If you want to get stronger, many paths can be taken besides the barbell route. Following a strength training program that incorporates a variety of exercises can help you get strong and lean. Dumbbells offer an alternative form of weightlifting to barbells, while calisthenic exercises use your own body weight for resistance, and plyometrics deliver an advanced strength and power workout for seasoned exercisers.
Step 1
Do a weightlifting workout twice a week on nonconsecutive days, advises the American College of Sports Medicine. You can use dumbbells for exercises such as squats, lunges, bicep curls, tricep extensions, back extensions and chest presses. Choose exercises that target your major muscle groups, including arms, legs, chest, back, abs and gluteal muscles. Do 8 to 12 repetitions of 8 to 10 weightlifting exercises.
Step 2
Do calisthenic exercises four times a week. Calisthenics use your own body weight for resistance. Some basic calisthenics include pushups, which target your shoulders, arms and core muscles; planks, which target core and arm muscles; crunches, which strengthen the abs; gluteal kickbacks, which target the gluteal muscles and hamstrings; and calf raises, which strengthen the calves. To do gluteal kickbacks, position yourself on all fours on a yoga mat, with your knees bent and lower legs resting on the floor. Raise one leg and straighten it to push up toward the ceiling. Lower and repeat. Do two to three sets of 10 for each exercise, and two or three sets of planks for 30 seconds on each set.
Step 3
Add plyometrics to your workouts once or twice a week. Once you have a solid cardio base of working out consistently for at least a month, try doing some plyometrics to get stronger and faster. Plyometrics use quick, intense movements to train your muscles to perform better in sports and give you more power. Some beginning plyometrics you can do include tuck jumps, box jumps and lunge jumps. You can perform plyometrics on a track and use a box or stable bench for the box jumps. Do three sets of 10 of each plyometric exercise. For tuck jumps, stand with your feet hip width apart and quickly jump up, raising your knees toward your chest. When you land, immediately jump back up. For box jumps, stand on a box and drop back to land with your feet on the ground. Bend your knees and immediately spring back up onto the box. For lunge jumps, begin in a lunge position and jump into the air, switching your legs to land in a lunge with the opposite leg forward.
Tips and Warnings
- Allow yourself at least a day of rest between weightlifting sessions so your muscles can rebuild and recover.
- Consult your doctor before beginning a strength training program. If you experience any sharp or lasting pain while working out, stop and rest. If the pain occurs in your chest or does not subside soon after beginning, seek medical attention.
Things You'll Need
- Comfortable workout clothes
- Dumbbells or weight machines
- Yoga mat
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