Cold weather will send many casual athletes indoors to stay fit. If you are thinking about dusting off some old dumbbells, how will you get started?

First of all, always warm up before you lift weights. Ten minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike, or even 10 to 15 minutes doing moderate housework or yard work will sufficiently warm up your muscles—just don’t start your work out after sitting at a desk for eight hours.

Always work your larger, interior muscles first, and work your way down the arms and legs. The two exceptions to this rule are the abdominals and the muscles of the lower back. These should be done at the end of your workout because they help to stabilize the body during all other exercises.

A good, basic plan is to work the chest muscles, and then, in order, the muscles of the back, thighs, arms, lower back, and abdominals. Afterward, make sure to stretch every muscle that you worked. Hold each stretch for at least 20 seconds.

In preparation for your workout, select a dumbbell weight that allows you to perform between 8 and 12 repetitions. Each rep should last about four seconds, two seconds for the actual lifting and two seconds to bring the weight back to the starting position.

Chest fly (pectorals): Lie on a bench or on the floor on your back. Knees should be bent, feet flat. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, with fists facing each other, elbows at 90°. Bring dumbbells together over the middle of your chest, and back down to starting position. Elbows should remain at a 90° angle during the entire exercise.

Middle back (rhomboids): Place left foot on a bench (stairs or even a coffee table would work) and grab a dumbbell with right hand, holding it perpendicular to the left foot, and lean over at the waist. Pull the weight up toward waist, bringing right elbow back at a 90° angle. The dumbbell should never be lifted behind your torso. Return and repeat. Concentrate on having the muscles between your spine and your shoulder blade doing the work.

Thighs (abductors): Lie on your side, head supported in your right palm. Raise left leg straight up, as far as you can, keeping knee straight. Return and repeat 10 to 20 times.

Thighs (adductors): In the same position as above, bend left knee and place left foot flat on the floor. Extend right leg out in front of your torso. Keeping right knee straight, and foot flexed, lift and lower 10 to 20 times.

Arms (biceps): Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Stand with back straight and knees slightly bent, feet at shoulder width distance. Alternate raising each dumbbell upwards towardsthe inner shoulder, then lower back down toward the hips. Keep a slight bend in the elbow at the lowest point, rather than coming to complete extension.

Arms (triceps): Kneel on both knees with left hand flat on floor. Hold abdominals tight and keep your back straight. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand, so that it is just touching between your chest and shoulder on the right side. Extend dumbbell all the way back, to a straight elbow. Do not raise the upper arm above the plane of your back.

Calves (gastrocnemius): Calf raises can be done on the bottom step of any staircase. Facing up the stairs, position the balls of your feet on the edge of the bottom step, and hold the railing for balance. Lift yourself up onto the balls of your feet, without bending the knees. Keep both feet together if you are a beginner, or hold one leg off the step for a more challenging exercise. Do 10 to 20 repetitions.

Lower back: Lie flat on your stomach, facing forward, with arms by your side. Lift head and both legs simultaneously and hold for two to three seconds. Lower to starting position and repeat 10 to 20 times.

Abdominals and obliques: Cross legs so that your right foot rests on your left knee. Bring left elbow toward right knee for 10 repetitions, then bring the right elbow toward the right knee for another 10. The first position works your abdominals and the second concentrates more on the obliques, which form the sides of your waist. Switch legs and repeat on the other side.
 

Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. For more information see http://sitzmarkfitness.health.officelive.com.