I just wanted to share this with everyone. One of my Co-Workers is a personal trainer on the side and he has been helping me and another lady lose weight. I just wanted to share the exercises he told me I should do to build my muscle, burn more fat and become slimmer. Normally I just walk but he said it is a good idea to get some weight training in as well.

Arm Weights Exercise
Over head - 10 reps, 3 times
Curls - 10 reps, 3 times
Side lifts – 10 reps, 3 times


Stick Exercise
Sit on a chair with a mirror behind you, put stick behind neck, arms over stick and twist back and forth 100 times (50 times if just starting off). Make sure you can see yourself in the mirror. (This makes you loose fat on your upper and lower torso).
If you hold the stick instead of putting your arms over it, it will burn more fat on your lower torso.


Bathroom Mirror Exercise
Lean over sink while facing the mirror, suck in your gut as far as you can and release fast. Do this 20 times.

He said if I do this every other day, I will see results in no time. He said for the weight exercises I should start out with 5lbs and work my way up.

Hope this was helpful

Is this your very first time working out with weights? I'm curious why the trainer/friend would start out with those specific exercises. Not that they're bad! Just maybe not enough.

I teach beginning weight training at my gym. The first 2-3 weeks (3 x a wk) is "training to train", and I would suggest, as a beginner, that you include some other exercises designed to strengthen your supporting tissues (ligaments and tendons) and core. If we don't get the whole body to "wake up", and if we don't challenge specific muscle supporters, there's a bigger chance of injury.

Each exercise should be done (in the very beginning) in three sets of 15 with 30-45 seconds of rest in between. You can alternate upper and lower exercise with no rest in between.

There are over 600 muscles in the body. A squat with a barbell (or dumbells held at sides) works over 300 of them. Heck, just squat with no weight for starters, even if you hold on to a wall while doing them.

The dumbbell chest press is another starter that works a large group of muscles in the upper body. A bonus for starting with this exercise is that you can see your stabilzers improve. The first time you hold up the db above your body, you'll notice your arms are wobbly. After 2-3 weeks of lifting a weight that you can lift no more than 15-20 times 3 x wk, you will see that wobbliness disappear. It is then that you know you are ready to lift a weight that you can lift no more than 12 times, but just lift for ten for a couple of sessions. Once you've completed that, challenge yourself to heavier weight that you can lift no more than 10 times.

The lunge is fantastic for challenging the stabilizers in your legs and it's good for improving balance.

The pull up is an excellent large muscle group exercise for the back and arms.

Then there's core. Similar to the exercise you described looking in the mirror and sucking in your mid section, here's another one. Lie on your back. Feel the natural curve of the lower back that is elevated from the floor in this posistion, then press the spine down into the floor so that your entire back is in contact with the floor. You pelvis will naturally shift your leg position so the knees may actually bend a little. Hold this position for 10 seconds then relax. You should notice your lower back curve up and your knees straighten out. Once you know you have the form down, repeat the exercise and hold it for longer. I call this the pelvic push. It gets the core of the core - the muscles that hold in your organs! Plus it's really good for strengthening the pelvic floor - important for mothers.

I've got loads more if you want it. Good luck!

Congrats on starting to weight train! So good for your muscles, heart, bones, everything

I'll leave recommending routines for the experts, but just want to point out briefly your comment about the stick exercise causing you to lose fat in your upper body. It's impossible to "spot train", or target areas of the body where you lose fat. If you do squats all day long you will burn calories but it won't remove fat in your butt/thigh region. Weight training and other exercises help you burn mass, which leaves you a smaller version of yourself. It's possible you'll lose in the area where you most recently gained, but that isn't caused by exercises specifically targeting that area.

Just wanted to share that in case it's helpful and to give a general idea of what results you would expect. Good luck!!! Keep us posted on how it goes!!

Yep - I forgot to mention that in my post.

It's important to give your muscles a break! I would not do those same things every other day, alternate them with various work outs! Plus you'll get very bored doing the same darn thing EOD

I'd totally add in push ups, planks, and deadlifts to what the other ladies suggested. And finding various exercises and programs online is easy. Deadlifts are amazing, but research the proper position. If you don't have an olympic bar (45 lbs), you can do dumbell lifts or use anything really that's heavy.

Thank you!
He know I have bad knees so I am unable to do anything that I have to bend them to much. He figured these would be good exercises to start with.

I will defiantly start trying the other ones you listed, if you have any other exercises I would love to hear them!! I am actually excited to start these tonight, defiantly a change from just walking all the time

I Agree with Fitnss4Life-- is there a reason you are not working your legs/back/chest at all? I understand you are inexperienced, but hitting the larger muscle groups will actually work those smaller ones youd be hitting with curls/OH presses. If mobility is an issue, there are TONS of exercises you culd do to improve it (in your hip flexors, back, shoulders, everywhere) Along eith squats (whcih not everyone can do due to knee issues, is the best move ever-- the DEADLIFT--- this move will strengthen the entire back of your body, including legs and core.

But, i suspect there are some reasons why this particular routine was give?

don't do the deadlifts then lol! If you can't do the push-ups, try leaning against a wall and using your core and arms to push you up and down. Do you have a fitness ball? there are so many awesome exercises I could list for you using your body weight and they'd be good for your knees.

Another great one, is find something about knee height, like a bench or chair. Instead of sitting on it, put your hands on it (back to the bench) with your knees in front of you, and using your core and arms to go up and down on your arms

At first your knees will hurt, but as you gradually start strengthening them, they will likely get better (although they may always give you trouble). I'm excited for you!

Not sure why he gave me those specific exercises to do, I will have to go ask him.

I am only limited to exercises with my knees, everything else I can do. I am pretty healthy other then my weight and my knees

I do not have an exercise ball but I want to get one. What size is best to get?

When you sit on the stability ball, your knees should be bent at a 90 degree angle.

BE CAREFUL on the ball! I use these a lot in my classes and if the floor and ball are dusty, it can slip out from under you and you will go crashing down! It happened to me as I was leading a class even though I warned the class of this happening! I had to get stiches in my elbow and xray! No break, just bruised bursa/bone. Almost 2 months later, the elbows STILL are killing me! I just this week started to be able to do planks again. >:{

I suggest you put the ball on top of a yoga mat for stickiness.