Strength Training Circuit

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Strength Training, also called Resistance Training or Weight Lifting is any activity that causes your muscles to work against an applied resistance, such as a handheld weight. Strength training builds strong muscles and bones and has many specific health benefits such as,

Preventing osteoporosis and chronic disease
Assisting with weight maintenance and weight loss
Preventing falls and fall-related injuries
Increasing in daily functional movement

Benefits of Strength Training are limited to the muscles worked, follow this whole-body circuit to be sure to work all of the major muscle groups.

Suggested Equipment: Hand weights or similar household object, i.e. canned food or filled water bottle.

Workout Directions: Repeat each exercise 8-12 times, complete circuit 2-3 times, two times per week on non-consecutive days. Breathe throughout each activity, do not hold your breath. Inhale on the easy part and exhale on the hard part. Tighten abdominal muscles and maintain core strength during activities.

Participating in this activity is purely voluntary. If you are not regularly active, it is recommended to consult with a physician before starting physical activity.

Squat with Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold hand weights by your sides. Bring the hand weights up to your shoulders and out to the sides so your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Slowly push your hips back and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Briefly pause at the bottom and then return slowly to the standing position while straightening your arms overhead, pressing the weights toward the ceiling. Lower the weights so your elbows comeback to the 90-degree angle.

Note: Keep your chest up, weight on your heels (not toes), and knees behind your toes throughout the exercise.

Lunge with Bicep Curl

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold hand weights by your sides. Take a large step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. As you lower your hips, curl your hands, palms up, toward your shoulders. Pause just before your back knee hits the floor, then press through the heel of your front foot until you reach the standing position. Lower your arms slowly back down to your sides. Repeat with your opposite leg.

Note: Keep your chest up, your shoulders back and down, and your weight in your front heel (not toes) throughout the exercise.

Single Leg Deadlift with Row

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold hand weights by your sides. Lean forward, shifting your weight onto one leg and raise the other leg straight behind you while continuing to lean forward, creating a line with your body. Hang your arms straight down, holding onto the weights. Keep a slight bend in your standing leg. From here, bend your elbows, until your hands reach your chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower your arms straight down in front of you and return your raised leg to starting position. Repeat on the opposite side.

Low to High Woodchop

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and one weight in your hands. Lower your hips into a slight squat position while holding the weight to the side of your left thigh with torso twisted slightly to the left. Lift the weight up and across your body with straight arms while pushing through your heels to stand up straight. End twisted to the right with the weight above your head. Lower the weight and return to the starting position. Complete all repetitions on one side before repeating on the opposite side.

Shoulder Press

Stand with feet hip-width apart. Hold hand weights in each hand out to your sides with your elbows bend at a 90-degree angle. Keeping your elbows out to the side, press the weights toward the ceiling bringing your hands together as they rise above your head. Keep your core muscles engaged, knees bent slightly and back neutral (not curved). Slowly lower your arms until your elbows reach a 90-degree angle.

Row

Stand with feet hip-width apart and hand weights by your sides. Bend your knees, push your hips back, and lower your torso until you are in a forward-leaning position with your weight in your heels (not your toes). Allow the weights to extend toward the floor in front of you. Keep your palms facing each other, bend your elbows, keeping them alongside your body until they reach a 90-degree angle. Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return your arms back to straight while staying in the forward leaning position.

Bent-Elbow Lateral Raise

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent slightly. Hold a hand weight in each hand. Lift the weight up in front of you so your elbows are bent and by your sides. Keep your arms bent and raise your elbows out to the side until your elbows are even with your shoulders. Lower your elbows back down to your sides.

Reverse Fly

Stand with your feet hip-width apart your knees slightly bent. Hold hand weights by your sides. Assume the same forward leaning position as the Row exercise with hand weights extended to the floor in front of you. Raise your arms to your sides, engaging your upper back and shoulder muscles. Slowly lower your hands together back to the starting position.

Biceps Curl

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent slightly. Hold a hand weight in each hand with your palms facing to the front. Keeping your elbows next to your sides, bend your elbows and lift the weights up toward your shoulders. Slowly lower the weights back to your sides until your elbows are straight but not locked.

Triceps Overhead Extension

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and knees bent slightly. Hold one hand weight in both hands. Lift the weight up and directly behind your head. Keep your core engaged and back straight. Keep your elbows close to your ears and extend your arms above your head until your elbows are straight but not locked. Lower the weight until the elbows reach a 90-degree angle then raise the weight back up above your head.

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