So, you'e been doing your cardio, and some machines, probably some "core" but you really don't know how to, or why, you should be lifting weights. Hopefully I can clear some of that up for you. The STRONGER you get, the EASIER everything else is going to be for you. This doesn't mean that if you don't ever run, but you are strong, you will be a better runner than someone who runs all the time. It means, that whatever physical activities you partake in, adding some serious strength will really, REALLY help you out. Getting stronger also has numerous other health benefits, two really important ones being increasing bone density(staving off osteoporosis) and injury prevention(women typically have wider pelvises and shorter femurs than men and this presents an increased risk of knee injury, getting stronger and correcting mobility and postural issues can make a big difference).
I've designed this program to be very simple and easy to follow, requiring minimal equipment(some dumbbells and/or kettlebells are pretty much all you need) and sticking with basic exercises that work a bunch of muscles at the same time, teaching your body inter-muscular coordination, which is the basis for all athletic movement. As a beginner, isolation exercises are best left as part of a warm up, or as injury rehab/prehab. The main ways that the body moves are upper body pushing and pulling, lower body pushing and pulling, and structural integrity(planks, turkish get ups and various other stabilization exercises). We will include an exercise from each of these categories, and performing these exercises competently will be a great basis for future programs. Let's get on to the exercises…
Push Press:
Hold the weight at your shoulder, elbow forward, forearm vertical, dumbbell level, feet shoulder width apart, off hand out to the side for balance. With a short, quick dip, drive the legs up, as if jumping, and press the weight to lockout, finishing the exercise with upper body power. Think about pushing up and back, with your elbow ending up next to your ear. Hold it for a split second in the top position, if it's hard to keep it in place, you are probably too far forward. Do 3 sets of 5 reps(per side), on the third set do as many reps as possible, if you can get 8 or more reps, increase the weight next time.
Kettlebell Swing:
Pick up the kettlebell(or dumbbell), keep your back flat and chest high, weight on your heels. Stand all the way up. Do what we like to call a "baby swing" a smaller swing just to set up your first real swing. Keep your weight on your heels, back flat, stay relaxed in the upper body, this is NOT a shoulder raise exercise, the hips raise the weight and the arms are just along for the ride. The bell should feel weightless as it reaches shoulder height, don't fight it on the way down, let it swing freely and when it reaches the bottom, explosively "pop" your hips from bent to standing. You should feel it in your hamstrings and glutes, if you feel it in your lower back, you aren't popping your hips fast enough. Do 3 sets of 10 reps, on the third set, do as many reps as possible, if you can do more than 15 with no breakdown in form, use a heavier weight next time.
Goblet Squat:
This is a deceptively hard exercise, it doesn't take a lot of weight for it to be challenging. Hold the weight at your chest as shown in the video. Feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width, toes pointed out 15-20 degrees. Lower back is flat, as you descend, shove your knees out so they stay in line with your feet, squat BETWEEN your legs, not on top of them. Push from your heels not from the balls of your feet. You should be able to curl your toes up inside your shoes and still do this exercise properly. Go down to where the top of your thighs are parallel to the ground, or even lower. Elevating the heels slightly sometimes helps with getting deep enough, just make sure you still push from the heels. Do 3 sets of 5 reps, like the push press, if you can get 8 reps or more on the 3rd set, increase weight next time.
Body Row:
You can use a Smith Machine bar or put a bar in a power rack. The closer your feet are to being underneath the bar(and the higher the bar is), the easier it will be. Keep the body tight, flex your glutes, quads and core muscles, this helps keep the body locked in and your power will be fully applied to the rowing motion. Don't let the chin tuck or the head come forward, keep it in line with the rest of your body. Do 3 sets of 8 reps, on the 3rd set, rep out, if you can do more than 12, increase difficulty by changing bar and foot position(lower bar and feet further away from bar = harder).
Turkish Get Up:
This is an incredible exercise that almost no one does. It reveals AND corrects many movement distortions and postural imbalances. Jordan Vezina is a renowned kettlebell instructor, his tutorial is really great:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEnMSraUEMo&feature=channel_video_title
Do 1 rep per side, repeat 3 times, resting as long as you need between pairs of reps. Add weight when your current weight feels comfortable, this exercise is as much about proper movement as it is trying to use as much weight as possible.
That's it! Pretty simple, right? Simple doesn't mean easy though, work these exercises as hard as you can, adding weight whenever possible without sacrificing form. You should make rapid progress if you are new to lifting. Do this routine twice per week, for 6-8 weeks.
Write down your starting weights and log your progress, you will be shocked at how much you improve. This still leaves time and energy for yoga, cardio, pilates and whatever else you do now. Try to do this workout on it's own day, do it first if you plan to do anything else, it's not productive to strength train when fatigued from other activities. Also, during your first week of workouts, just work up to a weight that is moderately difficult and don't worry about repping out on your 3rd set, worry more about form and mechanics.
