Lifting...strong lifts? Heavy?? Help!

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wardbri09
wardbri09 Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I don't know if there is a thread for this but if there is please let me know. With that said, I want to start incorporating lifting into my regimen of exercise. Right now I'm doing a lot of cardio (running, eliptical, Zumba etc.) I realize cardio alone isn't going to give me the results I want. I do eat pretty healthy and I'm eating about 1700cals/day (more or less)

Is there a program to follow?? Is there a difference between strong lifts and lifting heavy?? I want to build muscle and become toned.

Thank you in advance :)
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Replies

  • Escape_Artist
    Escape_Artist Posts: 1,155 Member
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    Lifting heavy is relative. It just means lifting as heavy as you can. You could do StrongLifts and not lift heavy and same with the opposite.

    Good beginner's programs are Stronglifts, Starting Strength anf New a rules of lifting although i personally suggest Starting Strength. Its a good reference and the book explains all the majot lifts in much details.
  • wardbri09
    wardbri09 Posts: 17 Member
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    Thank you!!!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Lifting heavy is relative. It just means lifting as heavy as you can. You could do StrongLifts and not lift heavy and same with the opposite.

    Good beginner's programs are Stronglifts, Starting Strength anf New a rules of lifting although i personally suggest Starting Strength. Its a good reference and the book explains all the majot lifts in much details.

    this.

    heavy is a rep range- not a number

    so a rough guide line of rep ranges for you would be the following
    1-5 = strength
    5-10 =strength +hypertrophy (with appropriate supporting diet)
    10-15 = endurance

    this is not hard and fast rule- I did a 20 rep program- 1 working set of 20 reps- and it was specifically for size gains. so there are "exceptions" but it's a good guide line.

    I highly suggest getting a book- do some research on your own as well- there is loads of information out there you just have to be willing to look for it.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    Many programs like StrongLifts, Ice Cream Fitness, All Pro"s, etc... referenced on these forums are great beginner programs. These all begin light to help the user build motor patterns for the main lifts and progressively add weight upon completion of prescribed reps and sets. So ultimately, they get heavier and you will be lifting heavy in time. If adding muscle is your goal, just make sure your protein is in line and you are running an small excess in calories. If I remember correctly, an average natural woman will gain about .5-1lb a month in muscle, so you will use that as a reference point to dial in your calories. Just do your strength training first and cardio second. If cardio starts to impede on recovery of weight training, you will need to dial the cardio back or increase your intake some.
  • steve0820
    steve0820 Posts: 510 Member
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    Lifting heavy is relative. It just means lifting as heavy as you can. You could do StrongLifts and not lift heavy and same with the opposite.

    Good beginner's programs are Stronglifts, Starting Strength anf New a rules of lifting although i personally suggest Starting Strength. Its a good reference and the book explains all the majot lifts in much details.

    I agree! Great beginner's programs mentioned. I have not yet read NROLFW, Stronglifts and SS are similar in programming, so, it really comes down to preference, as SS has the power clean.
  • LifterDave
    LifterDave Posts: 112 Member
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    Go with Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women. A good thing about Starting Strength is there is a ton of good information regarding lifts and programming, but there is a pretty good forum for support. I recommend staying away from Stronglifts as you have to pay to join the sight and receive basically the same information you would get from Starting Strength for free. The only difference between the beginners programs in both of these is SS is a 3x5 program while SL is 5x5 and does not incorporate power cleans. There are other programs out there, but Starting Strength is probably the best for useful information. Another turn off with Stronglifts is if you do pay to join you can expect your e-mail in box to become littered with spam weightlifting sites trying to sell you on stuff which directly goes against the dogma of Stronglifts. A common drawback to both SS and SL is they can both get caught up into a dogma that their way is the only way and you are an idiot for questioning them. Rippetoe from SS will about always answer your questions by asking if you read the book he sell. It may be a valid question, but does nothing for someone who may just want something expanded on. Mehdi from SL is almost like a cult leader with the folks on his site. On his forum, there is very strict moderation and deletion of posts which may conflict with his way of thinking. SS forum you may receive a reply letting you know you are an idiot, but they do not delete your posts. This is just my personal experience with both.
  • wardbri09
    wardbri09 Posts: 17 Member
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    Go with Starting Strength or New Rules of Lifting for Women. A good thing about Starting Strength is not is there a ton of good information regarding lifts and programming, but there is a pretty good forum for support. I recommend staying away from Stronglifts as you have to pay to join the sight and receive basically the same information you would get from Starting Strength for free. The only difference between the beginners programs in both of these is SS is a 3x5 program while SL is 5x5 and does not incorporate power cleans. There are other programs out there, but Starting Strength is probably the best for useful information. Another turn off with Stronglifts is if you do pay to join you can expect your e-mail in box to become littered with spam weightlifting sites trying to sell you on stuff which directly goes against the dogma of Stronglifts. A common drawback to both SS and SL is they can both get caught up into a dogma that their way is the only way and you are an idiot for questioning them. Rippetoe from SS will about always answer your questions by asking if you read the book he sell. It may be a valid question, but does nothing for someone who may just want something expanded on. Mehdi from SL is almost like a cult leader with the folks on his site. On his forum, there is very strict moderation and deletion of posts which may conflict with his way of thinking. SS forum you may receive a reply letting you know you are an idiot, but they do not delete your posts. This is just my personal experience with both.


    Thank you for the info!!! I will definitely look into both programs.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    I do Stronglifts and I haven't paid anything. Stronglifts is very straightforward, easy to remember, and doesn't take a whole lot of time. Oh, and I do get a newsletter once or twice a day from the guy that is head of it. Some are helpful, some are not. Again, I didn't pay anything for it.
  • bccashleyiverson
    bccashleyiverson Posts: 44
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    Check out Bodybuilding.com. I did Jamie Easons Live Fit Trainer, it's great for beginners! If you are already doing that much cardio, I'd say add in this workout. I saw huge gains, and it's free. It feels good to be strong! She breaks down everything and explains why you do it the way she set it up. Check it out!
  • LifterDave
    LifterDave Posts: 112 Member
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    Wolfsbayne, are you are saying that Mehdi no longer charges for membership to his inner circle of his forum, because he had been for a few years. Of course you can do the program, but the site had become a pay site in late 2007.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    So you are saying that Mehdi no longer charges for membership to his inner circle of his forum, because he had been.

    No, he does, but you don't have to be a member of his inner circle to do the program or even get the program.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    I do Stronglifts and I haven't paid anything. Stronglifts is very straightforward, easy to remember, and doesn't take a whole lot of time. Oh, and I do get a newsletter once or twice a day from the guy that is head of it. Some are helpful, some are not. Again, I didn't pay anything for it.

    a news letter once or twice A DAY.

    pffttta- unsubscribed.

    I get one a week from a place and I can get annoyed.

    There is no need for that.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    I do Stronglifts and I haven't paid anything. Stronglifts is very straightforward, easy to remember, and doesn't take a whole lot of time. Oh, and I do get a newsletter once or twice a day from the guy that is head of it. Some are helpful, some are not. Again, I didn't pay anything for it.

    a news letter once or twice A DAY.

    pffttta- unsubscribed.

    I get one a week from a place and I can get annoyed.

    There is no need for that.

    I don't really mind it. Sometimes, they're useful to me.
  • cajuntank
    cajuntank Posts: 924 Member
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    Wolfsbayne, are you are saying that Mehdi no longer charges for membership to his inner circle of his forum, because he had been for a few years. Of course you can do the program, but the site had become a pay site in late 2007.

    I think she is just saying that the StrongLifts program is no cost along with the general info on that site. But yes, the "inner circle" forum site does cost.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    it can be useful- i'm not saying it's not.

    But it shouldn't be coming once or twice a day. that's excessive.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    Wolfsbayne, are you are saying that Mehdi no longer charges for membership to his inner circle of his forum, because he had been for a few years. Of course you can do the program, but the site had become a pay site in late 2007.

    I think she is just saying that the StrongLifts program is no cost along with the general info on that site. But yes, the "inner circle" forum site does cost.

    That's what I'm sayin' :drinker: I just don't need to be a member of his inner circle. I've got my own right here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
  • LifterDave
    LifterDave Posts: 112 Member
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    The Stronglifts programing is a good beginners program and once 5x5 becomes too much, it goes to 3x5 an is almost identical to Starting Strength. I personally just do not like Mehdi's business practices and can see no reason for people to get sucked into paying to join his site when the same information is available for free. But to each their own. Hopefully as a business owner and marketer he has matured since 2008.
  • wolfsbayne
    wolfsbayne Posts: 3,116 Member
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    it can be useful- i'm not saying it's not.

    But it shouldn't be coming once or twice a day. that's excessive.

    Perhaps he's trying to lure me to his "inner circle"--heh. At the end of the emails is always a link to join, but I'm not buying :laugh:
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    Wolfsbayne, are you are saying that Mehdi no longer charges for membership to his inner circle of his forum, because he had been for a few years. Of course you can do the program, but the site had become a pay site in late 2007.

    I think she is just saying that the StrongLifts program is no cost along with the general info on that site. But yes, the "inner circle" forum site does cost.

    That's what I'm sayin' :drinker: I just don't need to be a member of his inner circle. I've got my own right here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/4601-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

    Hey I know you...

    I agree with Wolf...I haven't even looked at the SL site except to watch the videos...didn't join just read this

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

    watched the videos and got started.

    I prefer this because instead of power cleans it's got pendlay rows...not that interesting in cleans yet...
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    it can be useful- i'm not saying it's not.

    But it shouldn't be coming once or twice a day. that's excessive.

    Perhaps he's trying to lure me to his "inner circle"--heh. At the end of the emails is always a link to join, but I'm not buying :laugh:

    smart lass

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