.


Dumbbell Dead lift

This is the number one all over body exercise that uses the largest number of muscles for all over body strength.

Stand in an upright position while resting the dumbbells on the fronts of your thighs. Lower the dumbbells down toward the floor by first sitting your hips back, and then bend your knees and torso until you reach slightly above the floor.

Keep the dumbbells close to the fronts of your legs throughout the whole movement. Pause briefly at bottom of movement then slowly stand up straight.

Keep your back flat and your head in a neutral position throughout the movement.

Focal point – Push up using your legs.

Don’t do – Do not round your back when lifting the weight.


Dumbbell Sumo Squat

A variation of a normal squat – using the quadriceps muscles and hamstrings, with your calf muscles in a supportive role.

Start by holding a dumbbell in each hand between your legs. You may also hold just one dumbbell with two hands as well. Your feet should be wider than shoulder width and your toes pointed slightly outward at a 45 degree angle. Proceed to squat down until the dumbbells almost touch the floor. Your hips should drop back and down while your knees stay directly above your feet. Repeat for the required number of repetitions.

Tips - Be sure to keep your chin up and your eyes straight ahead to help maintain balance.

Focal point – Focus your attention on proper form and the alignment of your spine throughout the movement.

Don’t do – Do not let your back round at any point during this exercise.


Dumbbell Split Squat

Hold the dumbbells with palms facing in towards the body. Stand with one foot directly in front of the other by just a little more than a step width apart and both feet pointing straight ahead. The rear foot should be flat on the ground and pointing straight ahead.

Keep your front knee over your toes, drop your rear leg down to the floor (just kiss the floor) so that your rear knee is just behind your front heel. Keep your back straight and chest up keep your upper body erect throughout the movement.

This is a very squeezy exercise; just squeeze every available muscle in your lower body as you rise up and off the bottom of the movement for great results. This is one of the most intense of all leg exercises, but gives the best results. Learn to love it!

Do all of your repetitions on one leg then swap legs and repeat the same number of repetitions.

Tips – make sure your front knee never moves in front of the toes on that foot. Also make sure both feet are always pointed straight ahead. Use the front leg to primarily lift and lower the weight (your body), allowing the back leg to be used for maintaining balance.

Don’t do – Do not bounce off the ground, just ‘kiss’ the floor and gently squeeze back up.


Hip Lift

Lie on floor with heels on bench as shown. Raise your hips up squeezing your glutes (buttocks).

Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your buttock muscles. Hold for a moment the slowly lower back down again.

Plank

Lying on your front facing the ground, go into a modified pushup position on your knees. Keep your hips off the floor holding your core muscles tight.If you are strong enough hold a full push up position.

With your elbows on the ground for support hold this position for up to a minute. Rest briefly and repeat. As you get stronger hold the position for longer.


Abdominal Crunch

Lie on floor with arms crossed over chest. Keep head and neck in a straight line. Slowly lift upper body until shoulders are a few inches off floor. There is no need to come up any higher. Pause briefly at top of movement then lower slowly back to floor.


Instructions for your strength training program

How much weight should I use?Use as much weight as tolerable that allows you to perform 12 repetitions at moderate but not maximum exertion. The last repetition on the last set should be fairly hard to perform. Use the first few of the exercise sessions as testing sessions so you can see how much you can handle. Once you are able to do more than 12 repetitions comfortably, then you can increase the weight 5-10% at a time so that you can do the 2nd set at 10 reps and the 3rd set at 8 reps.

How to stay motivatedStaying motivated for a few days or a few weeks is easy. The consistency of staying motivated for a long period of time is a challenge. Regardless of how motivated at the beginning, you will need tools to maintain your motivation.

Set goals - Goal setting is an important part in any part of our daily lives. Strength training is no exception. The importance is to set goals that are measurable and realistic. As in any other things in life, set goals that are achievable, one at a time. Staying youthful and in peak health is a life-long process.

It is not a sprint and there is no hurry. It is no use to train for a few months and slack off. It is better to have a program that you can consistently achieve minor goals. Allow 1-2 years for the overall goal, and with smaller goals achieved every 6 months or so.

Guidelines for the first month If you are a newcomer to the gym you will need to familiarize yourself with the actual exercise movements before lifting any heavier weights. Carefully study the exercise description and drawings. Ask someone for help as needed. Use lighter weights so that you get the hang of each movement. Take your time to practice how to do the exercise correctly. There is no rush.

Concentrate on the targeted muscle during each exercise so that you can find the right groove of movement. Feel the targeted muscle working. Now that you have a feel of how each exercise should be done and you are more familiar with each one, you want to get close to determining your working weight.

Start each exercise with a fairly light weight and see how many repetitions you can do using proper form, slowly and with precision. If you find that you can easily perform more than the number of repetitions indicated add 5–10 pounds for your next set.


Likewise, if you cannot do the full number of repetitions in any exercise, or if you feel that you are really pushing yourself to the limit in order to fulfill the set, then the weight is too heavy. Lighten up next time.

Once you find a weight that allows you to perform with good form and in the suggested number of reps, make a note in your training log or diary. Continue to use that weight until you become stronger and the weight begins to feel light.

It’s easy to get easily excited as improvements are often significant and readily visible in a short period of time. Don’t overdo it and don’t over train. Follow these guidelines:

• Train 2-3 times a week, with a day of rest between each session.

• Work only the muscles in your plan. Don't get over zealous and get sidetracked into other muscles.

• If you are able to progress quickly, or if you have worked out in the past to any significant degree, follow the first month's plan for 2 weeks and move onto second month program.

• Follow the plan and do the exact number of reps listed. You can, however, continue to add more weights to those exercises that feel easy.

• Listen to your body. Certain days are better than others for your body. Reduce the amount of weights if you feel that your body is sluggish.

Workout guideline for second month of strength training By now, you should feel very comfortable with the exercise routine. You should have experienced significant improvements in your strength. Continue to train 2-3 times a week, with a rest day between each. Begin to challenge yourself to use slightly more weight with each movement. Start moving from 2 sets to 3 sets for each muscle group towards the end of second month.

Workout guideline for third month of strength trainingNot only should your strength be increased from your effort of the past 2 months, your body should show significant change in contour and physique, whether you are working on gaining or losing weight. Congratulate yourself and keep it up!

• Continue to work out 2-3 times a week, doing three sets of each exercise, with 1-minute rest between each set.


• You can change the routine by varying the number of reps you do. For example, use a lightweight to warm up for the first set and do 12 reps.

Take a 1-minute rest. For your second set, use as heavy a weight as you can reasonably handle for 6-8 reps. Rest 1 minute. Reduce the weight sufficiently to permit you to perform a third set of 10 reps.

• The amount of weight adjustment varies from person to person and the range can vary anywhere from 5-25%. Trial and error is the best way.

• If you feel good on certain days, do a 4th set that is heavier.

After three months of strength trainingSimply continue the same basic workout, which is all you need. Don’t be afraid to adjust the weight and reps as you go. Have fun and enjoy yourself. If you have a good day, train more. If you have a bad day, lighten up. There is nothing wrong. There is nothing to prove to anyone.

If you are serious about your exercise program, you may wish to make some large-scale changes in your workout. One of the easiest things to do is to change your routine. Experiment with other exercises. You could also change the sequence of exercises, set and rep combinations and rest intervals.

The process of continual change keeps your muscle guessing what is going to happen next and keeps your muscles continually stimulated. Just do itNow that you have all the information you need to start and complete a strength-training program; you should have all the tools that you need to do it safely and consistently. All that is left is simply go and start doing it.

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