So… You Hate Weight Training?

So I’ve got this friend – let’s call her ‘Spence’ – and she hates weight training. She’s into everything else – cardio, boxing, yoga, running, Pilates and so on – but as soon as I mention weights, she screws her face up at me.

I feel like Spence is not alone with her scrunchy-faced reaction to weights.

  I’ve got some bad new for Spence though: weight training is good for you. Like, really good for you. More lean muscle mass means more calorie burning, which means easier weight control. It also helps you to preserve muscle mass (which naturally decreases with age), helps strengthen your bones thus warding off osteoporosis and also decreases your risk of injury. Plus it’s pretty much the best thing ever to lift things that people say you won’t be able to lift.

So a couple of weeks ago I made a deal with Spence: I will come up with a 20-minute weights based workout that she can do in her home gym and she has to do it twice a week. For the next month. ARE YOU LISTENING SPENCE?

It goes like this:

Spence’s Workout
[intensity: medium]

Weighted deep squats x 12
Push-ups x 12 (knees are fine if you can’t do toes)
Kettlebell swings x 12
Reverse lunge with bi curl x 12/leg (you don’t have to turn, I just did that iso you could see)
1-arm row x 12/side [repeat 3-4 times]

There are only five exercises in this workout and they’ve all been chosen to target large muscle groups. Your quads, hamstrings and glutes and covered, and you’ve got a push and pull for your chest and back. And yes you do need a little equipment, but you could do most of this with a single kettlebell and some small dumbbells.

So suck it up sister, and stop making that scrunchy face!

p.s As always, if you’re new to exercise, or even just new to weight training, it’s a good idea to consult your doctor before embarking on a new program.