Want to lift but don't go to gym

shelleysykeskeene

I am a 5 foot 4 inch female who has recently started working out. Currently just doing Jillian Michaels workouts and running on the treadmill as well as following a 1200 calorie diet.

I am about 20Kgs overweight so I need to lose weight and want to build lean muscle (want good definition but still be curvy)
I am really serious about starting some sort of a weight lifting routine but I am absolutely clueless on where to start. Gym is horribly expensive so I want to do it at home

1) What equipment do I need to get started and what weight to start with?
2) What exercises should I do and with what weights?
3) Should I take supplements?

questionfear

1) Equipment depends on what you're going to be doing. If you have the space and you're 100% committed you could get a barbell and weights along with a safety rack, but that's a big investment. You could also pick up a few kettlebells and dumbbells, or you could just skip the equipment and start with bodyweight exercises.
2) Again, it depends on the program you're doing. A few at home ideas: Nerdfitness.com has a few bodyweight circuits, fitness blender gets mentioned here a lot, and I love (and have had success with) the You Are Your Own Gym program; all of these require little to no equipment, especially as you're starting out.
3) You don't need supplements if you're able to match your macros with your regular food intake.

youngmomtaz

You can easily start with sets of 5-25lb dumbells. Typically weights are about $1/lb where I am. I splurged last Christmas and bought myself the Bowflex select tec weights. I spent about $300 on eBay. They have a dial and either pick up or drop plates and they go from 5-52lbs all in a small setup. Love them so much. I can do everything I need to do with them and a large ball. My husband is a heavier guy and did not trust the ball, he just got back into workouts(yay for biceps) and bought himself a bench and a starter set of Olympic plates and rack. Spent about $500 and will need to spend a bit more to add some 10lb and 25lb plates right away. For us this is cheap because the gym costs us over $500 for a couple for the year. This way I can lift in my pjs if I want and I don't have to time workouts with trips into town. I cannot comment on supplements as I do not use. As far as a program maybe hire a trainer for a day or two to show you or do some really good research online. I make my own routines or use body beast but I have heard lots of reference to strong lifts on here and other fitness sites.

If you want to gain muscle you will have to eat at a small surplus of calories, gains can only be made when there is extra. A house cannot be built unless the supplies are delivered. Eat just above what you need to see the walls go up!! Women take a longer time to build muscle because we have approximately 16 times less testosterone than men. That doesn't mean weightlifting is not great for us, it just means we have to be more patient.

Dawn410

You can also do resistance training without weights. I love my body lastics resistance bands. They are portable, affordable, and store easily.

steph2strong

The best things I have in my home gym are kettle bells and TRX suspension system. Both require very little space and can give you an awesome full body workout. I used to just google and youtube workouts for both and follow them, but now I know enough moves that I make up my own routines. Incorporating a 30 minute kettle bell workout into my exercise routine did amazing things for my body.

riffraff2112

budget?
You don't need much more than a few sets of dumbbells to begin with, I didn't even have a bench when I started, still was able to push myself hard and see results.
As you fall in love with it, or need to add weight/upgrade you can invest in a decent bench. Hone there is an awful lot you can do with very few things.
Body weight isn't horrible to get started but eventually you will need progress ive resistance to see muscle gain.
Eat enough protein, supplements aren't necessary . I only use protein bars and powder (and that is pretty rare).
Training programs are easy to find online.
good luck and enjoy

shelleysykeskeene

Here in South Africa, gym fees are R750 per month ($52.07 per month) so its over $600 per year. Very steep!

I already have weights starting from 2lbs (1kg) to 22lbs (10kgs) - currently using 3kg weights (6.6lbs) to do all my exercises.

Should I be using different weights for different exercises? Eg heavier for squats?
How many reps should I be able to do and when to increase the weight?

Should I lose weight first and then start building the muscle? (I need to lose 44lbs/20kgs)

MarlyIc1

I started with 5kg dumbbell each arm, and the same dumbbell for squats/lunges etc. Did that for a 3 weeks or so, then got me a barbell, 15 kg total, been doing that for 2 weeks and am feeling now I need more, so going to start adding slowly. I do 8 reps for arms, and 6 for legs. I also use 1.1kg leg strap weights for other various floor exercises I do. I have about 6kg to lose and I do a lot of cardio, mainly steep hills and stairs, bit of jogging, weights 3 times a week but looking to increase that soon. I also do body resistance exercises. I lost 2kg in a month but a lot more inches off my body, I can see great improvement, but diet is the main thing, eating right foods at right times, proper calculations so your weight training will be maximised.

fiddletime

I have Dumbbells from 3-25 pounds. I just got an Olympic curl bar and some weights. I use a stability ball as I don't have a bench. I can do lots with the ball and Dumbbells and bought the body beast DVD to get started. I've looked at the videos on Stronglifts 5x5, a free ap for your phone, but he uses a squat rack and straight barbell so I'm not sure if I can do those exact exercises. I got the curl bark mainly to do the deadlift.

riffraff2112

shelleysykeskeene wrote: »

Here in South Africa, gym fees are R750 per month ($52.07 per month) so its over $600 per year. Very steep!

I already have weights starting from 2lbs (1kg) to 22lbs (10kgs) - currently using 3kg weights (6.6lbs) to do all my exercises.

Should I be using different weights for different exercises? Eg heavier for squats?
How many reps should I be able to do and when to increase the weight?

Should I lose weight first and then start building the muscle? (I need to lose 44lbs/20kgs)

The basic advice for beginners is to find out what weight you can safely lift 8-12 repetitions, while keeping good form. The weight should be heavy enough that you are struggling to finish those last few reps. You will notice strength gains quite rapidly at first.

The weights will vary based on the muscle, legs usually require more weight than arms for example. As a new female lifter, you will not need a lot of weight to challenge you.

Start now. No need to wait until you lose weight, as you will lose muscle along with the fat if you do not lift to offset that.

Need more advice, keep asking or PM some members here. Plenty of string fit women here that may be able to offer you more specific advice.

hannahcall2

I would start with body weight workouts that may or may not incorporate resistance bands. They provide similar resistance and you can use them for nearly everything and then some that you can use weights for. At least my thoughts on starting out. I'd encourage you to check out some high intensity workouts that incorporate cardio and resistance training. Don't be threatened by them. Take them as fast or as slow as you want. Cardio provides short term calorie burn, while resistance training is a slow burn over time. I've had the best luck combining the two because you can see some results quicker and you are getting stronger within the same workout program. I personally like P90X.