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" It&amp;#039;s awesome if you have access to a weight room with machines, whether it&amp;#039;s at your gym or at school. But if you&amp;#039;re like reader KC, who wrote in to Seventeen last month, it doesn&amp;#039;t help much if you aren&amp;#039;t quite sure what to do with it! That&amp;#039;s why sports, nutrition, and fitness expert Jennifer Cassetty is here to help with a simple plan to get you toned. Q: &amp;quot;My friends and I want to be fit, but all the equipment in gyms and weight rooms is a bit overwhelming! What machines are best for us, and how do we use them? Thanks!&amp;quot; \u2014KC, 16, Texas A: Hey, KC! Jennifer here. There are lots of great machines out there, but here are three that every gym will have, and that will give you a good, but quick, overall workout! Do this plan three times a week and you&amp;#039;ll shape up! 1. Lat Pulldown Machine: Start with 30 pounds on your first try and do four sets of 10 with a 30-second break between reps. Grip the bar and sit on the seat with shoulders back. Make sure you bend your elbows out to the side and pull the weight down toward your hip. Try squeezing your shoulders back together at the bottom of the motion. Keep your head and chest up the whole way down and return back to starting position. This strengthens upper back for posture. 2. Leg Press: Start with 30 pounds on your first try and do four sets of 10 with a 30-second break between reps. Place your feet about hip width apart on the foot plate. Your legs should have a 90-degree bend in the knees. Press through heels to move plate out, then slowly lower back to starting position. This machine helps to shape your butt and upper thighs!  3. Chest Press: Start with 10 pounds on your first try and do four sets of 10 with a 30-second break between reps. Keep your shoulders back on the pad. Push the handles forward from the chest and hold for two seconds. Return the handle to the start position. This machine helps with upper-body strength, especially your shoulders and triceps! Got a question for a fitness or nutrition expert like Jennifer? Leave it in the comments, or e-mail it to health@seventeen.com! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/health/fitness/a3639/weight-exercises-aab-012309/>