(1kg) 2.2lb hand weights - what to do with them?

littlelexical

Firstly - Yes, i would prefer to lift heavy, but have heart problems (sensitive to over exertion) - until that is dealt with 'heavy' is out. So please - no storm in a tea cup on "light" vs "heavy" please.
However - i want to do something with weights, so picked up some light 1kg hand weights to start with - and will build up in .5kg brackets as I can - After my op & when i am ok to do so I can look at "Heavy"
Heart condition aside, My questions are - for a beginner

1. What are some great, beneficial exercises I can start with, without needing any other equiptment?
2. How many should i be aiming for of each exercise?
(i hear 1-2 sets of approx 8-15 reps for low weight exercises?)
3. As they are light weights - is it still alternate day using them? or can it be safely done daily?
4. I have a HRM but have heard they are ineffective for weight work - what is the best way to log on MFP what i do?

If you can think of anything else i may need to know - please pipe up

Thanks in advance!

thebigcb

If I where you Id ask a doctor

Dont take advice from unqaulified people on here

Quieau

In for the same advice! Wish I knew more!

littlelexical

Thanks @thebigcb - My problem is not knowing where to start - and i think people on here doing light weight exercises may have some insight into where a beginner may start.

Once I have a starting point, i can try the exercises & see how my body reacts & if it is viable for me to continue as i am well aware of my limits (a birth defect - so - have had some time knowing what is 'too much') - I am not holding anyone here accountable for my health, or any impact their advice has on my heart, you are right, that is for a GP & Cardiologist- I'm just looking for a basic place people start, some basic, effective exercises & routines. Once I have something to try - I can 'figure out' the rest, health wise.

LivingtheLeanDream

OK so those are light weights and wont injure or hurt you, they are just like lugging around a 1lb bag of sugar e.g but do ask your doc first just to be safe!

There are a host of strength training videos on youtube, Fitness Blender is very good, they do about 8-12 repetitions of an exercise and move on, you can do as little as 10 mins of that.

You will find Strength Training on the MFP database, it doesn't burn many cals but you can log it there and it wont affect your Fitbit calculation.

mungowungo

I'm no expert but you could start with a few bicep curls and see how you get on with them. They're fairly simple and can be done seated so not a lot of exertion.

Personally I'd love to get some more ideas too.

roids001

Check out this website, this article might not be quite what your looking for, but it may lead you in the right direction.

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/fitness/workouts/seven+day+arm+toning+workout,15879

maybe even look into the rubber band exercises….resistance band things (not sure of there proper name) they are considered low impact.

lucyricky2

I do a Leslie Sanson exercise video and she uses the 2 lb hand weights. You can do 1,2 or 3 mile which is 15, 30 or 45 min. It is called Leslie Sansone"s walk at home "burn body fat & sculpt your arms". There is another one that uses 2 lb ball weights called leslie sanson walk away the pounds "power mile". I use both of them because it uses walking plus weights for the upper body to tighten your arms. They burn alot of calories which helps too.

Azdak

The issue is that, whatever your heart condition might be, it requires a certain level of stimulus (in this case, resistance level) to achieve meaningful results. If your condition prevents you from performing exercises at that minimum level, then you will see limited strength increases using 1 kg weights. Not your fault, but that's the "bad" news.

However,that level of weight should pose little risk, so you can try some things and see how it feels. One way to increase the stimulus is to do movements in more "extended" positions: eg chest fly instead of chest press, lateral raise vs shoulder press, triceps kickbacks, etc. You also try doing alternate arm movements. For ideas, I would look for senior-oriented videos, since those are likely to feature the lower- weight hand weights.

What I would be cautious about are routines that use the weights in dynamic swinging movements in order to increase the cardio intensity. Those types of movements do impose an extra workload on the heart that would not be recommended.

JoRocka

door stops?


heh.


sorry.

I would try routines with self resistance- THEN add weights in. Pick up any women's fitness magazine and they all have a TONE THIS NOW in 6 weeks BOOTY BLASTER BIKINI READY work out that's appropriate for no- low weights and are not "heavy lifting" designed.

pinkiemarie252

I second (fifth?) the sentiment to check in with your doctor, but I think that if you do go heavier and just do your lifting slowly with longer breaks between sets it shouldn't affect your heart nearly as much as cardio would. 2kg isn't a bad starting point though, especially if you're out of shape because you probably don't have a lot of muscle built up. You could try some of these. http://www.menshealth.com.sg/fitness/best-dumbbell-workouts-arms-and-upper-body

littlelexical

Thanks everyone.

They are all great suggestions (Even the 'doorstop' comment - it is how i feel! But i need to suck that up & just do something! )

my internet plan is completely minimal & youtube videos chew through it - so will have a look at some of the static pages people have posted in the meantime & give them a go.

Thanks for the support and suggestions.Am always keen to hear & learn more.