Exercises for Weight Loss and Physical Fitness

Chest Press with Dumbbells
3 sets of 15-20. If you can easily do 20, increase your weight. The last few should be difficult.

Flye with Dumbbells
Proper Form: When you begin, the weights should be over your chest, not your head. As you bring your arms down, get a good stretch down to the bottom, then bring the weights back together, again- directly over your chest. Do not allow them to drift over your head.

3 sets of 15-20. If you can easily do 20, increase your weight. The last few should be difficult.

Flye with Dumbbells with a TWIST!
Proper Form: When you begin, the weights should be over your chest, not your head. As you bring your arms down, get a good stretch down to the bottom, then bring the weights back together, again- directly over your chest, twisting to bring the ends together. Do not allow them to drift over your head.

3 sets of 15-20. If you can easily do 20, increase your weight. The last few should be difficult.

Overhead Triceps Extension
Proper Form: Sit on the side of the weight bench (or stability ball), now ease yourself down so that only your shoulders and head are on the bench (ball) and your legs are in front of you with your butt suspended. Straighten your legs, get your hips down (almost like you're sitting). Now take the dumbbell and hold it with both hands directly over your head. Extend the weight back behind you, then raise it back to over your head. You will feel the pull in your core, and in your triceps.

3 sets of 15-20. If you can easily do 20, increase your weight. The last few should be difficult.
PHOTO COMING SOON - photo below shows a simple triceps extension.

Medicine Ball Russian Twist - Abs
Proper Form: Sit on a yoga mat. Tighten your abs (think about sucking your belly button back to your spine), then allow your torso to lean back until you feel that pull/resistance. Starting with the ball held at your chest, twist side to side, touching the ball to the ground on each side.

To make it harder, lift your feet in the air.

3 sets of as many as you can. When you can easily do 20, increase the weight of your medicine ball.

Assisted Pullup
Proper Form: Grasp handles, allow your body to stretch all the way down so that you're hanging. Now pull up, focusing on keeping your back and core tight as you raise your chest to the level of the handles. Squeeze your muscles at the top, then allow yourself to slowly stretch back down to starting position.

3 sets of 10-15. If you can easily do 15, decrease the weight-resistance (so that your actually pulling more of your own body weight, creating less machine assistance). The last few should be difficult.

Low Row
Proper Form: Grasp handles, allow your body to stretch all the way forward so that you feel a stretching pull in your hamstrings and your arms. Now slowly & controlled, pull the handles into your ribs and squeeze your back, then release, stretching forward again to your starting point. As you pull the handles in, keep your core tight and imagine squeezing your shoulder blades together.

3 sets of 15. If you can easily do 15, increase the weight. The last few should be difficult.
Low Cable Row

Lat Pull Down
Proper Form: Grasp the bar, allow your body to stretch all the way up, while remaining seated. Leaning back slightly, use your back muscles to pull the bar down to your chest. Don't jerk the bar, keep your movements slow and controlled. Squeeze those back muscles at the bottom of the movement, then slowly stretch back up into your starting position.

3 sets of 15. If you can easily do 15, increase the weight. The last few should be difficult.

Dumbbell Rear-Deltoid Raise
Set Up: Sit on a stability ball and lean forward. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length.

Action: Slowly raise the dumbbells out to the sides and up to shoulder height while bringing your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower the dumbbells and return them to the start position. Keep your upper body stationary throughout the movement.

GI Jane
Proper Form: You'll need a partner for this. Sit on the weight bench with your knees bent and your feet in front of you. Your partner will sit on your feet and hold onto your legs. Scoot your butt to the very end of the bench, then tighten your abs, cross your arms and lower yourself backwards (yes, into thin air). Lower as far as you can without hitting your head on the floor, then maintaining a tight core and straight back (no curving!) pull yourself back upright.

3 sets of 30. If you can easily do 30, increase the difficulty... Do 20 regular, then do 5 holding one arm to your chest with the other straight up over your head (like you're asking the teacher for a turn). Keep that arm straight, as if from fingertip to hips you are one straight line); switch and do 5 more with the other arm in the air. Need more difficulty? Hold a weight in the arm that's up. Or, hold one weight with both arms above your head. Remember, no arching, stay stiff as a board. The last few should be difficult.
PHOTO COMING SOON - This photo is for generic form.

Leg Press
Proper Form: Keep back firmly against seat, imagine keeping your spine glued to the chair. Keep all movement slow and controlled. Extend in one count, and lower in three (Up-one, Down two three).

3 sets of 15-20. If you can easily do 15, increase the weight. The last few should be difficult.

Plie Squat
Proper Form: Stand with feet spread apart, turn toes to point towards the corners of the room. Grasp dumbbell with both hands and hold hanging at your center. Straighten up, pull your shoulders back and your core tight. Bend at the knees until the weight just touches the ground, then return upright. Your chest and shoulders should be out and up at all times.

3 sets of 20. If you can easily do 20, increase the weight. The last few should be difficult.

Hamstring Ball Curl
Proper Form: Lie on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and your heels resting on ball and your hips raised off the ground. Keep your hands resting flat at your sides. Roll the ball on your heels and try to get it as close to your glutes as possible without letting your hips and but drop down. Do four sets of 15 reps.

Leg Extension
Proper Form: Sit with your back firmly against the chair. Adjust the leg bar to hit just above your ankles. Point your toes, and raise your legs to a full extension, squeezing your leg muscles at the top for a count of three, then slowly release and lower the bar back to your starting position.

3 sets of 15. If you can easily do 10, increase the weight. The last few should be difficult. The goal is to have a good thigh burn by 10, then push through to 15. If you're getting to 10 and not feeling it, increase the weight. But note: Watch the stress on your knees! Keep your legs straight out in front of you.

Reverse Crunch
Proper Form: Lie on the floor (or a mat) with your knees bent and your hands behind your head (DO NOT PULL on your head or neck). Lift your legs and bend knees to 90 degrees. Keep a space between your chin and chest (pretend you're holding a can of soup between your chin & chest). EXHALE: Pull knees in toward chest and hold for 2 seconds. INHALE: Slowly lower your legs back to starting position. Do not use momentum to swing your legs, and keep your abs tight (remember, suck your belly button into your spine).

3 sets of 20.

Walking weighted Lunges
Proper Form: Stand fully upright, chest up and out. Hold dumbbells directly at sides & relax your arms (let 'em just hang there, this is about the legs). Step out and lunge, do not allow your knee to go forward past your foot, keep a 90 degree angle there. Step back up and do it again :-)

To make it more difficult, add a kick back... once your down in your lunge, as you come up, take your back leg and kick it up and back then squeeze your butt at the top of the kick. Move directly into your next lunge and do it again with the opposite leg. You can also swap out the dumbbells for a weighted body bar.

3 sets of 20 (10 lunges each leg).

Standing Dead Lift or Stiff Legged Deadlift
Proper Form: Hold two dumbells (or a bar as pictured below) with your palms facing your thighs. You're going to drop those weights in a straight line down the front of your legs to your ankles then back up again. As you lower the weights, keep your chest out/up and your booty back (yep, stick it out there!). Keep your back straight and your knees very slightly bent. You will feel this one in your hamstrings.

3 sets of 20.

Weighted Crunch
Proper Form: Lie on the floor (or a mat) with your knees bent and your feet braced. Hold a weight to your chest and crunch up. Slowly lower yourself back down. Do not jerk your head or neck. Keep all movement slow and steady, completely controlled.

3 sets of 20.

21's - Biceps
Proper Form: Here's a great video that shows good form. Keep your knees softly bent and your back straight, chest up and core tight.

3 sets of 21.

Hammer Curls - Biceps
Proper Form: Keep your knees softly bent and your back straight, chest up and core tight.

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat on the floor.
2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.
3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels.
4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.
5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps.

Utilizing this position, you can also do flyes, triceps extensions and skull-crushers... you can also use a medicine ball and extend it over your head (arms straight) then slowly lower your arms (still straight) backward until the ball is behind your head... hold this position for 60 seconds. Another great one... using the position shown above, slowly raise one leg straight up and hold for a 5-count, then switch.