List of things to know before doing weights: • Always skip a day between weight workouts
• Be sure you are breathing at all times
• For a complete workout on days you are doing only the weight workout:
• Start with a 5-minute warm up doing light cardio like biking, walking stairs, or jogging.
• Use the weight amount that allows you to complete 8-12 reps with perfect form. When this gets easy, add another set of 8-12 reps or increase the amount of weight you are using to continue getting results.

Want to join a bridal fitness group?  Find a bridal workout program in your area.

Walking or Standing Lunges (Works Hamstrings, Quadriceps, and Glutes)

1. From a standing position, take a giant step forward with one leg and land on the heel of your foot.
2. Bend both knees, slowly lowering your hips to the floor.
3. Make sure your front knee is directly over your ankle; you should be able to see your toes at all times.
4. Bend your back knee so that it is near but not touching the floor.
5. Keep your weight distributed over your entire front foot.
6. Push off with your back foot and bring it forward to standing position. Your feet should now be side by side.
7. Continue walking forward in this fashion, switching leg positions. Start at 10 steps per each leg, and increase how many steps you do over time as this exercise becomes easier.
Full Squats (Works Legs and Glutes)
1. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart.
2. Shift all your body weight onto your heels.
3. Stick out your buttocks behind you as you lower your body toward the floor by bending your knees.
4. Continue to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Make sure you can see your toes past your knees at the lowest point in the exercise.
6. Return to standing position.
7. Repeat sequence.

Full Squats (Works Legs and Glutes)

1. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart.
2. Shift all your body weight onto your heels.
3. Stick out your buttocks behind you as you lower your body toward the floor by bending your knees.
4. Continue to lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
5. Make sure you can see your toes past your knees at the lowest point in the exercise.
6. Return to standing position.
7. Repeat sequence.
Supine Bridge (Works Hamstrings, Glutes, Abdominals, and Back)

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle. Your feet should be flat on the floor, 12[-]18 inches away from your buttocks.
3. Keep your arms flat on the floor and at your sides throughout this exercise
4. Keep your head resting on a mat.
5. Lift your hips until your body core (your trunk region) raises up off the floor. Only your shoulders and head should be touching the floor at this point. (Before starting this exercise, you can place a towel under your shoulder blades for extra cushioning.)
6. After lifting your hips as high as you can go, hold the position for 10 seconds, then slowly lower yourself back to the floor.
7. Repeat.

Chest Press on Ball with Dumbbells (Works Chest and Arms)

1. Lie on the ball with the back of your head and upper back supported on the ball. Hold the dumbbells at your shoulders, next to your chest.
2. Lift your hips up so that your body makes a straight line from your shoulders to your knees (in a bridging fashion).
3. Push the dumbbells straight up above your chest.
4. Lower slowly to the start position. Your upper arms should finish parallel to the floor.
5. Repeat.


Squat To Press




Squats to presses Use two dumbbells, each weighing approximately 10% of your body weight (e.g., if you weigh 150 pounds, each dumbbell should be 15 pounds). Individuals with less strength training experience may start with dumbbells which weigh 5% of body weight, while stronger athletes can use dumbbells checking in at 20% of body weight.
You may need to experiment a bit, using a weight that makes the exercise challenging but achievable. If dumbbells are unavailable, a barbell of comparable total weight can be utilised. To do the exercise, stand upright with your feet spaced about hip- to shoulder-width apart and your hands supporting the dumbbells in front of your shoulders.
Squat down until your thighs form an angle of 90 degrees with your shins (a half-squat), while maintaining a reasonably upright posture with your torso and while keeping your hands in front of your shoulders. Then rise quickly from the squat position while pressing (pushing) the dumbbells overhead simultaneously. Both arms and legs should reach full extension at the same time (You'll end up standing tall with legs straight and arms straight overhead).
Then lower the dumbbells in a controlled fashion to the starting position. Repeat this three-count movement smoothly and continuously.

Standing Lat Rows (Works the Upper Back)

This exercise is great for posture. It helps improve your upper back muscles, your ability to balance, and your stability all at once.
Your lats (latissimus Dorsi) are large back muscles that extend, rotate, and lower your arms.
1. In a split stance, with one foot ahead of the other, bend your torso forward so that it's at a 45-90 degree angle to the floor.
2. Keep your back flat at all times.
3. Hold a dumbbell in one hand. You can rest your other hand on a chair or the ball if you like.
4. Keeping your abs tucked in, bring your elbow up past your rib cage, finishing with your fist about at your waist.
5. Lower the weight back down.
6. Switch legs with each set.

Reverse Flyes over Ball

Front and Lateral Raises

1. Grasp light(er) dumbells in each hand with an overhand grip with elbows straight or slightly bent.
2. Raise the dumbells forward and upward with until upper arms are above horizontal. Lower 3. With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms to side until elbows are shoulder height. Lower and repeat sequence.

Bicep Curls (Works Biceps)

1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent.
2. If using a resistance band, stand on the band with one foot. As an alternative, you can use dumbbells.
3. Hold one dumbbell or one band handle in each hand. Keep your hands at your sides, palms facing forward.
4. Curl both arms up toward your shoulder, moving the arm only from your elbow. Make sure you do not move your shoulder joint. At the "top" of the curl (the end of your range of motion), your palm should be facing your bicep.
5. Lower arms back to the start position.
8. Repeat.
Tricep Dips (Works Triceps)
Sit on the edge of a bench, step, or sturdy chair.
1. Position your hands beside your body on the edge of the bench (or whatever you're sitting on), fingers facing forward.
2. Lift your buttocks off the bench and lower them toward the floor by bending your arms at the elbows.
3. Make sure you stay perpendicular to the ground, and keep your back straight.
4. Don't push your hips forward.
5. Lift yourself back up by straightening your arms. Be sure to keep your arms close to your body throughout the exercise.

Tricep Dips (Works Triceps)

1. Sit on the edge of a bench, step, or sturdy chair.
2. Position your hands beside your body on the edge of the bench (or whatever you're sitting on), fingers facing forward.
3. Lift your buttocks off the bench and lower them toward the floor by bending your arms at the elbows.
4. Make sure you stay perpendicular to the ground, and keep your back straight.
5. Don't push your hips forward.
6. Lift yourself back up by straightening your arms. Be sure to keep your arms close to your body throughout the exercise.

Pushups

Start in the push up position - with your hands and toes touching the floor, your body and legs are in a straight line, your feet are slightly apart, with your arms shoulder width apart, extended and at a right angles to your body. Keep your back and knees straight, then lower your body until there is a 90-degree angle at your elbows, with your upper arms parallel to the floor.

Abdominal Crunch on the Ball (Works Abs and Neck)

This is the best abdominal workout around. Before you start this exercise, be sure you are comfortable and stable on the ball. Do this by sitting on the ball. Then bounce up and down on the ball. Follow that by swiveling your hips on the ball. If you feel OK, proceed. If not, start by doing your crunches on the floor and work up to doing them on the ball by following these steps:
1. Sit on top of the ball and slowly walk your feet forward, away from the ball, until your hips are off the ball and your lower back is supported on the ball. When you begin this exercise, you may drop your hips closer to the floor. This relieves your neck and abs of some of the work and engages your quads to do more of the work.
2. Your hands can be either on your thighs, crossed at your chest, or with your fingers touching your temples. Do not cradle your head in your hands; you need to build strong neck muscles too, and this exercise will help you do so.
3. Lay back over the ball, face up, with your back matching the curvature of the ball. This is your starting position.
4. Draw your navel toward your spine, and "crunch" (or roll) your shoulders toward your hips. This is a small movement that creates a 30-45 degree angle of space between your shoulders and hips.
5. Be sure to keep your neck in its neutral position. Your chin should not be tucked, but in a straight line from your shoulders to the top of your head.
6. Lower yourself back to the starting position.
7. Repeat the crunches.

Bicycle Maneuver

1. Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground.
2. Put your hands on top of your shoulders (elbows point out, not forward).
3. Bring your knees up to about a 45-degree angle and rotate your legs as if they were pedaling a bicycle.
4. Keep rotating your legs as you bring your left elbow to your right knee, and then your right elbow to your left knee.
5. Breathe evenly as you continue the exercise.
6. Perform 8-12 reps on each side, or go until you feel fatigued.
Reverse Crunches (Works Lower Abs)


1. Lay on your back on the floor.
2. Raise your feet in the air, legs straight, until your soles are facing the ceiling and your legs and torso form a 90-degree angle.
3. Extend your arms out to either side of you. They should be flat against the floor.
4. Lift your hips straight up off the ground. Your feet move toward your head. (This should be only a small movement.)
5. Return to start position.
6. Repeat.