Strength ExercisesFirst things first! Strength exercises should be done immediately after a good 5-10 minute warm up. The warm up should feel "easy" and should include all joints and major muscles of the body. Warming up will ensure adequate blood flow to the muscles as well as lubrication to the joints. Warm ups are very important in preparing your body for your home workout. Don't skip out of this part of your workout! Click here for suggestions on warming up. Strength training is done using the FITT principle: F - Frequency (# of times per week) I - Intensity (amount of resistance, number of repetitions, etc) T - Time (amount of time to complete a set, or workout time) T - Type (equipment used, techniques used, exercise mode, etc)
To begin, we suggest the following: Frequency - 2 times week Intensity - Use a resistance heavy enough to feel "fatigue" in the muscle between 12-15 repetitions, perform 1 set and rest. Time - Each set should take about 45 seconds to 1 minute; spend 3 seconds shortening the muscle and 3 seconds lengthening the muscle during each repetition. Type - To begin your strength exercises, we recommend using body weight, light resistance bands/1-5 lb dumbells or no weight at all. Some exercises will be seated in a chair or performed while standing. Listed below are suggestions for each major muscle group of the body: Each day you exercise, pick at least one exercise for each muscle. It is ideal to train the large muscles first such as chest, back and legs. Another good tip is to train your weakest muscles first (since they are rested).
Legs
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