Newbie fitness question

Chillycatmum

I am about to embark on improving my fitness now I have got my diet part under control - I am very interested in resistance training and weights and have signed up to a local Gym, I really want to tone my muscles up as I continue to lose weight, is there any tips out there for me starting out.

I still have a lot of weight to lose (over 100lbs) but really want to try to minimise any sagging skin issues

cstehansen

It is good to hear you are starting this. It will not affect weight loss, however, it will improve your health. In reality, I think that is what you are interested in improving.

Anyway, here are my suggestions and disclaimers. I am not a personal trainer. The vast majority of what I know is based on n=1 experiments and most of those were initiated in one of 2 ways. First was when I saw someone at the gym who looked or performed in a way I wanted to look or perform, I tried to mimic what they did. Second, I heard or read something from someone claiming to be an expert so I tried it.

Step one is lift heavy. This means heavy for you. If you can easily do 3 set of 10 reps, you need to increase the weight. Ideally, be at a weight where you can't quite get the total number of reps you are trying to get. That number may vary. Minimum of 3 sets. Max of 5. The number of reps per set may vary. I find personally going below 6 is not as effective and going over 12, the same. These numbers may vary depending on the exercise/muscle being worked.

For instance, if you were doing 5 sets of 12 on leg press, you would, in reality, like to get to a weight where you are really doing 4 sets of 12 and a set of 9 or 10 because you just can't get the last couple. Legs are an area where I lean toward higher reps because logically, they are better suited for it. Just think about the fact they are used for walking, standing and running which are all things that take many repeated motions.

On the other hand, bicep curls may be one where you do fewer reps per set because most things you do with those muscles tend to be just a few at a time in the real world.

Ease in. Especially the first time, you may feel like you can do more, but stop. You do not want to overdo it which can lead to not doing it again. If there is no soreness at all afterwards, then, by all means, do more the next time.

The first few times should primarily focus on getting comfortable with the movements and making sure you have good form. Bad form causes injury. If you can't do it with good form, lower the weight until you can. When talking about the above and lifting heavy, I mean lift as heavy as you can with good form.

Consistency is key. Personally, that means I work out M-F every week. If I were to only work out 3 days a week, I would skip Monday and figure I would still be able to get 3 days in, then I would skip Tuesday figuring I still had 3 days. Then something would end up happening and I would miss at least once more and within a few weeks I wouldn't go working out at all.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck.

Chillycatmum

Fantastic advice thank you - I am looking forward to learning how to lift properly as cardio bores me silly but I enjoyed weights the last time I tried (which was ages ago) I will definitely follow your suggestions

mandycat223

If you're lucky, your gym will offer personal training, either as part of your membership or with an additional hourly fee. Even if it isn't free, two or three sessions are a sound investment. Proper form is critical and a good trainer can get you off to an injury free start. For some of us, free weights are a back ache waiting to happen.

Of course, you may be unlucky if your gym offers free personal training and the personal trainer spends most of his time staring over your shoulder at other (younger, better looking) gym members. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Chillycatmum

Had my induction today which was great and I am having a 1-1 session with one of the trainers tomorrow to set me up a programme - so will be all set up to get going - thanks for your advice

Shron123

Good luck and congrats on your journey. I have tried a few personal trainers with mixed results. My current one is my fave and I have been w her for years because she challenges me but respects my "issues" (destroyed my leg in 2001 and still have pain and mobility issues). Also she never saw me as a fat, older woman but someone with potential and a desire to be my best. Finding a good fit with a trainer makes the process much easier and a lot more fun. Ditto for a yoga instructor which I also highly recommend.

Chillycatmum

The lady I am having do my 1-1 tomorrow was the same lady who did my induction today and she seemed fab, totally understood what I wanted out of the sessions and I think will help me design the right programme for me

nvmomketo

I have no advice. I just wanted to say good luck with the trainer.

And also, don't push to hard compared to others' lifting. If you are starting with an extra 100lbs on you, that is a lot of resistance work just in and of itself. I would listen to my body if I was walking/training with a 100lbs pack on. KWIM? You are already doing more than most people at that gym.

Chillycatmum

I had a great session today, the lady was very thorough and we have worked out what looks like a good routine and the great thing with this Gym is they give you a follow up every 4 weeks as part of your membership so we can tweak the programme as I get better at everything

Gallowmere1984

Best advice I could ever give anyone: squat, bench, deadlift, 5-8 rep range, find a decently structured program that involves those, and you'll be good to go.

Bigger, Leaner, Stronger by Mike Matthews is a good one, as are Starting Strength and GreySkull.

I'd recommend anyone new to lifting read SS, even if they use a different program. There's an absurd wealth of knowledge in there that will apply to any strength training in general.