People go to the gym to weight train for many reasons. Whether you are trying to increase your strength, strengthen your bones, boost energy and fitness levels or just trying to lose or gain weight to improve your appearance, weight training is for you.  The problem for many people is that they don’t know where to start. For someone who is new to the gym, the free weights, complicated exercises and buff people who seem to know what they are doing can be an intimidating experience.

In addition to exercise, you may also be hoping to improve your nutrition habits. Check out my Guideslines for Starting a New Diet . Ginger has explained the benefits weight training can have for a person with diabetes because of increased insulin sensitivity and weight-loss.

The truth of the matter is that we all had to start somewhere, so why not with an exercise program from a Personal trainer and strength coach who has trained hundreds of men and women ranging in ages from 8 years old to 72.

It is my goal, that with this program I designed, and the help of some example exercise videos, you will be able to get into the gym and start weight training while getting to know your way around the weight room.

Some Basic Terminology:

Rep - also called a repetition. This is the execution of a single exercise from the beginning of a movement through the range of motion and back to the starting position.

Set - a set is the combination of any number of repetitions of a single exercise performed without resting.

Rest - this is the time you rest either after a set or after you are finished with one exercise and are moving to another.

Superset - a superset is where you perform all the repetitions of two different exercises without any rest in between the two (or more) exercises. – such as in the program I designed below. See the 2.a barbell pushup. 2.b inverted row example in the week  1 example program below.

Here’s your workout schedule for the first month. You don’t have to stick to the days that I outlined just make sure that there is a full day of rest in between the training sessions.

Week 1 : Monday, Thursday: 2 sets of 10

Week 2 : Monday, Thursday: 3 sets of 10

Week 3 : Monday, Thursday: M- 4 sets of 6-8, Th- 3 sets of 12-15

Week4 : Monday, Thursday: M- 4 sets of 6-8, Th- 3 sets of 12-15

The Exercises:

1. Squat to Push Press. Video Here
2. Barbell Push Up. Video Here
3. Inverted Row. Video Here
4. Stiff Legged Deadlifts. Video Here
5. Lunge. Video Here
6. DB Row. Video Here
7. DB Shrug. Video Here
8. Lying DB Triceps Extension. Video Here
9. Alt. DB Curls. Video Here
10. Planks: 3 way. Video Here
    
    
    
     
    

    Some Tips:

    1. Check with your physician before starting a weight training program and make sure you are healthy enough to undergo a resistance training program. Remember to eat at appropriate intervals throughout the day and keep track of your blood sugar. Keep glucose tabs and juice on hand just in case your blood sugar drops too low. Here are some tips from Ginger on balancing your blood glucose during exercise.
    

    2. Review all the videos before you head to the gym. Practice them at home without any weight so that you will know what to do once you get there.

    
    3. Bring a journal or log book and keep track of what you are doing. It will give you bench mark data for the future and keep you motivated to improve. Use this log book to also keep track of your blood sugar while working out.

    
    4. Don’t be afraid of getting “too buff.” Trust me, out of the thousands of people I have seen in the weight room in my 13+ years of being in gyms, only 2% put on muscle with ease. This one is especially true for the ladies. Read again: you will not get “too buff.”