One of the biggest mistakes I see as a trainer is that people do not do their strength training from Day #1. That’s a big mistake. They say things like, “I’ll do cardio first and when I start to lose weight I will do some strength training to tone up”. Well, let me tell you, it does not work like that!
STRENGTH TRAINING IS CRITICAL IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
Think of it this way: MUSCLE = METABOLISM! And we are not talking about the kind of muscles that Arnold has. The REALITY is that when women and men do the RIGHT strength training exercises and the harder they work at strength training, the TIGHTER and TRIMMER their muscles become!
So what are the RIGHT exercises and how hard should I be working?
Well, I’m a big believer in training at the right intensity. Sure, when you first start exercising you need to take your time, get comfortable with the exercises and allow your body to adapt BUT many people take it easy for months and months, never really doing the KEY exercises and/or bumping up the intensity of their workouts.
All the RIGHT exercises that you need to do can be done with the Lebert EQualizer, but these exercises can be done without equipment using your own bodyweight. It does not take much time - just a bit of effort and consistency for amazing muscle transformation! Of course, always consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
1. LEGS
You have to work your legs! They are the biggest muscle in your body and squats are the #1 exercise you need to start doing. The major mistake people make with squats is pushing their knees forward and not sitting down low enough.
Of course, if you have any limitations, you should hire a trainer to help you get started right.
Squats are a very natural and safe movement though, and done right, can really work the legs- with no weights- just add reps. It will really get the heart pumping. When you are getting ready to increase the intensity, you can use the EQualizers for SINGLE leg squats (very effective and hit inner and outer thigh as well as butt a lot more) and lunges.
EQualizer Reverse Lunge
2. PUSH AND A PULL
For the upper body you need only do two major exercises, a push and a pull. These two exercises will ensure that you hit all the major groups up there. These two exercises are the push-up and the vertical row- both are best done with the EQualizer- with lots of options for strength levels of the participant and exercise variety (because of the scope of this article, it is best to consult your trainer for proper body positioning and exercise intensity, etc).
Because you are using your own body weight, you engage the CORE, working more muscle than if you used a bench or lat pull down, and you get it done with less equipment, which means less cost and very little room taken up- and EQualizers are portable to store after workouts.
EQualizer Push Ups
EQualizer Two Bar Pull Ups
3. AND YOU THOUGHT THAT WAS IT!
Just because you could get away with the last 4 exercises (single leg squats, lunges, pushups and vertical rows) does not mean I am going to let you stop there. I am a trainer after all! I highly recommend my favourite EQualizer exercise for the triceps and lower abs. You basically kneel down and slowly lower yourself forward under one of the bars- it’s got a good STRETCH built in and really great for the core!
EQualizer Kneeling Tricep Extension
That’s it! Get this routine done every second day- do the exercises slow and controlled and find a way to always make it harder - at your level, of course- but have a trainer help you determine what that is.
