Walking Lunge: Make sure you have plenty of room to move. Take a huge step forward, bend back knee until almost touching the floor, bring back foot forward to meet front foot, switch legs and repeat, walking across the room. Make sure you go straight down with that back leg, do not lean forward. Do 3 sets of 12 on each leg.

Squat: Feet shoulder width apart, sit back like you’re sitting in a chair, raise hands in front of body for balance. Sit until knees are almost parallel with hips, making sure your back stays straight and your knees do not extend past your toes. Raise yourself to starting position, squeezing glutes. Repeat.

Clock Lunge: Taking a giant step forward, bend both knees until back knee is almost touching the ground. Repeat the move using the hands of the clock. 12 – 2 – 3 – 5 – 6 with the right leg. 12 – 10 – 9 – 7 - 6 with the left leg.

Leg Curl: If you go to a gym, use the cable machine. If you’re at home, use a band or just do it without resistance. Wrap the band around your ankle, step on the other end, slowly curl the leg up past ninety degrees, lower and repeat fourteen times. Switch legs and repeat.

Dead Lift: Holding a 10-15 pound dumbbell in each hand, slowly lower the weights down to your ankles. Keep the weights close to your body, your back flat, and look forward (into the mirror) the entire time. You should feel a pull in your hamstrings, slowly roll back up, then repeat.

Glute Press: You can use a cable machine on this or do it without resistance. Standing with one foot slightly behind the other, press straight back, squeezing the glute.

Lunge: Take a giant step forward, bend back knee until it almost touches the ground, lift and lower until you finish the reps, then switch sides. Make sure you’re not leaning forward over your front leg.

Step-up: Holding a 10-15 pound dumbbell in each hand, find a step or bench at least 18” high. Step up and tap, then step down, alternating legs each time.

Hamstring Curl: Using a band or a cable machine: wrap band or attachment around ankle, curl ankle up until a little past 90 degrees, lower and repeat on each side.

Calf Raise: Standing on a step or bench, drop heels off the back, raise and lower heels.

Side Lunge: Holding a weight in your left hand, take a large step straight to the side with right foot, bend right knee, keeping left knee straight, take weight across body and tap floor with it, raise back to start and repeat twelve times, then switch sides and repeat twelve times.

Plié: This is a move stolen from dance class. Stand with the feet about two feet apart, toes pointed out, sit straight down, squeeze glutes and lift heels as you come up. Repeat.





Bent-over Row: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at waist until back is flat, arms hanging at sides, gripping hand weights, palms facing in. Slowly row the arms up until elbows are slightly higher than back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Return to start and repeat 8-12 times. Straighten up.

Lat Pull-down: You have to have either a lat machine or a band to do this exercise. With the lat machine, simply grasp the handles, leaning back slightly, lower the bar to collarbone level, contracting the latissimus dorsi muscles (the large muscle that runs down your back from your armpit to your waist). If you have a band, hold it above your head with both hands, slowly spread your hands wide as you pull the band down and out.

Row: You’ll need a band for this exercise. Wrapping the band around a stationary object, sit down, grab both handles and row back, squeezing shoulder blades together.

Erector Spinae Kneel down on the floor, place hands under shoulders. Raise one leg and the opposite hand off the floor, hold for two counts, lower slowly. Repeat on each side ten times.

Chest Press: Lay on back on a bench or the floor. With a ten to fifteen pound weight in each hand, bend elbows – pointing weights up toward the ceiling. Push hands up and together until weights touch. Lower elbows to 90 degrees. Repeat twelve times.

Pushup: Lay facedown on floor. Raise up on hands and toes or hands and knees, make sure your body is a straight line, your bum is down, abs are in tight. Keeping head up, bend elbows as low as you can go, slowly raise up again.

Bench Pushup: Find a bench or step, place hands shoulder width apart on it. Toes or knees on floor, make sure your body is a straight line, your bum is down, abs are in tight. Keeping head up, bend elbows until your nose touches the bench, slowly raise up again.

Fly: Laying on your back extend both arms out wide, holding a five to eight pound weight in each hand. Slowly bring the arms together, palms facing up, until the hands almost touch, then return to start.

Upright Row: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Weights in hands, palms facing body. Slowly raise weight until hands are right below your chest, lower, repeat.

Frontal Raise: Holding a five to eight pound weight in each hand, raise the arms straight up, palms facing down until hands are level to shoulders. Lower for two counts and repeat.

Lateral Raise: Holding a five to ten pound weight in each hand, raise the arms straight out to the side, careful not to scrunch your shoulders up. Lift until the shoulder, elbow, and hand are all level, thumbs should be facing the floor. Lower and repeat.

Overhead Press: Standing with a weight in each hand, raise the hands up, elbows level with shoulders. Push the weight until they touch above head, then lower until elbows are level with shoulders again.

Bicep Curl: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Palms facing forward holding weights. Slowly curl weight to the top of arm, then lower.

Twisting Bicep Curl: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Palms facing forward holding weights. Slowly curl weight to the top of arm twisting until thumbs are facing forward at the top, then lower.

Outward Bicep Curl: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding an eight to twelve pound dumbbell in each hand. Turn palms out to the side. Slowly curl weight to the top of arm, then lower.

Tricep Dip: Find a bench or chair. Place both hands on the chair, fingers facing forward, feet flat on the floor with knees bent (to increase difficulty you may straighten the legs or place the feet on another chair). Slowly dip down, bending elbows until bum almost touches the floor. Keep your backside close to the chair, don’t just dip your rear, make sure your elbows are bending and the rear of your arms is doing the work.

Overhead Tricep Extension: Hold single weight above head with both hands. Keeping elbows close to your ears, lower the weight behind your head until your thumbs touch your head, straighten all the way up, then repeat.

Tricep Kickback: Standing, grasp the weights with thumbs pointed forward, elbows bent, forearms pressing into body. Press the weight backward until arm is straight, should feel it in the back of the arm (tricep).

Cable Pulldown: Using a cable machine with a rope. Hold onto the ends of the rope, elbows tight to the sides, forearms at ninety degrees to body. Pull the rope down and back.

Squat Press: Holding 8-10 pound weights, elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing forward. feet facing forward. Lower body as if sitting in a chair, don't let toes go past knees. As you come back up, press weights overhead, lower dumbbells to shoulders and repeat.

Tricep Kickback: Take a huge step forward with right foot, elbows bent, palms facing in holding 10-12 pound weights. Bending both knees, lower left knee straight to the ground. As you lower, kick the weight straight back. Straighten legs and bend arm to 90 degrees again. Repeat.

Plie Curl: Step straight out to the side, turn toes out, arms straight down, palms facing out, bend legs and curl arms up. Straighten and repeat.

Plank: Laying facedown on the floor, place your elbows together and raise your body up on them. Then straighten legs and lift body onto toes. At this point only your toes and elbows should be touching the floor. Make sure your body is one straight line from your head to your toes: suck your abs in, get your butt down. Hold for as long as you can (you’ll start shaking, try to hold past that for at least a ten-count), rest then repeat three times. (If it’s too hard you can start on your knees instead of toes.)

Side Plank: Laying on side, raise onto one elbow and the side of one foot. Hold as long as you can, rest, repeat three times on each side.

Curl: Laying on back, feet flat on floor, knees bent. Tilt pelvis, suck abs in, tuck bum under. Hands behind your head, looking straight up slowly raise shoulders off the floor a few inches, then return to start, repeat 12-20 times.

Side Curl: Laying on back, let both knees fall to the left, fingertips behind the neck for support, raise shoulders off the floor 3-4 inches. Lower and repeat 20 times. Switch sides.

Back Extension: Lay facedown on floor, hands behind head. Slowly raise chest off the floor a few inches, then slowly lower. To increase difficulty, raise your legs off the floor at the same time. Repeat 12-20 times.

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