weight lifting questions for a beginner?

sherriwedel

trying to lose weight, burn fat but gain muscle & definition.

i know the basics of how all the gym machines work, how to adjust them & so forth. am wanting to try the cable machine & maybe some free weights but they are always occupied by some really large & in charge kind of guys in the mornings & the evenings it is even more crowded. while they are very impressive (& yummy) to watch, i have one hour available in the mornings before i have to get ready & head to work... i cant stand around & drool, need to be efficient and effective in my lifting & cardio.

i have been doing 20-30 minutes of cardio then using the machines to work a muscle group, rotating each morning from one are of the body to another...some days i am really tired & sore & can tell i have worked, like this morning my inner thighs & quads are pretty cranky, but other days i feel like i just wasted time?

is it better to do a gazillion reps or lift as heavy as i can? & what is the best way to determine how to select the correct weight & the # of reps?

this is all very new to me & kind of intimidating and frustrating....

JustJennie1

You should be able to ask the people who are occupying equipment if you can work in a set while they are resting. It's proper gym etiquette to not hog equipment and allow people in (the only time I balk at the request is if it means the person asking is going to completely change the equipment that I am using like if I am using the cable machine and they are changing the grip and height so they can work in).

While machines are good to use they're not the end all be all and you really do need to see if you can work in some sets like I said above. Can you go to the gym earlier/later when it's not so crowded or maybe do cardio 3x a week and a full body program 2x a week for now?

kts3639

Free weights are better than machines. Lift heavy, with fewer reps, 8-12 rep range is good. The last couple should feel very hard to complete. Also, muscle soreness is NOT a good indicator of whether or not you got a good workout in. For reference, I lift heavy 6 days/week, am making strength gains weekly/bi-weekly on my compound lifts, and am rarely sore, if ever.

Edited to add, in the first week or two of lifting, I got really sore, doms like nobodies business, but after that, I was good to go.

brixtonbanner

is it better to do a gazillion reps or lift as heavy as i can? & what is the best way to determine how to select the correct weight & the # of reps?

This is me standing by to get screamed at and I do not wish to decry anyone's knowledge and experience.
but
would strongly suggest asking here about weights versus reps might not be the best plan.
Whilst there are some fairly knowledgable people here they, you and I are just seeing the written word in these forums
I would strongly suggest asking one of the trainers at your gymn.
To them you'll be a person with a heartbeat who they can assess properly

As for the pumped up guys ask 'em to let you in if they don't want to help you achieve your goals I would submit that it is possibly not the nicest gymn. to belong to.

beekay70

You're going to get a lot of different opinions. I agree with kts3639, lift heavy for fewer reps (even a 5x5 program). Learn the form before you go too heavy, as this is how injuries occur. As far as getting your time in at a busy gym, just ask to work in.

beekay70

I also want to second brixtonbanner's recommendation on getting a trainer, at least to get a program and learn the form.

sherriwedel

thanks for the input. i had a session with a trainer & he seemed less than knowledgeable...told me to do 10-15 minutes of cardio and a total circuit on the machines (every machine for the whole body) every 3rd day & that i could continue the evening Zumba class but only do it twice a week. & that i also needed to eat "big 'ol bowls of spaghetti for energy"

only two gyms in my town. this one opens at 5 so i go there & work for an hour then shower & get ready to be at work by 7. i am usually there waiting for them to unlock at 5am. then i do zumba in the evenings 3 days a week. the other gym is poorly lit, a 24 hour facility that is mostly used by shift workers at the local plants...bench seats duct taped and smelly. im not looking for a posh comfort setting but there are hardly any women in there...ever. my 18 year old son goes there in prep for military college in the fall. he said mom you would hate that place, its a man's world over there.

i posted an ad looking for a trainer on the message board at the gym so maybe i will get a response. getting little help/encouragement/support on the home front. husband has a master's in kinesiology, but that's a whole different issue.

i am determined to succeed hence the gazillion ?'s on this message board...

toughmudderMN

You're going to get a lot of different opinions. I agree with kts3639, lift heavy for fewer reps (even a 5x5 program). Learn the form before you go too heavy, as this is how injuries occur. As far as getting your time in at a busy gym, just ask to work in.

I agree. First focus on form then add weight. You can do damage if do some heavy lifts incorrectly.

jhc7324

trying to lose weight, burn fat but gain muscle & definition.

i know the basics of how all the gym machines work, how to adjust them & so forth. am wanting to try the cable machine & maybe some free weights but they are always occupied by some really large & in charge kind of guys in the mornings & the evenings it is even more crowded. while they are very impressive (& yummy) to watch, i have one hour available in the mornings before i have to get ready & head to work... i cant stand around & drool, need to be efficient and effective in my lifting & cardio.

i have been doing 20-30 minutes of cardio then using the machines to work a muscle group, rotating each morning from one are of the body to another...some days i am really tired & sore & can tell i have worked, like this morning my inner thighs & quads are pretty cranky, but other days i feel like i just wasted time?

is it better to do a gazillion reps or lift as heavy as i can? & what is the best way to determine how to select the correct weight & the # of reps?

this is all very new to me & kind of intimidating and frustrating....

The best thing for me in getting in and out of the gym quickly and efficiently is to have a plan. Find a beginner lifting program (insert requisite references to Starting Strength - my recommendation, Stronglifts 5x5, or New Rules of Lifting for Women). That way, when you go into the gym, you get there knowing you need to do 3 specific lifting exercises, so if a squat rack is occupied, you can start with something else and you're not wandering around trying to figure out what to do.

As for the number of reps, find a program, and it'll tell you how many reps to do. All of the 3 I mentioned above have progressive loading setups where you'll start with a low weight, and as you get stronger in the coming weeks you'll add weight.

It is a little intimidating to start a weightlifting program at first when you're coming in from the standpoint of never having done something like that, but in reality, it makes your time in the gym so much simpler and faster than if you're just doing whatever.

cwolfman13

is it better to do a gazillion reps or lift as heavy as i can? & what is the best way to determine how to select the correct weight & the # of reps?

this is all very new to me & kind of intimidating and frustrating....

I'd strongly suggest doing an actual lifting program. You'll get much more benefit with an actual program than just randomly going around lifting weights. Look at Starting Strength or Strong Lifts 5x5...both are good beginner routines that result in nice linear strength gains. I personally believe in building a nice, big base of functional strength...then later on you can take which ever direction you choose.

In RE to reps, etc...

3-6 for Strength with last reps being close to failure
8-12 for Hypertrophy (physique) with last reps being close to failure

More than that and you're better off just do circuit training for muscular endurance.

mikejholmes

I would suggest picking up a copy of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe -- he will explain how in 5 exercises, 3 days a week, you can get very strong. Getting strong will go a long way towards burning fat and building muscle. And yes, obviously, it's using barbell exercises, rather than machines, but you'll get far better results doing that than using the machines.

And I would NOT suggest getting a trainer -- they will suck up money, and often give sub-par results. You'd even be better off just reading about StrongLifts or something -- but Starting Strength goes into all the detail you could possibly want on what to do, how to do it, and why.

martepalmer

I agree with the weight program comments and asking to work in with someone. Most will let you work in with them and its a good way to get some help doing the weight program you choose. But, while you are waiting and trying new programs, try using some light weights during your cardio. This will help sculpt your upper body, too.

caseythirteen

i had a session with a trainer & he seemed less than knowledgeable...told me to do 10-15 minutes of cardio and a total circuit on the machines (every machine for the whole body) every 3rd day & that i could continue the evening Zumba class but only do it twice a week. & that i also needed to eat "big 'ol bowls of spaghetti for energy"

I'm not sure exactly how this message was delivered to you, but I don't think he was really all that wrong either. It sounds like he was suggesting a light cardio warm-up and then a full body routine a few days a week. On top of that, make sure to eat enough to fuel your workouts and a few extra cardio sessions added in. Granted, I don't think it needs to be a "big ol bowl of spaghetti" for the energy but it's still a valid point.

Personally, I think a full body routine 3x a week is a great place to start versus doing a body part a day. But to answer the question, for weight & reps, it depends on your goals. It's typically recommended that strength would in the 5 rep range and hypertrophy would be more in the 8-12 rep range. The weight would be based on how many sets/reps you're doing and what you can complete while pushing yourself too.

matyoung125

Big weights/fewer reps = Bulking up
Lighter weights/more reps = Toning

beekay70

Big weights/fewer reps = Bulking up
Lighter weights/more reps = Toning

I am sure that you will get reminded of this a few times, but women lack the testosterone to "bulk up". Additionally, lower reps with more weight strengthens, but doesn't bulk (myofibrillar vs sarcoplasmic hypertrophy). More reps (12-15) with less weight is used to bulk, while more than 15 is used to build endurance.

tracym22

I've just started Jillian Michaels No more trouble zones which is a 45 minute circuit traing work out. Is doing this as good as going to the gym or doing a free weight programme? I'm trying to lose weight and get leaner muscles but i'm the wrong side of 40 and only really need to lose 14-20lbs or so. Thanks for any advice

kts3639

Big weights/fewer reps = Bulking up
Lighter weights/more reps = Toning

NO! Oh, and in case you didn't hear me the first time...NOOOO!