Whether it's your first month or you have competed in a couple of bodybuilding shows, these exercises need to be in your routine.  These three exercises strengthen your core and we all know, the stronger the core, the stronger the person.  Get the most out of your time in the gym.  The more muscle you activate, the more calories you will burn during the workout and the more muscle you build, the greater the 'afterburn' effect.

Train smart, train hard...

1.  Front squat to press

You can do this exercise with a pre-set barbell or, if you don't have the flexibility in the wrists and forearms, you can do it with dumbbells.  This exercise activates the core by having the load in the front of your body, your body will  activate more muscle throughout the glute,hip complex, pectorals, delts and lats.

2.  Deadlift (Barbell or dumbbells)

The deadlift is a great movement to increase lower body and core strength.  You will also improve your grip strenth.  There are many different versions to the deadlift and you'll get different opinions but I like placing my feet at hip width and placing my hands at a shoulder width on the bar so that they are outside of my legs when I descend.  This exercise burns maximum calories and builds maximum muscle.  

3.  Chest press (includes push-ups, bench press, ect...)

The good 'ol chest press, and even the push up is a timeless exercise.  The primary muscles are the pectorals, but the lats, rhomboids, triceps and shoulders are all being activated in this  movement.  You can do these on a stability ball, alternate arms up and down.  Use a barbell on a flat, incline and/or decline bench.

If you have tried diet after diet (note: I very much despise the word diet... that will be another blog) with no success, are you listening to what your body is telling you.  Hormones can affect weight loss and weight gain on a daily basis.  If you do not have hormonal "harmony" inside, it will make losing weight almost impossible.  There are many hormones that can affect your metabolism such as cortisol and the hormones your thyroid gland releases.  Only you know your body and know how to limit stress and ironically, exercise helps you combat stress.  Many people run into time constraints when it comes to exercise, which can be another point of stress.  What you have to do, is tell everyone around you that at a certain time (whatever time you choose that works in your schedule) you will be at the gym or working out.  It needs to be 'known' among your collegues and peers that if they try to contact you, they will get your voicemail because everyone knows this is your working out time.  You have to be disciplined and no matter what, DO NOT answer the phone.  This is YOUR time! 

Your doctor can identify your thyroid hormonal profile through a blood test, so ask him to order one so you can make sure that your body is at peace on the inside, as well as the outside.  Most doctors pull the trigger a little too quickly on one's inability to lose weight on Hypothyroidism.  So before you start taking medications, try to eliminate the stress and eat a balanced diet during the day for a minimum of three weeks.  Remember, you can't walk into the woods 20 miles and expect to walk out in five.  You have to make it part of your daily/weekly/monthly routine.  You'll get it done one day at a time!