Experienced Weight Lifting Advice Sought

kcgcchit

Hi,
My goal is to gain strength & lose body fat...I don't care what the scales says...I only know because they weighed me at the gym when I started!
I'm a 50 year old female, very overweight at the moment, 5'3" and 242 lbs.
I joined a gym and started working out the end of October. So far I've lost about an inch all over... I'm trying extremely hard to keep at it and stay motivated.
My question is how do you know when the weight you're lifting is enough, or too much? There's so much information out there it's confusing
Here's an example of my workout (not in the order done - does that matter?)
rowing machine - 10 to 15 min warmup
I try to do 3 sets of 12 for each exercise
seated leg press: 1st set: 110 lbs 12 reps, 2nd set 120 lbs, 3rd set 130 lbs
squats - using a smith machine - 50 lbs on the bar and 3 sets of 12
bench press: 20 lbs on bar for approx. 65 lbs total
preacher curl (machine) 25 lbs total
Wide seated chest press (machine) 50 lbs total
Lat pull down 75 lbs
tricep pull down with rope handle 25 lbs
planks - 3 x for as long as I can hold
stationary bike - 10 min

I'm hitting the gym 3 times a week. Does this seem like a reasonable start? I"d just like to get some thoughts from others who are more experienced at this!
Thanks in advance for your input!

ew_david

Are you following any kind of program?

To answer your question: I know a weight is too heavy if I'm supposed to do 5 reps and I can only do 1 or 2. It's too light if I can do more than 12 or so reps.

kcgcchit

No I'm not following any program...just trying to get full body in since it's only 3x per week. Okay I get what your saying about the actual weight. That's what I've been doing when moving up with the weight.

ew_david

kcgcchit wrote: »

No I'm not following any program...just trying to get full body in since it's only 3x per week. Okay I get what your saying about the actual weight. That's what I've been doing when moving up with the weight.

Just some friendly advice: it's easier to follow a program, IMO. There are many full body lifting programs and calculators that will tell you what you're supposed to be lifting and how much to advance.

lisalsd1

Definitely easier and more motivating to follow a program like Strong Liftss.

kcgcchit

where do you find these programs?

ew_david

kcgcchit wrote: »

where do you find these programs?

paging @jemhh... She has a pretty solid list of programs to help

RoseTheWarrior

Just google Strong Lifts 5x5 (SL5x5). There are also some good books, like New Rules of Lifting (NROL), New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROLFW), and Strong Curves.

I will also say the Strong Lifts is a good program. I'm 46, around 200 lbs currently. The SL5x5 is good because it gives you progression, you can deload when it gets harder, and it's full body, and each workout only consists of 3 lifts. There's a ton of info online on the program that is put out by the maker of the program, including instructional videos which are full of info. On MFP there is a Strong Lifts 5x5 for Women group you can join as well.

For me, I go to the gym 3 days a week, do a 5 minute elliptical warmup, do the SL5x5 program, then finish with 15-20 minutes of whatever cardio I feel like. I do the cardio because my endurance is still pretty poor and it also just burns that many more calories for weight loss. Good luck to you!!

lisalsd1

I actually borrowed New Rules of Weightlifting for Women from the local library.

jemhh

_dracarys_ wrote: »

kcgcchit wrote: »

where do you find these programs?

paging @jemhh... She has a pretty solid list of programs to help

Links:

Strength training programs
* Strong Curves - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/uploads/Strong-Curves-Workout-Templates.pdf
* All Pro's - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843
* NROLFW - http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women
* Stronglifts - http://stronglifts.com/
* 5/3/1 (get the book but this is a calculator) - https://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator
* Greyskull - http://strengthvillain.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=89
* Fierce 5 - http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=159678631
* Lyle McDonald's barbell and machine routines - http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/beginning-weight-training-part-4.html/
* A Workout Routine (beginner) - http://www.aworkoutroutine.com/the-beginner-weight-training-workout-routine/

Cherimoose

For your age group, i'd go with "New Rules of Lifting for Life". Or work with a good personal trainer.. especially if you have orthopedic issues, or you're unsure of your form. Not all trainers are good, so google "choosing a good personal trainer".

FitnessCody

These tips are all great, and it is wise to start a fitness program. But keep in mind these programs are simply guidelines. No program is made specifically for one individual and you should slowly progress over time to burn fat (assuming you're in a calorie deficit) Hope that helps! @kcgcchit

Maggieba

Like most have said, I think following a structured program is most helpful. I read many of the resources mentioned (SL5x5, Strong Curves, NROLFW, Female body breakthrough - most were available at my library). In the end, I found bodybuilding.com and they have tons of free programs designed for all fitness levels. I liked that the best because of their Body Space app that includes all the workouts, descriptions and videos of the exercises and allows me to easily track my progress. I started with Jamie Eason live fit trainer because it included many of the moves I was already familiar and comfortable with. One I gained confidence with the barbell, I moved to SL5x5 and added bridges and hip thrusts from strong curves. With the Body Space app, you can create your own workout template, so I used A & B days as a guide. Bodybuilding.com will also send you a sort of cheesy email each week with your lifting recap "Girl, you killed it this week..."

Most importantly, find what works for you and what you're likely to stick with.

kcgcchit

Excellent ideas everyone
Thanks for the input

LKArgh

kcgcchit wrote: »

Hi,
My goal is to gain strength & lose body fat...I don't care what the scales says...I only know because they weighed me at the gym when I started!
I'm a 50 year old female, very overweight at the moment, 5'3" and 242 lbs.
I joined a gym and started working out the end of October. So far I've lost about an inch all over... I'm trying extremely hard to keep at it and stay motivated.
My question is how do you know when the weight you're lifting is enough, or too much? There's so much information out there it's confusing
Here's an example of my workout (not in the order done - does that matter?)
rowing machine - 10 to 15 min warmup
I try to do 3 sets of 12 for each exercise
seated leg press: 1st set: 110 lbs 12 reps, 2nd set 120 lbs, 3rd set 130 lbs
squats - using a smith machine - 50 lbs on the bar and 3 sets of 12
bench press: 20 lbs on bar for approx. 65 lbs total
preacher curl (machine) 25 lbs total
Wide seated chest press (machine) 50 lbs total
Lat pull down 75 lbs
tricep pull down with rope handle 25 lbs
planks - 3 x for as long as I can hold
stationary bike - 10 min

I'm hitting the gym 3 times a week. Does this seem like a reasonable start? I"d just like to get some thoughts from others who are more experienced at this!
Thanks in advance for your input!

Start with a trainer, or try following a beginner's whole body program.
Also, I will have to disagree with your goals: at your height and weight, you do need to focus on the scales, for health reasons. And for the same reason, you need to add cardio to keep up with cardio on top of strength training. You are not going to convert more than 100 lbs of fat to muscle. You need to focus on dietary changes, find a structured program to increase strength since this is one of your goals, and up your overall cardio on a week basis (not intensity, but duration).

middlehaitch

@kcgcchit I am into week 3 of the All Pro programme. I chose that one because at 62, (5'1, 100lb) and going to the gym alone, I feel more comfortable doing a rep increase before a weight increase.

I too use the rowing machine as a warm up, the pool for cardio on alternate days.

Eat at a deficit to lose the weight, cardio for heart and lung health, resistance work for muscle and bone.

Cheers, h.

kcgcchit

Aggelikik
I understand your disagreement with not focusing on the scales, however, I know that if I am working out (and focusing on that), keeping track of the scale(and focusing on that) AND changing my diet (and focusing on that) all at the same time...I'm completely setting myself up to fail. I know that I am 100 lbs overweight and right now I'm choosing to focus on the fitness...I'm naturally (or self programmed) lazy and getting into a routine of movement and good movement, improving my strength and mobility are top of my list. I've been making small but significant changes in diet and will continue to do so. But for right now, I know that more muscle will help my metabolism. My goal weight is better than a year away for me. I didn't put it on quickly and I know it's not going to come off quickly. I'm blessed in the fact that my blood pressure/sugars/cholesterol are all good. I'm in for the long haul and right now I want to concentrate on fitness and eventually diet, and watching my bodyfat percentage go down. So, scales are not in the picture for me...except in the kitchen!

kcgcchit

jemhh...thanks for posting the links...those are great resources

lorrpb

OP, I'm so glad to hear you're doing strength training NOW! So many people wait until they're almost done with weight loss to start strength training. Stupid, IMO! I started day 1, 18 months ago. I was really weak when I started, and still cannot do most of what you do, but my progress from where I was has been incredible, to me. The added bonus is that I can always feel the strength gains even if I'm not losing at the rate I would like. So there's always something to keep me motivated! Good luck!