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 Beginning Weight Training 3
Month Three

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If you are beginning weight training, please start with Month One. After completing Month One, go to Month Two. Skipping ahead may in the long run hinder your progress.

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For month three, maintain the same schedule of weight training one day and aerobic walking the next. Take one day off every week and do no exercise at all.

On Cardio Days

Continue walking 30 minutes per session, the same as last month. Walk over hilly terrain to increase intensity, if there is a place to do it.  Add a weighted waist belt or weighted day-pack if there are no hills where you walk.

Remember to begin by walking slowly for the first few minutes. Then gradually work up to a faster pace and maintain it until the last few minutes, when you gradually slow it down. You should be starting to work up a sweat and doing a little huffing and puffing after 10 minutes or so – but still be able to speak in short sentences comfortably.

When you finish your walk, don’t sit down immediately. Cool off by moving around and walking in a leisurely manner for a few minutes. Then, softly, stretch your hamstrings and calves a bit.

On Weight Training Days

Most fitness trainees change routines every 4 weeks or so. That way they hit muscle groups from slightly different angles. Variety also defeats boredom.

Start with a 3- to 5-minute warm-up. Walk in place, cycle, move around or do light calisthenics.

This month you will be introduced to supersets. Supersets are a very efficient and effective way to exercise. We will take two exercises that work opposing muscle groups and do the exercises back-to-back, resting long enough to move from one to the next, until 2 or 3 sets of both exercises in a superset are completed. Rest 2 minutes, and then begin the next superset.

In the last segment, the superset is called a tri-set because it contains 3 exercises. It works the same way as a standard superset of 2 exercises. Except in this instance, you do back-to-back a set of Squats, followed by a set of Straight Legs Dead Lifts (with dumbbells), and followed by a set of Donkey Calf Raises. Then you start again with Squats, etc., until you have completed the cycle 3 times.

Begin with a 3- to 5-minute warm-up. Walk in place, cycle, move your arms around, or do light calisthenics.

Definitions

Reps: That’s short for repetitions. Doing an exercise for 10 reps means repeating it consecutively 10 times.

Sets: Sets are groups of reps. Let’s say you do 10 reps, rest, and then do 10 more: that’s 2 sets.

Clean: To pull and lift a weight from the floor to shoulder level.

Exercises                                               Sets x Reps

Superset 1                  

• Sit-ups  ...................................3 x 15 - 20
• Good Mornings (light weight)  ....3 x 12 – 15

Rest 2 minutes

Superset 2

• Bench Press  ............................3 x 8 - 10
• Bent Over Rowing, barbell  .........3 x 8 - 10

Rest 2 minutes            

Superset 3

• See Saw Press  ..........................3 x 8 - 10
• Dumbbell Pullover  .....................3 x 8 – 10

Rest 2 Minutes

Superset 4

• Hammer Curl, dumbbells  ............2 x 8 -10
• French Press, dumbbell  ..............2 x 8 - 10

Rest 2 minutes

Superset (tri-set) 5

• Squats (with barbell) ...................2 x 8 - 10
• Straight Leg Dead Lift, dumbbells ..2 x 8 – 10
• Donkey Calf Raise  .......................2 x 15

Soft (non-ballistic), relaxed stretching: 5 minutes

Weight training notes for month three:

1. The supersets routine should take less than an hour, including the warm-up and post workout stretch and relaxation.

2. Do the exercises in good form. No swinging, bouncing or cheating. Maintain a smooth, steady cadence, always controlling the weights by muscle power alone. Do not let the weights just drop while lowering them. Control them, always.

3. Strive to increase the weights you lift, but not train to failure. End a set when you could do 1 or maybe 2 more reps if you had to. Remember that everyone has days when he or she feels a little stronger or weaker than usual. This is perfectly normal.

4. As always, if you experience pain (as opposed to mild muscular soreness) from a particular exercise, discontinue that exercise. If pain persists, consult a health care professional.