Weight Training For Dummies
Second Edition

By Liz Neporent, M.A., and Suzanne Schlosberg

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You'll Never Be Intimidated By A Weight Room Again

Not so long ago, weight lifting was the domain of very large people. People with shoulders wider than the wingspan of a DC-10. People whose veins stood out like interstate highways on a road map. People would could probably lift up the front end of a fire truck. But not anymore. At health clubs these days, you see 70-year-olds pumping iron alongside high-school students. Most people lifting weights today don't want to get massive; they just want to get fit.

The word is finally out: Lifting weights can strengthen your bones, boost your energy, help you lose fat and give you the oomph to push a lawnmower. In short, weight training is one of the healthiest activities you can pursue. Of course, it can also be one of the most intimidating. You may look at a barbell and wonder how you're going to lift the thing while remaining on good terms with your lower back muscles. You may stare at a weight machine and wonder which end the homemade pasta comes out of.

It's only natural for a novice to be baffled - by the equipment, the lingo, the rules and the very notion that hoisting hunks of steel can be considered fun. Weight Training for Dummies gives you the know-how and the confidence to start a weight-training program, either at home or at a gym. Authors Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent describe more than 130 exercises suitable for rookies and veterans alike. They tell you about safe lifting techniques, steer you toward equipment bargains, entertain you with stories about fellow lifters and update you on the latest in weight-training Web sites, videos, research and classes.

Suzanne was performing squats at a crowded health club not long ago when suddenly she was jolted off balance by an earsplitting thud. Moments later, the room was rocked by another deafening clunk. Simultaneously, dozens of heads turned toward the source of this unnerving noise: a large man hoisting a 500-pound barbell. Apparently, this guy did not have the strength to be lifting that much weight. Midway through each repetition - when he had the bar about two feet off the ground - he'd lose control and the 500 pounds would come crashing to earth, nearly sending the rest of the club's members into cardiac arrest.

This is what you call rude - and potentially dangerous - behavior. While weight training does not require the same level of concentration as, say, reading Faulkner, it does happen to be an activity that's difficult to perform with bomb explosion-type noises going on in the background. Finally, Suzanne politely asked the guy to lose the sound effects so that the rest of us could work out in peace. Judging from the snarl on his face, he didn't appreciate the constructive criticism. But he did cut out the clanging.

Even at a health club - a place where tank tops, profuse sweating, and mild grunting are perfectly acceptable - there are rules of etiquette. Sure, the social graces expected in a weight room are a bit different from those expected at the symphony or the Louvre, but manners are important just the same. In this chapter, we explain the rituals and customs that are unique to gyms. Some of these may seem odd at first, but once you learn how you're expected to act, you'll feel a lot more at home in your club - actually, in any club. By the way, if you witness a flagrant etiquette violation, don't be afraid to inform the club staff. You're not being a snitch. The rules are for everyone, whether you're the Queen of England or one of her loyal subjects.

You may come to a point in your weight-training career when moving through the same 12 weight machines or performing the same old dumbbell exercises is not enough - not enough to keep you interested and not enough to keep giving you results. Halfway through your workouts, you may start to think, "I really wouldn't mind cleaning my refrigerator about now." Or you may glance at your body in the mirror and realize that those pecs, quads, and glutes are no firmer than they were two months ago. Out of boredom or disappointment, you may start skipping your workouts.

This is a warning sign. When excuses like "my dog ate my workout log" or "I'm having elective surgery every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during my scheduled workout time" start coming out of your mouth, you can pretty well admit you've lost the momentum.

In this chapter, we show you how to move beyond the basics and create a more sophisticated, stimulating weight program. You can experiment with a couple of the strategies we discuss in this chapter, or you can use every one. Just don't try them all at once. That would be like changing your address, your job, your wardrobe, your hair color, and your personality in one day. You'll feel less overwhelmed if you incorporate changes one by one. Plus, you can pinpoint more precisely which strategies work for you and which don't.

Reviews Of Weight Training For Dummies

COOKING LIGHT: Funny, conversational, practical, and chock-full of sound workout advice, Weight Training for Dummies takes the intimidation out of the gym. Coauthors Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg offer pointers on equipment, proper gym etiquette ("Keep the grunting to a minimum"), weight-training jargon, and the search for a personal trainer. They include more than 150 exercise variations and ideas for setting up your own exercise program - either in the gym or at home. This book is excellent for beginners but also includes information, such as training programs for specific sports, that would benefit even experienced athletes.

MEN'S FITNESS: Suzanne Schlosberg and Liz Neporent have produced two easy-to-use guidebooks that really aren't just for "dummies." Fitness gives you the basics on everything from exercise machines to the workings of each of your muscles, while Weight Training is one of the easiest-to-understand, best-illustrated guides to important strength exercises we've ever seen. The information is simple but complete and up-to-date; a great reference.

SEATTLE TIMES/POST INTELLIGENCER: I'm not fond of the titles but will concede that Weight Training for Dummies and Fitness for Dummies do look like solid, comprehensive and fun overviews. In the more recent weight-training book, authors Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg begin with the basics, from equipment to jargon to self-testing, and include sections on workout programs and other aspects of fitness. Photos illustrate more than 150 pages of exercises (using machines, free weights and body weight), and another chapter includes directions for using bands. Its title: "Ten (G-rated) Things You can Do with Latex Rubber."

LOS ANGELES TIMES: For a good primer on free-weight exercises, you might want to check out the book Weight Training for Dummies. When you're working with free weights, the key is to move slowly and remember that each exercise ends with a focus point. Lift the weight to a count of two, pause at the top and lower it to a count of three or four. Remember to warm up with five minutes of marching in place, climbing stairs or walking on your treadmill.

SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE: In their new book, Weight Training for Dummies, authors Liz Neporent and Suzanne Schlosberg outline all the basics of lifting weights, from selecting a gym or trainer to using proper technique. But novice weightlifters may not realize there is an etiquette to pumping iron. Neporent and Schlosberg devote an entire chapter to these tips, and even veteran lifters can benefit from a review. Some of their dos and don'ts include: 1.) Share your equipment. When someone is waiting to use a machine, and you want to do more than one set, offer to let them "work in" - alternate sets with you. 2.) Unload the weight bar and put equipment away. When using free weights, remember to remove weight plates from barbells. Dumbbells should be returned to their proper place on the rack…

CONTRA COSTA SUN: There's a reason weight trainers are called "hard bodies." It's not because their muscles feel as solid as Half Dome, although they are - it's because lifting weights is a difficult thing to do. Even if you can muster enough motivation to get to a gym or even your own basement, all that lingo is enough to confuse and frighten the best intentioned. So while you make fun of the bone-headed jock with the Popeye arms on the bench press, you might want to bone up on the maze of fitness information. One of the best ways to do this is by picking up a copy of Weight Training for Dummies. It's done with a lot of humor. That's probably why the Dummies series has been so popular - rather than make people feel stupid, it keeps us from feeling intimidated.