Weights virgin - advice?

MerinneW

Hi all!

Basically, I have been hanging around the forums a lot recently, mainly on the Success Stories side for inspiration, and the message I am getting loud and clear is that all the cardio in the world will not help me - if I want to lose weight, I need to lift weight. All the most impressive 'After' photos are of people extolling the virtues of lifting heavy things. So I guess if I'm serious about this (I am!) I need to start doing this.

I try and go to the gym every morning before work, and do 20-30 mins of some kind of cardio (stationary bike, corsstrainer, running) and then 15-20 minutes of gentle swimming to loosen up again. My gym does have a weights section, but it is a foreign land to me, peopled by sweaty men in vests making sex noises. I fear it! Moreover, my gym is a sort of basic student place - "it ain't clean, but it's cheap!" - and doesn't have any trainers or induction or anything like that, so I don't know who to ask about beginning with weights.

So long story short, what I need is some advice - what machines are good for beginners? How do I work them without looking foolish/tearing something? What is a 'rep'? Help!

ultimuttginge

Interested to see if you get any replies. I'm wondering the same.

ChrisLindsay9

I think it's great that you want to consider incorporating strength training into your fitness program. I think you'll find it beneficial in the long run.

So, I tried to put myself in your shoes and consider the knowledge and experience I've obtained in the past couple of years that might be of some help. Hopefully, my posting here will provide bumpage for others to give feedback as well.

To account for your trepidation, seeking out a personal trainer would be the first thing to consider. So here's what I would do:

Ask a gym employee if he/she knows of any good, independent personal trainers who work at this gym. And if so, get a name/phone number/email. If not, ask the gym staff member if the gym allows independent personal trainers here because you are interested in hiring one. If so, then see if there are any listings in the newspaper, Craigs List, Yellow pages, or flyers on bulletin boards in your gym. You can also try searching American Council of Exercise's (ACE) database which offers certification for personal training. And if push comes to shove, go to a supplement shop like GNC and ask the employees there if there are any personal trainers that work there or if they know of any personal trainers in the area. . If you find one, ask if he or she can provide a free one hour consult and overview of a training program. Or ask if he or she provides a discounted 2-3 session package. You should expect to pay somewhere between $35 for a half hour session to $60-$65 for an hour session. I think it's worth it. I would never have come as far as I have trying to do it on my own initially.

If a personal trainer is not ideal for whatever reason, then look into a book called "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" (which is recommended a lot here on the forums). See if you can come up with a program that'll work for you. If so, when you go to the gym, doing the routines will be a little awkward and uncomfortable (not painful, just odd). It'll take a few sessions to achieve the balance and coordination and rhythm of the machines and free weights. But you will get it. It will seem to happen overnight. And if you're unsure about a particular exercise, ask someone who looks like an experienced lifter (a gym employee or member) to watch your technique. I do it all the time. And when you get comfortable with some of the routines, consider asking others for advice or a spot if you're trying to go up in weight but want to maintain good technique. I've actually gained some gym friends by initially asking for some help. Most people will be more than helpful because there's a good community of lifters in most gyms (who all want to see people be successful in getting more fit).

Maybe some others can provide some other suggestions. Good luck to you, I hope you find the joy and benefits of weight lifting!

MsEndomorph

'Elllo!

So, I second putting in some effort to find a trainer. I know it may not work since your gym doesn't employ any, but it's worth the effort if you do find someone. My trainer is worth her weight in gold (which probably isn't much, skinny b---- ).

That aside, the Internet is an A-mazing resource for those of us who don't already have a wealth of workout knowledge. The key is to not overwhelm yourself. I'd pick one muscle group you want to work and look up a couple simple exercises for that area. For instance, lunges are easy, you don't need any fancy equipment, and you can get great results. Work on those moves for a couple of weeks and then try another couple exercises. Once you get enough tricks up your sleeve you can mix and match and keep your muscles guessing.

jlock2003

Yes, seek out a trainer. Even if it's for a few sessions just to learn some basics

MerinneW

Dear all, thanks for the tips! Can't afford a trainer, alas, but I will definitely look into that book, and try to pluck up the courage to seek advice from one of my fellow gym-goers. I'm just scared of looking stupid! But I really want to try to improve in this area. Watch this space!

I_Will_End_You

I was in the same position as you recently. I found this to be very helpful, as well as watching a lot of Youtube videos to see how all these exercises are done.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

MerinneW

OK, so, I DID IT!

I marched right on up to one of the trainers at my gym and asked him to teach me to use the weight machines. He was incredibly helpful and nice. I am now totally prepared to start introducing weights into my routine! :drinker:

So, he recommended that, as a beginner, I should be doing 3 sets of 15 reps on each machine. But how much weight should I be lifting? Any recommendations for a big wimp with no upper body strength?

I also bought myself a pair of 3lb dumbells and The 30 Day Shred. Time to start taking this *kitten* seriously!

MsEndomorph

Good for you! I'm glad you were assertive and got the answers you needed! I don't think paying for a trainer is a necessity, but it really makes working out a lot easier if someone will show you how to work everything. And, in my opinion, no gym should charge for that.

So, my rule of thumb is that you know you're using the right weight if the last rep or two are extremely hard for you to do with good form. If you breeze through the first set, go heavier for the next 2 sets. If you get to rep 4 out of 15 and you can't go any further, switch to a lighter weight and finish the set. It's a trial and error thing for sure, but you'll learn as you go along and progress further.

MerinneW

Thank you! Sounds like a good method - "if it doesn't hurt, you're not doing it right!" :P

Cockney365

Hello!

Well done you on tackling the men-only section of the gym! I was exactly the same, even this morning I got weird looks when I picked up a barbell. Whatever. Lifting weights is great, I've just started on Stronglifts 5x5 (someone has put the link to the summary on an earlier post, so check it out). I am not necessarily going to increase the weight by 10% each time (mainly because my gym doesn't have the sort of weights that go up in those sorts of increments), but I am enjoying it anyway. What I was going to add was, cardio isn't a bad thing! Yes, lifting weights heavy enough will increase your heart rate, but as I learned yesterday while trying to run for a bus, actual 'proper' cardio comes in pretty useful too for overall fitness. You don't need to do one to the exclusion of the other. I do the 5x5 lifts, followed by some extra weights (machine or free), and finish with treadmill/step/rower/whatever I feel like. As far as I know, adding in some cardio does not stop you from losing weight/fat (happy to be corrected if I have something wrong here). So if there is some cardio activity you enjoy, don't feel like you have to give it up because 'lifting is everything'.

In terms of form and seeing what exercises are supposed to look like, YouTube and bodybuilding.com both have videos you can check out to show good form and have helpful explanations so you don't end up wearing a barbell :noway:

Good luck!

mikejholmes

Spend some money and time -- buy and read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. He'll explain why the machines are not the most effective way to do things, and explain in loving, almost painful, detail, exactly how to do things, and what simple program to use.

You can also find some of his videos on Youtube.

But buy and read the book.
Really.
70 pages on how to squat correctly.

bumblebums

Spend some money and time -- buy and read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. He'll explain why the machines are not the most effective way to do things, and explain in loving, almost painful, detail, exactly how to do things, and what simple program to use.

You can also find some of his videos on Youtube.

But buy and read the book.
Really.
70 pages on how to squat correctly.

YES, three times.

Starting Strength all the way. You will never be intimidated by the "men in vests making sex noises" after you read that book, trust me. You will walk into the weight room with a plan every time, work safely at the edge of your capacity, and see good, satisfying results.