Kenneth Gardner

Regular exercise helps our body to function better and last longer. Our muscles are the engines of our body. Strong muscles enable us to function like a well-tuned sports car.

Everyone, regardless of age, can increase their overall muscle strength by more than 50 per cent with just two months of weight training. A strong body has more muscle than fat, feels and functions better and reduces our risk of many degenerative problems associated with ageing.

Regular strength training exercises provides many health and fitness benefits related to muscular development. These fitness benefits include improved muscle strength, muscle endurance, cardiovascular endurance, joint flexibility, body composition, resting metabolism and physical capacity. Health factors benefiting from regular strength training exercises include improved bone mineral density, glucose metabolism and gastrointestinal transit (time which food takes to moves through our intestines), as well as lowered cholesterol levels and resting blood pressure and reduced arthritic pain.

It makes sense

With all these benefits, it makes good sense to become a regular participant in a strength training exercise programme. Just as a well-maintained engine and fuel system keeps a high performance automobile running well, regular strength training exercise will help to tune your muscular and cardiovascular systems, resulting in improved physical strength and endurance. This combination will definitely increase your energy level, making you look and feel better, and helping you to stay healthier for longer. Here is a list of exercises to add to your strength training programme

Russian twist (abdominal exercise)

Lie face up on an abdominal board with feet locked under support bar.

Place palms together with arms extended up in the air.

Rotate shoulders to the right.

Keep hips stable while executing movement.

Repeat movement on opposite side.

Seated calf (leg exercise using Nautilus machine)

Sit with knees almost fully extended and feet evenly placed on foot pad; heels at bottom.

Grip handles lightly.

Rotate foot pad forward by extending ankles.

Keep back against seat back.

Return slowly to starting position and repeat.

Dead lifts (back exercise using barbell)

Set feet shoulder width apart with toes pointing forward.

Bend over and take a shoulder width overgrip on the bar.

Keep arms straight.

Lift barbell from the floor to a position resting across your upper thighs by first straightening your legs and extending your torso.

Reverse movement to return barbell to floor then repeat movement.

Lying dumb-bell curls

Grasp a pair of dumbbells and lie face up on a flat exercise bench.

Allow arms to hang straight down from shoulders.

Curl the dumb-bell directly forward and upwards to shoulder level.

Hold position for a moment then slowly lower to starting position.

Repeat movement.

Cross-bench dumb-bell pullovers

Place dumb-bell in front of a cross exercise bench

Lie across bench with only upper back and shoulders in contact with it.

Place feet shoulder width apart for balance.

Place palms of hands against the underside of dumb-bell.

Pull dumb-bell up to above shoulde> Slowly return the dumb-bell to starting position and repeat.

Standing dumb-bell side laterals

Grasp two dumb-bells and stand with feet shoulder width apart.

Bend slightly at the waist with arms extended at sides.

Keeping palms facing down, raise dumb-bell in a semicircular arc out to sides until they reach shoulder level.

Slowly lower weight back to starting position and repeat.

Standing barbell triceps extension

Take a narrow overgrip on barbell.

Set feet shoulder width apart and stand erect.

Extend your arms straight up from your shoulders.

Slowly bend arms at elbow and lower barbell behind head.

Without bouncing, return barbell to starting position and repeat movement.