Choosing a gym

Gyms generally have a great range of equipment and have experienced instructors to help you out and warn you if you are about to do an exercise unsafely. Anyone can do resistance training, even the elderly (recent research has shown that regular weight training can increase their strength, endurance and ability to be mobile and independent). Choose a gym that is well ventilated and clean, with well-maintained equipment. There should be a trained fitness instructor on duty whenever the gym is open.

Benefits of weight training

You can use weight training to meet lots of different fitness goals. If you want to work in your 'aerobic training zone' to reduce body fat and tone up your muscles, choose light weight (up to 5kg) and do 20 to 30 repetitions (reps) of each exercise. If you want to increase your muscle endurance, lift heavier weights (around 10kg) and do 15 to 20 reps. It's only if you want to increase your muscle size that you lift heavy weights and do less than 10 reps; weight training won't necessarily make you big and muscled.

One Arm Dumbbell Rows

This exercise primarily targets the back muscles with a secondary emphasis on the rear deltoids.

• You will need a light dumbbell and a bench.
• Stand with the dumbbell in your right hand. Kneel your left leg and lean your left arm, slightly bent, on the bench.
• Keep your standing leg slightly bent and your back straight and relaxed. Keep your abdominal muscles slightly contracted.
• The arm with the dumbbell hangs down a few centimetres off the floor.
• Pull the dumbbell straight up towards your armpit, then lower it back to the starting position.
• Keep control of the weight. Never let your arm jerk straight or you will risk injury to your elbow or shoulder joint.
• Repeat the exercise with your other arm.
• This exercise can also be done with a low pulley on a weight-training machine. Try to do 12 reps.

Lat pulldown

This exercise is called a lat pulldown because it exercises the muscle called 'latissimus dorsi' or 'the lats'. This strong, broad muscle flows from the back of your armpit down the side of your body. When developed it gives your torso that distinctive 'V' shape. It also protects your shoulder joint by holding it in a strong position when doing other exercises. The lat pulldown is the resistance training version of a wide grip chinup.

• You will need to use weight training equipment for this exercise. Find the high pulley machine. This machine generally has a handle (or 'bar') about 1m wide, turned down at each end to protect your wrist joint. The wide bar ensures that you work the muscles on the torso rather than muscles in the arms.
• Select a light weight, in the 5 to 20kg range. Take a wide grip on the bar and sit or kneel under the bar.
• Let your shoulders relax and the wrists gently pull your arms and shoulders upwards. Pull your shoulders down, and then continue pulling the bar down behind your head towards the back of your shoulders.
• Keep pulling until the bar touches the bottom of your neck. Slowly straighten the arms and relax the shoulders until you are back in the starting position.

Pectoral machine

The pectoral machine will work similar muscles to the bench press and dumbbell flies. It works the pectoral muscles (the pecs) across the front of the chest.

• Select a light weight. Sit on the machine and adjust the seat until you can rest your hands on the top of the pads, and have your forearms parallel to the floor.
• Keep your hands relaxed and push against the pads with your elbows until the pads meet in front of your body.
• Slowly ease the pads back until your arms are straight out to the side and repeat the exercise.

Bicep curl

The bicep curl works the bicep muscles on the front of your upper arm.

• Stand in the strong position, with a barbell or low pulley in your hands, palms facing upwards.
• Tuck your elbows in to your sides and bend your elbows to lift the weight. Lower the weight down for one rep.
• Keep your back straight and still during the exercise.

Pushups

The good old pushup an alternative to the one arm dumbbell row, the bench press, and the pectoral machine. To make the pushup easier, work off your knees rather than off your toes. To make it harder, put your toes on a step that's about 10 to 20cm high. You may injure your back doing pushups, unless you have the abdominal muscle strength and endurance to keep your back straight at all times.

Original material supplied by MyDr, Australia. Edited by everybody, March 2005.