Lifting N00B - Be kind, and use small words :)

JuneyCleaves

As the topic states, I'm a lifting newbie.

I see so much success had by women in this area, I am eager to challenge myself and feel it, too.

HOWever, I will not get a gym membership.

So, my question is ... is it possible to, with the right equipment, achieve the same results at home?
At my disposal I have a York machine, and a few dumbbells as far as weights go.

To this point, I've been focusing on cardio and using resistance bands and light dumbbells for any kind of resistance training.

Looking for tips, direction and suggestions on how to be successful in decreasing my BF and increasing my muscles, all while training at home.

TIA for your time!

JC.

terizius

Since you are new, consider a full-body routine that hits all of your muscles.. In the beginning, its ok to use ligher weights as you learn the correct form (hopefully you have a knowledgeable friend that can show you how to do things correctly. If not, there are tons of vids on the internet). As you progress and learn the correct technique, you'll want to increase the weight though. Probably the biggist mistake I see women making in the gym is simply not lifting heavy enough to really force the body to change.

As a beginner, You can start around 15-18 repetitions. Basically, the weight should be light enough to lift between 15-18 times, but heavy enough that the last few reps are very difficult. I recommend lifting 2-3 days a week to start. Begin with just one set for the first week , 2 sets the second week and three + after that. Starting out slowly will help keep you from getting super-sore. I also recommend increasing the weight/lowering the reps each week, so week 1 is 15-18 reps, week 2 is 12-15 and week 3 and beyond is 10-12 (or even less reps/more weight depending on what your goals are exactly).

With your dumbbells and York Machine, you should have enough to get you started. If you are interested in specific routine ideas, let me know and I'll see what I can come up with.

Annie_01

Bump for the knowledge

Iron_Lotus

I did all my lifting at home right from the beginning. As long as you have the right equipment yes you can.

Edited to be helpful: Look into strong lifts, new rules, starting strength. Look at lots of youtube videos on form and do the movement in front of a mirror you need to have good form to prevent injury and for the exercise to be effective.

rejectuf

If it were me, I'd trade in the york machine for a power rack and a barbell with some plates. You can get used stuff pretty cheap on craigslist.

But yeah, it's definitely possible to get a good workout without going to the gym. One of my favorite ways to get some strength training in at home is fill up a big cheap gym bag with sand bags. Use it for rows, squats, curls, overhead press, etc.

I've even seen some people who fill up big PVC pipes with water and cap both ends. The added challenge of keeping it stable/even is a good workout.