Female Filter: Newbie at strength training. What blogs/sites should I look at?

knittingbee928

I'm currently healing from surgery on both legs for compartment syndrome. Yesterday marked the date of 8-weeks post-op. I'm a runner and I really want to start thinking about how to get into strength training when I'm strong enough to handle impact safely. I'm working with a PT to determine when it's a good time go transition back to light HIIT/jogging. I'm not looking for advice about that in this question, just disclosing as background information.

I'm a total newbie to strength training but I've seen the results it produces. From what I can see, it's very similar to barre which I did for about 4-months and I loved the results. I was strong, fit, and (the best part) - it toned me pretty much everywhere. But, at $150/month, it's way out of my price range (as is a personal trainer), so I'm looking into strength training instead.

I have no idea how to use the equipment, no idea how to change my diet, and I'm a total newbie. I'm also female, so I prefer female-centric blogs. I do belong to a gym, and they offer 3 personal trainer sessions for $99 which I think is a good price? Anyway, I plan on taking advantage of that but I'm not sure how far 3 sessions will get me.

Does anyone have any suggestions besides the personal trainer? I'm interested in blogs that walk newbies through the basics.

Thank you in advance

middlehaitch

Nerdfitness is a good site. I have done the bodyweight routine, which may be a good starting point for you. It has great information for strength training.

It is at the bodyweight page, but browse the whole site.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

Bodybuilding.com has tonnes of info, videos, and routines. Well worth bookmarking for reference.

Here is a link to All Pro weight lifting. I started this after the one above.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843

Cheers, h.
Edit to add links.

Cherimoose

knittingbee928 wrote: »

I'm also female, so I prefer female-centric blogs.

I'm a male and i prefer blogs that have accurate information and not myths, regardless of gender.. so i won't be of much help there. But New Rules of Lifting for Women is popular here. It's a book. It's like $5 on Ebay.

A good trainer can correct your form, which a website might not. To learn how to separate good from bad trainers, google "choosing a good personal trainer".

awnurmarc

https://www.youtube.com/user/NiaShanks

https://www.youtube.com/user/GirlsGoneStrong

The next two are into to Staci:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/09/26/an-update-with-staci-our-powerlifting-superhero-plus-academy-scholarships/

Stuff by Staci:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/01/14/strength-training-101-where-do-i-start/

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/10/07/strength-training-101-the-deadlift/

Links to her series are at the bottom of that one.

All the best.

awnurmarc

That's weird. I linked channels, not videos.

I suggest going to youtube.com and searching for "nia shanks" and "girls gone strong"

JoRocka

Drop the female filter- honestly any training program for a man will be as efficient (if not more so because it's less likely to be complete horseISH)...

new rules of lifting (or new rules of lifting for women)
strong lifts
starting strength
strong curves

body weight
nerd fitness
you are your own gym
body by you
convict conditioning

megemrj

Most gyms will walk you around and show you how to use the machines correctly. Do your research and be prepared before your 1st session. Talk to your trainer about what you want from working out and how long you plan to have a trainer. They should listen to you and create a plan you are interested in doing for the long haul. I did these steps with my trainer for the special they had. At the end, as planned, I did not keep using the trainer but was knowledgeable enough that I felt comfortable with the machines on my own.

Joreanasaurous

I am going to second or third New Rules. I think it's a good starting point and will also address why you don't need anything "female centric".

sistrsprkl

I found the Strong Lift website with all of his videos very helpful as a beginner. Also Starting Strength but I feel like Strong Lifts is simpler.

britebloomz

I like to workout at home and I don't have the space for a power cage for weights so I really benefited from body weight training by Mark Lauren's book, Body by You, because the progression layout was so detailed (as opposed to his book, You are Your Own Gym) and I was a complete newbie in strength training too. And even though it seems geared towards women, he also recommends it to newbie men. I also have his You are Your Own Gym for future use. He has a website and an app too.

I am now doing the body weight program of Strong Curves by Bret Contreras. He has a website and tons of youtube videos. The book is a really great read and it has detailed lifting programs, too.

If you do get either or both of these books, I recommend getting the print copy and the not the ebooks as you do a lot of flipping back and forth.

Good luck with beginning your strength training, whether you lift or do body weight. You won't regret it.

apennock

Stumptuous.com! Lots of no nonsense info from a strong and fit lady. I understand wanting a female centered website due to the comfort zone factor, but people are right that gender doesn't matter a ton for this stuff. That being said, I like going to sites that feature ladies for inspiration!

CeeBeeSlim

www.niashanks.com
www.fitnessfooddiva.com

kshama2001

knittingbee928 wrote: »

I'm currently healing from surgery on both legs for compartment syndrome. Yesterday marked the date of 8-weeks post-op. I'm a runner and I really want to start thinking about how to get into strength training when I'm strong enough to handle impact safely. I'm working with a PT to determine when it's a good time go transition back to light HIIT/jogging. I'm not looking for advice about that in this question, just disclosing as background information.

I'm a total newbie to strength training but I've seen the results it produces. From what I can see, it's very similar to barre which I did for about 4-months and I loved the results. I was strong, fit, and (the best part) - it toned me pretty much everywhere. But, at $150/month, it's way out of my price range (as is a personal trainer), so I'm looking into strength training instead.

I have no idea how to use the equipment, no idea how to change my diet, and I'm a total newbie. I'm also female, so I prefer female-centric blogs. I do belong to a gym, and they offer 3 personal trainer sessions for $99 which I think is a good price? Anyway, I plan on taking advantage of that but I'm not sure how far 3 sessions will get me.

Does anyone have any suggestions besides the personal trainer? I'm interested in blogs that walk newbies through the basics.

Thank you in advance

If your PT for your post surgery cannot help you with strength training, then yes, do the three sessions for $99 at your gym. With a good trainer, that should be plenty.

I took ballet for eight years and couldn't make the connection between barre and strength training. Is this like your barre classes? That's more like a group exercise class than strength training.

I also found this on barre. Strength training for women is no longer low-weight, high rep - see "New Rules of Lifting for Women," etc.

http://www.self.com/fitness/blogs/freshfitnesstips/2011/05/the-best-of-barre-classes-7-lo

...What qualifies a workout as a “barre” class? Well you would think a ballet barre, but one of the ballerina sculpting workouts below dispels that notion. Most styles have drawn inspiration from The Lotte Berk Method and emphasize the importance of form and alignment when performing low-weight, high rep exercises to sculpt long ballerina-worthy muscles...

kshama2001

Was at the gym tonight and see they have a "Barre Fusion" class Thursday. Might check it out.

JoRocka

kshama2001 wrote: »

Was at the gym tonight and see they have a "Barre Fusion" class Thursday. Might check it out.

I'll take "things that are not strength training"for 500 Alex.

rosej31

Most gym has strength training classes which help

singingflutelady

Nia Shanks
Girls gone strong

kshama2001

JoRocka wrote: »

kshama2001 wrote: »

Was at the gym tonight and see they have a "Barre Fusion" class Thursday. Might check it out.

I'll take "things that are not strength training"for 500 Alex.

Right, I'd take barre out of curiosity and and continue with free weights for strength training.

knittingbee928

Don't knock barre 'till you try it....Like I said in my first post, my experience with barre was very convincing. Granted, I am very petite and don't weigh a lot to begin with, so the results were visible fairly quickly. I took barre classes for 4 months and while I didn't notice much visible difference week-to-week, by the end of a couple of months I saw a visible difference. I don't hesitate to say that I was transformed. My butt was lifted, plus my thighs, calves, abdominal muscles, back, and upper arms were all visibly toned. My hip strength improved dramatically, lower back pain disappeared and I had more energy to boot. I was in the best shape ever and I felt great. And.... I was strong. Much more so that I had been before I started.

I can see why women who are into strength training diss barre. I get it. I'm not enticed by Lululemon branding, I don't wear makeup at the gym and expensive high end fitness studios make me gag.

But.

I was an injured runner who needed something to stay in shape while I figured out what was going on with my legs and I was directed by all of the doctors I saw to lay off the high impact, repetitive stuff (i.e. no running). Turned out I had compartment syndrome and had to have surgery. So there I was in a barre studio, feeling very out of place at first. After a few sessions, I was pleasantly surprised - I really enjoyed the community atmosphere, the music, the personalized attention you get from teachers at the studio, making friends and getting in shape... it just pumps you up and it's fun. And effective. You get out of it what you put into it. And it's not for sissies. Barre absolutely kicked my @. If it wasn't so freakin' expensive I'd still be doing it. In my area, is at least $150 a month and that's why I stopped - not because it wasn't effective, but because the cost is obscene.

Barre fusion is another story. I just took a class like that at my gym, and barely broke a sweat. In an actual barre studio, I was dripping with sweat when I left the class and I felt like a rock star. Barre fusion? Not so much. I did notice that the woman who taught the barre fusion class was 1.) teaching to some older non-athletic folks, 2.) caught herself saying things like "oops, can't say pulse" and 3.) laid way off the repetitions. #1 tells me that she's watering it down for folks who are older/not as in shape. #2 tells me that she's not a certified barre instructor (or she is, and can't teach barre in any place but one that is branded as a barre studio. #3 tells me that in general, she's not trying to scare people off with a really difficult workout. Which is my experience in general at classes at the gym.

TL;DR:
1.) Barre kicked my @, with results, in a relatively short amount of time.
2.) Barre fusion is worth a try, but don't confuse it for the real thing.
3.) Don't knock barre 'till you try it.

knittingbee928

Also, thank you for all the great suggestions everyone! I really appreciate it. I'll try the special at my gym