What are some good lifting programs for beginners?

Karabobarra

Hi, I am currently 25 days into P90X and have been dancing around the idea of "serious lifting" for way too long now. Once I am done with this cycle of P90X I want to start lifting heavy and would like to know some programs that would be good for someone just getting into lifting. I have a little experience with it but not enough to feel comfortable devising my own schedule and I work best when I have a plan set out for me that I can follow.

I would also like to know the realistic time expectations to start seeing results, my bodyfat% is high right now (around 32%) but like I said I am doing P90X and not sure where that will leave me when it's completed. I want to lose bodyfat and build muscle but my main concentration will be on building muscle.

Thanks in advance for any input

JoRocka

starting strength
strong lifts
new rules of lifting
strong curves

depends on your diet.
If you are diligent can be as soon as 4-6 weeks- usually 2-4 months you'll see solid results- but again- very diet dependent for visual results.

You'r physical strength will grow quickly newb gains are good luck that. It isn't linear but usually 2-3 months you'll see solid results in strength gains- newb gains usually last 6-8 months.

Samenamenewlook

starting strength
strong lifts
new rules of lifting
strong curves

depends on your diet.
If you are diligent can be as soon as 4-6 weeks- usually 2-4 months you'll see solid results- but again- very diet dependent for visual results.

You'r physical strength will grow quickly newb gains are good luck that. It isn't linear but usually 2-3 months you'll see solid results in strength gains- newb gains usually last 6-8 months.

^^ I'd go with this. She summed it up perfectly for you!

AJ_G

All of the above mentioned programs are great, so just choose one. I'd suggest starting strength. Get the book and read it if you can, you'll be glad you did.

As far as wanting to build muscle, you can only really do that if you shoot for weight gain which I'm guessing you don't want to. I'd suggest you set a calorie goal for weight loss, lift weights to preserve muscle, then once you get rid of a good amount of fat, you can switch over to a bulk to put on some muscle.

Karabobarra

starting strength
strong lifts
new rules of lifting
strong curves

depends on your diet.
If you are diligent can be as soon as 4-6 weeks- usually 2-4 months you'll see solid results- but again- very diet dependent for visual results.

You'r physical strength will grow quickly newb gains are good luck that. It isn't linear but usually 2-3 months you'll see solid results in strength gains- newb gains usually last 6-8 months.

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

AJ_G

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

MrGonzo05

You've gotten some good advice, but I'll add that you can stop the p90x in favor of a strength training program. P90x is terrible for strength training.

lindsey1979

I eat a similar diet for a variety of reasons and am not sure why some here hate it so much. For me it ends up being meats, eggs, some cheese, nuts, fruits and veggies for the most part (with some dark chocolate too). I aim for 0.7 g of protein per 1 lb body weight (or 1 g per 1 lb lean body mass). I usually get there through just meat and eggs most days, but if I need more for some reason, protein shakes are an easy go-to. I personally like ON's Gold whey protein -- vanilla ice cream and milk chocolate or my favorites. I'll also throw in some PB2 sometimes if I want some peanut butter flavor without all the oil/fat (PB2 is also awesome for my homemade panang curry) --- if I need more calories then I'll just throw in the real peanut or almond butter.

AJ_G

I eat a similar diet for a variety of reasons and am not sure why some here hate it so much. For me it ends up being meats, eggs, some cheese, nuts, fruits and veggies for the most part (with some dark chocolate too). I aim for 0.7 g of protein per 1 lb body weight (or 1 g per 1 lb lean body mass). I usually get there through just meat and eggs most days, but if I need more for some reason, protein shakes are an easy go-to. I personally like ON's Gold whey protein -- vanilla ice cream and milk chocolate or my favorites. I'll also throw in some PB2 sometimes if I want some peanut butter flavor without all the oil/fat (PB2 is also awesome for my homemade panang curry) --- if I need more calories then I'll just throw in the real peanut or almond butter.

No study has ever shown that eating gluten free is healthier for you in any way unless you have an allergy to it. "Eating clean" is a joke. Paleo is a joke.

Karabobarra

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

Lol......I am assuming this is in response to low carb? My macros are set at 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat in order to retain muscle and shed fat...I am having a hard time staying under 30% carb and meeting 50% protein....I am not attempting a low carb diet, I am gluten free because although I have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance I feel incredibly better without it in my diet.

AJ_G

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

Lol......I am assuming this is in response to low carb? My macros are set at 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat in order to retain muscle and shed fat...I am having a hard time staying under 30% carb and meeting 50% protein....I am not attempting a low carb diet, I am gluten free because although I have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance I feel incredibly better without it in my diet.

It's in response to what I bolded in your original message. You do not need to eat clean, there is no advantage to eating clean, in fact there can be disadvantages to eating clean. As I mentioned before, paleo is a joke...

Karabobarra

You've gotten some good advice, but I'll add that you can stop the p90x in favor of a strength training program. P90x is terrible for strength training.

I agree, but I started P90X to lose weight, my bodyfat is still high (32%) and I am determined to finish the program. The thought has crossed my mind though because I keep seeing "weight lifting burns more calories than cardio" and "muscle burns more calories than fat and for an extended amount of time" all over the forums.

lindsey1979

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

Lol......I am assuming this is in response to low carb? My macros are set at 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat in order to retain muscle and shed fat...I am having a hard time staying under 30% carb and meeting 50% protein....I am not attempting a low carb diet, I am gluten free because although I have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance I feel incredibly better without it in my diet.

It's in response to what I bolded in your original message. You do not need to eat clean, there is no advantage to eating clean, in fact there can be disadvantages to eating clean. As I mentioned before, paleo is a joke...

Well, some of us have had incredibly different experiences. I feel a TON better since I've cut out grains and eat "clean" for the most part. But, I guess I should just ignore that experience because there isn't a peer-reviewed study to confirm my own personal experience?

Not to mention how many more natural vitamins, minerals and great fats you get from fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs. No, that doesn't make sense at all and seems like a huge joke.

lindsey1979

You've gotten some good advice, but I'll add that you can stop the p90x in favor of a strength training program. P90x is terrible for strength training.

I agree, but I started P90X to lose weight, my bodyfat is still high (32%) and I am determined to finish the program. The thought has crossed my mind though because I keep seeing "weight lifting burns more calories than cardio" and "muscle burns more calories than fat and for an extended amount of time" all over the forums.

It's not quite that straightforward. Cardio generally burns more calories minute-for-minute than strength training does. But, with strength training you get the BIG advantage of building muscle or minimizing its loss in a caloric deficit (that and hitting your protein goals) -- which are HUGE when you're trying to lose weight and will help with a greater body comp as you lose weight as you'll lose more fat than muscle.

I personally prefer a lot of low cardio level like walking and hiking, a session or two of HIIT like hill sprints per week and just lifting. Some prefer more cardio because they like it -- like running. Just not my preferred issue.

Junebuggyzy

I also want to start lifting. Any suggestions for what to do? Videos work the best for me. I have started out with a couple of 10 minute arm workouts from Fitness Blender. I use very light weights. I have back problems so sometimes I have to skip stuff. For example Tricep Kickbacks with weights in both hands, bent over. That hurts my back, so I do one arm at a time with my knee supported on a bench.

I'd love some ideas from you guys! Thanks.

AJ_G

Well, some of us have had incredibly different experiences. I feel a TON better since I've cut out grains and eat "clean" for the most part. But, I guess I should just ignore that experience because there isn't a peer-reviewed study to confirm my own personal experience?

Not to mention how many more natural vitamins, minerals and great fats you get from fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs. No, that doesn't make sense at all and seems like a huge joke.

EXACTLY! Now you're getting it

Karabobarra

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

Lol......I am assuming this is in response to low carb? My macros are set at 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat in order to retain muscle and shed fat...I am having a hard time staying under 30% carb and meeting 50% protein....I am not attempting a low carb diet, I am gluten free because although I have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance I feel incredibly better without it in my diet.

It's in response to what I bolded in your original message. You do not need to eat clean, there is no advantage to eating clean, in fact there can be disadvantages to eating clean. As I mentioned before, paleo is a joke...

I respect your opinion but I'm gonna have to disagree on my own personal experiences. I think everyone needs to find what works for them and we all know there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to nutrition and fitness, I have lost 70 pounds and contribute most of that to stripping out processed foods and refined sugars from my diet. Because of my food allergies and dislike of gluten I found myself getting the majority of my recipes from paleo websites or cookbooks so I just naturally have fallen into that path. If you find that not eating clean makes no difference in your fitness goals then more power to you ...have some nummy cake for me, lol. What I'm doing with my diet seems to be working so I'm gonna keep doing it.

AJ_G

I also want to start lifting. Any suggestions for what to do? Videos work the best for me. I have started out with a couple of 10 minute arm workouts from Fitness Blender. I use very light weights. I have back problems so sometimes I have to skip stuff. For example Tricep Kickbacks with weights in both hands, bent over. That hurts my back, so I do one arm at a time with my knee supported on a bench.

I'd love some ideas from you guys! Thanks.

In all honesty, using light weights for high reps is not going to do much of anything in the way of stimulating your muscles for growth, or to preserve muscle in the case of a deficit. All it's going to do is work you in a cardio sense. For hypertrophy, you actually need to damage your muscles to stimulate a response from them and the best way to do that is with a heavy lifting program that uses progressive overload.

AJ_G

Thank you, I already have starting strength ordered, lol
My diet is pretty clean, I have food allergies to dairy and soy and I'm gluten free by choice....I eat about 90% paleo with the exception of legumes and gluten free oatmeal but have a difficult time getting my carbs low and my protein up, but I'm getting there ...thanks for the input.

Lol......I am assuming this is in response to low carb? My macros are set at 50/30/20 protein/carb/fat in order to retain muscle and shed fat...I am having a hard time staying under 30% carb and meeting 50% protein....I am not attempting a low carb diet, I am gluten free because although I have not been diagnosed with gluten intolerance I feel incredibly better without it in my diet.

It's in response to what I bolded in your original message. You do not need to eat clean, there is no advantage to eating clean, in fact there can be disadvantages to eating clean. As I mentioned before, paleo is a joke...

I respect your opinion but I'm gonna have to disagree on my own personal experiences. I think everyone needs to find what works for them and we all know there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to nutrition and fitness, I have lost 70 pounds and contribute most of that to stripping out processed foods and refined sugars from my diet. Because of my food allergies and dislike of gluten I found myself getting the majority of my recipes from paleo websites or cookbooks so I just naturally have fallen into that path. If you find that not eating clean makes no difference in your fitness goals then more power to you ...have some nummy cake for me, lol. What I'm doing with my diet seems to be working so I'm gonna keep doing it.

Well good luck with your restrictive diet

http://www.simplyshredded.com/research-review-the-dirt-on-clean-eating-written-by-nutrition-expert-alan-aragon.html

lindsey1979

Well, some of us have had incredibly different experiences. I feel a TON better since I've cut out grains and eat "clean" for the most part. But, I guess I should just ignore that experience because there isn't a peer-reviewed study to confirm my own personal experience?

Not to mention how many more natural vitamins, minerals and great fats you get from fruits, vegetables, meats and eggs. No, that doesn't make sense at all and seems like a huge joke.

EXACTLY! Now you're getting it

Well, I guess if you wait for peer-reviewed studies for all your fitness and nutritional goals, that's going to be a long wait. But, to each their own.

Karabobarra

I eat a similar diet for a variety of reasons and am not sure why some here hate it so much. For me it ends up being meats, eggs, some cheese, nuts, fruits and veggies for the most part (with some dark chocolate too). I aim for 0.7 g of protein per 1 lb body weight (or 1 g per 1 lb lean body mass). I usually get there through just meat and eggs most days, but if I need more for some reason, protein shakes are an easy go-to. I personally like ON's Gold whey protein -- vanilla ice cream and milk chocolate or my favorites. I'll also throw in some PB2 sometimes if I want some peanut butter flavor without all the oil/fat (PB2 is also awesome for my homemade panang curry) --- if I need more calories then I'll just throw in the real peanut or almond butter.

I pretty much eat the same way, heavy on veggies, meat, nuts, and I switch back and forth between two veggie protein powders (can't do whey, casein or soy proteins due to allergies) light on fruit and dark chocolate and if I need additional calories I will eat sime brown rice ...PB2 is the bomb! I have that stuff on a monthly order from amazon...lol