What are some simple weight training exercises for a man? My boyfriend is great with the running/cycling but for some reason is shying away from strength training. His weight loss was quite steady for the first three months but now it seems like it's starting to plateau, and I think it would probably help a lot to add strength training to his cardio routine. Do any of you guys out there have suggestions for him?
(Oh, and as the topic subject indicates, he doesn't belong to a gym so ideally, these would be things that could be done at home, outdoors.)
Thanks!

Bodyweight excercises.

Pushups, body squats, pull ups chinups, ab excercises, or

Isometric Excercises

Simply the flexing of a muscle until failure, without a weight. pretend your curling something, but create your own resistance, works both tri and bicep.

Same theory applied to any muscle, fake a bench press, lat pull down, etc. etc.

I get by with just a pair of dumbells, assorted weights for them, and resistance bands, then add in circuit training exercises such as lunges, press-ups, sit-ups, crunches, dorsal raises, etc. All done at home, though I do miss the treadmills, rowing machines, elliptical machines, etc. from the gym though sounds he's pretty much got that side of things sorted.

There's stacks of all-round weight training exercises without specifically targetting one area, which might be what he's after. Resistance bands I've found great - used to do a workout as a bit of cardio, then realised that's it all working the muscles aswell, especially arms, shoulders, chest + back! Very cheap to pick up, maybe $30 for a set, and probably will include a DVD to go along to as well.

Failing that, there's plenty of exercises just using your own body weight such as squats, forward/side lunges, press ups, dips, step-ups. Sounds easy, but throw 8/9 exercises together into 3 sets of each, 20 seconds a time with 15 second breaks and it's great for cardio as well as muscle toning!

Beaten to it whilst writing! Least someone agrees with me

Legs: Squats, lunges (with or without medicine ball), squats against a wall where he holds the squat position for 30 seconds or longer, calf raises (use a curb or stairs), jump and squat (can also use medicine ball with this), squat and press with medicine ball.

Arms: Get an 10 to 12 lbs medicine ball and use for throws, squat and press over head, side to side throwing the ball against the ground (for triceps). Hold ball centered on his body center and at either side while lying on his back and doing half sit ups (for abs); Pushups: Regular, tricep pushups (hands together in center of body, thumbs and pointer fingers touching).

Abs: There are MANY exercises for abs but all are straightforward and are well-documented on various websites.

I do alot of bodyweight excercises along with weight training...

Personally, I've noticed that the muscles I build during weight training make me life weights better, and look better, but the body weight excercises give me real life strength that I would use, when helping someone move, working on the yard, that sort of stuff, that real life "weightlifting".

Weights = pretty muscles, bodyweight = usable muscles (at least that's how I feel)

Right on, Nathan. That's kind of how I was looking at it too.
Thanks everyone!

@Jackie C.: I won't list specific exercises, as my fellow Traineo-ites (what do we call ourselves???) have done so above.

As you may know, gym fees in Manhattan are quite steep, and residential space is at a premium. I've coped with this by, essentially, stocking a home gym in the corner of my studio apartment (those of you with homes must be gasping in disbelief ).

My tools include Weight Training for Dummies (check out its section entitled "Simple Beginner Routines"), a Biodyne FitBench, and The Block (weight set) by PowerBlock. They provide everything I (and, perhaps, your husband) need for basic weight training.

I hope this is helpful. Let us know about his progress.

I would recommend a good old fashioned weight bench or even just a dumbbell set. There are basic exercises he can do to get a great workout at home. The Body for Life book by Bill Philips (can get used on ebay for about $6) describes and shows pictures of exercises that target each major muscle group. It is really a good reference for at home training. Also a good read if he's looking for motivation.

Jackie C,

My husband and I have both done Miriam Nelson's Strong Woman weight-lifting program for the past 5 years or so. The only equipment needed are dumbbells and leg weights, and it's very effective. Dr. Nelson is a researcher at Tufts, and this program can actually reverse osteoporosis and muscle loss in older people.