Newbie Questions

dashaclaire

Ok I have literally just started 5x5 this past week and I have some quick questions:

Me and my goals: I'm trying to lose 20-30 lbs, I'm old hat at successfully counting calories and losing weight (keeping it off is another story) I do long walks for cardio to burn more. I also do yoga a few times a week. I am pretty much completely new to lifting. I understand that lifting isn't gonna help me lose much but will make me much happier with what my body looks like at my goal weight. I also hope it will help me maintain the future loss.

Before starting SL5x5 I went to the gym ever other day and used weight machines. Should I do really only do 3x a week and take the whole weekend off? Or can I go every other day like before? Or should I use that 4th trip for other exercises/machines?
I'm in a unique place in my life right now where I have all the free time in the world so... I guess I just feel like 3 different things (exercises? Moves? Idk the lingo) isn't very many... But I probably won't feel that way when I'm hitting failure. What would you do if you had more time to workout?

I go to Planet Fitness (I know what the actual fitness world thinks of them but it's $10 which is all I have right now lol) which means I only have the smith machine... Which I know is not as good as free weights but I have no friend/spotter so for now I feel safer using it. What should I count the bar weight at though? 0? 15?

I've watched form videos over and over. I feel ok about it. Thanks everyone. Also please friend me!

canadianlbs

timing is something it's hard to stick to at first when you're having such fun. but after a while i found it does fall into a comfortable day on/day off groove and it's less of an issue. the temptation to go every day got less for me because i got greedy about saving my resources for a 'real' workout on the scheduled day. i rest just as 'hard' as i work out, but that mindset took me awhile to get to.

but with all that said, i hang out an awful lot at the gym. never thought i'd ever say that about myself but it's true.

bar for the smith machine where i go supposedly weighs 20 pounds. if the pf staff can't give you that information about yours then i'd assume it's about the same weight. but really they should. also, i think most of us would suggest that you do move into using a bar and a rack as soon as you do have a little confidence. squatting in the smith feels so different that too much time there might make the transition harder rather than easier.