Another week. So far, so good. I'll outline more routines periodically because this is popular, and because no routine is perfect. As we perform one and saturate ourselves with it, it's a secure and positive feeling to have one in the hopper to anticipate, plan and shift our hopes to before they wane. Remember, squeeze out each program until it has completely served you. Often breaking plateaus that generate growth bursts come from those wicked persistent struggles we wisely engage in before changing our routine. Endure. Smile. It's happening.

Now, for the exercise descriptions. Let me briefly mention that the descriptions are necessary because many of the web participants are beginners or long time fitness absentees. Therefore, I'll describe them in appropriate detail throwing in bodybuilding talk as I proceed.

Need I remind you that form is of primary importance? Form is followed by focus, pace and, then, immediately by weight used. This does not minimize the importance of poundages, just accents the foremost position of form. Now, where was I... oh, yes...

Exercise descriptions — in no particular order.

THE BENCH PRESS — One of the patriarchs of weight lifting. One of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting: indeed, a family whose siblings are the squat and the deadlift. This comprehensive movement builds a network of upper cage muscles including primarily the front deltoid, the pecs and the triceps.

Lying on your back grasp the racked bar with a grip some 6" wider than shoulder width, and press straight overhead to a neutral starting position somewhere directly over your shoulders. Once you've momentarily established and briefly held your starting position, lower the bar (the eccentric or negative motion) slowly and deliberately to the bottom of your pectoral muscles (pecs). Allow the bar to make full contact with the body before immediately reversing the motion and pressing the weight (the concentric or positive motion) to it's original starting point. Repeat this smoothly until your designated reps are achieved.

Focus on the muscles involved, carefully locating the bar through its range of motion until you discover your groove — the exact track for the bar's movement according to your skeletal-muscular mechanics. Allow 1 or more seconds to lower the bar and power up steadily after reaching the chest. Practice — there's no failure in this stage, only correcting and re-correcting, trying your best and improving. You'll personalize all your exercises as you grow, perform, learn and understand.

THE DUMBBELL PRESS — Whether done on a flat bench, decline or incline, this is basically the same mechanical movement. Simply put, as the flat bench press position engages the center chest mass and front deltoid, the incline shifts the resistance to the upper chest mass and demands more shoulder, the decline conversely gets lower pec and minimizes deltoid involvement.

Sit on the edge of the bench with the dumbbells plate down on the knee area. Draw the dumbbells to your waist/hip area as you roll back to a lying position, while at the same time thrusting the weights up to an overhead starting position. Palms forward and elbows back, lower the weights to the side of your body not quite even with your head and power back up. Practice, seek your groove, focus and you're on your way.

Dumbbells are a better and healthier exercises than the bench press in many ways because the hands can rotate to accommodate the needs of the overused and abused rotator cuff or shoulder device. The bench press is too rigid and unforgiving. Also with 360 degrees of direction in each hand there's a need for a lot of muscle stabilizing and coordination - more demand for muscular health and growth.

Dumbbell inclines are the favorite big deltoid builders of all pro bodybuilders over the years. A 45 degree up to 75 degrees is a nice range of variation for the years to come.

Muscling your dumbbells in place is also a structure and skill building process. Don't drop them, don't clang or crack them at the top. Control them. Be nice.

THE MILITARY PRESS —Standing or seated, this is tough. You need to grasp the bar just outside shoulder width and position it across the front of the shoulders just under the chin. It will require some practice, trial and error to pull the bar from the floor in one swift and directed motion to the target starting position.

Hint: partially bend over and partially squat down to grasp the bar and then with focused might pull bar up to the shoulders and allow the weight to cradle on upturned palms and front shoulders. The power comes from the concerted effort of the thighs and back. An amazing exercise all by itself, called the POWER CLEAN — part of an Olympic lifters' Clean and Press event. Very comprehensive movement for dynamic overall structure development and explosive power — lotsa trap, low back, hamstring and quad. A favorite of serious football players for their kind of power needed to crush the opponent. Fun stuff.

Once in place, press the bar continually to a locked out overhead position, briefly hold and slowly lower to shoulders and repeat. This is to be done with a minimum of leaning back or leg thrust. I highly recommend you use a tough leather lifting belt to girdle the midsection and protect the lower back.

This is not a low level or medium level movement. It is a high level movement — comprehensive and systemic, meaning in simple terms a full body, major muscle, multi-joint exercise, responsible for sending messages throughout the entire body to grow — to adapt —to meet the demand. This includes enzymes, neural pathways, hormones, etc. Cleans and presses growl... they bad.

THE PRESS BEHIND NECK (PBN) is similar to the military press except the starting position is from the shoulders behind the neck. A suggestion here is to sit before the bar in its racked position. Grasp the bar with reasonable shoulder allowance, duck your head under the bar, shift forward and sit upright. Now proceed to press the bar straight overhead and lower to a point somewhere even with your ears and repeat. Keep your head in its natural posture, not compromising the neck to perform the movement. That is, don't stick your head forward with neck under resistance; instead, the bar needs to track further back. This may be a chiropractor and osteopath's nightmare, but it is popular. Same with chins and pulldowns behind the neck. 911.

PBN's work that network of muscle throughout the upper back and shoulder carriage. Deltoid lateral, spinatus, caps.

THE STIFF ARM OR STRAIGHT ARM PULLOVER can be performed with a barbell or a dumbbell. It's a feel-good power stretch that engages the lats, the underside of the bis and tris and minor pec as it puts the rotator cuff through its ranges. Longitudinal abdominal muscles come into play to stabilize the torso.

Ok. You're lying on your back, head on one end of the bench, your feet up on the other end and a dumbbell or barbell is grasped in your hands straight overhead — your starting position. Now, take in a deep breath as you slowly lower the dumbbell with stiff arms/straight arms (elbows locked) behind your head till your arms are in line with your torso — or, parallel to the floor — now reverse the motion and return to the starting position, exhaling as you do. Pause momentarily and repeat. Great stretch, great lat pump, great relief movement that promotes posture awareness. Lots of blood circulating oxygen and nutrients to Wake up, Stimulate, Revive and Refresh.

THE SQUAT — Another big daddy. Another comprehensive, systemic, full body growth builder. Add power and mass with the squat and improve your athletic ability and durability. The accent is on the gluts (butt muscles) and quadriceps (thigh muscles). Unless you have racks from which you can retrieve the bar, you'll "clean" the bar and locate it across your shoulders. This is no easy task and will result in your using a light weight for high repetitions. Fine. Gives you the opportunity to practice your clean and press ( a mighty movement requiring technical skill and practice) and get your lower back, knees and thighs well prepared for your future of heavy squats — a must if you can and will.

Bar in place across the traps and shoulders, padded if you choose with a folded towel or "Manta Ray" slowly lower yourself as if you were about to sit down in a chair. The butt goes out and down, your lower back, hips and knees bend all in concert. Down you go, keeping your eyes straight ahead, bar steady and over your knees, with feet flat, until your thighs are near ground parallel. Up you go pushing off with your heels being careful not to tip forward and allow the back and bar ascent to lag behind the leg thrust. Upright, take a deep breath, hold it going down keeping the torso muscles tight, reach parallel, push up and exhale as you ascend. Repeat till the reps are achieved — 1.5-2.0 seconds down, 1.5-2.0 seconds up. You got it? You got it. Don't try to walk up or down stairs for a day or two. It'll be ugly.

That's it for today, boys and girls. I'll get more for 'ya through the week, certainly by next Friday. Meantime, eat your protein and don't drop the weights.

The full list of exercises for the home gym trainees is going to include: