Today is Day 12 of Free Weeks of Fitness… feel the burn! Make sure you “Like” each day’s featured product on Facebook (not the blog post, but the item itself) to be entered in the giveaway. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to be one of 3 to win this week’s $100 Gift Certificates – but only those who’ve “Liked” all seven (7) products this week. Go!

To see all of the Free Weeks of Fitness posts in once place, click here!

Today, Chris from Zen to Fitness is going to lead us through another great way to train your body.

Minimal Upper Body Training

Fitness and training methods are always evolving, always changing. The theories about what is best and most effective will always be changing, but what’s important is that people keep pushing the boundaries and developing new techniques and ideas

“Minimimal Equipment, Minimal Space” – Scott Abel

Minimal Upper Body Simultaneous Training

This is a term coined by Scott Abel, who’s method of mixing resistance and cardiovascular work uses only simple dumbbells and a bench.  Simultaneous training is an interesting to me for the following reasons:

It’s easy to get the hang of and works naturally. The movements all feel familiar, for instance the chest press is a sort of punching action and the bent-over rows are a sort of rope-pulling action. I was surprised at how, when first experimenting with simultaneous training, it felt really natural. Most people will also find the movements to flow nicely and seem to just work…

It’s different. The exercises are more metabolically activating than pumping up or stimulating a specific muscle. So you will feel your abs tense up, your shoulders burn and your heart start to beat faster. A real hybrid of resistance and cardiovascular work.

Metabolically Stimulating. There is no better way to empty out those muscle glycogen stores, trigger muscle growth, and raise the metabolism than some high-intensity resistance training. You will notice that after doing a short workout like this that your metabolism will be significantly stimulated; you will digest food better, feel warmer, and have a general sense of well-being.

It works to improve athletic performance. This to me has become a integral part of any weight-bearing exercise I’m doing. If it doesn’t improve functionality and performance, then it’s not worth doing. Simultaneous training is great in this way as it works on your coordination, balance, and hand-to-eye movement. The speed at which the exercises are performed is critical in mirroring how fast you would move during a sport like Boxing, Football, or Tennis…

Simultaneous training provides a real shock to the muscles. Whether you’re a seasoned lifter or a total novice, I guarantee this type of training will challenge you. It is something totally new that not many people have experimented with before. The muscles are worked in a whole new way, so the impact is not as specific and deep but more evenly spread.

Very little equipment is needed. A set of dumbbells of a standard weight is all you need to get started. A bench is recommended, but if you don’t have one, most of the exercises can be done lying on the floor. From there, you can cover all the upper-body movements like:

• Chest Presses
• Rows
• Upright Rows
• Should Press
• Lateral Raises
• Bicep Curls
• Triceps Extensions

In one hybrid of high-intensity training, you can blast all the muscles at once. Instead of doing all the exercises without a break like the video suggests, I found simultaneous training to be more effective when doing 3 exercises in a row for about 10-15 reps each side then taking a break (to catch breath) and moving onto another 3 exercises. Of course though this should be scaled to your own level of fitness – the more in-shape you are, the more exercises you can do without breaks.

Simultaneous training is safe. This is because the weight used is lighter than what you would normally use, therefore not forcing you compromise form. Remember to pick a weight that seems pretty light at first, you will notice as you get towards the last few reps and feel the burn that the weight will start feeling pretty heavy!

I would suggest giving simultaneous training a try once or twice a week. If you can only get into the gym one day a week, this would be a great way to spend your time.

The workout style is made for less equipment so if you have a set of dumbbells lying around at home give it a try. Simultaneous training is minimal, safe, and effective. Give it a try – I’m sure you’ll love it.

Today’s featured item is the LifelineUSA Power Pushup. Follow the link, check out the item, and hit the Facebook “Like” button -  you’re on your way to be entered to be 1 of 3 weekly winners of a $100 Hayneedle Gift Certificate (be sure to like all items for the week through Sunday to be entered). Stick with us through all Free Weeks of Fitness (19 articles and products), and you’ll be entered to win a $5,000 shopping spree to outfit your some gym. Get all the details here.

Today is Day 10 of Free Weeks of Fitness. Feeling buff? Make sure you “Like” each day’s featured product on Facebook (not the blog post, but the item itself) to be entered in the giveaway. You don’t want to miss out on your chance to be one of 3 to win this week’s $100 Gift Certificates – but only those who’ve “Liked” all seven (7) products this week. Go!

To see all of the Free Weeks of Fitness posts in once place, click here!

Now, let’s get into today’s post. Laura from Stretching in Heels and is a marathon runner and personal trainer.  She’s here to lend an expert hand to help those of you who are just starting your weight training endeavors.

Beginning weight training

It’s the beginning of 2011 and that gym membership you signed up for is ready to be properly used. You’ve probably been to the gym a few times lately and hit up the cardio equipment. You may have tried out a few weight machines or done some stretching.  Perhaps you’ve seen a few people doing exercises and mimicked what they were doing.  Well, here are a few really easy workouts to get you on the right track with weight training.  You can do these in any gym, or do the modified version at home with some weight equipment you can find on Hayneedle.

If you are just starting out with weight training, and don’t have a personal trainer or friend to walk you through body part specific workouts, a simple total body workout is the way to go. This will workout the main muscle groups of your body helping you to get stronger before you move on to more complex workouts.

Usually, larger workouts are broken-down into the following groups: biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest, back, quads, hamstrings, glutes, and abs.  A total body workout would include an exercise for each of these groups, which makes 9 exercises total.

Start with a short cardio warm-up of 5-10 minutes.  Riding a bike, walking on the treadmill, or hoping on an elliptical machine will work.  Then go into your weight routine.

Bicep curls – using dumbbells, stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold the weights in front of you parallel with the floor, palms up. Keep your elbows in at your sides and your shoulders relaxed. Lower them down close to your legs (about a 45 degree angle when looking at yourself from the side) and then lift up almost to your shoulders (about a 45 degree angle looking at yourself from the side). Do 3 sets of 15 reps. These can be done in any gym, or you can purchase weights and do them at home.  Things to remember: keep your abs tight to protect your lower back, stand up straight, and don’t lock out your knees.

Triceps kickback – using a weight bench position your right hand and knee on the bench lengthwise. Position your left leg next to your right standing on the floor and hold the dumbbell in your left hand.  Bring your left arm up so the back of your arm is parallel with the floor. Keeping your left elbow locked in at your side, lift the weight up towards your hip until your left arm is straight and parallel with the floor, lower back to starting position. Do 3 sets of 15 on each side.  You can also do this at home with weights and a few chairs next to each other, or a bench around your house. Things to remember: keep your abs in to protect your lower back, and keep your back flat and straight (don’t arch up or down).

Lateral shoulder raise – using dumbbells stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Hold your weights at your sides, a few inches out from your hips. Raise the weights out to your sides to shoulder level and lower back down to within a few inches of your hips. When raising your arms, lead with your elbows to help keep your arms straight and your hands from going above them. Also don’t lock out your elbows, keep them slightly bent. You can do these at the gym or at home.  Things to remember: keep your abs tight to protect your lower back and stand up straight. Do 3 sets of 10-15.

Push up – assume push up position on your toes or knees. Place your hands a little inside shoulder width apart. Start with your arms straight and slowly lower your chest to within about three inches of the ground and then press back up.  Remember to concentrate on squeezing your chest when you come up. Do 3 sets of 10.

Back scaptions – Lay on your stomach with your arms by your sides and palms on the floor. Raise your chest off the floor by squeezing your back muscles but be sure you don’t push your chest up with your stomach. While contracting your back, rotate your palms to face out and point your thumbs up at the sky.  Hold each for 3 seconds.  Do 3 sets of 10.

Squats – With your feet a little wider than shoulder width apart, lower into a squat, as if you were going to sit in a chair. Be sure you keep your knees behind your toes and your weight in your heels.  Do 10-15.  You can do these with weights in your hands too.

Walking lunges – Start by stepping forward with your right foot.  Then lower your left knee down to the floor, keeping your right knee behind your toe. Stand up out of the lunge and step forward with the left foot repeating the motion.  Be sure you keep the knee behind the toe on your front leg. Do 16 total per set for three sets.

Hamstring curls – You can perform these on a hamstring curl machine at the gym, or with an exercise band in your home. At the gym choose a hamstring curl machine, set the weight, and perform the reps pulling your feet in towards your glutes. At home, you can tie an exercise band around a bedpost, pillar or something heavy/stable near the floor. Sit in a chair and put your ankle through the band so it’s tight.  Pulling your foot under the chair stretch the band by tightening your hamstring.  Perform 12-15 each for 3 sets.

Crunches – Lay on your back on the floor with your knees up in the air and feet about a foot from your glutes. With your hands either at your sides or crossed over your chest, slowly tighten your abs to bring your chest up off the ground.  Lower and repeat this 20 times for three sets.

Remember, there are tons of other exercises you can do for all the muscle groups.  These are just a few to get you started if you are new to the gym and weight training in general.

Read her blog Stretching in Heels to get more from Laura.

Today’s featured item is the LifelineUSA Jungle Gym XT. Follow the link, check out the item, and hit the Facebook “Like” button -  you’re on your way to be entered to be 1 of 3 weekly winners of a $100 Hayneedle Gift Certificate (be sure to like all items for the week through Sunday to be entered). Stick with us through all Free Weeks of Fitness (19 articles and products), and you’ll be entered to win a $5,000 shopping spree to outfit your some gym. Get all the details here