You know that you need to add weight-lifting to your workout routine but you may not be sure which routine is best.

Just like any other time you start a fitness program, you'll want to start out slowly.

First, you'll need to start with one or two sets of eight to 12 repetitions. If you're older, injured or unsure of your strength you can do 10 to 15 reps with less weight. When you can lift a weight eight to 12 times and it gets harder to lift during the last rep, you'll want to add a little weight and decrease the reps.

Even if you're a seasoned weight-lifting veteran, alternating the workouts is key. You shouldn't do arm workouts and shoulders exercises on consecutive days. You should avoid working on legs consecutively, too. It's important to vary how you're focusing on strengthening different muscles. For instance, you may want to start by isolating the shoulders. At your gym you can do an overhead press, lateral raise or front raise to work on this body part. Start with two sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Other parts of this workout might include strengthening the chest via the bench press, chest press machine or push-ups. You can work on your back as well in a seated row machine. To build your biceps you can work on bicep curls, hammer curls and concentration curls using hand weights. As for the triceps? You can do tricep extensions.

As you alternate days to work on your lower body, you can try squats, lunges, leg-press machines, deadlifts or calf raises. As for the abdominals, there are always crunches, oblique twists and pelvic tilts.

If you begin your weight training regimen at your health club, the fym should have staff to supervise and answer specific questions.

Now that you've got your weight-lifting routine set, check out That'sFit's cardio workouts.

Photo: anyeetx, Flickr

School's back, and though many will weather this season of change by developing a protective layer of fat called the Freshman 15, you don't have to be one of them -- make fitness a priority this semester, after studying of course.

And while I'm willing to bet your school has a decent gym, you don't even need one -- there are plenty of great workouts you can do in your dorm room, no matter how big or small. Amie Hoff, master trainer for New York Sports Club, recommends a few simple -- and free -- exercises you can do in the comfort of your own space, like:

• Push-ups -- from your desk, but make sure your desk is against the wall for these. If it's not, take them to the floor.
• Bicep curls -- using your text books as weights.
• Tricep dips -- off the bed.
• Squats and lunges -- using your chair for stability.
• Crunches -- with your text books adding extra weight.
• Cardio blasts -- a couple quick sets of jumping jacks and stadium runs will help burn off that cafeteria food.

I once traveled a lot for work, and it isn't easy to stay fit while on the road. Some may think it's as simple as hitting the hotel's fitness center. But when you're traveling to small towns like I did (including one with a welcome sign that read: "Population: Just Plain Good Folks"), you're lucky to have a hotel equipped with an ice machine, much less a fitness center.

If you travel frequently, portable exercise gear can be a real fitness saver. Resistance bands work great and jump ropes are also handy (though the person in the room below yours might not agree). A more unique product you might want to try is the Valslide, compact slide boards designed by trainer Valerie Waters.

The boards slide easily on carpet and help you do moves like lunges, mountain climbers, and push-up flies. All of the movements utilize two or more muscle groups, so it's an efficient sculpting tool -- just ask these six celebrities.

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Today my son and I visited the driving range and there was a woman about my age wearing some pretty short shorts. I'm in my mid-30s, so I don't deem those very age appropriate anymore. But, on second glance, the woman looked darn good in those shorts. So, I quickly erased my judgment and decided that if she's got it, she might as well flaunt it.

Fitness Magazine has some tips from personal trainer, Jackie Warner -- star of Bravo's Work Out -- on how you can get your body in perfect shape for shorts. The beginner moves include the plie squat, the donkey kick, and the curtsy lunge. The combination of these three moves will work all the muscle groups that will keep you looking sexy in shorts -- the abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. The workout also includes intermediate and advanced twists on the beginner moves.

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Sometimes, we're our own worst enemies. We can come up with hundreds of excuses to not exercise. "It's raining outside." "Gyms are too expensive." "I don't want to buy/don't have room for fitness equipment." The list of excuses can go on and on. But there is one reason to exercise that totally trumps any excuse you can come up with: your well-being. Exercise will improve your health, boost your energy, help achieve/maintain a healthy weight, reduce your risk of many chronic conditions, and manage your stress level.

Lauren from laurensfitness.com gives us a list of 20 exercises you can do -- without equipment, without a gym membership, and without weights. She walks you through different varieties of squats, lunges, push ups, and dips. Though Lauren admits it's not the ideal workout, it will do in a pinch. So even if you're busy or whatever other I-can't-exercise reasons you can come up with, this is a workout you can do... no excuses.

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The lunge is a very popular lower-body exercise, hitting the hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps with a deep, satisfying muscle burn. Just like most exercises, there exists a wide variety of lunges you can perform. But unlike exercises that keep you in a fixed position throughout a set, you can vary your lunges rep-by-rep to really blast your leg muscles.

A great one-two combination is to perform the standard forward lunge and then go right into a reverse lunge. To do so, start by standing upright and with your feet together. Next, take a step forward with your right leg and then lower your body while keeping your back straight. Once your rear knee is only inches from hitting the floor, hold in this position for a second and then press yourself back up and backward to the staring position.

Now, this would normally be where you would then step forward with your left leg and perform the same move. However, this time try bringing your right leg behind you and doing a reverse lunge. Using the same leg you led with in the forward lunge (which, in this example, was your right leg), take a fairly large step backward. Then, slowly bend that knee to lower your upper body, again keeping your back as straight as you can. Once your right knee has almost touched the ground, hold for a second and then push your body up and forward. You should now be in the starting position again, standing upright and with your feet together. Finish this one-two combination by doing with your left leg what you just finished doing with your right. Once back to the starting position again (after doing a full one-two combined rep for each leg), that equals one total rep.

Here's a very good video demonstration of forward and reverse lunges from a trainer featured on ExpertVilliage.com

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I was able to coax my littlest guy into a jog stroller recently so I could walk the hilly streets in my neighborhood, but I'm not always so lucky. Usually, he bucks the system and refuses to tag along. He and his brother don't love the gym childcare center either. And when I hop on my treadmill at home, it's like an invitation for my guys to start making demands -- they want snacks, want to play a game, need help with something or other -- and if they're not making demands, they're fighting, which isn't too conducive to focusing on exercise. Needless to say, kids and exercise are not always compatible in my house, unless I find a way to combine the two without being so obvious about it. The other day, I found a way.

We were all playing in the back yard when it hit me. My back yard is perfect. It's big, it's fenced, and my kids are completely content in their little slice of nature. Just then, I started squatting. So did Joey, my seven-year-old. Then I did some lunges. I started mid-yard and worked my way all the way to the fence and back. Joey led the way, knocking out his lunges with a speed I've never known. Then I did some leg lifts and used our sliding glass door as a mirror -- I could see my reflection clearly and watched my form the whole time. I'd lost Joey as a workout partner by this time -- he transitioned into a Spiderman game -- but I kept at my workout until my legs felt like Jell-O. The next day, I felt every move I'd made.

Now that I've given this back yard thing some thought, I realize I can do some BOSU work out there too. I can hook my resistance bands to the swing set, lift my light little weights out yonder, even run mini-laps in the grass -- all while my kids romp around in the great outdoors. If I feel an extra jolt of energy, I can join in the Spiderman games too.

If I'm trying not to strain my abdominals -- which is exactly what I'm trying not to do -- there's really not much I can do, reports Fitz, because everything I do, from grabbing a plate out of the cupboard to squatting to lunging, will tax my abs.

"Just relax," says Fitz, who is sure my legs will resume their shape once I hit the pavement again -- and incorporate these easy leg moves into my routine: Squats, lunges, anything Jane Fonda inspired, and a few ballet plies too.

Deep breath. Relax. Two weeks and counting.

Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. I have a question in regards to squats and lunges for working out. I am 29 years old and last year I was told that I had arthritis under my knee caps, so I should no longer do squats and lunges as part of my work outs. Is there a way to modify these exercises or something else that I can do that is just as effective? Thanks, Mindy

A. Hello Miss Mindy. Great question. Arthritis can be very frustrating, and I'm sorry you're having to deal with it! Squats and lunges are specifically stressful to a fragile knee, because they require you to place about 100% of your body weight on them while performing each exercise. Not a good idea when the knee is already sore.

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This winter, I intend to hit the slopes a few times, either skiing or snowboarding. I grew up near the mountains and was skiing shortly after I was able to walk. The chance to head the the hills was always the bright spot in a bleak winter season for me, and though the business of being a grown-up has put a bit of a damper on my sportiness in the past few years, I'm going to try to re-capture that love of my youth. After all, when you live in a place where winter takes up the majority of the year, it's nice to have something to look forward to, right?

But skiing and snowboard--and whatever winter sport you choose, be is snowshoeing, skating or whatnot--requires strong legs. Plus, I've had problems with my knees in the past and I'd like to strengthen the muscles around them to prevent any chance of injury.

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I've been wearing out my shoes on treadmills lately. With icy streets, the 5K treadmill jog keeps calling my name at the health club. I'm even trying to rearrange the family room in hopes of accommodating a treadmill. But my body is getting adjusted to treadmill jogs and it's time to mix things up.

For those with easy access to a treadmill, try treadmill lunges on for size. Personal trainer Nancy Cole recommends these killer lunges for fitness buffs with solid cardio endurance only.

Set the treadmill to a slow walking pace for 30 minutes, warm-up for five minutes, then step your right foot forward in a lunge, making sure you're in proper lunge position (both knees bent so the front knee is aligned with your ankle and your back knee faces the moving surface with heel lifted). Push your body weight up off the right heel and slide your left leg to meet back with the right foot, then immediately lunge forward with the opposite (left) leg. Do 20 alternating lunges, walk for 30 seconds, then lunge another 20. When you're ready for a bigger challenge, increase the incline, pace, lunge sets or take less rest in between sets.

Lunges are definitely one of the most painful, but productive exercises. Time to face the music and spice it up -- I'm giving treadmill lunges a go this morning.

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Often, we provide workouts designed to work certain parts of your body -- abs, biceps or leg, for example -- but what's the best workout routine if you want to tone your entire body? The folks at eDiets have put together a total-body workout. Here's what it entails:

• Squats for legs
  
• Lunges, also for your legs
  
• Chest press, for your chest
  
• Dumbell reverse lat row, for your back
  
• Lateral raise for your shoulders
  
• Bicep curl, for the biceps

Are these all exercises that you do on a regular basis? They're part of my routine, and perhaps you should make them a part of yours too. What do you think?

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A reader commented on my post The Core: All it's cracked up to be with a question about the specific exercises I mentioned -- push-ups, pull-ups, dips, squats, lunges, touch-downs, and planks. He wanted to know how to do some of these since the names themselves are not so self-explanatory. Since I neglected to include the how-to details, I'm back, this time to clue you in on how exactly to strengthen that core of yours. Here goes.

Most of you probably know how to do push-ups, but click here for a refresher. As for the rest, you can find them by clicking on the name of each exercise. The only one I've omitted is the touch down. When I find a good tutorial link, I'll pass it on. For now, though, the following line-up will keep you plenty busy -- and plenty fit too.

Pull-ups
Dips
Squats
Lunges
Planks

For more how-to tips for almost every exercise imaginable, visit this site.

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I'm a walker. I walk anywhere I can in a reasonable amount of time -- the store, the bank, downtown to meet my friends for lunch. I walk for a few reasons -- because I love the outdoors, because I love the feeling of being active but not in pain, because I love the city scenery and because I love having time alone with my thoughts. During some stressful and upsetting times in my life, walking has helped calm me, and helped me come to terms with what was going on in my life. If walking was the only exercise I had to do for the rest of my life, I would be fine with that. Now, if I could only located to a city where I could walk comfortably year-round ...

Here's the thing about walking -- while it seems like walking is routine and not really 'exercise', it can be. A walking program can help you lose weight and get fit. It's a cheap, easy and convenient way to get in your workouts from anywhere. All you need are some good shoes and some water.

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Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose two per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.

Q. Hi Fitz. I am a 23-year-old female and I struggle with my legs. My issue is the upper area: thighs, hamstrings and glutes. I have a desk job and sit most of the day, but I go to the gym every evening right after work. I read tons about fitness and have tried everything. It just seems as though my glutes and thighs never tone. I do cardio (run & elliptical) three days a week and I weight train two days a week alternating muscles groups: upper body with lower body. I eat well, five small healthy meals a day. Please help. Jasmine

A. Hey Jasmine. Sorry you're struggling. Sounds like you're on the right track, but we can change things up a bit to get you closer to where you'd like to be physically. First of all, I'd like to change the type of cardio you're doing. I absolutely love running and the elliptical trainer, but those activities don't really make the best use of the power in your glutes and thighs. Start engaging in activities that take your legs through a large range of motion and utilize their power. Kickboxing, climbing stadium bleachers, and mountain biking are great choices. These activities require you to lift your legs, extend/flex at the hips and knees and create both endurance and strength in the areas your eager to enhance. Make sense? This way you'll be burning major calories and creating strong hard thigh muscles simultaneously.

Continue a well rounded strength training routine, but add some extra moves to target those glutes and thighs. Walking lunges and squat jumps (squat real low, jump real high) are my favorites. Make these changes, Jasmine, and you'll start seeing the results you've been dreaming about. Keep me posted!

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