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Most of us understand how important it is to have fuel in our body before a workout. Carbohydrates and glycogen (this is the energy source which is most frequently used for exercise) are needed so we will have the energy required for strength training.

But did you know that the meal you eat after exercising is of vital importance to your body’s recovery?

This post-exercise meal also helps improve your training capabilities, so let’s take a look at exactly what types of food you should be putting into your body after your strength training workout.

What You Need to Put in Your Body after Strength Training

The first thing you should do immediately after working out is to replace fluids. To determine how much water your body needs for proper functioning, you will need to weigh yourself both before and after your strength training regimen. Then simply drink 20 to 24 ounces of water (or a healthy sports drink) for every 1 pound of weight you lost.

Most athletes understand water is lost during exercise, but not everyone understands just how much is needed to hydrate the body after serious physical exertion.

We mentioned glycogen and carbs earlier, and they also need to be replaced post-workout. Glycogen is a form of glucose that serves as energy in humans, and it is stored in your muscles and liver. You already know that carbohydrates are little blocks of energy, and these two critical components to muscle growth and recovery are provided by eating 0.3 to 0.6 grams of carbohydrates for every pound of your body weight.

You need to eat this meal within two hours of endurance exercises and strength training to get the biggest benefit.

Try starchy vegetables such as squash or pumpkin, sweet potatoes or yams for your carbs. These vegetables are high in healthy antioxidants, and pack more carbohydrates per serving than other foods. Eating within two hours after your workout also helps decrease inflammation that can occur after intense strength training, and allows you to recover much faster.

Include Protein after Your Strength Training Sessions

Protein is also an important food to eat after strength training, and you want to combine protein with some carbohydrate within 30 minutes of ending your exercise. There are many protein supplements on the market that “fit the bill” perfectly well here.

This nearly doubles your insulin response, resulting in more stored glycogen, and quicker muscle development and recovery. You should shoot for a carbohydrate to protein ratio of approximately 4 to 1. Several studies have shown that this carbohydrate/protein intake soon after strength training often results in a 100% better glycogen storage in your muscles than eating carbs alone.

After strength training, you should eat whole wheat breads and rice, as well as the starchy vegetables mentioned above, for your carbohydrate and glycogen needs. Healthy proteins such as turkey and fish will deliver much-needed amino acids into your system, which held rebuild your muscle tissue quickly.

So just make sure to get plenty of fluids, proteins and carbohydrates in the right ratio after your strength training workout to guarantee faster and better results, and a healthier body. You’ll find more helpful tips on the right foods to eat before and after your bodybuilding exercise routines at http://myfitnessnut.com/nutrition in our nutrition section.

Don’t have a gym membership?

That’s okay, because you can learn how to use your own body weight for strength training. Your own amazing body is the best strength training piece of equipment you will ever own.

But before you get started, run in place, do some jumping jacks or hit the stairs for 5 minutes to get warmed up. The simple body weight exercises below allow you to target multiple muscle groups at one time. This puts your whole body to work improving lean muscle mass, which in turn cranks up your metabolism and burns fat.

Strength Training with the Basic Crunch

Used primarily to strengthen your abs, crunches also help elevate your heart rate. Done correctly, your obliques and rectus abdominis also benefit. Lying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent, leave at least one foot of distance between your heels and your rear end. With your elbows to the side, interlace your hands behind your head and keep your neck straight.

Simply move your chest and shoulders up, trying not to yank with your head and shoulders. Hold at the top, slowly return to your starting position and repeat. Crunches are a core-strengthening form of exercise that improves overall athletic performance, and can even help correct bad balance and posture.

Strength Training with the Bird Dog

This simple exercise uses your own body weight for strength training by working your back, hip muscles, glutes and abdominals. With your hands directly aligned under your shoulders and your palms flat on the floor, assume a position on your hands and knees. Keep your back straight and your knees in line with your hips. Simultaneously reach out with your right forearm and left leg until they are parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment, return to the starting position, then switch sides.

Strength Training with the Classic Push-Up

Strengthening your chest, shoulders triceps and even your core, the traditional push-up has been around seemingly forever because it works so well. Place your hands palm down on a mat or rug, slightly wider than your shoulders and aligned with your chest. Your legs should be close together and straight behind you, then simply push up slowly. Slowly return to the starting position and begin again. Keeping your back stiff is very important, as this helps prevent lower back pain.

Strength Training with the Squat

This exercise uses your body weight to strengthen your quads, lower back and glutes. You simply stand with your feet a little wider than your hips with your hands at your sides. Looking straight forward, bend your knees slowly and squat down. Your weight should shift to the back of your heels, and remember to keep your spine stiff and straight and your abs contracted. Return to the starting position slowly, and repeat. Try to keep your weight on your heels to prevent pain in your knees, and to target the appropriate muscles correctly.

Your body is a value adding piece of equipment when it comes to strength training so get up and get going with what you have to start working out right now. You can get more of these helpful tips by browsing the different sections of the My Fitness Nut website at http://MyFitnessNut.com and when you subscribe to our newsletter. Now get moving and start using your own body for strength training today.

What is The Overload Principle in strength training, and why should you care? The overload principle is a fact of strength training, and you probably want to pay close attention, because it can be harnessed to deliver bigger, better and faster results.

Basically stated, the overload principle says that your body cannot be adapted the way you want unless it is overloaded.

The American College of Sports Medicine, without using a bunch of fancy medical terms, explains simply that this means your muscles must be stimulated to greater than normal activity if they are to grow.

When you properly apply the correct amount of muscle overload, you begin to see results far more rapidly. And they last for the long term, where in the past you may have felt that you were simply wasting time with your strength training workout.

While you may not have thought that scientific concepts and formulas were at the basis of proper strength training, whether you are aware of what is going on or not inside your body, your muscles understand and respond properly when the overload principle is applied correctly.

And the good news is that whether you are a beginner or veteran weightlifter or strength trainer, you can increase muscle size, bulk and power by incorporating an ongoing overload formula into your strength training regimen.

This is great news to those of you who are just beginning strength training. If you have a sedentary lifestyle, and begin overloading your muscles, you will begin to see the desired results quickly. If you are not used to lifting 10 pounds very often, then lifting 10 or 15 pounds with only a couple of weightlifting sessions a week will begin to show improved muscle definition and strength almost immediately.

And the National Strength and Conditioning Association also points out that while the overload principle works for veterans as well as beginners, it may take creative and progressive overload to see a dramatic improvement. If you have already begun to sculpt your body and you strength train regularly, you are going to have to increase the overall load your body lifts in your workouts to benefit from this body adapting fact.

Experienced weightlifters and strength trainers can shorten the amount of time spent resting between sets and increase reps and sets to harness the power of this principle. Just remember, when you consistently and progressively increase the amount of weight, the repetitions per set, and the number of sets you perform in your strength training workout, you harness the incredible power of the overload principle, thereby improving muscle mass and strength.

What Order Should You Workout Your Muscle Groups?

When creating your routine or strength training sessions, have you ever thought about the order you do your exercises?

Does it even make a difference?

Yes it can. Most experts recommend exercising your larger muscle groups first and then work your smaller muscle groups next. Why? Your large muscle groups use up a lot of energy, so you want to get those exercises out of the way first while you are still fresh. Then you can use the rest of your energy to work the smaller muscle groups which require less energy in the first place.

But remember, this is just a recommendation. A good way to keep from hitting a plateau is to reorder the way you do your exercises. It keeps your body challenged and from becoming to comfortable with doing the same exercises in the same order.

Exercise Order

So with an upper body routine, what would that look like?

You would want to exercise your:

• chest and back before your shoulders.
• shoulders before your biceps and triceps.

In a lower body routine, exercise the quads and hamstrings before calves and abs.

Rest Between Strength Training Exercises

Rest is an important component when setting the order of your exercises. The rest we are talking about is the rest between sets. Rest too much or too little and your performance (and ultimately, your goal) will sacrifice.

However to help you figure out your rest cycles, consider these three factors:

1) Intensity

The rate at which you do an exercise is the intensity. So if you are doing less reps with more weight, your intensity is greater than if your do more reps with lighter weight. The more intensity at which you exercise, the more rest you need.

2) Demand

Demand, or how hard the exercise is on your body, also affects how much rest you need. The higher the demand, the longer the rest required. For example, when exercising the legs, chest and back, you need more rest than when working biceps and triceps.

3) Goal

And finally your goal affects rest cycles. If your goal is to build endurance, then usually a 20 to 60 second rest between sets is sufficient. However if your goal is to build muscle, then your rest cycle could be 3 to 5 minutes between sets. To get toned and “looking good”, a 1 to 3 minute rest is all you need.

As you complete one set of exercises and are ready to move into starting the first set of another exercise, take the same amount of rest between exercises as you did between sets.

Now you know how the order of your exercises and rest cycles can affect your performance. However, don’t be afraid to “shake things up” a little by changing the order occasionally.

Also to keep from hitting a plateau and to work your muscles differently, occasionally take out an exercise or two and replace with different ones that still target the same muscles.

How Much Rest Do Your Muscles Need In Between Strength Training Sessions?

Many people don’t know that rest is one of the most important parts of a strength training program. Weightlifting breaks down muscle by causing small tears in them. It is during the rest days that the body repairs these tears. Too little rest and you will start to suffer from the over-training syndrome which can take both a physical and mental toll on your body. Rest too much and you will not see progress toward your goal.

How much rest is enough?

So what is the right amount of rest? Actually there are two types of rest – one between sets and one between sessions. The rest between sets helps replenish the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) in your muscles, the primary source of energy. Rest between sets gives the muscle time to recuperate itself.

If you goal is to build up muscle endurance, then aim for a rest between sets of 30 to 90 seconds; allow at least a full day of rest before exercising the same muscle group again. To build muscle, allow for a 1 to 2 minute rest between sets and up to two days between sessions.

Many recreational weightlifters break down their sessions into an upper body routine one day, a lower body routine another day and back to the upper body (same or a different routine) the next day, or maybe throw in a cardio session somewhere during the week.

Hitting the wall

If you do over train, you will find yourself “hitting the wall”. You will know it because you will feel extremely fatigued or weak when training; you won’t be able to lift as much or do as many reps as you did the session before, so you will show a lack of progress. You may also suffer from a decreased appetite and a lack of enthusiasm to exercise. Over-training can also weaken your immune system, so you may even get sick more often.

If you start to show these symptoms, take a week off from weightlifting. Do other types of exercises that don’t work the same muscles as your routines, such as walking or yoga. To prevent it from happening again, identify the cause of over training – usually a lack of proper rest either with sets or sessions – make adjustments and continue training. You will come back both mentally and physically re-energized.

One of the best defenses to keep from over training is proper rest. Listen to your body; it will let you know when you are working it too hard. Be prepared to adjust your training, diet and sleep cycle accordingly to get you back on track.

Most of all keep learning and adjust your routine. As new strength training and fitness information becomes available you’ll find it at MyFitessNut.com or by subscribing to the My Fitness Nut Newsletter that’s exclusive to valued readers like you.

Sometimes you don’t feel like going to the gym. What would it look like if you did your strength training at home? Using your own weight lifting equipment at home in general has several benefits, such as:

• exercising when it fits into your daily schedule,
• exercising longer because you don’t have to drive to and from a gym,
• not having to arrange for someone to watch your kids while at the gym,
• saving gas by not having to drive your car to the gym,
• using the money you would normally pay for a gym membership to buy your own equipment,
• if you are in a cold part of the world, not having to go outside to get to a gym.

Do these sounds like benefits you want? If so, let’s talk about the different equipment options to consider.

You already know your fitness program should include strength training – around two days per week. But what equipment do you need? Before you go out and blow your budget on a huge strength training machine, think about these three things…

1) Type of equipment

Home strength training equipment can vary from a few resistance bands all the way to a multi-exercise, all-in-one machine. If you are just starting out, a few different levels of resistance bands may be all you need. As you outgrow the bands, you can add to (or replace) with equipment that allows you to develop more.

Many medium level and higher home strength trainers use a weight bench and free weights along with dumbbells and a barbell. You can start out with a few weights and add to it over time.

Of course at the high end of the equipment scale, you have all-in-one machines that are actually several machines arranged and connected in a circular fashion.

2) Available space

Think about how much space you have to commit to strength training equipment verses how much space the equipment takes up. If you live in an apartment, you probably do not have the space for an all-in-one machine.

For planning purposes, you should allow 20 to 30 square feet if you plan to buy resistance bands, kettlebells or a weight bench and small selection of weights. Anything larger and you will need anywhere from 35 to 50 square feet.

3) How much you can afford to spend

Fortunately, you can spend as little you want or as much as you afford. For under $100, you can get resistance bands, kettlebells, or some free weights and a non-adjustable weight bench.

Once you get into the adjustable weight benches and higher, plan to spend a minimum of $500 (up to $1,500 or more). Once you have answers to the three considerations, buy quality equipment that you can afford.

For example, instead of buying the best all-in-one machine, buy a mid-range one and resistance bands or kettlebells. Not only will you have the same amount of money invested, it will give you more flexibility in the exercises that you can do with the equipment you have.

How ironic is it that training with weights, resulting in an increase in muscle mass, is a key to weight loss! Why is that?

As it turns out, strength training helps with weight loss in the following six ways.

1) Preventing You from Gaining Back Lost Weight

Many people work hard to lose weight, but unfortunately most of them do not keep it off. You have to burn as many calories per day as you eat to maintain your weight at its present level. One way to burn more calories is to include strength training as part of your physical activity. Not only does the training itself burn calories, but as you build muscle mass your body will burn more calories to keep the larger muscle mass functioning than it did when you had a smaller mass. As far as weight loss is concerned, strength training has a two-fold effect.

2) Reducing Your Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

Adult Onset Diabetes (Type 2) is a loss of the body’s ability to control blood sugar. A new study recently showed the people in the study having the most muscle mass significantly lowered their risk of getting the Type 2 disease. How does this relate to weight loss? People with Type 2 diabetes often gain a significant amount of weight. Reduce the risk by maintaining or gaining muscle mass and you can avoid (or at least reduce) the related weight gain.

3) Maintaining Muscle Density

As part of the normal aging process, we lose muscle mass, known as sarcopenia. Around age 40, an inactive adult loses about a 3% to 5% every 10 years. Around age 70, the loss accelerates. One of the best known treatments to prevent sarcopeni is strength training. If you can maintain muscle mass, your body will burn more calories to maintain the functioning of those muscles than if you have reduced mass. Burning more calories avoids or at least lessens weight gain.

4) Preventing Injuries

Many injuries (especially in older people) are caused by a loss of muscle mass. Prevent the loss and you can reduce your risk for falls and broken bones. Good muscle tone means better balance which can prevent falls. If you can stay active, and not get sidelined by an injury for a long time, you have a better chance of not gaining weight.

5) Improving Function

Strength training increases your ability to function better. Working muscles with weights increases range of motion, keeps muscle tone and helps maintain flexibility. Lose these things and you gradually become less active. Become less active and you will have a harder time maintaining your weight and a significantly harder time trying to lose weight.

And these are only part of the benefits derived from strength training. As you can see, strength training is not an option in your weight loss program – it is critical. If you are not strength training at least two days per week, start now. It is one way to increase your metabolism, a critical part of weight loss.

6) How Often to do Strength Training for Losing Weight

If you are wondering how often you should strength train to lose weight, you need to understand exactly what strength training does first. A basic definition of strength training is any type of physical exertion or exercise that stresses your muscles and causes them to work against either resistance or weight, tearing them down so your body rebuilds them bigger and stronger.

This could include lifting weights, performing body weight exercises, or any other number of activities. If weight loss is your goal, the American College of Sports Medicine believes a minimum of two sessions of resistance training as well as three 20 minute cardio sessions are needed every week to achieve minimum acceptable fitness levels and to begin weight loss.

Strength training to lose weight simply means starting out with those resistance and cardio sessions on a weekly basis, while slowly and progressively adding weightlifting sessions. Muscles need at least 48 hours to repair after they are stressed, so plan your strength training exercises accordingly. Always make sure you warm up before beginning and cool down after your strength training workouts to prevent injuries.

An injury can keep you on the sideline and slow down your weight loss, which is accelerated when you increase your level of lean muscle tissue. This causes your body to burn calories at a higher rate, which accelerates weight loss. Practicing resistance training and cardio will help you lose weight, especially if you have a significant excess, but strength training is far and away the best way to lose weight through exercise.

Strength training three times a week, even if you are a beginner using very light weights, can allow you to schedule even the most intense workouts with 48 hours of rest before your next session. Strength trainers the world over have employed a Monday – Wednesday – Friday workout schedule because this regimen dovetails nicely with the typical Monday through Friday work week.

Whatever schedule you decide upon, make sure you keep properly hydrated during and after your strength training. You should also give your body the necessary fuel to build your muscles, in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Intensive strength training three days a week with ample rest between sessions allows your body to heal and prepare for the next workout, and to burn fat. The proper diet ensures that your muscles will continue to grow bigger and stronger as you improve the amount of lean muscle mass on your body, which in turn leads to significant fat weight loss.

If not done properly, lifting weights can be a recipe for personal disaster. Not only will using the correct posture help you get more out of your training time in the gym, but it will also prevent injuries – some of which can be debilitating for a long time.

Here are five tips to using the correct posture when lifting weights:

1) Look straight ahead

In weight lifting, one of the most important things you can do is to keep your whole spine in a straight line from your neck down to your tailbone. By looking straight ahead, your neck stays in line with your spine, thus reducing the risk of suffering a neck injury.

2) Keep your shoulders back and chest in while lifting weights

When lifting weights, the back has a tendency to either round forward or to arch back, both of which can lead to injuries. With a rounded back, you are slightly bent forward; with an arched back, your back is overextended backward. In both situations, weight is not directly over your spine thereby increasing your chances for a painful herniated disk.

3) Slightly bend your knees

When lifting over your head, a slight bend at the knees also helps keep your spine straight and the weight centered over it. Locked knees lead to a rounding of your back and we already know what that can lead to.

4) Keep your back straight

Most of what we have already talked about has led us to this overarching principle – keep the weight centered over the spine by keeping your back straight or slightly overarched, very slightly. You don’t want the weight you are lifting to be too far forward or too far back. Strive to keep it centered over your spine and keeping your back straight will help accomplish this.

5) Keep your weight evenly balanced on your feet

Proper lifting form includes having your feet shoulder-width apart and your body (and the weight you are lifting) spread out evenly over the soles of your feet. To prevent hurting the arches in your feet, be sure to wear shoes with good arch support. Spreading the weight evenly over your whole foot provides you with a stable base and reduces the risk that a lift will throw you off balance possibly injuring your or someone close to you working out.

Maintaining good posture is so important to having good lifting form not to mention reducing your risk for an injury that can put you down for a long time. By using the correct posture to lift, you can safely get more out of your lifting sessions.

How to Properly Lift Weights

If not done properly, lifting weights can result in an injury that can sideline you for a long time. Worse yet, once healed, you’ll have to start over again getting the rehabbed muscle back in shape. To avoid an injury and get the most out of your workout, you should:

1) Schedule Eating Before Exercising

Time your eating patterns so that you won’t have eaten a large meal within 50 minutes prior to your workout. Ideally, you should eat 1 to 2 hours prior to and if you feel you need something to eat just prior to starting your workout, choose a piece of fresh fruit or a protein supplement. By eating a large meal right before working out, you risk getting cramps which can really put a damper on your training session.

2) Warm Up

This is something that many new to working out skip because they think it doesn’t matter; they couldn’t be more wrong. By starting your workout with cold muscles, you run the risk of at least having sorer muscles all the way up to a suffering a serious injury.

Warming up increases the oxygen in your bloodstream and ultimately to your muscles. At a minimum, a good warm-up routine would be to perform 5 push-ups and sit-ups, rest for 30 seconds and then do 10 of both exercises. Keep doing this exercise/rest routine all the way up to 20 exercises of each and then start working your way back down to 5 exercises in increments of 5.

The Best Way to Warm Up Before Lifting Weights

Seasoned weightlifters know the value of properly warming up (and cooling down). Not only does warming up before lifting allow more blood to flow to your joints, but it increases the elasticity of your muscles and increases both your body temperature and nervous system activity; it actually allows you to maximize your workout better than if you had not warmed up.

A proper warm up consists of a cardio routine to get your heart rate increased, and a routine to warm-up and stretch the muscles you will work out during your weight-lifting session.

Cardio Warm-up

A good cardio warm up starts with a fast walk or slow jog for around two minutes where the goal is to increase your target heart rate to 60% of your maximum heart rate; you can figure out your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.

Next, move into a normal speed jog for around another two minutes to raise your target heart rate to 75%. Finally wrap up the cardio warm up by running for another two minutes or until your target heart rate is at 80%. Now start to gradually slow the speed down until you are at a stop.

You can also warm-up on a stationary bike or elliptical trainer each with variable resistance using the same target heart rates and approximate times.

Muscle Warm-up

If your routine that day is upper body, warm up your muscles by doing some dynamic flexibility exercises. Dynamic flexibility exercises moves your muscles within the full range of motion, thus “loosening up” everything better than static stretching, along with reducing the risk of injury. Recent studies have found that static stretching does not prevent injuries and does not properly prepare the muscles for an upcoming workout.

Push-ups are a good exercise for many upper body muscles. If your routine targets the lower body, then choose knee raises, squats or lunges, or a combination of the three.

Finish out your muscle warm up by doing a few light-weight lifts (about half the weight you normally lift) using the muscles that will be targeted by that day’s routine.

Now you are ready for a short one-minute rest, a drink of water and start your regular weight-lifting routine. Allow at least one hour to do the two warm-ups, your routine and a cool-down.

If you have not been warming up, you will find that you will actually have a better workout and be less sore the following day than when you had not been warming up first.

3) Choose the Appropriate Amount of Weight

Selecting the right amount of weight can be tricky at first. Your goal is for the last repetition in your set (the 12th one) to be very hard if not impossible to perform. This is known as muscle failure which is what you want if you are to progress toward your goal. The rule of thumb is to start lighter than you think you can lift and work up to the right amount of weight.

4) Use Proper Lifting Techniques

When lifting weights slow and steady beats fast and jerky every time. The goal is not to see how fast you can run through a routine.

When lifting, don’t arch your back, nor lean forward. Try to keep your head, neck and back all in alignment. Lift slowly while keeping focused on using proper form for the exercise you are performing at the time. When first starting out, it is a good idea to have a personal trainer watch you and correct your form if necessary.

You should allow at least an hour from start to finish, so that you can get in a good solid 30 minutes of lifting.

5) Cool Down After Lifting Weights Too

As you work through your lifting routine, your heart rate increases. The purpose of a cool-down is lower your heart rate back down to around what it was before you started your warm-up. You can cool down by doing a series of stretching exercises or by going through your warm-up routine again.

By following the advice in this article, you can safely enjoy the sport of weight lifting. Not only will you see an improvement in your physical stature, but your mental one as well. For more information on bodybuilding and fitness, get yourself a subscription to the MyFitnessNut.com newsletter and watch the Muscle Building Series video and start your weight lifting routine today.

How Heavy Should Your Dumbbell Weights Be?

The ideal weight of your dumbbells depends … it depends on your weight lifting goal in the first place. If your goal is to increase upper body flexibility and endurance, then you want to use lighter weights, but do more repetitions.

However if your goal is to build strength and muscle mass, then you want to lift heavier weights but with less repetitions. But the part of the question of each goal that remains unanswered is how much or how little should you be lifting? Let’s look at both.

Increase Flexibility and Endurance

The other parts of the equation that determines how much weight you should be lifting is the muscle group you are working and your experience level. If you are just starting out working your upper body, know that you will lift more weight when exercising your biceps than you will with the triceps, deltoids and trapezius.

Regardless of your experience level, use a planning factor of twelve to twenty repetitions (reps) per set – this range of reps should bring you to muscle failure – the point where you are unable to do one more rep; plan for one to three sets. If twenty reps don’t bring you to failure, use more weight.

When first starting out, try using a five-pound dumbbell in each hand. Once you can easily do twenty reps, bump up the weight until you reach failure at twelve. Once you have been exercising for a while, you should be able to fatigue biceps with one set using eight pounds in each hand. If not, reduce the weight and add in another set or two of reps.

For the other upper body muscles, try using between two and five pounds in each hand. Still use twelve to twenty reps per set as a guide.

Build Strength and Muscle Mass

If building strength is your goal, then the amount of weight you lift and the number of reps is much different. For upper body muscles, you want to use a weight heavy enough to allow you to perform two to six sets of six reps per set until muscle failure. Again you will be able to lift more weight when exercising biceps than other upper body muscles.

For increased muscle mass, plan on using a weight that will allow you to do three to six sets with six to twelve repetitions per set. As you max out on reps and sets, increase the weight and lower the number of reps.

Lifting more weight than your body can handle can lead to muscle tears and other injuries. Always start with less weight than you think you can lift and work up one pound at a time as your muscles get used to a certain amount of weight at maximum reps.

Regardless of your reason to workout with dumbbells, lifting weights can be both fun and challenging. Be sure to use common sense and lift responsibly.

How Many Weight Lifting Reps Should You Do?

Once the question of “How much weight should I lift?” is answered, the question of “How many weight lifting repetitions should I do?” soon follows … and with good reason – the two questions are relative to each other. You have to know the answers to both questions before starting a weight lifting routine.

The answer in general is “It depends on your goal.”

A weight lifting repetition (rep) is defined as moving a weight from point A to point B and back again. For example, when working a bicep, it would be the action of moving the dumbbell (and of course your forearm and hand) from horizontal, to vertical, and back down to horizontal; that is one rep. A specific number of continuous reps with a short rest period at the end is a set.

Because the number of reps you should perform is goal-oriented, let’s talk about the goal at each end of the spectrum. If your goal is to make every day lifting easier, such as carrying groceries or the laundry basket, then you are more endurance oriented. With this goal you would be doing more reps with lighter weights.

However if your goal is to get stronger and to have larger muscles, then you are strength oriented and you would lift more weight but with fewer reps per set. In between, there are several sub-goals which end up being a combination of the two major goals.

But we still have not yet answered the question of how many reps, have we. That’s coming! If you are at the endurance end of the spectrum, then you want to do 15 to 20 reps per set; the lower number of reps if you are just starting out – the higher number if you have been working out a while. If you are strength-oriented, then your range is 1 to 5 reps per set.

Now, let’s move on to the number of sets. For the endurance-oriented people, usually 1 to 3 sets is enough to reach muscle failure – the point in which the muscle you are working cannot do another lift; for the strength oriented individuals, that number increases to a range of 2 to 6 sets.

To prevent injury start with a lighter weight than you think you can lift. You know you have about the right amount of weight if you reach muscle failure with your minimum number of reps. Now you can add reps/sets until you max out. Once that happens, then increase the weight and drop back on reps/sets.

In the end, the number of reps you should do depends on your goal, current fitness level and lifting experience. Enjoy!

Strength Training Exercise for Upper Body Muscle Groups

If you are just starting to get into strength training, be sure your routines are balanced by targeting both upper and lower body muscles. In the upper body, be sure to include exercises that work the:

• biceps
• triceps
• shoulders
• chest
• back

The Biceps

• One of the most popular exercises for biceps is the curl:
• To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Hold the weight with palms facing up, elbows in next to your body.
• Now (without moving them) bend at the elbows and bring the weight up and toward your body.
• Now slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
• The curl can be done with either a weighted barbell or with dumbbells.

The Triceps

The dip does not require any exercise equipment making it a great exercise to do when traveling. To start:

• Sit on a chair.
• Put your hands on the front edge of the chair seat.
• While supporting your weight with your hands and arms, move to the edge of the chair so the rest of your body is just off the edge of the chair
• Bend the elbows (no lower than 90 degrees) and lower your body down, keeping very close to the chair.
• Finish the exercise by pushing your body back up without locking the elbows.

The Shoulders

The overhead press targets the deltoids in the shoulder.

• Start by standing (or sitting) holding a weighted barbell with your elbows bent and hands at eye level.
• Push the barbell straight up until your arms are fully extended without arching your back.
• Lower the barbell back to the starting position.

The Chest

The basic press targets the major muscles of the chest, along with shoulder and triceps. To do the basic press:

• Lie on a weight bench with a weighted barbell over your chest, elbows bent at 90-degree angle.
• With your arms, press the barbell straight up.
• Lower back to starting position.

The Back

Rows are a great exercise to strengthen the muscles in your back. To start:

• With dumbbells in each hand, bend over at the waist until you are looking straight down at the floor. Keep your abs pulled in and knees slightly bent.
• Let the weights hang straight down from your arms, without locking your elbows.
• Bend the elbows and pull the weights up until your elbows are level with your body.
• Lower the weights back down to the starting position.

Beginners should strive to perform 1 to 2 sets of each exercise with 12 to 16 repetitions per set. As your fitness level advances, you can work up to 2 to 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions per set.

You know you are using the right amount of weight if the last repetition in the last set is very hard, if not impossible, to do. You know you have then hit muscle failure.

Strength Training Exercise for Lower Body Muscle Groups

If you are just starting into strength training, be sure your routines are balanced by targeting both upper and lower body muscles. In the lower body, be sure to include exercises that include working the:

• quadriceps
• hamstrings
• abdominals

The Quadriceps

The squat is a great exercise to target the quadriceps (quads). To perform the basic squat:

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend at the knees and gently lower your body down until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Slowly raise your body back up to the starting position.

A variation of this is the assisted squat. The exercise is basically the same except you use a resistance band tied to a doorknob or stair rail to steady yourself. Put some resistance on the band by pulling it with both hands. Now perform the squat as usual.

The Hamstrings

The front lunge is a basic lower body exercise that works the hamstrings. To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Now:

• With your left leg, step forward and lower your body until your thigh is parallel to the floor.
• Now with that same leg, push yourself back to the starting position.
• Either repeat with this same leg for the desired number of repetitions or use your right leg and alternate between legs until reaching your target number of reps.
• To work your hamstrings even more hold a dumbbell in each hand.

A variation of the forward lunge is the reverse lunge. The exercise is basically the same except instead of lunging forward, your move your leg backwards.

The Abdominals

A simple, but very effective exercise that targets your abdominal core is the bicycle.

• To begin, lie on the floor with your hands locked behind your head and bring your knees to your chest.
• Now lift your shoulders off the floor and straighten your left leg while rotating the upper body to bring the left elbow toward the right knee.
• Without lowering your upper body, switch sides, now bringing your right elbow toward your left knee.
• Continue this back and forth oscillation until you have reached your desired number of reps.
• Lower your upper body and legs back down to the floor between sets for a short rest.

If you are just starting out, your goal should be to perform 1 to 2 sets of each exercise with 12 to 16 repetitions per set. As your muscles develop, you can work up to 2 to 3 sets with 8 to 12 repetitions per set.

The great thing about these lower body exercises is that none of them require any equipment, so you can do them anywhere, making them great exercises to do while away from home. When you return home, you can mix up your workout routine and do your strength training exercises for your upper body muscle groups using weights and resistance.