Check with your healthcare provider before starting any exercise program. This is especially important if you have not been active, you are pregnant, you are of older age, or you have any health conditions. These include:

• High blood pressure
• Heart trouble
• Family history of early stroke or heart attack death
• Dizzy spells often
• Short of breath after mild exercise
• Arthritis or other bone or joint problems
• Severe muscle, ligament, or tendon problems
• Obesity

You should also keep your workout area clean and free of clutter. Stretch after warming up. Always use a spotter when doing bench presses and squats. Lift with a buddy whenever possible.

Wear good athletic shoes that give you good traction on the floor.

Free weights include dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells. Types of weight machines include the leg press, chest press, shoulder press, seated row, and lat pulldown. When training with free weights, you have a greater risk of dropped weights, which can be a safety concern. But research does not support the common claim that weight machines are safer than free weights.

Include at least 1 exercise for each of these:

• Upper back
• Shoulders
• Chest
• Lower back
• Abdominals
• Front of arms (biceps)
• Back of arms (triceps)
• Buttocks
• Front of thighs (quadriceps)
• Back of thighs (hamstrings)
• Lower legs

You can do different exercises that work the same muscle groups on alternate workout days. To improve muscle strength, you should do at least 2 sessions a week that include exercises for all major muscle groups. To boost muscle endurance, you should do at least 3 sessions a week that include exercises such as calisthenics, pushups, sit-ups, pull-ups, and weight training for all major muscle groups.

Muscles need time to repair and rebuild after a workout. That's what makes them stronger. Doing weight training 2 to 3 times a week will allow enough time for rest. This will also give you enough of a workout to boost your strength.

For instance, do bench presses and squats before triceps push-downs and leg extensions.

Rest periods are important to help build muscle strength, speed recovery, and boost performance from set to set. Your rest intervals may get longer as you move up to heavier weights.

Keep breathing. Holding your breath raises blood pressure, possibly to dangerous levels. Exhale on exertion.