Things You'll Need:
- Barbell with weights
- Dumbell pairs of varying weights
- Squat rack with safety stops
- Incline weight bench
-
Step 1
Make barbell squats the key exercise to build overall strength. Squats develop the two largest muscle groups in your body on the back and front of your thighs. Use a rack with safety stop, and do at least four sets starting at 8 to 12 repetitions (reps), decreasing to 4 to 6 reps with heavier weights on the fourth set, then a final set at your starting weight for another 8 to 10 reps.
-
Step 2
Concentrate on maximum breathing effort whenever you perform any gym exercises. You should be inhaling whenever the weights or equipment are moving toward your chest, and exhaling as you move the weights away from your chest. For squats, the maximum inhale is on the downward stroke and exhale is on the upward push.
-
Step 3
Use dumbbells to isolate muscle groups. Add "burn sets" to your workout, where you perform up to six sets of maximum reps with increasing weights and then two more sets decreasing back to your starting weight. Use maximum breathing techniques for dumbbell exercises.
-
Step 4
Try adding various standing barbell moves to your workout for your upper body strength, like deadlifts, rows and presses in front and behind the neck. Vary your workouts with dumbbell and barbell sets on an incline bench, as well as the flat-weight bench.
