Guidance for Lifting at Home

deannajf4

After my 4th child was born is when I decided to begin loosing weight - I joined MFP and started running and doing workouts like Insanity and 30 day shred. I lost 40 pounds, but along the way (mostly reading posts on MFP) I heard more and more about how lifting weights is what will really make the change in body composition. At first I resisted it because I was getting comfortable with my running/cardio routines. Anyway, last summer when I finally hit the 40 lbs lost mark, I found out I was prego with baby #5! I took my final "after" shot and realized what everyone was saying is true - I took up less space but my thighs, belly, arms etc still had the same shape. So I knew that once #5 was born I'd have to figure out a way to lift weights. So, here I am now, 3 months post partum, I've lost 15lbs from logging cals and from a little bit of running (because I do enjoy it) I Just now need to figure out a way to lift weights. With 5 littles, there's no way I can get to the gym, so I have to build something at home that works.

Two questions for everyone:
1) What type of equipment should I get started with (pretend budget doesn't matter, so I can get good answers and make the budget decisions on my own...)
2) Are there any good dvd's that could help kick start this. I know NOTHING about lifting weights and I really appreciated the step by step instructions of dvd's and I'm afraid to leave that step by step process... I'm afraid I won't push hard enough cause nobody is telling me to keep going...you know?

Any direction from anybody is so helpful!!
Deanna

rick_po

You probably want a beginner strength program. Don't confuse strength training with weight training. There are strength programs that don't use weights, and weight programs that are bad at building strength. You want a beginner strength program.

Some oft-recommended beginner strength programs:

Starting Strength
Stronglifts 5x5
Strong Curves
all-pro beginner
New Rules of Lifting

Whatever program you use, make sure it has a good progression plan. And beginner programs should add weight fast to take advantage of newbie gains.

If budget and space are not a problem, equipment that will last you and your family a lifetime would be:

Power rack
300-pound Olympic barbell set
Weight-lifting bench

If you're small, or a little weaker than average for your size, an adjustable dumbbell set (like PowerBlocks) and bench will take you quite a ways. Heavy dumbbells are hard to handle, though, which is why you see so many programs that center on barbells with racks. But there are decent dumbbell routines out there.

I think the TRX suspension trainer is an under-appreciated apparatus for strength training. It also has an advantage that it's small enough to travel with. It won't take you as far as free weights will, but it's still a great strength workout.

As for DVDs - there's a lot of down time in a strength workout, which makes for a dull DVD. I think Mendhi's Stronglifts 5x5 has Workout A and B videos on YouTube, which will give you an idea what a workout is like.

ETA:
Stronglifts Workout A
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP2g3Sj3qSw

Stronglifts Workout B
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro3Mh9o7JPU

Serah87

I have:

Squat rack (hubby and my son built for me)
bench press
adjustable bench
exercise mat
dumbbells
barbells
300 pounds of weight plates
exercise ball
curl bar
pull-up bar

My garage is my gym, I live in Florida:

Big fan
radio

I do 5x5 strong lifts, but I do add other stuff also, so basically a mixture of stuff.

Look up youtubes of how to do the lifts and the forms so you are doing it right. That's what I have done.

Good luck. :flowerforyou: