Fitness Friday-- Weight weight--dont' tell me!

I get it...finding time to exercise can be nearly impossible some days.  Encouraging you to get to the gym and lift weights sound entirely insane.  It feels that way to me most days too.  I'm standing there lifting my 12 pound weight and He-man next to me is doing the same exercsise with a 100 pound dumbell.

Here's a few reasons to lift weights:

1. Muscle is a powerhouse.  Muscle uses a lot of calories.  The more muscle you have, the more calories and fat you will be burning.
2. Strong muscles are a necessity for everyday activities.  The stronger your muscles are the less you risk getting injured from scrubbing the floor or bending over to pick up a child.
3. You will look amazing.  Don't worry that you are going to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger. There are four things you need to look like Arnold: A) 4 hours a day to lift B) Heavy Heavy weights C) Genetic predisposition for huge muscles D) STEROIDS.  I'm guessing you probably are missing at least three of those items so there shouldn't be any concerns about getting "huge".

Here's how to get started:
1) You don't need a gym.  If you are intimidated by the hulks at the gym or you don't have a membership, you can buy some dumbbells or fill up some milk jugs with sand. Most gyms have a women's only area.  The only problem with these areas is that they don't always have mirrors.  Although it seems entirely narcissistic to watch yourself lifting weights, it is good practice to see your form when lifting so that you do not get hurt.

2)Pick a body part or group of muscles you want to work.  For example, you could do something like:

• Monday: Legs and glutes
• Wednesday: Back and Shoulders
• Friday: Arms and abs  or Here

or you could work the whole body everyday. See Here

3) Lift weights three times a week. You can do it daily if you want but it's not necessary.

4) Find a good program to follow.  In the beginning, it's nice to use programs for ideas.  Once you are more experienced you can make up your own.  Use the links above or try Laura Bailey, Felicia Romero or Linsay Miller's programs.  There are many others to choose from if you put "weight lifting" in your search engine.

5) If free weights (the ones that don't have cables) intimidate you, try using the cable weight systems.  You can simply move from station to station and try them all out.

6) Keep track of how much weight you are using and try to add a little more each week.

7) Have fun! Put on your head phones and listen to your favorite music or bring a friend along.  I'd love to meet you at the gym.  We could wear socks like these!