February Strength Challenge

[liv]

Look good naked - lift some weights
This will be the place to report your weightlifting and strength training and earn your monthly prize.

No special equipment is required. You can use what you have like water bottles, cans or just gravity - it all works well. You do not need any experience either. Just take the plunge. It is easier than you think. See the end of the post for suggestions of exercises to include in your routine. Start small if you are a beginner. You can always build up later.


Rules of the challenge

1. Pledge the amount of minutes you will strength train in February
2. You will have to work to strengthen all parts of the body (lower, upper, core).
3. To be eligible for the challenge you have to share with others what your typical weekly workout schedule will look like. Exercises can be lifting weights, using gym machines, exercise balls, push ups, squats or doing yoga/pilates exercise for strength and flexibility. No equipment requirement though.
4. You have to schedule recovery/rest days.
5. Log in at least twice a week to report your minutes. Copy the whole list and add your minutes.
   
6. There will be a prize at the end of the month

Websites to help you put together a routine
The Major/Basic Muscle Groups of body & their Exercises/Workouts
Dumbbell Exercises Complete with Animated Diagrams
Dumbbell Exercises | Dumbbell Workouts | Dumbbell Muscle Menu
http://www.trainwithmeonline.com/dum...&equipment=yes
Free Resistance Training Exercises
Weight Training, Exercise Instruction & Kinesiology
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...s-workout.html
http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.c...ut-videos.html
http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com...exercises.html
10 minutes pilates sculpting (I started with this YouTube video - I used water bottles - it is a great starter arm exercise)
Dumbbell Exercises from Sparkpeople on YouTube - It is 20 minutes and a good one to start with

If you do not have weights check yoga and pilates or flexibility and strength exercises that uses gravity. A resistance band can be handy to and easy to store.

Examples of weight free exercises
squats
lunges
push ups
sit ups
crunches
dips
How To Exercise Your Thighs Without Weights (Sports & Fitness: Tone Your Legs)
The No Weight Workout - Exercise
Sandeep's Fitness Page - A Simple Home Workout (Without Weights)
Exercise Classics - No Weights Required!
Plank Pose

You can use exercise videos - yoga, pilates, strength, callanetics

Other interesting web pages
Lies in the gym
Women's Weight Training

Here is an icon you can use for your signature


Example of routine:
Upper body: Push-ups, chair dips, planks (will do three times)
Core: Planks, crunches (normal and reverse) (will do three times same day as lower body)
Lower body: Squats, lunges, jumps (will do three times a week -alternating with upper body)

[Georgiana]

I'm in for 12 h/week.

Upper body: 3x1.5 h/week -- bench presses, push-ups, bicep curls, hammer curls, etc. all with free weights (Mon, Wed and every 2nd Fri)
Core: 3x1 h/week -- pilates, crunches, etc. (Mon, Wed and every 2nd Fri)
Lower body: 3x1.5 h/week -- squats, deadlifts, leg extensions (w/ machine), etc. (Tue, Thu and Fri w/o upper body & core)

[liv]

Welcome Georigiana!!
I used your blogs in my list for exercise suggestions. You compiled some nice stuff there.
Can I convert your pledge to a monthly total in minutes? That would come to 12x4x60=2880 minutes

[Georgiana]

Oops, my fault... sure, 48 h/month.

Hahahaha! I guess you edited your post as I was posting, because I never noticed the minutes part. Yes, it can be in hours, minutes... doesn't matter.

[Chynna]

I'm in! I'll pledge another 500 minutes for this month!

[Alexa]

Hi,

I'm in too! I'm going to go for 400 this month of pure strength (and not count flexibility work this time - as am doing a personal thing for that). Will be mainly body weight only abs, squats and pushups. If time 1/2 weight sessions a week.

Thanks for hosting!

[gman]

Liv your ad cannot be denied. I'm in for weights.

15/400

[Fayeza]

I am in too. but I will start with 240 minutes of strength training. ( planning to do star trainers' 20 minute full body strenght routines 3 times a week.)

but there's no list to add my name to! or is there a different way of doing this?

Fayeza /240 minutes strength training.

[clogger]

I'm going to do 530 minutes again. I'll be doing about 60 crunches 5 out of 7 days of the week and doing circuit training in the gym 3 out of 7 days.

*Alexa* 0/400
Chynna 0/500
clogger 35/530
Fayeza 0/240
Georgiana 0/2880
gman 15/400

[Alexa]

20 mins abs (as part tae bo) today

*Alexa* 20/400
Chynna 0/500
clogger 35/530
Fayeza 0/240
Georgiana 0/2880
gman 15/400