Kenneth, Gardner
Although there are several weight training exercises for you to choose from, choosing the ones that are best for you is very essential. The best weight training exercises are compound exercises.
These exercises require more than one joint or muscle to move the weight. When you're doing compound exercises, such as the squats and the bench press, many muscles are being exercised at the same time. Weight lifting exercises that require both arms and both legs to work together will allow the use of more weight and will help to maintain a balance of development on both sides of the body.
When choosing exercises for your training programme, make that choice with overall development in mind. Developing the body as a whole is better than ignoring certain body parts and overdeveloping one or two body parts at the expense of others. Your aim should always be geared at developing both sides of the body equally, and the opposing muscle or muscle groups should always be exercised. If you're unaware of the different muscles in the body, just remember that for every exercise action or movement you perform, there should be an opposite action or movement in another exercise. For example, if you perform an exercise that develops shoulder flexion, you should also do an exercise that develops shoulder extension.
Larger muscles first
Remember, always exercise the largest muscles first then work your way to the smallest muscles last. Larger muscles require more energy to move and they need smaller muscles to assist with the movement. If the smaller muscles should become fatigued, you will have difficulty handling enough weight to properly exercise the larger muscles.
The order of exercise is another essential part of weight lifting based on a work-rest principle. If a muscle is worked during an exercise, it is highly recommended that you rest that muscle during the next exercise. If you are exercising different muscle groups, you may work a muscle then let it rest as you concentrate on another muscle group. This will allow you to get more work done in less time.
Kenneth Gardner is anexercise physiologist at the G. C. Foster College of Physical Education: email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
List of weight training exercises
Exercise instructor Kurt Dunn demonstrates front barbell curls at Gymkhana, Hilton Kingston hotel. - File
Universal squats (leg exercise)
Place your shoulders under the pads and your hands on the handles.
Keep your head up and back straight with hips and knees bent.
Exhale as you extend your knees and hips while keeping your back straight.
Inhale as you bend your knees and hips to lower the weight to the starting position.
Standing barbell curls (arm exercise)
Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
Grab the bar with your shoulders squared and your chest up.
Without swaying, lift the barbell up in a wide arc from your thighs up to shoulder level.
Repeat action.
Nautilus abdominal crunch machine (abdominal exercise)
Start in a seated position with your upper back against the padded exercise bar.
Fasten the seat belt and grasp the handles on the exercise bar.
Exhale as you pull with your abdominal muscles to curl your chest toward your hips.
Inhale as you slowly allow your chest to return to starting position.
