Strong foundation

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

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.

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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.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: The more advanced version can be done standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, bodyweight evenly balanced. If you lean back too forcefully or round your shoulders forward, lighten the weight a bit or do the movement seated.

LYING FRENCH PRESS

WORKS: Triceps, with emphasis on the long head

EXECUTION: Lying faceup on a flat bench, take an overhand grip on an EZ-bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Place your feet flat on the floor. Straighten your arms so the bar is aligned directly over your shoulders, wrists straight. With your upper arms locked in position, bend your elbows to bring the bar toward your forehead. Don't allow any change in your shoulder or elbow position. Contract your triceps to press the weight back up to the starting position without locking out your elbows.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: Preventing your elbows from flaring out to the sides is key to keeping stress on the triceps.

ONE-ARMDUMBBELL ROW

WORKS: Back and rear deltoids

EXECUTION: Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, place your left knee and left hand on a flat bench. Keep your back parallel to the floor and straighten your right arm so the dumbbell is in line with your shoulder, palm facing in. Keeping your right shoulder stable and that arm close to your side, bend your elbow and pull the dumbbell up to a spot between your ribs and hips without rotating your shoulder. Pause, then lower to the starting position. Repeat for reps, then switch sides to complete one set.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: Before starting the lifting motion, pull your shoulder blades back to help stabilize the shoulder joint. On the way up, your elbow should just clear your back. Keep your working arm close to your side. Don't allow the shoulder on the working side to "open up" toward the ceiling. Keep your shoulders square to the ground at all times.

CRUNCH

WORKS: Abdominals

EXECUTION: Lie faceup on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart and far enough away from your body so you can relax your hip and glute muscles. Place your hands behind your head with your fingertips just touching and your elbows wide but rounded slightly inward. Crunch your abdominals, moving your head, neck and shoulders as one unit. Once your shoulder blades clear the floor, pause as you exhale, then slowly lower to the starting position.

ESSENTIAL TIPS: Do this correctly and you won't need 300 reps to get results. Exhale just as your shoulders clear the floor and continue to exhale the rest of the way up. Focus on pulling your navel in toward your spine for maximum contraction. Hold the top position for a beat.

BENCH PRESS

WORKS: Pectorals, front deltoids and triceps

EXECUTION: With a weighted bar in place, lie faceup on a flat bench with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Align the middle of your chest with the bar. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep a slight arch in your lower back to stabilize your spine, lift the bar off the rack and raise it above your mid-chest. Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together, then lower the bar to your chest but don't bounce it off. Press with your chest and triceps to return the bar to the starting position.  Back Abdominal Supports.

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