Need advice on starting working out to tone up!
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The freeletics thing is kind of fascinating. I was aware of it before but hadn't really looked into it in detail.
It was founded by 3 college students in Germany (which explains the popularity in Europe). They started by publishing a few PDF's on bodyweight exercises, but have turned it into a pretty sophisticated program with a social network and a virtual coach. Everybody seems to love the virtual coach aspect that I skipped, but I'm going to try it without for now.
I'm actually more impressed with their entrepreneurship and business model than I am with the program. It's really brilliant -- they eliminated the overhead of a gym, but still found a way to get people to pay for a virtual trainer! And the marketing is brilliant too -- before/after youtube videos.
BTW, those photos of the buff dudes on their homepage are of the founders.
Anyway, if you boil it down, it's bodyweight exercises with built-in motivational support. The program is intense. They intentionally focus on your weak spots and intentionally push you beyond your limits.0 -
Sunny_Bunny_ wrote: »Honestly, I just want someone to tell me
"Do this X many times one day and this X many times another day"... And how many days a week and know that I am working different groups without skipping others or overworking a particular one.
When I looked at some site (don't remember) that had all kinds of different things listed with videos for form and all that great stuff, I couldn't figure out what combinations of things to put together and at what frequency...
When thinking about what would be a "leg day" routine, I basically "shopped" from the choices shown for legs but realized that randomly choosing a few, repeated work on the same muscles and maybe didn't even include others.
It was too much to wrap my brain around at one time.
StrongLifts would be a good program for you then. No frills, just "do these exercises on this day, and these exercises on this day." It even has a free mobile app you can use to track the workouts, and it keeps track of the weight you're at and workout you're on.0 -
That sounds pretty good. I'll look further into that.0
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Definitely a Lift Heavy routine start with a good program 3 days a week. If I had known what I know now I would have started if from the very beginning.0
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I'd also recommend StrongLifts as a starting point. There are only 5 lifts you need to learn so you can really concentrate on getting your form right instead of just doing loads of different exercises.0
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When I started lifting, I started with NROLFW. I felt that by the third phase or whatever they call it, they moved into too much accessory type work and got away from the main compound stuff and added more HIIT which made the workouts way too long for my liking, and I felt like I was not progressing at all. I quit that and went to Nia Shanks workouts which I liked a lot better. The info in NROLFW is great though, so I recommend the book even if you don't ever do the program.0
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Thanks!0
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When I started lifting, I started with NROLFW. I felt that by the third phase or whatever they call it, they moved into too much accessory type work and got away from the main compound stuff and added more HIIT which made the workouts way too long for my liking, and I felt like I was not progressing at all. I quit that and went to Nia Shanks workouts which I liked a lot better. The info in NROLFW is great though, so I recommend the book even if you don't ever do the program.
I wonder if the original NROL has that issue? A lot of people swear by it, but I can't imagine it would stray that far and people wouldn't say anything about it...
Another one for both academic and practical information is Starting Strength. Mark Rippetoe is the name in lifting.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »When I started lifting, I started with NROLFW. I felt that by the third phase or whatever they call it, they moved into too much accessory type work and got away from the main compound stuff and added more HIIT which made the workouts way too long for my liking, and I felt like I was not progressing at all. I quit that and went to Nia Shanks workouts which I liked a lot better. The info in NROLFW is great though, so I recommend the book even if you don't ever do the program.
I wonder if the original NROL has that issue? A lot of people swear by it, but I can't imagine it would stray that far and people wouldn't say anything about it...
Another one for both academic and practical information is Starting Strength. Mark Rippetoe is the name in lifting.
I bought the book in Feb. 2013 and it was the version published in 2007. Maybe other people disagree that this is a lot of accessory work, but this is what it has for Stage 3. Plus, being 50+, the lunge jumps and squat jumps were a bit high impact on the knees and stuff.
Workout A
One armed dumbbell snatch
Dumbbell single leg Romanian deadlift
Barbell bent over row
Dumbbell single arm overhead squat
Dumbbell incline bench press
Planks
Reverse Wood Chop
+ Body weight:
24 squats
12 lunges (each leg)
12 Lunge jumps (each leg)
24 squat jumps.
Workout B
Barbell Romanian Deadlift/bent-over row
Partial single leg squat
Wide grip lat pulldown
Back extension
YTWL
Swiss ball crunch
Hip flexion
Lateral flexion
Prone cobra
15 minutes HIIT0 -
Yeah, that's a lot of stuff, geez.
At that point, I'd be graduating to barbell work. Those are like...2 hour+ workouts, which is overkill.0 -
Dragonwolf wrote: »Yeah, that's a lot of stuff, geez.
At that point, I'd be graduating to barbell work. Those are like...2 hour+ workouts, which is overkill.
Ain't nobody got time fo' that.
I'll just do the first 2 stages. Maybe when I get to the third I'll break off the accessory/HIIT into a different day. If it takes me longer than 45min, I don't have time for it. Kids need stuff, and I have things to get done.
I checked out the "for ladies" version of YAYOG from the library. "Body by You." I'm going to take notes on the program so I have it to consult when I'm done with NROLFW. It's supposed to take 30 min.
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baconslave wrote: »KetoGirl83 wrote: »I'm looking at freeletics.com (thanks @wabmester!) and it looks very good. I need concrete guidance, do this, don't do that. I need to start somewhere, I have not done any structured exercise in more than 20 years. I want exercise to be my New Year's resolution and I want to keep it.
Yeah. I'll be looking at that after I finish reading NROLRW. I've been doing dumbbells again. It just takes too darn much time. 45min of workout time supposedly for the routine but takes an hour to complete in juggling the weight changes and setting up the set. Pffft. I have stuff I have to get done. Bodyweight stuff takes 30 min. I HATE pushups so bad, and inclined rows (inclined pullups) but I hate making supper be late because I'm busy slinging weights around while dodging the 4-year-old. I think he's trying to kill me...
And holding the dumbbells on my shoulders during leg work bruises me something awful.
Wait, how much does the 4 year old weigh? Can you put belts around his body at the arms and legs and use him as a barbell?
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baconslave wrote: »KetoGirl83 wrote: »I'm looking at freeletics.com (thanks @wabmester!) and it looks very good. I need concrete guidance, do this, don't do that. I need to start somewhere, I have not done any structured exercise in more than 20 years. I want exercise to be my New Year's resolution and I want to keep it.
Yeah. I'll be looking at that after I finish reading NROLRW. I've been doing dumbbells again. It just takes too darn much time. 45min of workout time supposedly for the routine but takes an hour to complete in juggling the weight changes and setting up the set. Pffft. I have stuff I have to get done. Bodyweight stuff takes 30 min. I HATE pushups so bad, and inclined rows (inclined pullups) but I hate making supper be late because I'm busy slinging weights around while dodging the 4-year-old. I think he's trying to kill me...
And holding the dumbbells on my shoulders during leg work bruises me something awful.
Wait, how much does the 4 year old weigh? Can you put belts around his body at the arms and legs and use him as a barbell?
He's 45lb.
I DO have duct tape... hmmm.0 -
baconslave wrote: »baconslave wrote: »KetoGirl83 wrote: »I'm looking at freeletics.com (thanks @wabmester!) and it looks very good. I need concrete guidance, do this, don't do that. I need to start somewhere, I have not done any structured exercise in more than 20 years. I want exercise to be my New Year's resolution and I want to keep it.
Yeah. I'll be looking at that after I finish reading NROLRW. I've been doing dumbbells again. It just takes too darn much time. 45min of workout time supposedly for the routine but takes an hour to complete in juggling the weight changes and setting up the set. Pffft. I have stuff I have to get done. Bodyweight stuff takes 30 min. I HATE pushups so bad, and inclined rows (inclined pullups) but I hate making supper be late because I'm busy slinging weights around while dodging the 4-year-old. I think he's trying to kill me...
And holding the dumbbells on my shoulders during leg work bruises me something awful.
Wait, how much does the 4 year old weigh? Can you put belts around his body at the arms and legs and use him as a barbell?
He's 45lb.
I DO have duct tape... hmmm.
After about a week, you will be putting him on a bulking diet to keep up with your strength progression needs.0 -
Hahaha yall are cracking me up0
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baconslave wrote: »
I checked out the "for ladies" version of YAYOG from the library. "Body by You." I'm going to take notes on the program so I have it to consult when I'm done with NROLFW. It's supposed to take 30 min.
I bought the e-book this afternoon, I'm going to check it out. I need something else I can do at home that doesn't take forever.
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