Muscle Building Program 1
The below strength / muscle building program is an excellent one. The same type program I have used/using for the last 35 years. Do it three times/week i.e. Mon, Wed and Fri or Tues Thur and Sat. ALWAYS one day of rest between and once a week two days rest.
Warm up 10 minutes on a bike, treadmill or some other cardio equipment. You could even go for a walk if the weather permits, you should get warm from the warm up and even start to break a sweat.
Do 8-10 repetitions per exercise, 15 repetitions with a bit lighter weights for the first 3 weeks.
After you got the muscles and tendons used to the new workload it's time to get serious. For a muscle to grow it needs to get stressed. You do this by using about 80% of its strength, that means if your aim is to do 10 repetitions the 10th should be hard to complete. You might be able to do 11 but if you are able to do 12 or more you need to increase the weight. This to get optimal results. Stressed muscle become stronger and bigger!
Do 2-3 sets of each exercise, rest 60-90 seconds between. Finish one exercise off before you do the next one.
You always warm-up specific muscle by doing a set with lighter weight, roughly 25% of the weight you use later. Do about 12-15 warm up repetitions. Very important to avoid injuries!
1. Squats
The leg muscles, mainly the front of the thigh and the bum, gluts
Stand with the feet hip width apart and keep your eyes on a focal point on the wall, level with your eyes. Lower your body until the
bum touches the bench and get up again in a controlled way without bouncing.
Keep your back straight, your knee caps should be above your second/third toes. Control your knees, don’t let them wobble.
Remember to breath- in (inhale) on he way down and out (exhale) on the way up.
The leg muscles, mainly the front of the thigh and the bum, gluts
Stand with the feet hip width apart and keep your eyes on a focal point on the wall, level with your eyes. Lower your body until the
bum touches the bench and get up again in a controlled way without bouncing.
Keep your back straight, your knee caps should be above your second/third toes. Control your knees, don’t let them wobble.
Remember to breath- in (inhale) on he way down and out (exhale) on the way up.
2.Dumbbell Press
Lower the dumbbells slowly in a controlled way. Push them up, remember to breathe out on the way up. dumbbells should be at level with the chest, a little bit lower than the model shows on the picture.
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3. One arm row for the lats.
Lats is a short for the latin words latisimus dorsi, which is the name of the big back muscle. This muscle gives you the V-shape.
Stand as the photo shows, with the lower back straight and one knee resting on the bench for stability. Lower the dumbbell as far as it goes and let it hang, you might feel the stretch in the muscle (lats) you’re suppose to work. Bring the dumbbell back up to your mid-section and repeat.
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4. Back extension on a fitness ball
For the lower back
Lie over a fitness ball. You could brace your feet against something to add support.
Raise your back until it’s straight and keep your head aligned with the spine, in the second picture the model has her head slightly too high. After a while you will get the hang of it where your back is in space.
At the top position stay for a ½ second before you go back down again in a controlled way, repeat.
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5. Sitting Shoulder Press Special
This variant of shoulder press is called Arnold Press, after the famous Mr. Schwarzenegger.
Bring the dumbbells up as shown in the first photo. Push them up while you rotate your arms outwards. Control your back so you don’t extend it. Sit on a regular chair with a back rest or an exercise bench which you bring up to about 80 degrees incline. Make sure the small of your back doesn’t leave the chair/bench. This exercise broaden your shoulders.
This variant of shoulder press is called Arnold Press, after the famous Mr. Schwarzenegger.
Bring the dumbbells up as shown in the first photo. Push them up while you rotate your arms outwards. Control your back so you don’t extend it. Sit on a regular chair with a back rest or an exercise bench which you bring up to about 80 degrees incline. Make sure the small of your back doesn’t leave the chair/bench. This exercise broaden your shoulders.
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6. Sitting Dumbbell Curl
For the front of the arm, the biceps.
Start with the arms resting by your side, begin to curl up the dumbbells while you gradually rotate your arms outwards. Why should you rotate your arms? Because the biceps which consists of two parts (heads) not only bends your arm it also rotates it outwards. Slowly, in a controlled way lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat.
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7. Lying Triceps Extenions
This is one of the best if not the best exercise for the back of the arm, triceps.
Lie down on a bench (or on the floor/bed). If you do it on a bed/floor , bend you knees and put your feet down to flatten out your lower back. with the dumbbells as the photo shows. Lower the dumbbells in a controlled way until they are level with your head, just above the head. Bring them back to the starting position and repeat.
This is one of the best if not the best exercise for the back of the arm, triceps.
Lie down on a bench (or on the floor/bed). If you do it on a bed/floor , bend you knees and put your feet down to flatten out your lower back. with the dumbbells as the photo shows. Lower the dumbbells in a controlled way until they are level with your head, just above the head. Bring them back to the starting position and repeat.
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8. Leg curl and core stability
This is a hard exercise for strengthening the core and the back of the legs, the hamstrings.
Put your feet on a fitness ball as shown in the photo. Stabilize yourself with the arms on the floor (not as the model does on the photo).
Lift your bum up from the floor in a controlled way, keep your pelvis level. With the help of the legs and feet curl the ball towards you. Bring the ball back to the starting position and repeat.
This is a hard exercise for strengthening the core and the back of the legs, the hamstrings.
Put your feet on a fitness ball as shown in the photo. Stabilize yourself with the arms on the floor (not as the model does on the photo).
Lift your bum up from the floor in a controlled way, keep your pelvis level. With the help of the legs and feet curl the ball towards you. Bring the ball back to the starting position and repeat.
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9. Abs, Sit ups
Lie on the floor or bench/bed and cross your arms as shown. Tighten up your stomach muscles and bring your upper body up, about 10-12” (25-30cm) off the floor, not more. You should be stiff like a board from the chest up. Look at the models head position. Don’t bend your neck.
Slowly go down again and repeat, your stomach muscles should be begging you to quit.
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