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Exercise basics — Weight training

Weight training is just as important as cardio to get fit and stay healthy. Increasing your strength through weight training can help protect your joints from injury, improve your balance, and increase your quality of life. See our guides below on how to perform some basic weight training movements.

Incline Press

Muscles worked: Chest

Adelaide personal trainer demonstrates incline chest press
Incline press 3
Incline press 2

  • Lay on the bench.

  • Feet on floor or foot rest.

  • Dumbells in line with chest.

  • Push dumbells up in "A" motion.

  • Lock out arms.

  • Dumbells don't touch.

  • Return slowly to start.

Incline Press Technique

Incline Press Bench Setup

Shoulder Press

Muscles worked: Shoulders

Shoulder press 3
Shoulder press 2
A trainer demonstrates shoulder press

  • Sit on chair, feet on floor.

  • Back straight, bum tucked in, head neutral.

  • Place dumbbells outside  shoulders.

  • Push dumbbells up in "A" motion, locking arms.

  • Slowly lower to start position.

Lat Pulldown

Muscles worked: Back

Our Xpress personal training includes lat pulldowns
Lat pulldown 2
Lat pulldown 3

  • Sit on machine, hips close to leg rolls.

  • Lean back slightly, raising weights.

  • Pull bar down slowly without more lean.

  • Touch bar to chest.

  • Slowly raise  bar to start position.

Dumbbell Curl

Muscles Worked: Biceps

Personal trainer demonstrating a dumbbell bicep curl
Bicep curl 2
Bicep curl 3

  • Stand one foot forward, slight bend in knees.

  • Dumbbells palms facing forward, elbows locked, resting near hips.

  • Slowly lift dumbbells up to top together.

  • Slowly lower dumbbells  down together.

  • Don't swing your body, make sure you lock your arms each time.

Tricep Pushdown

Muscles Worked: Triceps

Tricep pushdown 3
Tricep pushdown 2
When training, do a tricep pushdown like this

  • Stand with one foot in front of the other, slight bend in the knees.

  • Hold bar, thumbs either side or on top

  • Place elbows in front of hips.

  • Push bar down until  arms are fully locked out.

  • Tense the back of arms ( Triceps ).

  • Slowly release the bar up, keep elbows in, make sure there is a gap between your chest and the bar.

  • When bar is at chest height, stop, and push back down.

Goblet Squat

Muscles Worked: Glutes, Quads, Hamstrings

Goblet squat 2
Our gym instructor demonstrates the goblet squat
Goblet squat 3

  • Stand holding  dumbbell to chest,  with your feet just over shoulder width apart.

  • Heels can be on plates if required.

  • Slowly squat down until legs are parallel to the floor.
  • Keep chest and head up, and back straight.
  • Shoulders should be behind knees.

  • At bottom, push with legs, and move bum and upper body at the same time.

  • Return to starting position.

Sit Up

Muscles Worked: Abdominals

Sit up 2
How to do a sit up at the gym

  • Lie flat on mat, with knees at 90-degrees, and feet flat on floor.

  • Place hands on thighs, and raise shoulders off floor.

  • Head should be in neutral position.

  • Lift upper body off the floor.

  • Wrist should be over knees.

  • Slowly lower back to start position

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