How many repititions and sets?

emilyfieldhouse

I am just getting started with health/fitness and I've decided to do body weight exercises as well as get a pair of dumbbells for more resistance training. My goal is to loose fat, and gain a "normal"/healthy amount of muscle. It feels like I need to loads of research before I start. I have a lot of questions, sorry. What amount weight should I be using? What muscles should I be focusing on? All of them (even trapezius and back)? How many reps should I be doing? I am probably going to be a bother and have a bunch of more follow up questions too :P Any help is appreciated.
Thank you

3laine75

Try sticking to a structured programme. I don't use them but I've heard 'you are your own gym(not sure if this is the right name)' and 'convict conditioning' are good. Sites like bodybuilding.com and nerd fitness should also have some routines you can look at.

aidy_ball

minefield of opinions. I too have been looking for this kind of kind of guidance across the web and its amazing the total contrast of views from all the site that claim they know best.

jimmmer

You are your own gym - available as a book/app for your phone: bodyweight strength training

Never Gymless - book: bodyweight conditioning/strength training

Convict Conditioning - book: bodyweight strength training

All progressive routines (i.e. they get harder as you get stronger so you continue to get stronger) with limited to no equipment.

Top advice: don't just do a bunch of random stuff - it's called f*ckarounditis and never yields any noteworthy results. Make sure you get plenty of protein daily (around 1g/lb bodyweight) and stick to a modest and consistent calorie deficit to lose fat.

beachlover317

You are your own gym - available as a book/app for your phone: bodyweight strength training

Never Gymless - book: bodyweight conditioning/strength training

Convict Conditioning - book: bodyweight strength training

All progressive routines (i.e. they get harder as you get stronger so you continue to get stronger) with limited to no equipment.

Top advice: don't just do a bunch of random stuff - it's called f*ckarounditis and never yields any noteworthy results. Make sure you get plenty of protein daily (around 1g/lb bodyweight) and stick to a modest and consistent calorie deficit to lose fat.

This is good advice. Also like to add Nerdfitness.com. Awesome body weight programs for beginners. Have fun!

Nikiki

the advice above is great, I love nerd fitness!

pick a basic routine and stick with it for a few months to get a foundation going before starting to experiment with other stuff. bodyweight exercises especially are great because they tend to work a variety of muscles in one exercise.

There's a billion alternatives and styles of lifting out there and its very easy to read an article or see a new exercise and decide to throw your current routine out the window and start on the new one only to find another new great workout a week later and jump to that. File away things you find interesting and come back to them after a few months of one routine so you can make sure you get the full benefit of each routine before scrapping it

jimmmer

the advice above is great, I love nerd fitness!

pick a basic routine and stick with it for a few months to get a foundation going before starting to experiment with other stuff. bodyweight exercises especially are great because they tend to work a variety of muscles in one exercise.

There's a billion alternatives and styles of lifting out there and its very easy to read an article or see a new exercise and decide to throw your current routine out the window and start on the new one only to find another new great workout a week later and jump to that. File away things you find interesting and come back to them after a few months of one routine so you can make sure you get the full benefit of each routine before scrapping it

Ha ha!

It's like a magpie seeing something shiny!

But yeah, this is spot on. If you pick a recognised, well-designed beginner's program, you then have to have faith and patience in it. That means not chopping and changing elements of it willy-nilly. It would have been designed a certain way to allow for muscle recovery, adaption, developmental balance, etc. Unless you know what you're doing (and if you do, you could be designing your own program, after all!) it's best to keep on a program and milk it for all the gains you can get.

Choose a program. Commit to it 100%, nail your diet (protein and deficit), be consistent with your workouts (don't half-*kitten* workouts and don't miss them), get plenty of hydration and sleep (you'd be surprised how important these last two things are) and I GUARANTEE you will get results.

gsgitu

i use the YAYOG as an app on my phone. i would say it is worth the $3 i paid. has a lot of exercises i would never have thought of. i did one of the ten week plans and starting the next one now. it is good for a 20-40 min workout but i usually throw in sprints/cardio, or a Jillian workout along with it. some of the days on the plan i just don't fell like it worked me enough. you can make you own plans on it as well. it is good for $3.