Intro to Lifting

aprilrunswithmolly

Hello!

I'm interested in beginning a lifting routine, but have no idea where to start. I think I have a pair of 5 lb dumbbells at home, but that's about it. What would you recommend as a beginner's routine for lifting, and making sure that I have correct form?

Thanks so much!

cdahl383

Will you be going to a gym or working out at home? I'm assuming working out at home since you mention dumbbells at home.

I think with a cheap adjustable bench from Craigslist and adding some cheap adjustable dumbbells that you can add more weight to over time as you progress you can get a good start.

Monday:
Dumbbell Press - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets 6-12 reps each
Pushups - 3 sets - however many you can do starting off
Tricep extension - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Wednesday:
Shoulder Press - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Lateral Raise - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Front Raise - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Shoulder Shrugs - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Friday:
Dumbbell Row - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Pullups - as many as you can do starting off
Dumbbell Pullover - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Hammer Curls - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Preacher Curls - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Saturday:
Squats - 3 sets - however many you can do starting off
Lunges - 3 sets - same as above
Farmers Walk - 3 sets - heavy as you can go and as long/far as you can go

That might be a lot to start off with, but you could just do a few of those to start each day, then gradually work up to more sets and more exercises as you got stronger.

There are many other exercises that you can do as well and you can find good form videos on Youtube if you're unsure of form, etc.

The main thing you want to remember is that you want to give your muscles time to repair themselves after you workout. So dont' train everyday, and you can split up your workouts so your muscle groups have several days in between to heal while focusing on different muscle groups in the meantime. (i.e. the Monday workout is chest/triceps, Weds is shoulders, Friday is back/biceps, Sat is legs, etc)

Squats, deadlifts, bench press, pullups, etc are all good compound exercises but you may not have the equipment to do those starting off. But if you can graduate into doing those, those are also great exercises. (Squats you can do with dumbbells and pullups can be done with a door mount pull up bar for pretty cheap)

Anyway, those are just a few exercises that I do in my routine that seem to be pretty effective for me so far. Hope that helps!

aprilrunswithmolly

Thank you so much! Yes, I will be working out from home, so this seems perfect. Thanks!

adammeynell86

The above workout is a good place to start, however I would like to post some possible edits, just in case you feel it isn't working

1. I would work in a higher rep range (15-20 reps) with a lighter weight, this isn't for calorie burn or anything else you may of read about rep ranges and toning, if your new to lifting then not only will your muscles suffer, but also your joints...by going nice and light and increasing the rep range you accustom everything to training (Ligaments, tendons, your nervous system etc etc...)

2.I would look at the possibility of perhaps starting with 3x full body routines initially, a split routine again is absolutely fine, but if your not used to lifting, two or three different exercises working one body part may feel like overkill or something you cannot achieve. (I know Cdahl383 advocates a split routine, truth is both would work.)

3.You will also need to add some corework, to help strengthen your lower back and abs...the farmers walk would go a long way to achieving this, but I also feel perhaps you should add the following; Plank, bodyweight turkish get up, Russian twists and Box Superman (Hands and Knees on the floor, slowly raise and straighten opposing arm and leg)

Finally, listen to you body and see what feels natural, certain curls give me an amazing bicep pump and yet almost identical curls give me tendonitis, if something isn't working - dont persevere. Stop and either find out why, or find a substitute.

Let us know how it goes.

SheShellShore

Bump

marleniap

Will you be going to a gym or working out at home? I'm assuming working out at home since you mention dumbbells at home.

I think with a cheap adjustable bench from Craigslist and adding some cheap adjustable dumbbells that you can add more weight to over time as you progress you can get a good start.

Monday:
Dumbbell Press - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Dumbbell Flyes - 3 sets 6-12 reps each
Pushups - 3 sets - however many you can do starting off
Tricep extension - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Wednesday:
Shoulder Press - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Lateral Raise - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Front Raise - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Shoulder Shrugs - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Friday:
Dumbbell Row - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Pullups - as many as you can do starting off
Dumbbell Pullover - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Hammer Curls - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each
Preacher Curls - 3 sets - 6-12 reps each

Saturday:
Squats - 3 sets - however many you can do starting off
Lunges - 3 sets - same as above
Farmers Walk - 3 sets - heavy as you can go and as long/far as you can go

That might be a lot to start off with, but you could just do a few of those to start each day, then gradually work up to more sets and more exercises as you got stronger.

There are many other exercises that you can do as well and you can find good form videos on Youtube if you're unsure of form, etc.

The main thing you want to remember is that you want to give your muscles time to repair themselves after you workout. So dont' train everyday, and you can split up your workouts so your muscle groups have several days in between to heal while focusing on different muscle groups in the meantime. (i.e. the Monday workout is chest/triceps, Weds is shoulders, Friday is back/biceps, Sat is legs, etc)

Squats, deadlifts, bench press, pullups, etc are all good compound exercises but you may not have the equipment to do those starting off. But if you can graduate into doing those, those are also great exercises. (Squats you can do with dumbbells and pullups can be done with a door mount pull up bar for pretty cheap)

Anyway, those are just a few exercises that I do in my routine that seem to be pretty effective for me so far. Hope that helps!

[/quote]
The above workout is a good place to start, however I would like to post some possible edits, just in case you feel it isn't working

1. I would work in a higher rep range (15-20 reps) with a lighter weight, this isn't for calorie burn or anything else you may of read about rep ranges and toning, if your new to lifting then not only will your muscles suffer, but also your joints...by going nice and light and increasing the rep range you accustom everything to training (Ligaments, tendons, your nervous system etc etc...)

2.I would look at the possibility of perhaps starting with 3x full body routines initially, a split routine again is absolutely fine, but if your not used to lifting, two or three different exercises working one body part may feel like overkill or something you cannot achieve. (I know Cdahl383 advocates a split routine, truth is both would work.)

3.You will also need to add some corework, to help strengthen your lower back and abs...the farmers walk would go a long way to achieving this, but I also feel perhaps you should add the following; Plank, bodyweight turkish get up, Russian twists and Box Superman (Hands and Knees on the floor, slowly raise and straighten opposing arm and leg)

Finally, listen to you body and see what feels natural, certain curls give me an amazing bicep pump and yet almost identical curls give me tendonitis, if something isn't working - dont persevere. Stop and either find out why, or find a substitute.

Let us know how it goes.

Thanks guys and Thanks to you too OP.

AprilMae1975

Thanks for posting. I am also looking to start lifting. I will be going to the gym but will have limited days (3 per week) Hopefully I can get some good ideas too. I am very intimidated though lol

mallen404

The above workout is a good place to start, however I would like to post some possible edits, just in case you feel it isn't working

1. I would work in a higher rep range (15-20 reps) with a lighter weight, this isn't for calorie burn or anything else you may of read about rep ranges and toning, if your new to lifting then not only will your muscles suffer, but also your joints...by going nice and light and increasing the rep range you accustom everything to training (Ligaments, tendons, your nervous system etc etc...)

2.I would look at the possibility of perhaps starting with 3x full body routines initially, a split routine again is absolutely fine, but if your not used to lifting, two or three different exercises working one body part may feel like overkill or something you cannot achieve. (I know Cdahl383 advocates a split routine, truth is both would work.)

3.You will also need to add some corework, to help strengthen your lower back and abs...the farmers walk would go a long way to achieving this, but I also feel perhaps you should add the following; Plank, bodyweight turkish get up, Russian twists and Box Superman (Hands and Knees on the floor, slowly raise and straighten opposing arm and leg)

Finally, listen to you body and see what feels natural, certain curls give me an amazing bicep pump and yet almost identical curls give me tendonitis, if something isn't working - dont persevere. Stop and either find out why, or find a substitute.

Let us know how it goes.

Higher rep range is pointless(15-20). If she wants to lift and get stronger, then 6-12 is a good range. Anything more than that is cardio (especially if you are using a light weight)..

aprilrunswithmolly

Thanks everyone!

I've also been recommended StrongLifts 5x5, and am looking at the site now... Is it more geared towards men, or is it possible for women as well?

marianb2001

bump

soehlerking

I got halfway through Stronglifts 5x5--it's definitely geared toward men (particularly the suggested starting weights), but women can do it! The main change you'll want to make is to decrease your initial Deadlift weight--I started with 50 or 60 lbs and moved up from there. I made huge increases in my squat weight, but my bench press just wasn't moving much at all. I only stopped b/c I wanted to train for a Half-Marathon, and I just didn't have enough time. Also, I got a little bored doing only 5 lifts day after day...but it was a great "simple" tool to help me get into lifting. I'll definitely use some tools from SL when I resume lifting.

soehlerking

oh also (I'm not sure how new you are to lifting), when I was first starting out, I checked out lifting videos on youtube--there are a lot of How To videos that really helped more than the written descriptions.

daj150

Just adding to this....I love the plans and options suggested. For proper form, I would just hit up YouTube and watch at least 2-3 videos of EACH exercise you want to do. The reason I say 2-3 is that even people who think they know what they are doing aren't always doing it correct...so it's good to watch some extra videos so you get consensus. You can also search for the exercises and look up proper form for that exercise. There are many websites that may not have videos, but they will have diagrams to show you proper form. There are also apps for Android and iPhone that are free and show proper form. Have fun lifting, it's awesome!

cdahl383

Excellent points. Initially starting off with lighter weight might be a good idea just until your joints/muscles get used to the activity. Then you'd definitely want to go heavier with lower reps for strength.

Good point on the Youtube videos as well, watch several different videos for each exercise as some people don't really have perfect form when they say they do, etc. Good to get an overall picture of what good form is for each exercise.

When I first started years ago I did a full body workout 3 times a week as well for about 2 months I think. That's not a bad way to go either. Less sets for each muscle group but hitting them more frequently each week. You definitely want to get more sets for each muscle group after a while though as you progress along as you'll eventually end up plateauing.

cdahl383

Thanks for posting. I am also looking to start lifting. I will be going to the gym but will have limited days (3 per week) Hopefully I can get some good ideas too. I am very intimidated though lol

Everyone had to start out at some point in their life at the gym. I had no clue what to do years ago myself. The gym I went to then had a couple free personal trainer sessions so I took them up on that offer, had the lady show me around, what exercises to do, what machines to use, what free weights to use, how many set/reps, gave me a log sheet so I could track what I did each day, and I just took it from there.

I wouldn't be too intimidated though. Just ask some folks in the gym for help if you have questions, most people are willing to help out from my experience.

The hardest part is getting started. Once you get started, the rest is easy. There are tons of books/forums/videos on how to exercise and proper nutrition and all that that you can absorb on your own time as you progress along. The more knowledge you gain the better your results will be.

FrnkLft

Stronglifts is not just for men, at all. The exercises are unisex, it's just that most women don't see it that way because they are big movements and use a barbell. The reason a program like Stronglifts is so great is that the simple exercises in the program are "compound" lifts, which use multiple muscle groups per exercise. These are the most efficient, healthy, and strength building exercises you can do.

I also burn about 400 calories each session getting through the workout.

Just start with the barbell alone on each lift (45 lbs total) and move up from there.

cwolfman13

Thanks everyone!

I've also been recommended StrongLifts 5x5, and am looking at the site now... Is it more geared towards men, or is it possible for women as well?

There is no "mens" routine or "womens" routine...that's just stupid fitness industry BS. Women can do the same routines as mean and achieve awesome resulsts...in fact, generally better results than when they practice more traditional "ladies" routines that consist of endless reps of practically no weight.

Programs like SL 5x5 and Starting Strength are geared towards optimal strength gains...typical strength routines like these work in the 1-5 rep range with "heavy" weight (being relative of course to the lifter) where you are close to failure on the final reps. The 8-12 rep range is generally for hypertrophy (i.e. muscle gain...but I just tend to look at it as "physique" work, especially when I'm trying to explain this to women). There are benefits to both, but there are also some sacrafices.

froeschli

Thanks everyone!

I've also been recommended StrongLifts 5x5, and am looking at the site now... Is it more geared towards men, or is it possible for women as well?

I've looked into SL 5x5, reason i decided against it was the constant email bombardment, and mehdi's attitude (he likes to rant about anyone who does things differently than him).

i started out with NROL4W, read one of his other books, read a bunch of lifting and bodybuilding books, and ended up doing my own, garbled routine, which is a mix of all of the above. i quit for a while in favour of running, but am back to it now, starting over with a 15 rep range, increasing weight gradually as the reps decrease.