Does Anyone Workout with Free Weights?

[jmvan74]

DH and I just purchased some free weight equipment and I want to set up a routine for myself, but I'm not sure what kind of exercises I should do. I don't want to build mass, just tone and slim down. Anyone else using strength training or free weights?

[JamBray]

I use free weights (along with machines) at the gym. You really won't build mass if you're using relatively lighter weights (10-15 lbs.), so don't worry about that.

Some of the exercises I do are bicep curls, tricep extensions, kick backs (also for triceps), shoulder shrugs. I usually do about 15 reps of each and 2-3 sets. The Self (http://www.self.com/challenge/workouts/slideshows/chwosl_month1) website actually has some great strength training workouts, so you might want to check those out for more ideas. Good luck and I hope that helped. :)

[Kellijo14]

*puts hand in air*

I do a little of everything. I like working with free weights because I can move them around and switch the weight just by picking up another pair. On SparkPeople.com, you can set up a fitness plan to get different exercises to use with free weights. (It also lets you print them out and swap them around, but you do have to register to use that feature.) Here's a page with some good basic free weight exercises (http://www2.gsu.edu/~wwwfit/strength.html). Prevention Magazine sometimes has some good free weight exercises as well. (Go to Prevention and click on fitness.)

I like doing Plies with bicep curls, plies with shoulder press (raising the arms to a T and back down) and plies with front lateral lift (lifting straight up). I feel like I'm toning my arms along with my legs, inner thighs and butt when I do them both at the same time. Be sure to squeeze your leg muscles together when you do the Plie. Have fun!

[jmvan74]

Thanks Ladies! I think I have a jumping off point now. :D

[Nanner]

Also, since you said you want to slim down, I would suggest doing the exercises in a "circuit" fashion, so you get your heart rate up and burn more calories as you're working.

Generally, I will do 5 circuits of 2 different exercises each. So for instance, my first circuit, I will do chest flies and squats. I'll do 15 chest flies, immediately go into the squats (with no resting), and then go back to the chest flies, doing 3 sets of each. Then I go on to the next circuit.

[CarolinaGirl]

I have a video that I love for free weights. It's Tamilee Webb's I Want Those Arms. It's very simple and it only lasts about 12 minutes. There are two different workouts. You increase your weight to increase the intensity. I like it because it has very basic exercises, and not a bunch of weird stuff. It gets all the upper body muscles. There are other videos in the series, but that is the only one that I have.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000055ZGR.01._PE5_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg
I've never gotten tired of it.

ETA: I just saw this DVD that includes arms, abs, and buns from that series:
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005N8AP.01._PE30_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

I'm gonna order this pronto!