New To Weights - Help Please? (ladies)

mushroomsontoast
mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After being soooo impressed by all the pics & stories here of ladies who use weights (I was one of the misinformed who thought ladies who used weights *always* ended up looking like Arnold Scwarzennegger :blushing: ) - I'm convinced! You all look fantastic!

Sooooo can anyone recommend how to start off. what to buy and what to look for when buying weights? What's important?
(I don't have room for a bench thing, unfortunately)

Any links to suitable equipment would be fab too :smile:

I'm in the UK btw, so can only use UK suppliers.

TIA!

Replies

  • pushyourself14
    pushyourself14 Posts: 275 Member
    I absolutely LOVE weight liftng! Start off with what is heavy for YOU. Don't start with weight that is too heavy or you will injure yourself.

    Form is very important. Google/youtube proper form for exercises like bench press, squats, over head press, barbell rows, and any other exercise that you find you are curious about when you begin lifting weights.

    Starting Strength, and New Rules of Lifting for Women are fantastic reads for any woman wanting to start weight lifting. NROLFW is really comprehensive-- it talks about the benefits of strength training, explains the myths, talks about the importance of nutrition and how proper nutrients affect our bodies, gives recipes, TONS of advice, has workouts, etc. Great for somebody with little to no knowledge of weight lifting.

    Research everything you are curious about. Don't get intimidated and remember that we all have to start somewhere. Good luck! :)
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
    Thank you so very much :flowerforyou: sprinting over to eBay right now looking for those.

    I did just buy a 35kg barbell and dumbell set, so hopefully there'll be a suitable combination there. And a folding bench is next on the list.
    Thank you again. You look fantastic btw!

    UPDATE - just bought the book and totally raring to go :happy:
  • curvygirl77
    curvygirl77 Posts: 769 Member
    Check out a website called fitness blender, it's free and there are tons of workout videos for lifting. I live that site
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
    Duh, I never thought of that!
    Thank you curvygirl - if it's good enough for you it'll certainly do for me :flowerforyou:
  • TheDoctor90
    TheDoctor90 Posts: 461 Member
    Other than what others have said my only advice would be not to buy weights and just get a gym membership. For the cost of the weights and the space they take up you'd be better going to the gym.
    You'll quickly outgrow the dumbell/barbell set and then you'll start having to pay for more. I tried it your way when I first started and found that within a few months I had to look for more at a silly cost. Cheaper to hit the gym.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I absolutely LOVE weight liftng! Start off with what is heavy for YOU. Don't start with weight that is too heavy or you will injure yourself.

    Form is very important. Google/youtube proper form for exercises like bench press, squats, over head press, barbell rows, and any other exercise that you find you are curious about when you begin lifting weights.

    Starting Strength, and New Rules of Lifting for Women are fantastic reads for any woman wanting to start weight lifting. NROLFW is really comprehensive-- it talks about the benefits of strength training, explains the myths, talks about the importance of nutrition and how proper nutrients affect our bodies, gives recipes, TONS of advice, has workouts, etc. Great for somebody with little to no knowledge of weight lifting.

    Research everything you are curious about. Don't get intimidated and remember that we all have to start somewhere. Good luck! :)

    ^^^^ this, and when you look up form on you tube, look up Mark Rippetoe (he wrote the Starting Strength book, which also comes highly recommended)
  • mushroomsontoast
    mushroomsontoast Posts: 118 Member
    Other than what others have said my only advice would be not to buy weights and just get a gym membership. For the cost of the weights and the space they take up you'd be better going to the gym.

    You're right Doctor, but I sooo don't have the confidence to walk into a gym just yet - but hope to one day after getting into better shape at home first :smile:

    ^^^^ this, and when you look up form on you tube, look up Mark Rippetoe (he wrote the Starting Strength book, which also comes highly recommended)

    Defintely will do this, thank you - I am a bit wary of injuries through bad posture/form.

    Many thanks to all for the fab advice, weights and book are on their way ~ can't wait to start!

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