Hello :) n00b here

tatasmagik

Hello! I'm tata, 35 years old, mama to 2; girl, 14 and boy, 6. Happily married.

I joined MFP in 2011, fell off the wagon and am back with a vengeance! I'm in 13 weeks now at the gym and calorie monitoring. My friend, J works at a swanky gym and helped me get a discount. Down 10lbs from 196lbs. to 185.8lbs. Most of my workout has been cardio, cardio, cardio. Elliptical, treadmill, walking the park, cycling, sometimes with intervals. Most of my lifting has been on cable weight machines. I'm ready to up my game to free weights and lifting heavy.

Last week, I spent an embarrassing amount of time researching body building and strength training online. Watched videos. Found some great articles and got myself obsessed with doing this. Man, the controversy is thick! Aforementioned friend, J, subscribes to the idea that I should lose fat first via cardio *then* get serious about weightlifting. I disagree. Problem is, I need someone to watch my back (rather my form) because I'm a total n00b. I convinced her to show me how to squat properly (I've been using a Swiss ball behind my back) and deadlift, but she doesn't think I'm ready to add weight. Maybe I'm not? I really WANT to be.

This week I've been building my calisthenics (push-ups, sit-ups, squats, dips, planks) and stalking the MFP forums for the first time. What took me so long?!

My stats:

Height - 5'8"
Weight - 185.8lbs
Neck - 15"
Bust - 44.5"
Waist - 39"
Hips - 44"
BMI - 29
BF% - 40.6%

I'll be doing MUCH additional research (just LOOKIT all the resources on the Summary thread!!11!!1!) now that I've found this group. Meanwhile, I was hoping for advice, encouragement, potential unseen-by-me answers to my obstacle(s), suggestions, recommendations, whatever else y'all might have to help me get to lifting.

Thanks much! Glad to be here

jstout365

Welcome!!! Yes, you will find studies showing proof that one way is better than the other and more studies proving the other side. I think it really comes down to a trial and error to see what works for you and what you enjoy doing. I'm also sure that you have only touched the tip of the internet videos concerning lifting. Try not to get overwhelmed. Mark Rippetoe is the standard authority for much of the compound lifts.

Most of the lifts start with the 45 lb bar, but don't worry if you need to drop below that and use preloaded bars or dumbbells. Also, you may be surprised at how much you can lift and find the bar to be easy. Don't rush the progression and take the time to work on form.

You will do great!

lwoodroff

Welcome! :-)

inkysmurf

Hello

I started with a puff of air bar (not olympic sized or weighted) and have built myself in 6 weeks from squatting 5kg to 52.5kg this morning....

I too went down the orad of read, read, read, watch, watch, watch - and then it dawned on me I wasn't actually "doing" anything - I was getting tied up in everything - what one study said, what to eat etc.

I would say - if health & mobility wise you are fine (check with your doctor!) then just find something you like the look of and just start.

I liked the conformity of strong lifts 5x5 - and finding this forum was a cherry on top - I adore the ladies on here - they are a huge inspiration resource of ladies doing it - not reading, thinking, discussing - but doing and every day - I am blown away but the progress folk are making and the support available.

So jump in! and happy lifting x

xidia

Welcome aboard!

The best thing to do at this point is jump into the weights area and get going. I think most ladies brand new to lifting started with the pre-loaded bars or dumbbells (depending what the gym has) before working up to the Oly bar and plates.

I used one of my free training sessions at the gym to get someone to show me the form for each lift, but since then I've never had a spotter. If you keep the weight light until you're happy with what you're doing, you really don't need one - so if the first few workouts feel easy, that's fine. Work on building your technique, and then add weight when you're comfortable.

Some of the guys in my current gym work out in groups, most don't, and I've seen one person ask for a spot for his heaviest bench set, having been plugging away for 20 mins without one before that. You'll also learn fairly quickly what a rep that might fail feels like, and what the one before it feels like, and it's totally OK to stop there.

So yes - come on in, the water's lovely. :flowerforyou:

roxylola

I got mixed up about the weight of a bar, and started with dumbells. In the gym the smallest is 6kg I actually used 10s and discovered I had vastly overestimated an olympic bar.

I also have a pair of 1.12kg and a pair of 2.5kg at home from doing 30 day shred. Really 1.12 is only 5lb combined so you could just start there and work up.

Simple fact is that pound for pound muscle burns more calories than fat so it is in your interest to build muscle. If you are eating a deficit then you will not get bigger it just is not possible. In point of fact Mehdi who publicises the whole 5x5 thing in addition to dealing in a lot of broscience is really pretty slim for someone who is lifting the sort of weights he does.

tatasmagik

Thanks so much! I'm definitely doing a lot more reading and a lot less doing than I should or would like. I got a neighbor to show me how to handle a 45lb barbell and I think I can start with that, though I might need to tweak the sets/reps and work my way up to 5x5. I start today

bumblebums

Simple fact is that pound for pound muscle burns more calories than fat so it is in your interest to build muscle. If you are eating a deficit then you will not get bigger it just is not possible. In point of fact Mehdi who publicises the whole 5x5 thing in addition to dealing in a lot of broscience is really pretty slim for someone who is lifting the sort of weights he does.

The boldfaced part is technically true, but the difference is about 10-15 kcal per pound of muscle. Less than a cucumber.

roxylola

I had read that it was more than that but even so a cucumber is better than nothing I guess

lwoodroff

oh bumblebums you popped my bubble, but made me go off and have a look.. found this:

http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=how_many_calories_does_muscle_really_burn_not_as_much_as_you_think

key quote:

"[M]uscle tissue has been observed to burn roughly seven to 10 calories per pound per day, compared to two to three calories per pound per day for fat. Therefore, if you replace a pound of fat with a pound of muscle, you can expect to burn only approximately four to six more calories a day. Given the fact that the average person who strength trains typically gains approximately 3 to 5 pounds of muscle mass over a period of three to four months, the net caloric effect of such a training regimen is very modest—only 15 to 30 calories per day (the equivalent of a few potato chips)."

Hey, I'm still preferring muscle over fat given the choice