Getting Euan To Shape

This is a beginners lower body routine to start building muscles in the legs, hips and glutes. This will help with strength and and muscular endurance. Try to do 10 reps of each, 3 sets with a minutes rest in between! Feedback is always appreciated and if you have any queries, don't be afraid to send me a message!

I've made a beginner chest and shoulder workout if you're new to resistance exercise and want a routine to try out. Warm up with a resistance band as shown. 8 reps for 3 sets of chest press (flat and incline) and shoulder press. 8 reps of each shoulder exercise in the tri-set with no rest in between. Repeat twice. Jump up onto a bar and lower yourself as slow as possible for negative pull-ups. Do this 3x, rest then repeat.

Bench press! This is the final compound lift in the series (see previous posts detailing the squat, OHP and deadlift). The bench press focuses on the pectoral muscles, used for abducting the shoulder joint. The triceps help out by extending out the elbow and the rotator cuff muscles are used to stabilise the shoulder girdle. Keep your feet planted on the ground, a slight arch in your back and keep your shoulders pressed back into the bench with your chest puffed up!

Deadlifts! So far I have covered the squat and the overhead press in the series of big compound lifts. Now onto number 3... The deadlift is the act of lifting a barbell from the ground up to waist height. The main muscles used are the hamstrings, abdominals, erector spinae and rhomboids (pulling the shoulder blades back). As well as this there are many stabilising muscles in play throughout the motion. This is a complex exercise that needs teaching, but once you've got it right it's a game changer for strengthening your whole body.

The second of the big compound lifts (after last week's squat Post) is the overhead press or OHP for short. This is a great exercise focusing on the deltoids (shoulder muscles) but using many muscles like the pectorals and glutes to assist. I've added in an upright row to the start of the move as this also incorporates the deltoids.

Compound lifts use multiple muscles and joints similtanously. The first of four main compound lifts is the back squat (back relating to where the bar sits). This exercise works the glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps as well as your core to stabilise. Getting a good balanced stance, and keeping the back straight and chest up are where many people falter. But with a few quick hints and tips this can be fixed.

A great article this morning on the BBC about the importance of strength training. Increase bone density, decrease risk of frailty and falls as you age, decrease resting heart rate and blood pressure... So many benefits to resistance exercise!

Supersetting is a great way to increase the intensity and decrease the total time of your workout. This is done by doing two exercises using either the same muscle group (as shown here) or opposites. This is a great superset for the deltoids (shoulders) and includes 1. Shoulder press 2. Lateral raises (in comments).

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