101 Weight lifting: tired of the jiggle factor? This basic routine will tone you up in no time

Picture this: There I was, surrounded by muscle-bound men flexing, grunting and groaning, while I wondered what I was doing. It was my first time in a gym and, to say the least, I was a bit intimidated. That's because if you're like me, you probably think weight-lifting gyms are still male domains--that they're strictly the territory of body-builders, that you're too weak, too old, too heavy to start lifting weights or that you'll become too muscular if you do.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. Not only does strength-training let you redefine your body at any age--adding smooth muscles only where you want them--it's also vital to overall health.

So it's time for me, and you, to get past the intimidation factor and hit the gym. Here, all the info you need to get started. It even comes with a guarantee: If you stick with a basic program like this one, you'll see the results in just weeks.

Getting Started

Most experts agree that while it's possible to train at home with dumbbells, to get the best results you really need to join a gym, even just temporarily. Not only does a gym provide lots of weights and machines (as well as cardio equipment, classes and an extra incentive to work out--the price of your membership), but it's also a source for expert advice, since most offer a free training session when you join. However, if your current circumstances don't allow you to join a gym or work out regularly with a trainer, we strongly urge you to do one or two sessions with a pro (check your local Y) to get the basics down. Then get a good book or two to follow at home. As you become stronger and more used to the exercises, you can add moves to the core workout you've learned.

There is one thing you can master today: The basic principle of weight work--which is simply holding a weight and repeating one move several times, until what started out easy feels difficult. It's the last few hard repetitions (or "reps") that build muscle. That's because exhausting the muscles (not straining them) is what forces the body to build them up, and that's how you become stronger.

The Moves

These 10 exercises work all the major muscle groups. They start with the larger ones first (butt, thighs, chest and back), then the smaller ones (shoulders, triceps, biceps and abdominals). Why? "If you fatigue the smaller groups first, you can't work the larger ones adequately," explains Bill Pearl, author of Getting Stronger: Weight Training for Men and Women (Shelter Publications, 2001). To start, aim for one "set" of 10 to 12 reps; work up to two to three sets as you get stronger.

Butt Booster

Main muscles worked: Butt (gluteus maximus), backs of legs (hamstrings) and fronts of thighs (quadriceps). These are your power muscles for walking, running, rearranging furniture, climbing stairs. If you want to lift and firm your rear, this will do it.

Technique

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1 Sit in leg-press machine, lower back pressed against support. Place feet flat on panel with toes pointed up, legs extended.

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2 Inhaling, slowly bend knees until they reach a 90-degree angle; pause. Exhaling, steadily push out legs almost straight. Repeat.

Don't

* ... lock your knees when you straighten them.

Thigh Firmer I

Main muscles worked: Fronts of thighs (quadriceps). A great way to get jiggle-free thighs. Also strengthens muscles around the knee.

Technique

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1 Sit on leg-extension machine with feet behind roller pad, backs of knees against edge of seat. Adjust seat back so it touches lower back.

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2 Keeping head and shoulders against seat back, raise feet until both legs are almost straight; pause. Slowly lower legs back to starting position. Repeat.

Don't

* ... do this move if you have knee problems or pain.

Thigh Firmer II

Main muscles worked: Backs of thighs (hamstrings). Do this regularly, and these muscles will be as sleek as a runner's.

Technique

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1 Lie face down on leg-curl machine, knees at end of bench, ankles under roller pad so it rests just above heels. Loosely grip handles on sides of bench.

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2 Keeping feet flexed, slowly bend knees until roller pad touches buttocks; pause. Slowly lower legs. Repeat.

Don't

* ... let buttocks rise when you bend knees. Decrease weight if they do.

Chest Lifter

Main muscles worked: Chest (pectorals). Bench presses with dumbbells are great for firming and lifting your chest; they create a sort of natural Wonderbra.

Technique

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1 Lie on bench and plant feet on floor. Grip dumbbells with wrists straight and palms forward, hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart.

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2 Slowly push arms upward until elbows are fully extended but not locked; pause. Lower dumbbells to starting position, keeping wrists straight and directly above elbows. Repeat. Keep head, shoulders, back and hips flat on bench.

Don't

* ... arch back or raise hips off bench