Strength training questions

siobhanmoo

Hi guys,
I'm a relative newbie to exercise. I've got to week 6 on the c25k programme (repeated a few weeks), do the odd fitness blender cardio routine and I've now started to do some strength training a couple of times a week. It's raised some questions.

First, I tend to use fitness blender videos to guide me on this (yes I am lazy but I like them) - I often do the upper body and lower body intensity 3 (30-50 mins each) ones together.

I often see people on here say that they do 'heavy lifting' and I'm curious to know what that means. If I progressively up the weights j use on these videos would that be considered heavy lifting? (We're talking eventually here, go easy on me I'm not very strong yet!)

Also, should I be working out my own routines? Is there any value to this over and above the ready made ones for someone at my level?

Also (sorry, thinking as I go along), I have weeks when I simply can't do any training because of work commitments - no seriously, in not just being a wuss - will that derail any progress at all or am I ok to just pick up again when the work slows down? It's rarely more than 5 or 6 days.

Ok I think I'm done now lol. I would really appreciate your advice.

release_the_kraken

Lifting heavy is progressively heavier weights, rep range of 3-5..that means you should be lifting 80-90% max for those lifts.

While those are days you can't lift for work, you can still cardio right...

Get and read http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women many women I know use this book and the routines when they first start. After time you will do your own based on what works for you.

siobhanmoo

Thanks kraken. No I don't do cardio on those days either - believe me I'm so knackered it would be counter productive.

I'm doing more than 3-5 reps on most exercises. More like 8.

I struggle a bit with not having a whole range of weights at home that I can use for different exercises so sometimes I can do all 8 reps and possibly more, sometimes I can't do more than 2 without wanting to bite my own limbs off. Don't fancy joining a gym because I'm field based for work and all over the place. Plus we're moving about 200 miles away in the next couple of months.

dbmata

I'm doing more than 3-5 reps on most exercises. More like 8.

What he means of course is that those 3-5 reps will take EVERYTHING out of you. It's going to build strength and power.

Heavy lifting is essentially something where you find the highest weight you can lift once in a given movement. (Generally bench press, squat, dead lift, and row.) Then you build a working protocol off of 80-90% of that weight. Most folks do something like Stronglifts, and this is something completely different from the videos.

The neat thing about free weights is that you can lift them in different protocols to achieve different goals. Endurance, muscle growth, power, strength.