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Do the bench press in three different positions: incline (shown), flat and decline. will see more a more defined and toned figure instead. Second, "I need to lose weight, so I am going to do cardio instead of lifting weights." Cardio is good but it is even better when combined with some sort of strength training routine. Cardio will help you lose pounds but lifting weights will help what is underneath the extra pounds look better! The best part of building muscle is that even while you are at rest you will be burning more calories than before. Third, "I want to lose weight so I am going to skip meals." This is common – and one of the worst things to do! When you skip a meal your metabolism actually slows down, which means you are burning calories at a much slower rate. It is important to feed your muscles properly especially when dedicated to a serious weightlifting routine. The bottom line is that once you start lifting weights, you will see marked improvements in your overall fitness. Don't let your biggest roadblock be a mental one. Tell yourself you can do anything – do it and then do more the next time. Strength Training Routine A good strength training routine will incorporate exercises for each body part (or muscle group) and even separate those into a body part "split." The body part split is important to ensure a complete workout for each muscle group. It also allows for COMMON SENSE TIPS r Wear comfortable, form-fitting clothing so you can see your form. r Listen to music that motivates you – tune out any distractions. r Unless you are in pain, don't quit – push yourself. r Eat a proper meal an hour before you head to the gym to give you the energy. r Don't skip workouts. Unless you make time for the gym, it won't be there! r Hydrate – always bring a bottle of water. Use dumbbells for flys to work the outer pec muscles. Do them on flat, incline and decline benches. Be careful not to lock your elbows. Lower the weights in a slow and controlled way. Never lower the elbows past the plane of your body. ample recovery time in between body parts. There are many reasons for women to focus on chest. Working the upper body will help to balance out the top half of the body with the lower body. More importantly, firearms and hand-to-hand combatives involve use of the pectoral muscles. Additionally, most fitness tests push-ups. This is an exercise that can be challenging for women who typically have less upper body strength than men. Push-ups are not impossible. They just require consistent effort – all the more reason to begin this series with chest. Pectoralis – Major, Minor The chest is broken down into two major muscles: pectoralis major and pectoralis minor. The pectoralis minor lays under- neath the pectoralis major, which extends from the clavicle to the shoulder and covers most of the sternum. In order to achieve the coveted "line" down the center of one's chest, you must work the entire chest group. As with all weightlifting, proper form is critical to making gains and avoiding injury. Bench Press: This is one of the fundamental exercises for building your chest muscles. Bench presses should be per- formed on a flat bench as well as an incline and decline bench to really work all areas of the pectoralis muscles and hit the top (incline), bottom (decline) and center (flat) of the "line." The weight bar weighs 45 pounds by itself – if you have never lifted it before, you must have a spotter. Lay back comfortably on the bench with your feet planted firmly on the ground for flat bench, firmly on the pegs for incline, and under the pegs for decline. Next, grip the bar with a wider grip and lift off, do not lock out your elbows, and bring the bar down slowly to about 2 inches off your chest and repeat. Do not lift your head off the bench at any time during the exercise. As with all exercises, you should exhale on exertion, so for bench press, exhale when pressing the bar upward and inhale as you bring the bar back down. Be patient. If you consistently work this muscle group, you will be able to gradually increase the amount of weight and repetition. If your goal is to simply tone, then go lighter on the weight and increase the number of repetitions, i.e., aim for 15 reps. Alternatively, if your goal is to increase strength, in- crease the weight and perform fewer reps, i.e., aim for 10 reps. Dumbbell Flys: In addition to working the chest line with www.lawandordermag.com 67