Workout Programs With Weights

What do you want your workouts to do for you? You can use weight training to get you to many different fitness goals, but a specific program is best to reach your desired endpoint. Weight training plans can help you lose weight, build muscle, shape your body, or get fit in general. You can use a program to perform better at a sport or to reach a health outcome such as improving bone density.

Here are 20 workout programs to choose from including everything from weight loss to strength training for a wide range of sports:

Weight Training for Beginners

This beginner's page is a good jumping off point if you need to get up to speed on terminology and practices when starting out. Find answers to basic questions about weight training and instructions to get you through your first session of weight training.

Strength, Muscle, Power

Check out these basic programs that target the fundamentals of resistance training:

Basic Strength and Muscle Program: The all-round program will work on both strength and muscle. It's suitable for off-season training for many sports.
Weight Training for Muscle: If your goal is to build muscle, emphasizing both size and shape, this program will get you started.
Weight Training for Strength: Strong, functional muscle is the goal of this program.
Weight Training for Power: This program works on explosive power, useful in many sports.

Programs for Weight Loss and Fitness

Do you want to burn as many calories as you can while improving your overall fitness? You can get fit and lose weight with these targeted workouts:

Circuit Training: Combine aerobics and resistance exercises for a great calorie-burning workout.
High-Intensity Circuit Program: This serious circuit keeps the heart rate high throughout.

Beginners Circuit: This circuit is a good introduction to circuit training.

Special Targets

Workouts that target specific sites, conditions or special groups:

Workout for Seniors: Use workouts to age well and stay functional.
Train With Weights in Pregnancy: How to use weight training safely while pregnant.
Training the Abdominal Muscles: If you're looking for a flatter stomach, a six pack or building core strength, use these workouts.
Train the Butt and Thighs: Target problem spots or improve your power with these workouts.

Dumbbell Workouts

Dumbbells are useful because they're flexible in exercise program design, yet also inexpensive:

All-Around Dumbbell Program: More than dumbbells for dummies - how to use dumbbells and design sets and sessions, with instructions for dumbbell exercises.
Dumbbells for the Arms and Shoulders: Use dumbbell exercises for your upper body.

Workouts for Sports

Various sports generally have some specific requirements because of the individual nature of the characteristics of strength, flexibility, power, and bulk required:

General Principles: How to determine what weight training will do for performance in your preferred sports activity.
Weight Training for Golf
Baseball Weight Training Program

If you're new to weight training, choose an achievable program, recover between sessions and don't take on too much too soon. If you stick with it, the benefits are many.