Too fat to lift weights?

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  • jennifurballs
    jennifurballs Posts: 247 Member
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    People need to stop believing this you should not lift weight myths and only do cardio.

    You're right. Early on in my life change, a very wise man told me not to wait until I reach my goal to start lifting weights. So I started immediately and not only does it make me feel better, but it hasn't slowed my weight loss down one bit. I lift and do cardio every day.
  • Herelum
    Herelum Posts: 68 Member
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    So I'm a fairly overweight guy at 280 is lbs.
    I'm a member of a gym that I'd been having an on and off relationship with for a while. Now though, I want to get back to it and have been reading various articles online about the big benefits of weight lifting (not on the machines but with the bells) to weight loss.
    Problem is, I'm a complete newb and am afraid of what people may say if I venture to that area of the gym... I'm also rather shy and wouldn't have anyone to bring to the gym with me to help out anyway.
    Does anyone have tips or advice/motivation for those of us in my situation?
    Thanks!

    Go lift....you will be glad you did.
    Screw what other people say......

    Good Luck

    Srs....GO LIFT!!!
    Get your diet in order,
    Have a trainer walk you through a workout routine comprising of compound lifts.....I would say go full body workouts...at least 3 days a week.
    Get form and technique right.

    Thanks man, definitely something I needed to get me to the gym! Also thanks to all in general for all the suggestions and encouragement! Guess I'll be rocking out at the weights this week after doing some homework left for me here :)
  • soosun
    soosun Posts: 128
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    Good for you that you want to do this!
    You will come to love it and the way your feel when you are done is such a confidence and esteem builder. Go for it and use that membership.
  • yo_andi
    yo_andi Posts: 2,178 Member
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    ........I will never be the strongest, I will never be ripped, ..............


    I will be both those things. Where's your sense of adventure people? Where's your sense of purpose?!
  • jacqueline7599
    jacqueline7599 Posts: 159 Member
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    Most gym people love to help others.
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
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    Get an 'awesome' personal trainer man. A good one will get you started and teach you what you need to know until you get the hang of it.

    I know a lot of people are "self-taught", but if you can put the cash out to be taught by an expert, do eet.

    You're never too fat to lift weights. That's just preposterous. LOL tell it to all the happily fat powerlifters out there. If you're interested in weights it's the best route to fast results in body composition change.

    Good luck man.
  • MoochieRama
    MoochieRama Posts: 71 Member
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    You have to try kettleworkx, it will get u ready for 6 weeks before u start lifting. It's only 6 weeks & used by the military.
  • MoochieRama
    MoochieRama Posts: 71 Member
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    Never say never. U can do it.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
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    You can never be too fat to lift weights. Always a way to do it. Then add some cardio. Win.
  • mullaneywt
    mullaneywt Posts: 28 Member
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    Right or wrong, most people DO judge one-another. I've judged the thin guys who are doing a workout that, to me at least, looks ridiculous and not productive. I'm sure that they judge me for my weight and struggling through what would be easy for them. Etc Etc. That said, I probably spend about 10 seconds doing that, and then am back to doing my own stuff, and I imagine that they are doing the same. I've never said anything to anyone, and nobody has ever made comments or made me feel out of place or anything. They do their thing, I do mine. Actually, after a few months of getting more exercise in (most NOT in the gym though), I did have one person come up to me while I was on an elliptical who wanted to ask me some questions to get his own motivation/courage/whatever up. It was a little strange, but actually kind of cool; I never expected I'd be giving any fitness advice.

    I made a ton of excuses for not going to the gym, or cycling, or whatever at first; people will judge me and make fun of me, I'll feel out of place, it will be too busy, I'll get hurt, I'll fail at something and look stupid, etc. It turns out that none of that has happened, and slowly I started to figure out which friends/acquaintances like to go to the gym, cycle, ski, whatever.

    The best part of doing any exercise with a quantitative component is seeing how you progress. How much weight you can lift compared to a month ago. How long you can be on a piece of cardio equipment. How fast you can ride up a hill or what gearing you can maintain. How steep a hill you can ski down in control, or how long you can go without stopping. Every time I cycle a road or a trail and realize, "at the beginning of the season, you were in the lowest gearing, now you're near the highest," that makes me smile. The feeling from that is 100x stronger than any feelings or worry that the person cycling the other way thinks I'm a fat *kitten* with no place on two wheels.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
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    So I'm a fairly overweight guy at 280 is lbs.
    I'm a member of a gym that I'd been having an on and off relationship with for a while. Now though, I want to get back to it and have been reading various articles online about the big benefits of weight lifting (not on the machines but with the bells) to weight loss.
    Problem is, I'm a complete newb and am afraid of what people may say if I venture to that area of the gym... I'm also rather shy and wouldn't have anyone to bring to the gym with me to help out anyway.
    Does anyone have tips or advice/motivation for those of us in my situation?
    Thanks!

    You are NOT too fat to lift. When I started lifting, I was 5"2' tall and 228lbs-- so obese that after losing 45lbs I STILL have to lose 20 to be 'overweight'. That was 2 years ago. I'm still obese, but I work with the hottest trainer in the gym, and I'm lifting more than a few of the guys! A few of my one rep maxs--squat 210, deadlift 185, bench 140, leg press 528. I can row with 55 lb bells!! I have big muscled guys come over and congratulate me on lifts :) I used to feel uncomfortable when people stopped to gawk, but now I know its because they are in awe...
  • CoachMigs
    CoachMigs Posts: 22
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    I used to be overweight too and had those feelings long ago... Just do it. Even try to be friendly. Some people are jerks, but some are nice, and everything in between. Make some new friends there and that will help you to keep going. IF you need some training wheels for the first few times (don't do this all the time or you won't make friends): use headphones and be in your own little world - work out to the music and let it pump you up! Bonus tip: (be VERY careful if you try this): Looks like you wear glasses. Unless you totally can't see anything - leave them in the locker room... the muscular guys will then be fuzzy and you won't know if they're overweight or muscular :p This may even help you go up to some fuzzy fit people and make new friends or at least spout out a "hey how are you doing?" easier. I've gone back and forth over the years with weight so was occasionally the fat guy and other times the muscular guy. Now I'm committed to staying the fit/muscular guy. I put myself in a position where I coach people and help them stay accountable getting fit, so I have to be a good role model - now I am forced to stay fit! (In your 30's losing fat gets tougher, and gaining fat easier.) Another bonus tip: When you start lifting regularly and the fat melts off - you will naturally likely have AWESOME legs from carrying the extra weight for so long - something that people that come from skinny childhood struggle to get. Chisel them and OWN it :)

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