Tip of the Week: To belt or not to belt? That is the question. Whereas once upon a time it was de rigueur to wear a lifting belt from the moment you stepped into a gym until you hit the locker room after training, these days we don't make such generalizations.

Lifting belts can be of great value to anyone who has lower back issues or is lifting very heavy weights. The majority of people don't really need a belt when training, however. Belts do provide a distinct disadvantage for the average trainer in that they lessen the need for strong lower back muscles. By acting as a sort of brace, the lower back isn't called upon to support your body, thereby resulting in a weakening of the muscles.

So lifting belts, like all tools, have their place and time. But a typical gym-goer has no more need to wear a lifting belt all the time than a carpenter would to keep a hammer in hand at all times. As with the carpenter, "The right tool for the right job" is a motto that will serve you well.

Q: Hi, Joe. What's your personal favorite form of cardio?

A: I've always enjoyed walking. It's low-impact, elevates your heart rate smoothly and can get you from point A to point B, as opposed to stationary cardio equipment, which will leave you off right where you started.

Of course, walking isn't as intensive as jogging, which is less so than running. Then there's biking, skiing and swimming, each of which affect your body in different ways. I actually like them all and have to say that on the whole it's hard to beat swimming as a form of low-impact, muscle-toning, cardio-intensive exercise.

Studies have shown that more muscles are recruited during swimming than just about any other form of exercise. It's also great because it is virtually zero-impact, meaning it's good for people with joint issues. Due to the water's buoyancy, you can receive cardiovascular benefit by something as simple as dogpaddling.

Between walking and swimming, you've got a one-two combination of my favorite cardio exercises.

Q: I've always had a rather straight-up-and-down figure.

I'm 24 years old and in very good shape, but I would like a bit more in the way of curves. Can I build them into my body through exercise?

A: The wonderful thing about exercising is that it gives you the power to change your body as you see fit, including adding curves where there presently are none.

Of course, we're all born with bone structures that are unique to us, and there's not much we can do about that. Some of us are square-shouldered, others are sloping. Some women have broad hips, while others are narrow. You sound like the latter, which is fine, actually, because it provides you with options. While it's impossible to take away from your hip structure, it is possible to add muscle there.

The primary exercise I would suggest you to engage in is squats. There's nothing like squats to work not only your legs, but your entire buttock and hip region. The lower you go at the bottom of the movement, the more you hit your glutes, hips and hamstrings.

You should also acquaint yourself with the abductor machine, which most gyms have. This is the machine in which you sit and splay your legs to the sides against pads. It's designed specifically to work the muscles around your hips.

Below, I've outlined a sample workout for you to build your hip region. Give it six weeks or so. By then, you should start seeing the fruits of your labor.

HIP-BUILDING ROUTINE

Exercise —— Sets —— Reps

Squats —— 4 —— 15-20

45-degree Leg Press —— 3 —— 15-20

Abductors —— 3 —— 15

Leg Curl —— 2 —— 15

Leg Extension —— 2 —— 15

Joe Weider is the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders, creator of the Mr. Olympia and Ms. Olympia bodybuilding contests, and publisher of numerous fitness magazines. To find out more about Joe Weider, write to him and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

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