Weight Training For Every Body (1974)

Ever since high school, physical fitness has always been important to me and I want to keep it up. I'm a model and I need to have a beautiful body. Well, with my heavy schedule, working out half an hour a day really really does the job. I I get up a good sweat and feel relaxed for the rest of the day. Well, the upper part of my body doesn't get me exercise and I want firm bosoms and strong arms. I find that weightlifting helps me in all my other activities. Young or old, men or women, we all need toned muscles to engage in an active and healthy life. Most experts agree that weight training is the quickest way to develop the strength tone necessary for all physical activities, whether on the field, at work, [music] or at home. This is why properly conducted weight training is now widely accepted as part of any comprehensive physical [music] education, coaching, and physical therapy programs. All right, gang, let's warm up. I hope nobody's eaten anything, right? I wouldn't want anybody to get sick. Let's start with running in place. Ray, get those knees up a little higher. >> [music] >> Okay, let's switch to jumping jacks. >> [music] >> Warming up before weight training is extremely important. It prepares the body for the rigorous [music] physical work by improving circulation, increasing body temperature, and minimizing the danger of cramps and strained muscles during the [music] exercise. Okay, let's touch our toes. Exhale down. Inhale up. Take your time, Eric. Do the full movement. Stretch those muscles. Inhale. Exhale. Good, that's better. Let's hit that floor and do some push-ups. Inhale down. Exhale up. Keep that body straight, Ray. All right, on those feet and whip those arms around. >> [music] [music] >> Good posture is very important. Ray, keep that body straight. There's an easy way to check and see if you're slumping. Stand on your toes and if you fall forward, you don't have good posture. Try it. Another way is to breathe deeply. You'll find that you can't do it properly without straightening your head. Do it. We'll start with the overhead press. Make sure to bend your knees and keep your back straight. This is a good rule to remember whenever you lift any heavy object. A lot of back injuries can be avoided if lifting is done properly. Smoothly pull the weight to chest level. Then press >> Start with about half the poundage that you feel comfortable lifting and then gradually build up. Again, don't forget to check your progress chart. This exercise develops the muscles in the arms and shoulders, mainly the trapezius, deltoids, and triceps. [music] >> [music] [music] >> Let's move on to the bicep curl. You can either use a barbell or a dumbbell. Curl the weight from your thigh to your chest level and return it. Do the full movement. Ray, these aren't jingle bells you're swinging. >> [music] >> Keep your back straight. Let your arms do the work. The main muscles being developed here are the biceps and brachialis, which are the muscles in your arms and forearms. Okay, let's do some wrist curls. Make sure you get the full curling movement. >> [music] >> You can either do them palms up or palms down. A development of the wrist flexors and extensors will help prevent common wrist injuries, especially if you happen to slip and fall. >> [music] >> Get ready for the bench press. Take the bar not wider than the shoulder width. Touch it to the chest and return it. Simple. Here we're working the arm and chest muscles, primarily the triceps, the pectorals, as well as the [music] deltoids. All right, gang, the rest is over. Let's do some pull over and press. Grab a light bell. Start at the top. Bring it down to your chest. Bend your elbows. And then back to your chest and out. >> [music] >> Ray, don't hold your breath too long. >> [music] [music] >> The main muscles at work are the latissimus dorsi, pectorals, teres major, and triceps. >> [music] [music] >> Let's do some bench flies. Pick up the dumbbell. It is dangerous to leave dumbbells and barbells laying around on the floor. Somebody could trip on them. This exercise really gets your trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, teres major, and triceps. [music] The entire upper back. >> [music] >> We'll do a toughy, the lying back extension or hyperextension. Lie flat on a bench and either use a strap or get a partner to hold your feet. Raise your upper body until your back is straight. Or you can use a lighter weight or no weight at all. >> [music] >> This movement will strengthen your lower back, the erector spinae, the gluteus maximus, and the biceps femoris. This may help prevent bad backs and will do wonders for your posture. >> [music] [music] >> Okay, let's do some half squats. It's important to keep your back straight and, as always, concentrate on the lift. Breathe in as you go down and out as you go up. Avoid going all the way down. Only squat to a half position. The half squat develops strong underpinnings, namely the gluteus maximus, biceps femoris, quadriceps femoris, and soleus. >> [music] [music] >> Let's do calf raises. Either use a barbell or a dumbbell and hold it by your side. It is advisable to use a rack or to have spotters around. By developing the calf muscles, anterior [music] tibia, and toe extensors, the ankle area will be protected against twists, turns, and sprains. >> [music] [music] [music] >> Okay, gang, one more exercise. And it's one of the toughest. Sit-ups. Knees should be bent so that only the abdominal muscles [music] do the work. Here again, a weight may be used for added resistance. If you get in the habit of doing these when you're young, it will be a lot easier to continue when you're older. Firm abdominal muscles will help eliminate the spare tire around the waist, reduce strain on the back, and generally improve posture. Okay, good. Don't forget to follow your program chart carefully and build up slowly. This will give you a firm foundation. Once you've reached the desired level you want to maintain, I suggest you exercise twice a week, like Wednesdays and Saturdays, for example. And do three sets of 15 repetitions. If, on the other hand, you want to continue adding size and strength, say for football, then you should work three to five times a week and keep adding weight until you reach your optimum point. But in either case, I strongly urge you to do the warm-up toning exercises daily. It's a good habit to get into. Remember, in the final analysis, the key to any successful physical fitness program is consistency. I'm 64 years of age. And I have been working out 2 hours a day regularly ever since the age of 17. I wouldn't think of starting the day without it. Dr. Stephen Chastain, orthopedic surgeon. I know of no better way to exercise every muscle in your body as much or as little as you desire. The great thing about weight training is that one can get better acquainted with one's body, and one can see and feel results almost overnight. It is a tangible index of success. By keeping one's muscles toned, one can prevent many injuries. Believe me, I know. I see this every day. I have patients who can't even sneeze without pulling or straining a muscle. I think that as you develop yourself to a desirable shape and strength, you'll find yourself more daring and more adventurous in many ways because you've added another notch to your own self-esteem and confidence. And somehow, when you feel good about your body and about yourself, you can't help but feel good about the rest of the world. Given the considerable differences in age, strength, [music] physiological makeup, and interests of each individual, we recommend that beginners consult [music] with their physical education instructors or coaches on the specific amount of weights to use, >> [music] >> the appropriate exercises to do, as well as the type of program to follow most suitable for each person's needs.