Strength training tips?

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rbarragato412
rbarragato412 Posts: 42 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I've been losing weight with cardio at a steady pace for 50 days exactly.
My fiance and I would like to start some strength training on the machines at planet $hitness, but really do not know where to start. I've read a bit, but this is all so confusing.
Do we just wing it based on what muscle group we plan on working on any given day and make a routine from there?

Any insight would be appreciated. I'd love to start burning more fat by strength training, as well as getting my whole body wedding dress ready! I just need a starting point!

By the way, I don't eat the pizza, bagels, or tootsie rolls my cheap gym offers. It's really just the most cost effective way for me to get a workout in. Long Island isn't the greatest place to find an economically sound gym ;)

Replies

  • turtledrummer23
    turtledrummer23 Posts: 20
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    How many days a week are you currently working out? How many are you planning on involving strength training?
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I would get on a tried and true program, like New Rules of Lifting for Women. Educate yourself. Don't just wing it, you'll waste time and spin your wheels.
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    I would get on a tried and true program, like New Rules of Lifting for Women. Educate yourself. Don't just wing it, you'll waste time and spin your wheels.

    Second: And skip the machines. If you really want to see noticable progress barbells are the way to go, with dumbbells second.
  • rbarragato412
    rbarragato412 Posts: 42 Member
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    How many days a week are you currently working out? How many are you planning on involving strength training?

    Currently, I am doing 6 days of cardio per week.
    I plan on doing 3-4 days of strength training before or after my cardio
  • rbarragato412
    rbarragato412 Posts: 42 Member
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    I would get on a tried and true program, like New Rules of Lifting for Women. Educate yourself. Don't just wing it, you'll waste time and spin your wheels.

    Second: And skip the machines. If you really want to see noticable progress barbells are the way to go, with dumbbells second.

    Thanks for the recommendation! I've been looking for some sort of solid program to follow!
  • turtledrummer23
    turtledrummer23 Posts: 20
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    I would just go with the tried and true program method until you have your legs underneath you in the weightroom. I will use the same logic to say that if you have ZERO lifting experience, stick to the machines for a time, unless your program says differently, at least until your muscles are comfortable with a lifting strain. Free weights can cause injury when not used properly and prepping your muscles for any sort of new strain is a large part of preparation.
  • jasonp_ritzert
    jasonp_ritzert Posts: 357 Member
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    Try www.bodybuilding.com, there are lots of workouts, videos, demos, etc. that can be useful.
  • Derpes
    Derpes Posts: 2,033 Member
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    Form is of utmost importance - watch videos and practice if you have to.

    Compound exercises (work multiple muscle groups) are preferable.

    Here are some examples:

    Bench press
    Squat
    Shoulder press
    Leg press

    Many more
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
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    I would just go with the tried and true program method until you have your legs underneath you in the weightroom. I will use the same logic to say that if you have ZERO lifting experience, stick to the machines for a time, unless your program says differently, at least until your muscles are comfortable with a lifting strain. Free weights can cause injury when not used properly and prepping your muscles for any sort of new strain is a large part of preparation.

    I see what you're saying, but machines don't fit everyone and they isolate too much. Don't be afraid of starting with free weights (not that I think this poster was trying to scare you at all), just make sure that when you are using free weights (and that should be your goal), than you are using proper form. Fitness Buddy is a great app that has photos and videos for every single exercise (has like over 1700+) so you can refer to it. Also has machines incidentally.
    Try www.bodybuilding.com, there are lots of workouts, videos, demos, etc. that can be useful.

    Don't do this... you will get so lost in all the information and suggestions and blah blah on that site it's not even funny. It's not a bad site, but it's the equivalent of a fitness magazine, and your head will spin.


    I agree 100% that you go with a simple, sensible program like strong lifts 5x5 or starting strength. As a general rule if the book's tag line includes "revolutionary" or any bs word like that, you're going to be spoonfeeding yourself bs.

    Number 1 rule of lifting, be safe. Listen to your body, educate yourself on form, and push yourself. If you can text with one hand while curling with the other, you're doing it wrong.
  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    I agree 100% that you go with a simple, sensible program like strong lifts 5x5 or starting strength. As a general rule if the book's tag line includes "revolutionary" or any bs word like that, you're going to be spoonfeeding yourself bs.

    Number 1 rule of lifting, be safe. Listen to your body, educate yourself on form, and push yourself. If you can text with one hand while curling with the other, you're doing it wrong.

    Seconded -- Starting Strength for the best descriptions of technique that you'll find. Buy the book. Seriously. Maybe even order the DVD. And it's a simple, and VERY effective program. Stronglifts... basically the same workout, but I found that there was a lot of hype from Mehdi, the owner of the site, and he was very light on proper technique. Or at least, he didn't explain things in a way I could understand.
  • run2bfree
    run2bfree Posts: 108 Member
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    Try www.bodybuilding.com, there are lots of workouts, videos, demos, etc. that can be useful.

    THIS! Bodybuilding.com has trainer work outs that are emailed to you every week with all your daily workouts, videos, nutrition plans... I REALLY recommend Jamie Eason's Live Fit 14 week one. It will help you get familiar with the weights.
  • rbarragato412
    rbarragato412 Posts: 42 Member
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    Thanks so much for your help everyone! I'm going to take all of this advice, and do some more research into the recommended programs.
    That bodybuilding website totally had my head spinning, but I appreciate the recommendation either way :)
  • estrange22
    estrange22 Posts: 210 Member
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    Check out muffintopless.com Savannah Neveux has a great free program called Muffintopless Summer Challenge. They have strength training and cardio and come in three phases. No workouts of hers have taken me more than an hour- an hour and fifteen minutes and those were the longer days.
  • mytime1986
    mytime1986 Posts: 117
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    I have gotten alot of great tips and advise on bodybuilding.com I even picked out a plan for myself! You should definately go look at it..
  • Jaemoo34
    Jaemoo34 Posts: 15 Member
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    On days that you do both i find that weight lifting before cardio is best, that way i can really push myself with lifting and dont completely deplete my energy stores. I would also think about HIIT (high intensity interval training) once or twice a week as your cardio stead of a stead form for 30+ minutes. 10 minutes is all i need and its very efficient :)
    I personally use body building to look up specific exercises for form and description once you have a plan to follow, i also agree that dumbbells and barbells are better for me than the machines.

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