Lifting-females

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bumpbreakcar
bumpbreakcar Posts: 190 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I really want to get into lifting. I read up about info sounds good and result look amazing but i just dont know where to start. I go to the and I don't know what to do or how much weight to start off with

Replies

  • tarabole
    tarabole Posts: 166 Member
    Bodybuilding.com has women's workout plans that you can follow which might be a good place to start. The plans will describe which exercise and how many reps and sets to do. You want to pick a weight that is challenging for you to complete the number of reps in the set but not impossible.
  • Sumiblue
    Sumiblue Posts: 1,597 Member
    Follow a good program. Stronglifts 5x5 is good and there is a women's group for SL on MFP. New Rules of Lifting For Women & Strong Curves are also good.
  • ramskermfc
    ramskermfc Posts: 41 Member
    Sumiblue wrote: »
    Follow a good program. Stronglifts 5x5 is good and there is a women's group for SL on MFP. New Rules of Lifting For Women & Strong Curves are also good.

    ^^^
    Those are all good starting point and as tarabole noted, bb.com has all sorts of info on programs. Probably some here . . . I'm brand new to MFP so I have no idea what is posted here for routines. I would imagine there has to be some.

    A lot of it comes down to what kind of person you are. If you are a self-starter and like to research and dig in to learn on the fly on your own . . . there's no reason you can't read up, watch some videos, and jump right in. Start low and slow and learn and you should catch on fast. Find a program that matches your long term goals and get started.

    If you're feeling intimidated or are more the kind of person who needs someone to walk them through it and to encourage along the way, you can pair up with a friend who is experienced or you could look into a trainer. Trainers can be expensive and can be hit or miss. A good trainer can make a huge difference . . . a bad one can burn cash and have you spinning your wheels.
  • RoseTheWarrior
    RoseTheWarrior Posts: 2,035 Member
    Stronglifts 5 x 5 is a great place to start. It's 3 great lifts every other day, so it's not overwhelming, and it will provide you with good results. There are also great books like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting (there's a "regular" book and one especially for women). Good luck and have fun! Nothing makes me feel as good as lifting!
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    If you are completely new to lifting I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It focusses on compound lifts that strengthen your whole body. It is also simple and very straightforward so you don't feel like a lost fart in the breeze when you go to the weight section for the first time and feel like you have to use every piece of equipment, but have no idea what for!

    There are really good form videos on YouTube and an app. (I'm a paper and pen girl myself).

    Remember everyone had to start somewhere. There is no shame in just being able to lift the empty bar. Focus on good form before weight. Don't be afraid of the big muscly guys, they have been some of the nicest people I have met. Don't forget to feed your body right, you are asking it to do a lot. 1lb of protein per lb of body weight; after that I personally choose to go no lower than 20% fat and make up the rest of the calories from carbs.

    You will love the changes you see. Enjoy the process.


  • Tomm88
    Tomm88 Posts: 733 Member
    Probably gonna be very unpopular after this lol but if you're new to lifting i'd avoid bodybuilding.com like the plauge, all you'll end up with is a shopping list of supplements you'll "need" or you make 20% less progress. You'd be better googling "lifting programs for novice lifters" or something along those lines. You'll likely get linked to someone on youtube. Hope this helps.
  • ramskermfc
    ramskermfc Posts: 41 Member
    Tomm88 wrote: »
    Probably gonna be very unpopular after this lol but if you're new to lifting i'd avoid bodybuilding.com like the plauge, all you'll end up with is a shopping list of supplements you'll "need" or you make 20% less progress. You'd be better googling "lifting programs for novice lifters" or something along those lines. You'll likely get linked to someone on youtube. Hope this helps.

    Fair point . . . they do tend to "suggest" supps as being important, depending on where you look. Just go in with the knowledge that you don't NEED them to be successful. If you struggle to get enough calories and protein then maybe a whey powder of some kind as a start.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    Tomm88 wrote: »
    Probably gonna be very unpopular after this lol but if you're new to lifting i'd avoid bodybuilding.com like the plauge, all you'll end up with is a shopping list of supplements you'll "need" or you make 20% less progress. You'd be better googling "lifting programs for novice lifters" or something along those lines. You'll likely get linked to someone on youtube. Hope this helps.

    Agree.

    New Rules is a good book for the info, but I wasn't a huge fan of the workouts. Lots of people hate the generic answer of Stronglifts, but it's a simple program to learn and build a base upon. Learn the basics of the main lifts first, then you can start adding in other accessories later on or change to an intermediate program altogether.
  • BalletAndBarbells
    BalletAndBarbells Posts: 334 Member
    I'm a 39 year old female and I'm new to lifting too - I just started SL5X5 and can't recommend it highly enough! I have done some lifting in circuits classes and les mills body pump but wanted to start "lifting heavy" and had no idea where to start and found the big muscly guys in the free weights section of the gym very intimidating. I watched the form videos online and downloaded the app; then I met up with a guy I had been talking to on mfp to do all the exercises and have him check my form. I'm now happy to just crack on with it and it tells you what weight to use each time and progress is quite quick. Feel free to add me or message me if you have any questions but I would definitely recommend strong lifts and I am a woman who is doing the program and seeing results.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    Try free weights! Try 5 lbs and do Bicep curls see how u feel! If u like it then up the weight to 7 lbs and more reps, have fun with it!
    Yes ask someone or just go to a gym and see what others are doing, you can learn a lot from watching what someone else does!
  • BodayJohnnay
    BodayJohnnay Posts: 185 Member
    AnnaJarmila wrote: »
    Try free weights! Try 5 lbs and do Bicep curls see how u feel! If u like it then up the weight to 7 lbs and more reps, have fun with it!
    Yes ask someone or just go to a gym and see what others are doing, you can learn a lot from watching what someone else does!

    Can also learn a lot of bad habits as well... Seek professional help if truly want the best bang for your buck. Nothing wrong with asking someone certified in that field at your local gym for help. Form and cues with lifting is essential to not only prevent future injuries and imbalances, but to correct current ones as well. I preach all this to every single client of mine. Good luck and stay focused!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I recommend one of the programs mentioned (strong lifts, new rules) and asking staff to check your form. You'll get a lot farther with a structured program than trying to make one up by yourself.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,488 Member
    Being a little older and smaller than most and working alone, I, after a good bit of research of popular beginners programmes posted here, decided to do All Pro. It, like the rest, focuses on progressive compound lifts, but it increases reps (8-12) before weight.

    I watched a lot of videos for form too, still do.

    As I am still relatively new to lifting, did body weight (Nerdfitness) previously, so use a combination of hand weights and the 45 lb bar.

    Most work outs can have hand weights substitute for the bar bell if there is only the Olympic weight available.

    To know where to start I found my 5 rep max using this site.

    http://www.ivannikolov.com/calculators/rep-max-calculator/

    Chose a programme that fits you and start light concentrating on form.

    Cheers, h.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
    I also liked Joyce Vedral's "Weight Training Made Easy" and "Complete Weight Training Series"- All of her workouts are designed to be done at home or in the gym, and are simple to follow.

    There are so many awesome resources for women who want to get started in lifting now. I wish half of them had been around when I was in my 20's. I might have stuck with it then instead of quitting.
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 190 Member
    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Stronglifts 5 x 5 is a great place to start. It's 3 great lifts every other day, so it's not overwhelming, and it will provide you with good results. There are also great books like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting (there's a "regular" book and one especially for women). Good luck and have fun! Nothing makes me feel as good as lifting!
    RoseTheWarrior wrote: »
    Stronglifts 5 x 5 is a great place to start. It's 3 great lifts every other day, so it's not overwhelming, and it will provide you with good results. There are also great books like Strong Curves and New Rules of Lifting (there's a "regular" book and one especially for women). Good luck and have fun! Nothing makes me feel as good as lifting!
    Mistraal1981 wrote: »
    If you are completely new to lifting I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It focusses on compound lifts that strengthen your whole body. It is also simple and very straightforward so you don't feel like a lost fart in the breeze when you go to the weight section for the first time and feel like you have to use every piece of equipment, but have no idea what for!

    There are really good form videos on YouTube and an app. (I'm a paper and pen girl myself).

    Remember everyone had to start somewhere. There is no shame in just being able to lift the empty bar. Focus on good form before weight. Don't be afraid of the big muscly guys, they have been some of the nicest people I have met. Don't forget to feed your body right, you are asking it to do a lot. 1lb of protein per lb of body weight; after that I personally choose to go no lower than 20% fat and make up the rest of the calories from carbs.

    You will love the changes you see. Enjoy the process.

    Mistraal1981 wrote: »
    If you are completely new to lifting I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It focusses on compound lifts that strengthen your whole body. It is also simple and very straightforward so you don't feel like a lost fart in the breeze when you go to the weight section for the first time and feel like you have to use every piece of equipment, but have no idea what for!

    There are really good form videos on YouTube and an app. (I'm a paper and pen girl myself).

    Remember everyone had to start somewhere. There is no shame in just being able to lift the empty bar. Focus on good form before weight. Don't be afraid of the big muscly guys, they have been some of the nicest people I have met. Don't forget to feed your body right, you are asking it to do a lot. 1lb of protein per lb of body weight; after that I personally choose to go no lower than 20% fat and make up the rest of the calories from carbs.

    You will love the changes you see. Enjoy the process.

    Mistraal1981 wrote: »
    If you are completely new to lifting I'd recommend Stronglifts 5x5. It focusses on compound lifts that strengthen your whole body. It is also simple and very straightforward so you don't feel like a lost fart in the breeze when you go to the weight section for the first time and feel like you have to use every piece of equipment, but have no idea what for!

    There are really good form videos on YouTube and an app. (I'm a paper and pen girl myself).

    Remember everyone had to start somewhere. There is no shame in just being able to lift the empty bar. Focus on good form before weight. Don't be afraid of the big muscly guys, they have been some of the nicest people I have met. Don't forget to feed your body right, you are asking it to do a lot. 1lb of protein per lb of body weight; after that I personally choose to go no lower than 20% fat and make up the rest of the calories from carbs.

    You will love the changes you see. Enjoy the process.


  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 190 Member
    Whoops sorry about lol⬆️
    But i am going to checkout the books you all mentioned! Thanks for all your advice
  • MommysLittleMeatball
    MommysLittleMeatball Posts: 2,064 Member
    As others said Stronglifts 5x5 is a great starting point. Here's the mfp group, there's a lot of great info, vids, etc.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
  • maiakorynjackson
    maiakorynjackson Posts: 1 Member
    Crossfit is a great way to get into lifting and progress quickly surrounded by coaches and a community that know the correct way to do it to avoid injury and get the maximum benefit from each rep. I started lifting with a 45 bar six months ago and now can squat 225 on a good day. Defined my glutes and slimmed my arms. Aside from that, the community becomes like family and opportunities to compete are really motivating.
  • bumpbreakcar
    bumpbreakcar Posts: 190 Member
    maiakorynjackson wrote: »
    Crossfit is a great way to get into lifting and progress quickly surrounded by coaches and a community that know the correct way to do it to avoid injury and get the maximum benefit from each rep. I started lifting with a 45 bar six months ago and now can squat 225 on a good day. Defined my glutes and slimmed my arms. Aside from that, the community becomes like family and opportunities to compete are really motivating.

    Oh wow... Maybe next crossfit Groupon deal that comes around i will it checkout
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