#6 WEIGHT TRAINING

Muscle and Flexibility

"You've wasted your whole life away reading books, when you could have been lifting weights," Mr. Peepers

Roryd sez: Realizing that all the muscles are connected and work together, there are seven major muscle groups that I think about, stretch and strengthen when I lift weights: abdominals, arms, back, chest, legs, shoulders, sides.

I work out with weights and stretch five days a week, about an hour a workout. I emphasize using light to moderate weights that allow me to easily complete 12 - 15 repetitions with good form. Because running pounds and uses my legs hard, I compliment my running days by an hour of "upper body" training. My cycling days cause no pounding and I compliment these days with "lower body" training. This schedule respects my overall plan of resting major muscle groups 48 hours between workouts.

I lift and lower weights slowly, typically at a count of 5 to 10 seconds up (contraction) and 5 to 10 seconds down (extension). I work my way completely through one set and then repeat for a second, maybe even a third, depending on how slowly I'm going, how much stretching, how I feel. By moving slowly, and through a full range of motion, I am able to get a good stretch. I am able to get in one or two more hours of stretching throughout the week by getting on the floor in front of my television set.

Two books/articles that provide a lot of insight:

Getting Stronger by Bill Pearls

Stretching by Bob and Jean Anderson

I have used many gymnasiums and workout machines, but they are totally unnecessary. An adequate home gym can be created with the help of an inexpensive stretching mat and a 100 pound barbell and dumbbell set from your local sporting goods store or Sears. Fancy exercise machines and gyms may be useful, but are not required. What is required is actually getting on the floor doing the workouts.

SAMPLE UPPER BODY WORKOUT
Chest - BARBELL BENCH PRESS
Back - PULL DOWNS
Chest - INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS
Back - ROWS
Shoulders - DUMBBELL OVERHEAD PRESS
Biceps - BARBELL CURLS
Shoulders - DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISES
Triceps - OVERHEAD DUMBBELL EXTENSIONS
Biceps - ALTERNATE DUMBBELL CURLS
Triceps - PUSHDOWNS
Sides - SIDE BENDS

SAMPLE LOWER BODY WORKOUT
Legs - BARBELL SQUATS
Legs - LEG PRESS
Legs - DUMBBELL LUNGES
Hamstrings - DEAD LIFTS
Hamstrings - BACKWARD LEG CURLS
Quadriceps - LEG EXTENSIONS
Calves - STANDING CALF RAISES
Calves - SEATED CALF RAISES
Abdominals - REVERSE CRUNCHES
Abdominals - CRUNCHES
Abdominals - LEG LIFTS

Summary: I work out with light weights, through a full-range of motion, five times a week. I don't use heavy weights, but can get quite a burn by simply slowing down and insuring that I am moving through a full range of motion, 5 to 10 seconds in each direction. By alternating between upper and lower body workouts, I give myself plenty of rest.

Next post: What I should eat and drink.