Weight lifting... Where to start?

Emilyrichardsx

Hello all, I am very interested in weight lifting. I have been losing weight for the past year unintentionally, and so I recently started taking a body pump class to try and build muscle. I love it! I'm on week 5. I just don't know if I could be successful in weight lifting on my own. Any advice for a beginner? Thanks! Feel free to add me.

Rooster0504

A big part of getting you the best answer is what you're goals are, both immediately and longer term. With any beginner though I would definitely recommend learning the bigger compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, bench presses and rows or pull ups. Start a bit lighter than your capable of and go slow to get the form down. If you can have someone check you record a video that will help ensure you have a solid movement to avoid injury later.

Also ensure you are adding enough weight and progressing. Don't worry, you wont ever be as bulky as a guy and if you overshoot your aesthetic goals a little you can always dial it back. Once you have the compounds down you can start to add more targeted isolation exercises, but being a beginner you should experience great full body results doing just the big lifts. Of course nutrition and rest are key too.

Whats your program like currently?

WolverhamptonFitness

^

What you should be doing is heavy lifting - as heavy as you can anyway.

Heavy lifting is the answer to everything. Find a routine on one of the many body building websites (Not saying you want to body build) but any beginner Heavy lifting routine is good.

shabaity

I'd also see about a trainer if you aren't sure of proper for for lifting. At the low starting levels it's not a big deal but better to head off bad habits early.

ndj1979

my understanding of body pump is that is more of a cardio program with weights…

if you really want to get into lifting look up strong lifts, starting strength, new rules of lifting for woman, and pick one of those programs. Make sure that you study and learn proper form for the compound lifts…

kjm3579

Check out StrongLifts 5x5

thismamarox

New Rules of Lifting for Women is AWESOME! I have been a heavy lifter for over a year and wanted to do something to switch up my routine. NROLFW provides every element of lifting for beginners as well as someone a little more seasoned. I found my copy on half.com really cheap.

meremaid2014

Weight lifting is terrific fun! It really transforms your body and burns more calories than you think. I'm 5'1 and about 105 lbs, and I burned about 340 lifting for an hour the other day.

I suggest working a few times with a trainer, discuss your goals, and have them show you the equipment. Yes it's great to use the great websites that are out there, but there's nothing like having a person show you how to add the weights to the barbell, how to use the cable machine...there are still things that I feel intimidated about using because nobody ever showed me. Too many women are intimidated by weight lifting, it has to stop!

For me, I do 3 sets of 8-12 reps. If I can do 12 reps of an exercise and keep going, the weight is too late. If I can't do 8 (some people say 6, it varies), then I make the weight lighter. I try to make it so the very last rep I can do, without breaking form, is in the 8-12 range. As an exercise gets easier, I up the weight. I think for beginners it's fine to do "total body workouts" instead of focusing on one or two muscle groups per day. I also strongly prefer free weights to machines as they work your core more, but machines are a great way to start too.

Google barbell and dumbbell exercises and get some ideas. But I definitely recommend lifting heavier for fewer reps than lifting lighter and doing tons of reps. It will get you that lean body you are looking for. I promise you won't bulk up! I alternate cardio and weight lifting days and that works for me, but you need to take some time and figure out the routine that works for you. Good luck! And make sure you have good form, too many people in the weight room don't. And don't let all the guys in there intimidate you - go in there and lift some heavy stuff and impress them!

ripgurl

I wouldnt consider body pump "cardio with weights" really. It's weights with a lot of reps (unlike a typical cardio class which has you bouncing around and doing loads of aerobics).

I'm a huge bodypump fan and it's helped me build muscle and increase my strength. The good thing about it is, they switch up the routine every few months. I do the classes 1-3 times a week. the other days i do cardio or weights machines in the gym.

dalhectar

For 3 months do StrongLifts. Start with a empty olympic barbell and progress from there. Youtube has a lot of good videos to demonstrate good form.

Then for months 4-6, do Ice Cream Fitness. ICF is basically StrongLifts with extra accessory exercises. You do the same compound exercises as the core of your workout, but adds in extra arm & core work. ICF adds some element of hypertrophy to the core StrongLifts routine.

losingitseattle

I'm a fitness instructor and have been teaching just about everything for over 10 years. Bodypump is designed more for muscle endurance than for making strength gains. That being said, if you came off the couch and started Bodypump, it will activate those muscles that have not been used for a while so you will feel like you are getting stronger. But after about 8-12 weeks, you may not see much more progress. If you're younger, you might not care about the high reps of Bodypump on your joints, but once you reach your mid 40's, you will care! I would advocate heavier lifting, lower reps as others have said. Great programs for building strength and leaning out can be found on bodybuilding.com (and no you won't bulk up! unless you are trying to of course and eating to make that happen!) and I also highly highly highly recommend The New Rules of Lifting for Women as well.

Here's a post that I think speaks to lifting better than I can...

https://www.girlsgonestrong.com/my-switch-to-strength-the-tale-of-a-former-cardio-queen/

At the club I teach at, the trainers will tell you the capstone of your exercise routine should be heavy lifting, followed by HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) and then MRT (Metabolic Resistance Training) and lastly Cardio.

Good luck!