Beginner's Exercise Routines

Exercises for Free-Weights and Body-Weight-Only Calisthenics

A body-building work-out is designed to stress the muscles and force them to respond by growing stronger and larger. If done correctly, a certain amount of muscle tenderness can be expected within the 36 hours following the work-out. There are a great variety of exercises for each muscle or body part. Once muscles become accustomed to a particular exercise, weight-resistance or exercise routine, development will slow down and may stop. It's wise to change the exercises and exercise order every month or so.

If you're using free-weights it's important to establish the appropriate weights to lift so that injury or excessive soreness is avoided. As you lift a weight or push it away from you, exhale forcefully through your mouth then inhale through your nose as you relax.

For Calisthenics, it's important to use your imagination to create new ways of performing the basic exercise. Always exhale while the muscle is being contracted (flexed) and inhale as you relax.

For optimum muscular development it's important to drink pure water throughout the work-out and to have a protein meal within 90 minutes of the workout's completion.

Establishing Your Starting Weights or GO to CALISTHENICS

If you choose to work-out in a gymnasium or fitness center, the standard straight bar used for the chest-developing bench-press, weighs 45 pounds.

1. For the first exercise, lay on your back on the bench, knees bent, feet up on the bench and grip the bar evenly in the center with your hands about 24 inches apart. Lift the bar off its rack and lower it to your chest, pause, then exhale as you slowly raise the bar to full arm extension. Inhale as you lower the bar back to your chest. Repeat fifteen times. If the fifteenth repetition is easy, add ten pound plates to each side of the bar so that the newly combined weight is 65 pounds. Continue performing 15 repetions and increasing the combined weight until the fifteenth repetition cannot be completed. Record the final weight in your training note-book as "bench press XX lbs".

2. The second exercise is for your front upper-arms (biceps) and can be performed with either a straight bar or dumbbells. For dumbbells start with ten pounds in each hand, arms extended towards your knees. Lock your elbows in front of your hips then slowly bend your forearms upwards to shoulder height, again for fifteen repetitions. As before, progressively increase the weight until the fifteenth repetition of a particular weight cannot be completed. If you use a straight bar or a W shaped biceps curl bar proceed as for the bench press above by adding plates. Record the final weight in your training note-book as "biceps curl XX lbs".

3. Where your arms join your shoulders there is a group of three muscles called the deltoids. They are not powerful but are essential for many day-to-day activities. Be careful when starting to exercise them as they can be damaged easily. Start only with a 3 - 5 pound dumbell in each hand, arms straight and hanging down at your sides. Without bending your elbows elevate your arms straight ahead to shoulder height. If you can complete the fifteenth repetition increase the weight by 2 - 3 pounds only. Progressively add weight a little at a time until the fifteenth rep is impossible to do. Record the final weight in your training note-book as "deltoid raise XX lbs".

4. The final weight you recorded for the deltoids is the weight you'll start with for the triceps muscles located at the rear of the upper arm. With a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward at the waist keeping your back straight, head up. Bend your knees slightly, lock your bent elbows in to your sides so that your forearms are pointing to the floor then push the weight backwards as your straighten your arms without letting your elbows slip out of position. If 15 repetitions is easy, increase the weight. Once you find a weight whereby you fail on the fifteenth rep record it in your training note-book as "triceps kickback XX lbs".

5. The muscles running from your underarms to your waist are called the laterals. To exercise them you'll need to use either an overhead fixed bar or preferably a pull-down cable machine. For the cable machine, load it with about 50 pounds, sit directly below the bar with your arms overhead, hands gripping the bar as widely as possible. Pull the bar down to the top of your chest not to behind your neck. Proceed as before and establish your starting weight then record in your note-book "overhead pulldown XX lbs".

If you only have access to a fixed overhead bar, place a chair under the bar and stand on it as you grip the bar as widely as possible with your arms bent, chest touching the bar. Lift your feet off the chair and slowly straighten your arms to lower your body slightly then pull yourself back up. Wide-grip pull-ups are quite difficult and you'll need consistent practice to develop the strength to pull yourself up off the floor without the aid of the chair to get started.

6. The quadriceps are the large muscles at the front of your upper legs. Holding the bench-press bar firmly in a wide grip, balance it across the top of your chest and squat down, maintaining a straight back, until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Pause, then exhale forcefully as you stand back up. Proceed as before with fifteen repetitions, progressively increasing the weight until failure on the fifteenth rep. Record the final weight in your note-book as "free squats XX lbs". Most fitness centers have squat machines and leg-extension machines available but it's best to use the bar for the first few weeks of training.

7. The hamstrings at the back of the upper leg are prone to injury, so, as for the deltoids, take it easy on them to start. If you have access to a hamstring-curl machine where you lie face-down with your ankles under a rolling pad, start with about 10 pounds and progressively work up little by little. If no machine is available then you may strap weights to the ankles, extend one leg to the rear then bend the knee so as to lift the weighted lower leg upwards. Record the final weight as "hams XX lbs".

8. Calf muscles are very resistant to exercise and need to be worked out harder than all the other muscles. Initially, however, stand on a step or block about 8 inches above floor height with just the balls of the feet on it, the heels hanging over. Exhale as you raise up on tip-toes, pause as you flex the calf muscles then lower back down stretching the heels as far down as you can. Perform 25 repetitions then hold a 15 pound dumbell in each hand and repeat the exercise. In your note-book record "calves XX lbs".

9. Abdominals are probably the most "desired" muscle yet the hardest to see as they're usually covered in a spongy layer of body-fat. Consistent, full-body work-outs will progressively whittle away the fatty covering and in time, as the abdominals tone up you'll be able to feel and then see the almost mythical six-pack. The most important ab exercise is called the pelvic tilt and unless you can perform that effectively no other ab exercise will ever yield its full potential benefit.

Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, tuck your tummy in and up under your rib cage allowing it to draw your groin upwards off the floor. Don't use your legs to assist in the movement. Flex and hold for two seconds then inhale as you relax back to the start position. Do ten of those then immediately follow with another ten but as you tilt and flex your pelvis, curl your head and shoulders up off the floor to look at your groin.

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Introductory work-outs should be simple and not too time-consuming. The full routine may be be performed every-other-day or may be divided into alternating-day work-outs with the upper-body routine being done one day and the lower-body routine the next day. In either case, perform two sets of eight repetitions for each exercise with two minutes of rest between sets and exercises.

The first set should be with the weights you established as outlined above. Your subsequent workouts will start with the weight you ended up with on the previous work-out but, for the second set, increase the weight by 5 - 10% so that the eighth repetition cannot be completed. If the eighth repetition of the second set is "do-able" the weight selected was not heavy enough.

For maximum benefit, the second set should be "to failure" on the last repetition !

THE ROUTINE

Full-body, every-other-day or Upper-body, day one

bench press bench press

quadraceps press biceps curl

biceps curl triceps kick-back

hamstring curl delt raise

triceps kick-back overhead pulldown

calf raise

Lower-body, day two

delt raise

quadriceps press

abs

hamstring curl

calf raise

abs

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Body-weight-only Calisthenics

"Calisthenics" or body-weight-only workouts comprise eight basic exercises, that when performed correctly, can tone and build every muscle of your body. Because the basic exercises don't require any equipment, many cities provide outdoor circuit-training courses based on calisthenics and walking. With simple equipment such as a fixed overhead bar or a sturdy tree branch and by adding some free-weights to create greater resistance the variety of exercises and routines is limitless. The free-weights can be dumbbells, rocks, plastic bottles filled with sand or weighted bags strapped to the ankles or wrists.

1. Pushups - chest, triceps, shoulders, back

a. Stand facing a wall two feet away. Place your hands at shoulder height against the wall. Keeping your body straight, lean forward until your chest touches the wall. Exhale and push away from the wall. Repeat twelve times.

b. Lie face down on the floor with your body straight, hands open, palms down and under your shoulders. Support your weight on your hands and knees. Stiffen your body from your knees to your head, exhale and push upwards until your arms are straight. Lower your body as you inhale. Repeat ten times.

c. As above but support your weight on your hands and the balls of your feet. Flex your body to keep it straight from feet to head, exhale and push up to straighten the arms, inhale and lower. Repeat ten times.

2. Squats - quads, glutes, back

a. Basic: Stand erect with your feet eighteen inches apart. Maintain a straight back and with your head held up and back, bend your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Exhale and stand up. Repeat ten times.

b. Walking Lunges: Stand erect with your feet together. Step forward with one leg and keeping your knee above your heel bend the knee until the upper leg is parallel with the floor. Exhale and stand erect as you step forward with the other leg.

3. Pullups/chinups - biceps, forearms, lats, back

(These can be done from a fixed overhead bar, a horizontal sturdy tree branch or lying under a table.)

a. Reach up and grip the overhead support, arms straight with palms facing you or each other. Exhale and pull upwards until your face is level with your hands. Inhale and lower your body to the start position.

b. Grip the overhead support with your hands spread as far apart as possible. Exhale and pull upwards until your chest touches the overhead object.

4. Dips - triceps, deltoids, lower chest

a. Sit on the ground or a sturdy chair. Reach behind you and place the palms of your hands on the surface. Exhale and push up until your arms are straight and your butt is clear of the floor.

b. The further back you place your hands the emphasis is taken from the chest and placed on the triceps and deltoids.

To do these more effectively you need a waist-high wall or parallel bars. The backs of two solid, stable chairs are O.K.

5. Donkey kicks - hamstrings, glutes, lower back

a. Kneel with your hands on the floor. Stiffen your back and elevate your head. Exhale and raise one leg as high as possible and straighten it. Do ten repetitions then repeat for the other leg.

b. As before, but also raise and extend the opposite arm as you raise the leg.

6. Pelvic Tilts - abdominals, glutes, inner thighs

a. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. As you exhale, tuck your tummy in and up under your rib cage allowing it to draw your groin upwards off the floor. Don't use your legs to assist in the movement. Flex and hold for two seconds then inhale as you relax back to the start position. Do ten of those then immediately follow with another ten but as you tilt and flex your pelvis, curl your head and shoulders up off the floor to look at your groin.

7. Calf Raise - calves, ankles, low back

a. Stand on a step or block about 8 inches above floor height with just the balls of the feet on it, the heels hanging over. Exhale as you raise up on tip-toes, pause as you flex the calf muscles then lower back down stretching the heels as far down as you can. Repeat twenty-five times.

b. Stand with the heels hanging over the edge as before but bend your knees keeping your backstraight. Steady yourself with the hand rail or wall then maintaining your bent knees, exhale and raise up onto your toes, inhale as you stretch back down. 25 reps.

8. Neck Resistance - neck and shoulder

a. Stand or sit and allow your body to relax. Slowly bend your head fully forward. Place your cupped hands behind your head over the crown area and exhale as you push your head slowly backwards against the resistance of your hands. Hold the position under tension until you need to inhale. Re-centralize your head, remove your hands from your head then exhale and slowly bend your neck to the left side as though to touch your shoulder with your ear. Hold until you need to inhale, centralize your head and repeat to the right side.

b. Look up to the ceiling, place your cupped hands on your forehead and exhale as you slowly push your head forwards until your chin touches your chest. Hold the position under tension until you need to inhale. Re-centralize your head, remove your hands from your forehead then exhale and slowly bend your neck to the left side as though to touch your shoulder with your ear. Repeat to the right side.

c. Repeat each of the above exercises but exchange the hand positions - for (a.) hands on thforehead for (b.) hands behind the head.

d. Place your left hand on your head above your left ear. Exhale and push your head against the hand and hold until you need to inhale. Switch hands and resist to the right.

e. As for (d.) but place your right hand above the left ear. Exhale and pull against the resistance of your neck. Switch hands and repeat.

Luigi Kleinsasser is a certified fitness instructor and diet counsellor specializing in general health improvement, weight loss and fitness programs. His website is [http://www.luigiwho.com]