Weight training

Dellie22
Dellie22 Posts: 167
edited September 21 in Fitness and Exercise
I've done a little weight training before, with food cans. But i'm thinking of progressing onto dumbbells and haven't got a clue where to start. What weight would be best to start at? Thanks .

Replies

  • balfonso
    balfonso Posts: 370 Member
    My trainer made me start on 2.5kg. I'm still on them now but I've only been doing them for a month now.
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    It depends on what exercises you are doing with them. Are you going to do a bicep curl? Pick up a weight, say 5lbs, curl it a few times.. if it's super easy and doesn't take any effort, move up to the next weight and try again. In whatever excercise you are doing, you should be using enough weight/resistance so that your last 3 or so reps are very difficult and it takes some good effort to complete the set. Hope that helps!
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    My trainer made me start on 2.5kg. I'm still on them now but I've only been doing them for a month now.

    If you want to increase your strength, on your last set, use the next size up in weight.

    If you do 3 sets of 12 reps, then on your 3rd set, try to use a heavier weight. You may only be able to do 8 or 10. But, that's OK. Then after a few days of that, use the heavier weight for the last 2 sets. Then after a few days, use the heavier weight for all 3 sets. You'll see you've gotten stronger and can do all 3 sets of 12 with the heavier weight!
  • atombud
    atombud Posts: 38 Member
    You may want to try resistant bands to start off. Granted you can't tell what weight it would be but you can adjust the tension on it by adjusting your stance on it.
  • Dellie22
    Dellie22 Posts: 167
    So, i could possibly start with a set of 2 x 1.5kg, 2 x 3kg and 2 x 5kg and start there?
    I don't go to the gym so I can't test weights out
    I generally do between 90 and 120 minutes of cardio, 50 push ups and 50 ab crunches
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
    When you buy weights at the store, pick them up there and feel them out before you buy them. You just want to make sure you don't get too light because you want some resistance when you train. So, find the lowest one you will need to start with, then pick the next 2 sizes up from there.

    Also, doing pushups is a great way to build upper body strength. You will most likely start with "girl pushups" on your knees, then eventually will be able to do them the regular way.

    EDIT: disregard the above comment about pushups - I didn't see that you mentioned doing those already! :happy:
  • Dellie22
    Dellie22 Posts: 167
    Ok i'll try that. I'll be going to the store on saturday so i'll have a look then :) Yea i'm still on the girly push ups but once i get to 100, i'm going to start the proper ones.
  • animatedbecca
    animatedbecca Posts: 203
    Ive been charting resistance bands as stretching since I couldnt find them under weights. Also Ive been doing a tad bit with dumbells and charting what I can with that but it never adds to my burned calories/ Is that typical or just because Im not doing enough to matter? LOL!
  • adk1971
    adk1971 Posts: 64 Member
    Hi,

    All depends what you want to do really. Assuming you just want to tone up and not bodybuild you don't really need very heavy weights to make an impact.

    A weight tree may be a decent option (£19.99 in Argos (or £25 for pink and pastel ones)). If you're anywhere near a Tesco Extra store they normally have loose hand weights that you can pick up off the shelf and try. Normally do 1kg, 2nd and 3kg plus trees and bands etc. Tesco and Argos also do kettlebells from about 2nd to 7kg which can be a good alternative or accompaniment to dumbells.

    John Lewis also have a decent range of Adidas funnels from 2kg upward from around £7 each. Bit more expensive but nicer.

    Good luck with it all anyway.

    Cheers,

    Al.

    PS: TK Maxx is another decent place to go!
  • adk1971
    adk1971 Posts: 64 Member
    Ive been charting resistance bands as stretching since I couldnt find them under weights. Also Ive been doing a tad bit with dumbells and charting what I can with that but it never adds to my burned calories/ Is that typical or just because Im not doing enough to matter? LOL!

    It is a bit annoying that. I've just done over an hour of weight training and have logged it under strength but calories are not calculated.
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
    It is a bit annoying that. I've just done over an hour of weight training and have logged it under strength but calories are not calculated.
    Enter them under cardio, there are strength training exercises that you can add your own calories burned under.
  • animatedbecca
    animatedbecca Posts: 203
    It is a bit annoying that. I've just done over an hour of weight training and have logged it under strength but calories are not calculated.
    Enter them under cardio, there are strength training exercises that you can add your own calories burned under.

    Aaha! Thanks for the tip! Although until I get myself a HRM I wouldnt know what to even guess I was burning :)
  • adk1971
    adk1971 Posts: 64 Member
    Cheers for the tip. Recording as CV allows you to record duration and cals but not reps and weight so I'll stick to recording weights under strength for now as the reps and weight are more important to me than cals though it would be nice to have a cal field too.

    Delly; did you sort yourself out with some weights?
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