home strength training routine (beginner)?

karahunts

Hey everyone,

I know for a fact that I am a cardio bunny...but I am at a healthy weight so I know I need to do some strengh work if I want to see a difference in my body. By the way I'm almost 20yrs, 5'2'ish and 120 pounds. I am not toned though...skinny fat I'm pear shaped so I really need to work on my thighs and bum lol

I really hate the gym so does anyone have any at home suggestions? I only own 5 pound dumbbells and resistance band things

CipherZero

You're not going to build significant strength with five pounds and resistance bands, especially legs.

SezxyStef

If at this time you want to build strength but don't want to go to a gym try googling convict training and/or bodyweight exercises.

It's how I started (and with 5lb and 8lb hand weights)

You will increase your current level of strength but you will hit a wall if you don't get higher weights.

For thighs and butt squats, lunges, deadlifts, hip thrusts, glude bridges with added weight (dumbells work too) that will help but don't neglect your upper body.

joychaos

i'm skinny fat too gurl. I just started my own strength training regime. I do agree with the other posters that you need heavier weights. 10-25 range. I'm starting off with 5 because walmart only had 5's and 15's. Ill be going back to get heavier later. Just do basic everything you learned in highschool. push ups, plank, bicep curls, that one move where you put the dumbbell behind your head and lift. squats with weights, lunges. yknow good exercises

also look for some one pinterest and youtube. thats what i do. hope i helped a little

November_Fire

Without weights, you can also keep getting stronger with bodyweight exercise by making the exercise harder. ie: Knee-Pushup, then onto Pushup, then Diamond Pushup.

www.strengthunbound.com and http://www.startbodyweight.com/ are great resources for beginners looking to do bodyweight strength training.

I just got some adjustable dumbbells, they can go up to 15kg each so loads of growing room (I started on 5kg, now on 9kg and 11kg each hand) which can also be a good investment. Google '75 dumbbell exercises' and go for the top ten to begin with.

ChristineinMA

I've been doing Leslie Sansone's Walk It Off in 30 Days. It has two workouts - Burn 30 (cardio) and Firm 30 (strength training). Works for me because I am a beginner. I started with 5 lbs and now use 8 lbs weights.

I also have Sworkit Pro app and FitStar on my iPhone which I use occasionally - these are more push-ups, jumping jacks, etc.

EllenKay63

Collage Videos- They have a wide variety of workouts to choose from and you can watch clips to see if you are interested. Right now they are working on their website. You can go to the website & e-mail them, they can send you a catalog.

RaspberryKeytoneBoondoggle

For upper body:

Therapy band pull-aparts, let me ins :

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LPvK5FamZKY

Pull-ups, side raises and front raises with dumb bells, rows with bands, bent-over row with dumbbells, and push-ups.

I used to do like to do handstands when I was younger and was working towards handstand push ups and walking on my hands. It's fun to do!!:)

H_Factor

Look up Craig Ballantyne's Home Workout Revolution. Its bodyweight-only and you should build strength and burn fat.

contingencyplan

5 and 8 lb dumbbells are more or less useless for your goal. They're cardio tools. You need the ability to steadily increase the weight as you grow stronger, which means having access to a wide variety of weights. Without that, all you're doing is cardio.

You should look into bodyweight-exclusive routines, like You Are Your Own Gym.

gothchiq

You'll need to do squats and planks, along with your upper body and arm dumbbell exercises. Look up videos of correct form on Youtube so you don't accidentally hurt yourself. Also buy some heavier dumbbells. Go from 5 pounds to 8, then from 8 to 10. You can start doing squats just with your body weight then as you get stronger, hold weights while doing them. If you are consistent and keep increasing your effort this will work.

quzly

I would check out fitnessblender.com
They have free videos and you can search based on the equipment you have available. Best of luck!

rick_po

Strength training requires progression, so you need a program that constantly progresses to heavier weights or more difficult variations. You'll need more than 15 pound dumbbells within a week or so.

If you're new to this kind of stuff, don't try to design your own program. Pick a proven winner and follow it to the letter. Three books with good bodyweight strength programs:

You Are Your Own Gym
Body By You
Convict Conditioning

Or, if you have a few bucks to spend, try a suspension trainer. Lifeline Jungle Gym with a door anchor is about $100. I like the TRX trainer a little better, but it will run you more than $150. The strength progressions are very easy in a suspension trainer.

iBMikey

TEMPO BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES!!!

I had a friend turn this to me yesterday.

Try to do 10 push-ups. If you do them easily, try this:

Starting at the push-up position, do a regular push-up. Should be 1 second down, 1 second hold, 1 second up.

Now, take 2 seconds down, 2 seconds hold, 2 seconds up.

3 seconds down, 3 seconds hold, 3 seconds up and so on. Go until failure. Write down the highest number of seconds you was able to get for a goal to beat later.

The same can be done with almost any bodyweight exercise. Hence, Tempo. Google it if you want. The purpose is to keep you muscle working harder, longer and you are using you time more effectively versus some of these people that go in a gym, and just throw weights around.

For example, take someone that can do 40 pull-ups. That awesome! (Wish I could lol)

Now have that same person do a 4-4-4 pull up, thats 4 seconds up, 4 seconds hold, 4 seconds down, they will be lucky to hit 15 reps. And the burn the next day is AMAZING!

This is just what I have started doing. I got up to 7-7-7 on Push-ups yesterday and I have not been this sore in a long time.

If it doesn't work for you, move on to other things.

karahunts

Thank you EVERYONE for your answers! I don't intend on only using 5 pound dumbbells but at the moment that feels like a lot for me! I plan to increase as it gets easier too!
I will pick a routine from youtube I think because I have no idea what I'm doing to design a routine myself!