hi!

I go to my apartment's gym where the equipments are not very sophisticated.recently , i have been focusing mainly on doing cardio to shed weight.however , i would really like to do some weight lifting in order to tone my body.can somebody tell me how i can utilize my gyme equipment to get the best result.they have dumbell, bench and few other equipments mainly for chest( i don't know their name).or do i need to join some other gym to get the desired result.
i am hoping to hear from steve or kara as well.
thank you in advance!

Hey desired-girl,
1st is your bench press free weights or is it a machine? Machines limit the amount of exercises you could use on it. But with dumbbells you should be able to get a nice rounded exercise plan together. Since you are new to strength training, try and stick to the basics. I would suggest doing a full body routine 2-3 times week with high reps such as 12+ to get your body, ligaments, and tendons strong to prevent injuries.

Exercises can be split up into 3 different categories when it comes to working your muscles...Push, Pull, Legs. Any exercise involving a push movement will be hitting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. A pull motion will focus on back and biceps. And of course leg exercises hit your lower body.

You can do all these movements with dumbbells. I would suggest 3 sets of 15 for each exercise and do a workout program for 4-8 weeks to prepare your body. Then you can switch it up to build more strength and muscle. Don't forget the more muscle you have the easier it is to burn fat. About every pound of muscle will burn 50 more calories at rest a day.

Try this routine out for a little bit:

Bench Press
Bent Over Rows
DB Squats
Overhead press
Bicep Curls
DB Lunges
Abs

That will be a good starting routine. As you progress you may find it easier to get quality results by joining a gym but you can always find alternatives. I'm currently travelling and having to find new ways daily to get my workouts in at random hotels lol.

Oooh oooh ooh ...

Read this thread: http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weigh...t-lifting.html

It's long and there are several parts to it, but it will really explain to you exactly how weight training/strength training works. There are also several sample workouts that you can use and progress with.

It's a really good thread.