Strong foundation: build a shapely physique in four weeks with this back-to-basics approach to weight training

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, Oct, 2004 by Elaine Smithey

SOME THINGS NEVER LOSE THEIR APPEAL, like a tropical vacation, a great romantic comedy and an old pair of Levi's. Likewise, in the world of weight training and body-shaping, some exercises remain as the foundation from which most other programs are designed. "Compound movements such as the squat and bench press should, at some point early on, be a part of every routine," explains Michelle Basta Boubion, NSCA-CPT and fitness coach at Results Fitness in Newhall, California. "The best part about these exercises is that once you learn to perform them correctly, you can tweak variables such as hand grip, tempo and weight to increase the intensity and continue progressing." This workout reintroduces some old favorites and supports their value as the backbone of both a solid beginner's program and an advanced routine. Compound exercises are its basis, and it targets every major muscle group of the body. "Beginners can benefit from doing free-weight exercises, which help to increase core and stabilizer muscle strength in addition to overall strength," Boubion explains. "More experienced exercisers can heighten the challenge by increasing weight, doing them unilaterally, and implementing advanced training techniques such as compound sets, supersets and drop sets." Someone who has worked out consistently for a year or more may even adjust intensity levels to help break through a plateau and maximize gains. For example, alternating a week of high-intensity heavyweight exercises with a week of moderate intensity and weight helps keep your body from adapting to your workouts. So no matter what your fitness level or experience, this back-to-basics program is just what you need to build the enviable shape that will never go out of style.

BARBELL SQUAT

WORKS: Glutes and legs; inner and outer thighs and core muscles act as stabilizers

EXECUTION: Stand tall with the bar resting across your shoulders, legs straight but not locked and feet hip-width apart. Keeping your midsection tight and your shoulders aligned with your hips, move your hips rearward and down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. (Don't try to go to parallel if your back starts to round or your upper body shifts too far forward.) Your knees should never pass in front of your toes. Using your glutes and thigh muscles, drive your hips forward and back up to the starting position.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: The bar should rest across your shoulders, not at the base of your neck. At the starting position and during the exercise, keep your weight balanced back on your heels to keep your glutes in a position from which they can generate the most power. Move slowly enough to allow your muscles, not momentum, to do the work.

ROMANIAN DEADLIFT

WORKS: Hamstrings and glutes; core muscles act as stabilizers

EXECUTION: Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart, so the bar hangs in front of your thighs. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Keeping your abs pulled in, your knees slightly bent and your shoulders down and back, hinge forward at the hips and lower the bar toward the floor. When you begin to feel a stretch through your hamstrings, focus on using your glutes and hams to rise back up to the start position.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: Don't bend too far forward, and avoid rounding your back. If you start to feel a stretch in your back, you've gone down too far. Maintain a hard arch in your back to avoid injury. The more weight you use, the more your glutes will work to straighten the pelvis.

EZ-BAR BICEPS CURL

WORKS: Biceps and brachialis; core muscles act as stabilizers

EXECUTION: Take an underhand grip on an EZ-bar, hands slightly wider than shoulder width, feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent. Straighten your arms, keeping them slightly bent and aligned with your shoulders; the shape of the bar should help you find a natural carrying angle. With your chest out, shoulder blades pulled back and abdominals tight, keep your upper arms glued to your sides as you bend your elbows to curl the bar toward your shoulders. Don't allow your elbows to drift forward.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: The key to isolating the biceps is stability. Throughout the exercise, keep your knees slightly bent, your bodyweight balanced evenly on both feet and your elbows aligned directly below your shoulders. Don't let your elbows move forward as you curl the weight, which would diminish the effectiveness of the exercise.

SEATED DUMBBELL SHOULDER PRESS

WORKS: Middle and front deltoids, upper trapezius and pectorals; core muscles act as stabilizers

EXECUTION: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, sit erect on a bench with a 90-degree back support with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your elbows and lift the dumbbells to just above shoulder height, palms facing forward, elbows pointing to the floor. Keep your lower back slightly arched. Pull your shoulder blades together and down, then press the weights overhead to a point where your elbows are fully extended but not locked. Lower to the starting position but no farther.