How do I add resistance training to my workout?

If you want to add resistance training to your workout add 4-5 exercises that target the major muscle groups of the body.  For each exercise, perform 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions. After the first week, you can add a third set if you feel your body is up to it.

Start your workout with your warmup and flexibility exercises, and then proceed with your core and resistance training. If you don’t perform your cardiorespiratory training on separate days, do it after your resistance training, and cool down afterwards.

Perform resistance training at least two days per week, focusing on each of the major muscle groups on non-consecutive days, or do a split routine, concentrating on, for example, back/chest/shoulders on one day and biceps/triceps/legs on another day. Perform at least one exercise per body part. Start slow and choose a weight that is heavy enough to provide resistance but not so heavy that you can't perform at least 12 to 15 reps. As you get stronger, increase the weight or the reps. You can also vary workouts by changing the tempo, rest time between sets, and how often you exercise.

Proper posture is so important when it comes to strength training. If you have no prior experience, please do work with a fitness trainer to help you learn the correct posture. You can also review the instructional videos available here on Sharecare, so you can safely and effectively add resistance training to your workout. As others have suggested, 2 days a week is a great start!  Think in terms of body muscles you wish to exercise (chest, bicep) rather than just learning a variety of exercises to do. Pick an exercise for each body part and as suggested by others, perform 2 to 3 sets of the exercise (12 to 15 reps). You can do a total body workout each of those days or you can exercise your upper body one day and lower body the next. For example, if doing resistance on Tuesdays and Thursdays, you could focus on your upper body Tuesday and your lower body Thursday. The important thing is to start!  It’s a great feeling when our muscles begin “waking up” in this way. 

Most of the time when people think of resistance training, they think of weight lifting. They would be absolutely correct, however, you can also do resistance training using your own body weight.

For example, if you are a walker, you could add some lunges to your walk. If you walk outside and you are on a up hill you could lunge up the hill as oppose to allowing the hill to slow you down or make you want to quit. If you walk on a treadmill you can walk on an incline at a faster speed than you would normally. In either case you could use some ankle weight or wrist weights or even a weighted vest to add some resistance to your body.

If you walk or run on a path or trail you could stop every so often to do some push ups, sit ups, pull ups, mountain climbers, or something like that to incorporate your resistance training.

It’s not hard. You just have to be creative and have fun with it.

From your question I gather that you do not do any resistance now. I assume that your workout consists of running and/or walking. Both are good for cardio and lower body strength. You can increase the intensity of your workout by adding strap-on weights to your ankles and to your wrists. Alternatively you can use dumbbells to not only increase the load on your legs but also to work your arm and shoulder muscles.

Great question! Strength Training is a good way to add some variety and intensity to your current workout program. It is always a good idea to consult your physician before starting an exercise program.

• Utilize the services of a fitness coach/trainer motivation, guidance, and safety
• Start with a warm-up and go slowly to avoid injury
• Add once a week up to three times a week of resistance training to your current routine
• Increase water intake as needed; Take a multivitamin; Follow a healthy diet

I hope this helps and have fun!

A simple way to add resistance training without having to buy equipment is to do a workout that requires your own body weight as resistance to build muscle mass. Yoga, Mat Pilates, and many functional movement programs such as barre3 use isometric exercises and small controlled weight bearing movement to build a strong and lean body. At barre3 we include resistance training with postures such as lunges for the lower body, Plank Pose for core, and Push-Ups for upper body. If doing push-ups and plank on the floor adds to much stress on your joints, you can try these leaning into a waist high counter top like we do at the ballet barre. All of these are safe and easy to do anywhere.

If you are new to resistance training begin by using your body and gravity as your training tools. Body weight training can help you to establish form. Begin by practicing basic strengthening moves using your body as resistance; i.e. squats, lunges, push-ups, dips, etc. After establishing form and building strength with bodyweight exercises slowly increase the weight using dumbbells, resistance bands, and other gym equipment. Always be sure to watch your form, and ask for help if you are unsure of how to properly use a piece of equipment. Start slow, build slow, stay consistent, and you'll get results.