Lifting program for a beginner

adamgoleafs87

Hello everyone!

I am hoping to get a bit of advice from members regarding starting a lifting program. A little bit of background information on me first.

About 3 years ago I had a back surgery (L5-S1 decompression). Because my nerve in my right leg was pinched for so long I lost a lot of strength in that leg and on top of that have a noticeable limp depending on how I feel that day. I still have have leg numbness down the right side of my right leg to the touch however I still have full use of it.

My surgeon is suggesting I start looking into building the muscle back up. Before my surgery I weighed about 45lbs less than I do now and completed a 200KM+ fundraising bike ride that was broken up over 2 days. To see where I am now compared to then is extremely depressing.

My back itself feels great. My followup with my surgeon has been great and he doesn't think that I am at a risk of re-injuring by starting something like this. My hope is to find a program that I can jump into and work from there. Gaining muscle in my legs and back is going to be crucial to me starting to get back to normal. I am not worried about the time it will take -- 3 years now seems like forever.

My daughter is turning 3 in January and she has never known me to not have back pain. I would like to do everything that I can to change that and be help her be active as well.

Any suggestions on programs? I am really interested in learning proper lifting techniques, weights etc.

Thank you all for taking the time to read this!

xvolution

When I lost a lot of muscle mass due to an allergic reaction to a drug, my physical therapist recommended that I start strength training with resistance bands. They rely on tension instead of weight, which puts less of a strain on your bones. Plus it's easier to keep form with them. I used them after being released from the hospital, and after two months most of my muscle had been rebuilt.

Plus most decent sets have a very diverse weight tension range [most good sets range from 2-75 pounds of total resistance]. You can find a good set of exercises using resistance bands here:

http://www.blackmountainproducts.com/exercises/

adamgoleafs87

I agree on the bands, I have been using them. Also used them extensively in physiotherapy. Hoping to be able to expand on them now into free weights.

psuLemon

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1


There is a variety in the above link. I would look to start out on one of the dumbbell routines. They are fairly simple and should help you build a solid foundation. Many of the moves can also be modified for resistances bands or even a barbell/ezbar.

Cherimoose

The best thing to do .. which few do .. is to get a routine that's customized to your abilities and limitations, from either a physical therapist, or a personal trainer with a kinesiology degree or the equivalent. It takes a trained eye to diagnose form issues, and correct the muscle imbalances that can cause them.

If you must go with a cookie-cutter routine, i'd do New Rules of Lifting for Life. It's marketed to people older than you, but that's only because they tend to have more physical limitations than younger folks. It's a good program not just for building muscle but for developing the movement skills needed to prevent injuries. That's something most lifting programs lack.
Whatever program you follow, video yourself to check your form, and possibly upload the vids here for trainers to assess.

As much as i like resistance bands, it's very difficult to do some of the basics with them, like squats, lunges, and deadlifts. It's real value is for the upper body.

adamgoleafs87

Thank you all for the great advice!