EXPERT GUIDE TO WEIGHTLIFTING

by celebrity personal trainer Nadya Fairweather FIRST, do the standing-up test. If you struggle to stand up from your sofa unaided, without using your hands or feeling a big strain, you need to take it slow. Start by doing some squats or press-ups using your own body weight as resistance.

If you feel ready to move on to weights, start with 1 kilo dumbbells in each hand. Always pick up the weights with a straight back, bending at the knee.

Hold a weight in each hand, against your chest. With your feet a shoulder’s width apart, bend at the knees, keeping your back straight and bottom out, into a squat position. Then raise back up. Do as many as you can for one minute.

As you get more confident, raise your arms above your head in the standing position and lower to your chest before the next squat.

A good tip is to lift in front of a mirror to check you are keeping your back straight and that your knees aren’t pushing inwards — a sign your muscles aren’t strong enough and you need to slow down.