If you’re a women who avoids the weight room at least let it be out of sheer stubbornness and not because you were in possession of incorrect facts.

Here’s the skinny.

While strength training does cause muscle growth, women simply do not have enough of the testosterone hormone to become muscle-bound and appear masculine. Them’s just the facts. The few women you may notice in international competitions, let’s just say they likely had a little synthetic help along the way. I seem to remember Russian women athletes with a pretty good mustache going…

Women should do high rep, low weight sets only. Wrong! If looking and feeling great is your goal, shoot for reps in the 5-8 range for 3-5 sets with enough weight to make you strain a bit. This will make sure you don’t lose muscle while dieting.

Use machines instead of barbells and dumbbells. Wrong! Free weights produce greater benefits because you can train several large muscle group at once, burning more calories in the process. As you age, free weights will leave you stronger, with better balance and less chance for injury.

Lose weight before you lift weights. Wrong! Studies show that combining aerobic exercise, diet, and strength training leads to greater overall loss of fat while retaining your all important muscle. ‘Nuff said.

No idea where to begin? No problem. Click here to find a sample free weight workout tailored to women. It’s towards the end of the first article on the page, right past the dispelling myths area I summarized in this post.

Train hard!

“Pardon me, sir, you have some spaghetti-“

“Those are my arms.”

“Sorry.”

Maybe your situation isn’t this dire but you could use some ideas for a down-and-dirty quick arm workout to squeeze into your busy schedule on the way home from work. You need a few basic exercises to work both biceps and triceps and here we go.

Standing Barbell Curls: Using a barbell for an arm workout sometimes gets lost in the mad rush to the dumbbell rack. Start off with this one to really put a load on your biceps and forearms. Grab a barbell loaded with weights in an underhanded grip, feet shoulder width apart. Let the bar hang at arm’s length in front of you. Keep your elbows tucked in and use only biceps strength to curl the bar up to shoulder level, then return it to the start with a controlled motion.

Preacher Curls: This one isolates the biceps well and uses lighter weights. Sit on the preacher bench with your upper arms flat on the pad, palms up. Have someone hand you the barbell. From the start position in front of your chin, lower the bar until your elbows are almost straight and you feel a good biceps stretch. Curl it back up, hold for a second and repeat.

Close Grip Bench Press: This basic exercise works the inner and outer heads of the triceps and, to a lesser extent, the pecs and deltoids. Assume the bench press position but grab the bar with a slightly narrower than shoulder width grip. Hold the bar above your lower chest, then lower until it touches but don’t let it bounce. Keep your arms tucked close to your sides and return to starting position.

Click here to see picture demonstrations of these exercises. Yes, there are a million different ways to work your arms. These three are simple, basic movements that will lay a great foundation for toning, strength, size, or all three.

No, I’m not talking about shadowboxing with parrots.

With those two simple hands you could do pushups, man! Pushups. The military seems to be the only segment of society that still recognizes exactly how powerful a training tool this one simple exercise can be.

Pushups are great for your chest, triceps, abs, shoulders, and torso. Best of all, you don’t need any fancy equipment. You have an entire upper body training routine available to you using only pushups. A dedicated person could make more health and physical fitness progress with pushups that the majority of fair weather fitness freaks do spending hundreds on gym memberships.

Not suggesting you run out and cancel your gym contract. Just don’t dismiss pushups as an antiquated tool. Here’s an interesting website that’s all about teaching you how to progress until you can do 100 pushups as its total training and strengthening program.

Most people are probably familiar with the standard pushup, feet on the floor, hands just outside your shoulders, but there are many variations that target different areas of the body. Here’s an interesting article describing wide-stance, diamond, and elevated pushups as well. For example, raise your feet by placing them on a bench or chair and not only increase the weight being lifted but shift the target area to the upper pecs.

Hey, tired of having sand kicked in your face on the beach? Whyn’t you try some pushups?

It’s obvious many parents of overweight children are dealing with issues of their own but, hey, you brought them into this world and it’s squarely up to you to see that make it into adulthood as healthy as they can be.

You need to get them moving.

No, not with U-Haul. With exercise! Even if they hate it at first. Here are some ideas to get started. It should come as a big surprise to no one that the more time a child spends with video games, television, and computers, the heavier they are likely to be. These activities require little to no physical exertion, so what do you expect? You’ve got to pry their grubby little fingers off the technology. Try limiting daily time spent on these activities.

Or, as Yoda might say, “Don’t try. Do or do not. There is no try.”

As a parent, you’ll probably find more success in steering your child towards a vigorous activity rather than planning a gym workout. Maybe you want to participate with them. Use the extra time that’s no longer devoted to lolling in front of technology for things like soccer, basketball, roller blading, bike riding, or team sports. Consider a martial arts or gymnastics class. Anything you can think of. It is critical to get them moving. Shoot for 20 to 30 minutes a day three or four times a week.

Who knows, you just might get them addicted to something besides The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. Click here to read an article with some sneaky ideas about how to wean the young ‘uns off the video games and television.

It all depends on which one you grab. Some of the choices masquerading as ‘health’ bars are so packed with sugar and high fructose corn syrup you’d be better off ripping open a five pound bag and snorting the white stuff.

Turn your energy bar over and look at the label. Here’s a quick rundown of what you should pay attention to:

Calorie content: Look for bars with fewer than 200 calories. This is supposed to be a snack, not a four-course meal.

Check the serving size: Many times, food companies try to fake you out by saying the bar is actually two servings, thus the calorie count you just looked at might be misleading.

Look for whole grains: Whole grains should be one of the first ingredients, otherwise, el crappo.

Sugar content: This is where many energy bars go seriously awry. Take the number of sugar grams and divide by four to get the number of teaspoons of sugar. Try to keep it below two per serving.

Protein content: Check the protein grams. You need enough so you won’t be feeling hungry again an hour later. Divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2 to arrive at kilograms. You need about one gram of protein daily for every kilogram of body weight.

Other considerations: Look for at least three grams of fiber per serving and no trans fat. Click here to read a quick article about WHEN you should eat an energy bar.

Wanna see how your bar of choice stacks up against Snickers or Pop Tarts? Click here. You might be surprised and revolted.

Don’t whine. Just get busy. Massive pecs and bird legs don’t impress anyone. This workout is perfect for the ladies also. Just lower the weight and do higher reps if you don’t want to build muscle mass.

Squat: The granddaddy of leg exercises works thighs, quads, butt, hamstrings. It’s probably the single most beneficial exercise you can do for your entire body. Start with the barbell loaded with weights on the squat rack. Let it rest on the back of your neck, hands shoulder width apart. Straighten your legs and take a step back to clear the rack. Keep your head up and eyes focused on a spot on the wall in front of you. Feet shoulder width apart, toes pointed slightly outward, back straight. Bend at the knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then return to start. Simple and effective!

Leg Press: Similar to the squat except you’re on a machine either flat or angled. Excellent for isolating the quads. Hold the hand supports, feet on the lifting platform about 12 inches apart. Straighten your legs to raise the sliding platform. Lower it in a controlled fashion and don’t let it bounce at the bottom. Burn is good!

Leg Extensions: Again – isolates the quadriceps. Sit on the leg extension machine with your feet hooked beneath the lower set of pads. Hold yourself firmly in place on the bench. Start with light weight. Use your quad power to straighten your legs and raise the weight. If you have to bounce or jerk, it’s too heavy. Movement should be smooth and controlled.

These three leg exercises are a great way to get into the habit of working your legs regularly or to simplify your workout if it’s gotten too complicated. A return to basics every once in a while never hurt anyone and might get you out of the habit of spending more time than is necessary in the gym. Get in. Get it done. Get out.

Nevertheless, a pose by any other name would stretch as far.

What’s so great about yoga? Most people would generally acknowledge it probably has benefits but exactly what are they? It improves flexibility, strength, muscle tone, and breathing. It prevents pain and can lead to weight loss. It encourages mental calmness, reduces stress, and improves your body awareness.

While some people use yoga as their only workout, you might also consider incorporating daily or weekly yoga sessions in conjunction with your regular weight resistance training. Couldn’t hurt. Did you know Uncle Arnold took ballet lessons back in his Mr. Olympia days to improve his posing and add fluidity to his routines? The lesson here is don’t be quick to dismiss something that’s been around for a few million years.

Here are three simple yoga moves you can try at home to see if this is something you might like to investigate further.

Downward Facing Dog: Stretches and strengthens the whole body, especially helpful for low back pain. Click here to see how it looks.

Extended Side Angle Pose: Strengthens and stretches the legs, groin, and hamstrings, as well as opening the chest and shoulders. Click here to see it in action.

Garland Pose: Stretches the hips and groin. Click here to see what it’s supposed to look like.

There you have it. Just enough yoga knowledge to be dangerous. Research it more if you’re interested. Most areas have yoga classes you could get involved with, or do it on your own at home.

The core, as you might have guessed, is the area around your trunk and pelvis. When you have good core stability from strong pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen muscles, any physical activity becomes easier, from swinging a golf club to bending over to tie your shoes to slapping a llama in the face. Conversely, ignore the development of those areas and you get what many people are intimately familiar with – poor posture, lower back pain, and muscle injuries.

So, what are you gonna do to make them strong? You don’t need special equipment or an expensive gym membership. Any movement which uses the trunk of your body without support will do the trick. Squats, push-ups, and abdominal crunches are a great starting point.

Bored with the thought of those? Try this with an exercise ball. Sit on the ball and gently bounce to work your abs, back, and thigh muscles. You can even do your crunches on the ball. Sit with your feet resting on the floor about hip-width apart. Keep your back straight. Cross your arms over your chest. Tighten your abs and lean back until you feel them kick in. Hold that position for three deep breaths. Return to starting position and repeat.

Add a few minutes of core movement to the start or finish of your regular workout and watch how many of those irksome, nagging injuries and lower back pain simply vanish.  Come on. It’s worth a shot!

So if you’re looking to sport a pair of great looking arms logic dictates you better not ignore your triceps. On both men and women it can turn to flab and become the muscle that waves to every passing stranger.

The good news is that with a little targeted effort, you can either tone that area or build it, depending on your goals. Here is a quick three exercise routine do get you headed in the right direction. Start off with moderate weight for 3 sets of 10 reps on each exercise. If you’re going for size, increase the weight over time. For toning, build up to more sets and higher reps.

Seated Overhead Triceps Extensions (Alternating Arms) – Begin sitting on a bench with the back straight and dumbbells in each hand. Bring the arms up, bending the elbows to keep the weights behind the head. Raise the right arm straight above head. Lower arm back down as you simultaneously raise your left arm above your head. Continue alternating arms.

Seated Overhead Triceps – Begin sitting on a bench with the back straight and a weight in each hand. Bring the arms up, bending the elbows to keep the weights behind the head, Raise the weights above the head in unison. Lower and repeat.

Reverse Grip Pushdowns – Attach a straight bar to the top portion of a cable machine. Grab the bar with a reverse grip and your palms facing up. Position the bar at about chest level and slowly lower the bar downwards. Make sure to keep your elbows in while extending your arms and have a slight bend in your arms when you reach the bottom of the movement. Slowly let the bar return to the starting position while keeping your elbows in.

Presto, a nice triceps workout you can begin with immediately if you’ve been floundering for what to do about your arms. Keep in mind if fat on the back of your arms is the problem, triceps exercises won’t magically spot burn it away. You’re going to have to lose overall body fat for that.

Good luck!

Still, maybe one of the following devices are exactly what you’ve been waiting your whole life to find, if not for the fitness potential, then surely for the comedy value.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing:

Osim IGallop: Legitimate exercise device or thinly disguised sex machine? You Decide. Click here to view the commercial.

Power Plate: Ever wanted to simply stand on something that vibrated you back to good health? Want no longer. Click here to find out what life inside a vibrator is like.

JumpSnap: Now you can jump rope – without the rope! Perfect for the uncoordinated and the gullible. Click here.

HandyTrim: Bet you never thought you could become Mr. Olympia by spinning a yo yo. Ha! You can’t. But you can click here to discover a new fad the world could do without.

Weight Loss Magnet Earrings: From the Chinese Center for Stupid Western Devil Tricks – lose weight by wearing magnet earrings. Click here to participate in the lunacy.

Shanghia Exercise Chairs: Do the Twist sitting down. Seriously, why spend hundreds for one of these when you can do the exact same thing on your toilet at home while you’re pooping? Kill two birds with one stone. Click here for the horror.

Hula Chair: Umm, does it come with the girl to demonstrate how to use it? Thank you, Japan, for another national nightmare. Click here if you have nothing better to do.

The sad part about it all is you could go out right now with your credit card and acquire every single piece of ‘fitness’ equipment on this list. In fact, I dare you to do just that. Go on. Do it. Start your own personal training business. Franchise in the East first. They seem to like this stuff.

By the way, this list in no way supersedes the recent post about equipping a cheap home gym.