1 of 9

Write now Article Tools

Marc's 10-minute Workout for Weight Loss

One of the biggest mistakes I see as a trainer is that people do not do strength training from Day #1. That's a big mistake. They say things like, "I'll do cardio first and when I start to lose weight I will do some strength training to tone up". Well, let me tell you, it does not work like that!

STRENGTH TRAINING IS CRITICAL IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENT- think of it this way- MUSCLE equals METABOLISM! And we are not talking about the kind of muscles that Arnold has- the REALITY is that when women work at strength training, the TIGHTER and TRIMMER their muscles become!

So what are the RIGHT exercises and how hard should I be working? Well, I'm a big believer in training at the right intensity. Sure, when you first start exercising you need to take your time, get comfortable with the exercises and allow your body to adapt BUT many people take it easy for months- never really doing the KEY exercises or bumping up the intensity of their workouts.

All the RIGHT exercises that you need to do can be done with the Equalizer and they do not take much time- just a bit of effort for amazing muscle transformation.

Number one, you have to work your legs! They are the most muscle in your body and squats are the number one exercise you need to start doing. The major mistake people make with squats is pushing their knees forward and not sitting down low enough. Of course if you have any limitations you should hire a trainer to help you get started right and of course, always consult your doctor before staring any exercise program.

Squats are a very natural and safe movement though and done right can really work the legs- and you don't necessarily need weights- just add reps (or a jump which will really get the heart pumping). When you are getting ready to increase the intensity (remember, I was talking about doing that before too long- have your trainer help determine when you when you are ready) you can use the Equalizers for SINGLE leg squats (very effective and they hit the inner and outer thigh as well as butt a lot more- plus balance an stability) and lunges.

NEXT UP- a PUSH and a PULL. For the upper body you need only do two major exercises, a push and a pull. These two exercises will ensure that you hit all the major groups. These two exercises are the push-up and the vertical row.

And you thought that was it! Just because you could get away with the last 4 exercises (single leg squats, lunges, push-ups and vertical rows) does not mean I am going to let you stop there. I am a trainer after all! I highly recommend my favourite Equalizer exercise (which can be seen at www.lebertequalizer.com ) for the triceps and lower abs. You basically kneel down with a single bar and slowly lower forward bringing your head to the foam grip on the bar- it's got a good tricep STRETCH and is really great for the core!

That's it- get this routine done every second day- do the exercises slow and controlled and find a way to always make it harder! These exercises will guarantee a revved up metabolism and tighter leaner muscles.

Learn more about this author, Marc Lebert.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Getting fit in a cost-effective manner?
We want to hear your view. Write now!