Life and Fitness Coach

Dumbbell step-ups for powerful glutes, thighs

The dumbbell step-up is a good alternative to squats for building glutes and quads.

Choose a sturdy box or bench approximately knee high. Stand slightly behind the box, holding a dumbbell in each hand.

Place your right foot on the box. Step up on the box by driving upward with your right leg.

During the step-up maintain an erect posture with back straight, shoulders back and head in a neutral position. Return to the starting position by stepping down from the bench using your right leg.

Repeat the exercise with the left leg.

Negative a positive for muscle growth

Eccentric exercises are best for building muscle strength and size, according to recent studies in both Sweden and Norway.

Eccentric means you're working against the weight/gravity -- for example, when doing a bench press it is the lowering of the weight that’s most effective.

Muscle tension and the amount of time under tension are the most important factors in triggering muscle hypertrophy (the growth and increase of size). Negative/eccentric training was best at promoting this.

So the message is simple. Include more negatives in your program to maximize gains in muscle mass.

Weight training fights arthritis

Arthritis usually begins during middle age and is generally due to inactivity and a high-inflammatory diet. Arthritis is a painful degeneration of bone and cartilage in the joints.

Researchers from Indiana University School of Medicine found that older adults with mild knee arthritis who did lower-body weight training showed less narrowing in the knee joint -- a sign that arthritis wasn’t progressing. Stretching had no effect on the control group's arthritis.

More good news for weight trainers

People who strength-trained lost body fat even without caloric restriction, a study at John Hopkins School of Medicine found. Weight training also contributes to the prevention and management of injury, slows bone and muscle loss, and prevents falls and delays frailty in older adults. Weight training has significant health benefits independent of those provided by aerobics.

Creatine for muscles: natural, effective

Ready to get big? Creatine supplementation is an effective way to build muscle and get stronger. Creatine(creatine monohydrate) is a natural substance. In one study, athletes added 19 pounds to their single-rep bench press within just one month of taking creatine. Another study showed an average muscle mass increase of 3.5 pounds in the same period.

Some creatine is naturally synthesized in the body from amino acids. But supplementing with additional creatine yields increased muscle energy by regenerating ADP (spent energy) back into ATP (usable energy). Creatine is especially important for activities requiring short, intense bursts of energy such as weight training and certain sports.

Machines vs. free weights

Both machines and free weights have their uses. If you are a complete beginner, I recommend you use machines. I really do suggest you hire a trainer, if only a few times, to learn what the machines are for and how to set them up for you specifically. They often have many adjustments and can be less effective or even injurious if not used properly.

Free weights usually are used by the more experienced. When using free weights, while working alone, stay within a comfortable weight range -- don’t chose poundage you can’t handle that might cause injury. When you get to the point you really want to push your body to its limit, get a “spotter” or hire a trainer.

Too much exercise can be too much

More is not necessarily better. Over-training, (more than four times a week) will probably make you sore, tired and achy and will leave you feeling (and looking) old. It is imperative to get ample rest and split your workout routines wisely. I suggest three weight/resistance sessions a week, with some cardio before and after, and a fourth session of cardio only. Don't work out more than two days in a row.