There seem to be a trillion different weight lifting exercises — many targeting every little muscle in the body. That’s great if one’s looking to be a bodybuilder, but I want to my improve overall strength. If I gain some muscle mass, great. But it’s not my first goal.
What do you think are the key weight lifting exercises that work the major muscle groups?
Each week will have 2 upper body and 2 lower body workout days, but you will never work the same muscle more than once per week (with the exception of the abs which are worked on both lower body days). Workout 1 and workout 3 will focus on the muscles of your upper body and workout 2 and 4 will focus on the muscles of the lower body. It is a good idea to plan your week or month out in advance.
You might want to simply put a 1, 2, 3 or 4 on the calendar for the days that you will do each workout and then stick to it! You might also want to print out the workouts and stick them on the wall if you are working out at home or put them in a folder that you take to the gym.
Make sure to do each move slowly and with purpose. The “negative” part of the lift (usually the downward motion) should be done more slowly as the resistance to the weight at this point is the strongest and most of the results come from this part. Think of lifting for one second and returning to the start position in 3 seconds. Be sure to fully focus on the muscle you are working and feel it getting larger with each repetition.