The season of outdoor barbecues with burgers galore and festivals where you consume alcohol almost as much as the music, is well and truly over; and as we enter the autumn months you may have noticed that you’ve gained a few pounds. The best way and often quickest way to get your body back in shape is to whip that fat into muscle mass by weight training. Read on for just the right exercises to do in, 4 Great Weight Training Exercises that Will Shape Your Body – Fast!
To do these exercises you will need gym equipment such as barbells, dumbbells, goblets or a medicine ball. It is crucial that you choose a weight heavy enough that you can only manage the particular amount of sets and reps, but not too heavy that you are straining because this can cause injury. Now here’s a little science behind how weight training adds muscle mass and consequentially shapes your body – using weights makes your muscles work harder to constrict. The more tension put on your muscles the more mTOR and satellite cells are activated, these are cells that grow your muscles.
1. Lunges
‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’ The lunge is simply a giant step forward. This exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings and the gluteus maximus. Start off standing straight with a weight in hand and then take a big step forward. Bending at the knee until the front thigh is forward landing on the heel and the back leg is bent at the knee balanced on the toes. Repeat 6-10 times.
2. Squats
This exercise targets the quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus; it is one of the best weight training exercises to shape your body, period. Stand up straight with feet shoulder-width apart and your weights in hand. If you want to handle heavier weight, you can hold a barbell behind your neck, on your shoulders. Bend the knees and lower your body into a squat, then return to standing position. Repeat 8-12 times.
3. Push ups
This exercise targets the muscles of the arms, chest and back. Put a pair of dumbbells on the floor and arrange your body into a push-up position, holding the handles with each hand. Lower your body and then push back up. Repeat 5-10 times.
4. Deadlifts
Don’t worry, it’s not as scary as it sounds. This exercise targets muscles in your core, back, shoulders and thighs. As a beginner you can do a deadlift with dumbbells. Place two dumbbells on either side of your body and stand with your feet a little wider than your shoulders. Squat down and reach for the dumbbells, ensuring that your eyes remain fixed (looking at the wall in front of you) because if they move your body will also move. Lift the dumbbells and straighten yourself into a standing position. Hinge at the knees again to lower the dumbbells back down to the floor. Sets of 8-12 are recommended.
