What if I'm Trying to gain strength

Sooooo, hey there. How ya doing? I'm baaaack. The weeks are getting away from me. I'd like to say I'll post once during the week, once on the weekend and any other time the mood strikes me. The problem lately has been that the mood hasn't been striking me as much as I'd hoped. So, I'm going to try to force the mood to strike by tying myself to my laptop. Part of the problem is I'm not on my laptop as much as I used to be. I have an IPhone (it's unlikely I'll post from it) I have a Nook Color that has been rooted to be an Android tablet (keyboard still too small) and I have a laptop. The laptop hasn't been getting used as much as the others. And to make matters worse, my laptop is pouting about it's lack of use. But, I am making a comm....... wait where was I?

I should talk less about my issues and more about how you are going to build some muscle! Right?

Right!

Here we go.......

SO you are at something near your goal weight. Maybe you lost weight to get there, maybe you gained weight to get there (lucky duck) maybe you just hang out in the ideal weight neighborhood because you're sooooo cool. However you got there you would like to tone up, physiologically speaking. But all you can find are programs to lose weight, a few to gain weight (mostly aimed at 14 year old boys) but nothing to maintain weight while gaining strength/muscle mass. For you ladies out there who are about to stop reading because you are at your ideal weight and do not want to lift weights because you will look all "muscley" or GAIN weight. Not to worry, it takes a lot of serious lifting, serious nutrition and time to gain weight by lifting if you are a woman of the female persuasion. OK, back to it, If you want to tone up shoot for 3-4 workouts per week. The workouts should include cardio and strength training. The strength/resistace training can be a full body workout. Generally do your lifts in 3 sets 10 per exercise. I would recommend:

Leg press and leg extensions for the legs. If you don't have access to a leg press machine squats are a great substitution. Watch your form on the squats we don't want a sore back to slow your progress.

Chest press or incline press with barbells, dumbbells, Smith (hinged) machine and pec deck or dumbbell incline flys for chest.

Rows (any type) and either lat pulldown or pullups for upper back.

Romanian deadlift and or hyperextensions for lower back.

Dumbbell curls and or preacher curls for biceps and triceps extension for, you guessed it, triceps

3sets of 25 ab exercises of your choice

Cardio of your choice. I know all of you are smart enough to look up any exercises you have questions about. Also, check out youtube or ask a trainer at your gym. Or, if all else fails contact me and I'll explain any that you have questions about.

Because I'm a techy, really, I'm a techy? I have a couple of app suggestions for you to check out.

If you have an IPhone and want a good easy tracker for both your food intake and your exercise I'd suggest Loseit. Another good one, although I think a little more cumbersome is Caloriecounter. Those are both freebies. Both are also available for Android.

I also bought an app from Human Kinetics called Abs Revealed which has about 50 ab exercises and loads videos of them in the app, which means you don't need an internet connection to watch the videos.

Ok, that's it for now,

You can always reach me on:

Twitter @mikerigoni

Facebook: Mikerigoni

email: mrigoni64@gmail.com

I may start doing some fitness counseling personal training in the near future check back for more info.

Until next time

I'll see you at the gym