I hope you’ve gotten your diet in check, because now it’s time to lift weights.

First, a little vocabulary. A “repetition,” or “rep,” is the movement of a weight from the starting position, to the final position, and then back to the starting position. For example, a repetition of a bicep curl begins by letting the weight hang at your side, lifting the weight with your bicep up to your shoulder and then controlling the weight down.

A “set” refers to the number of repetitions necessary to complete that specific lift. In a typical routine, they are denoted as such: “set” x “reps” or “4 x 8.” To elaborate further, the “4 x 8” means you will perform four sets of eight reps. This means you will do eight reps, take a break, and repeat until you get four total sets.

One of the most frequently asked questions in the gym is, “How much do I need to do? What will give me results?” Well, I’m going to give you a sneak peek into my routine. I typically work out four times each week.

I like to divide my body into upper and lower lifting days. For example, Day 1: Upper, Day 2: Lower, Day 3: Upper, Day 4: Lower. I will choose four or five body parts to train, and will therefore have four or five different exercises to perform. For each of these exercises, I will do a few warm-up sets (which do not count towards your totals) followed by four “working” sets.

My first two sets will be low repetitions (three to seven) with heavy weight. My last two sets will be high repetitions (10-15) with lighter weight. In each case, I perform as many repetitions as I possibly can with that weight. You are wasting your time in the gym by doing a specific number of reps.

Do as many as you can without sacrificing your form. If you are getting more than seven reps on the “heavy sets,” then you need to increase the weight; if you are getting more than 15 on the “light sets,” then you need to increase the weight.

If you have the memory or the dedication to record your lifting statistics, be sure to make an improvement every week you work out. It won’t always be possible, but in the beginning, it will be.

I have found this to be an effective way to train because it combines both strength and endurance training. In this way, you can build muscle and burn body fat at the same time. If you combine this type of training with the diet and cardio, you’ll be on your way to a better body.

And as always, if you have any questions, want some workout suggestions or even if you need someone to show you what a bicep curl is, send me an e-mail. I’m eager and willing to help people who want to change their body.