We Want to Pump You Up!

"Hear me now, unt listen to me later!" You probably remember the hilarious Saturday Night Live skit "Pumping Up with Hans and Franz". It featured Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon wearing stuffed grey sweat suits and huge gaps in their teeth. I had to laugh at their "muscles" and Austrian accents every time that I watched. The "Governator" himself even made an appearance on one episode, to put his "cousins" in their place.

Those same images come to mind whenever I decide to join the gym - again. I made a commitment to myself after college to work hard and stay in-shape. I wanted to make sure that I found time to exercise every day and never become a "girlie man". I learned to combine weight training and cardio during each workout for a maximum burn. Hans and Franz would have been very proud.

The decision to join the gym always seems to be the easy part. The work-out, of course, would be the hard part. Sticking with it, though, has been close to impossible. However, by mixing up my work-outs and getting out of the gym once in a while, I have been able to maintain an interest. These are a few of the things that could be incorporated into any fitness routine to help keep it interesting and produce positive results.

1. Chest- incline dumbbell presses, push-ups and dips are all compound exercises and are good for a chest and triceps workout.
2. Back- one-armed dumbbell rows, pull-ups and/or chin-ups are important for working those lat muscles and keeping the biceps pumped-up.
3. Shoulders- Arnold presses (an adaptation of the military press), dumbbell flies and heavy shrugs can keep traps strong and maybe increase your collar size an inch or 2.
4. Arms- dumbbell curls and triceps presses help by isolating these muscles for greater definition.
5. Legs- squats and leg presses will benefit your "core" and strengthen those chicken legs.
6. Abs- incline crunches and abs machines may eventually develop that other 6-pack
7. Cardio- walk the dog, hike, go for a jog and try to take the stairs, just keeping the blood pumping will help shed extra lbs and build lean muscle.

Do your homework before jumping into anything new and always know your limits. Staying fit will become a lifestyle commitment of exercise, diet and rest. Which is much easier said than done. There is an abundant supply of worthwhile information in the countless health and fitness magazines on news stand shelves. Do not be fooled by the flashy ads for "scientific breakthroughs" or "ergonomic machines". Try what appeals to you both in and out of the gym. It will keep things fresh and help you stay "pumped up".

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