Beginner questions

asyouseefit

Hi there! I'm new to the group and I have several newbie questions.

A bit about me, first. I am 33, 5'5 and 129 lbs. I'm ok with my overall silhouette but I still have flabby areas that I want to work on.

1) I do not have time to join a gym. Are bodyweight exercises as efficient as lifting weights/using machines at a gym? I only have dumbbells and a mat and do not plan on buying more equipement for the time being. Can I still get a good full body work out? What about circuit training DVDs such as Jillian Michaels'? Do they qualify as "real" strength training?

2) Calories and nutrient macros. I've set my macros at 40-30-30 but often I end up over in carbs and under in proteins. With a past of eating disorders, I'm not ready to follow a very strict diet because I'm afraid I will fall back in my old habits. In other words, I need my daily treats. :-) Is strength training compatible with a so-so diet or should i totally forget about it? (I'm usually ok with meeting a calories goal provided it's not too low)

3) Can anyone recommend a good website with all the basics for strength training beginners?

Thanks!

tchrnmommy

I responded to this in the main forum too but someone here told me about bodybuilding.com and it's great. For the rest...i don't know

irridia

check out stronglifts 5x5 You can start the same movements with dumbells, I did because I didn't have the equiptment and I didn't think I could lift that heavy anyway. You can also do them with bands which aren't that expensive and are better than nothing and if you have the room you can also check craigslist for a good weight set. It should have a squat rack. The one we ended up with retails at almost $500 and we got it for $150 barely used.

caveats

Hi and welcome!

1) Bodyweight exercises are perfectly acceptable when you're just starting out, and you can get a great full-body workout at home. Add some common items and dumb bells, and that should keep you out of the gym for a while. However, if you are serious about getting strong, you will get to the point where bodyweight + common items are not enough and will need to either invest in a home gym or pony up for a membership. But there's time enough for THAT discussion when you get there ... for now, don't fret about the gym.

If you are just starting out, you can certainly start with Jillian Michaels, but you don't HAVE to (and you can save yourself some $$ by not buying DVDs you're going to "outgrow" quickly). It's better to learn the exercises and learn what muscles they strengthen, learn the moves/form/posture, and take that with you to the gym when you're ready.

2) ANY type of training is going to suffer a bit with a so-so diet. However, I also think that ANY type of training is better than NONE. So enjoy your treats and try to meet your protein goal at the minimum (without worrying too much about balancing the 40/30/30). Your protein goal should aim for 1g per lb. of bodyweight (in your case, average of 129g of protein daily). It's a lot to take in, I know. I weigh about the same as you and my protein goal is a bit higher -- I'm a meat lover, and I still have to resort to protein powders sometimes. But it will help you maintain and build muscle so you're not so flabby.

3) Read this and watch his video -- it'll help put you on the right path at home for bodyweight workouts. This is the workout I use when I'm too lazy to drag my butt to the gym. It gives me NO excuse to not do SOMETHING that day.

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

Also, the rest of his site is pretty informative, if you need more info, so poke around some. It's written to people who might not have grown up on Muscle Beach, but DO want to get a lot more fit and toned, so I find it easy to read and I love the videos he finds to demonstrate proper form and movement. (Specifically, his videos/articles on how to do deadlifts and squats, and how not to suck while working out at a gym, are must-reads.)

musclebuilder

Hi and welcome!

1) Bodyweight exercises are perfectly acceptable when you're just starting out, and you can get a great full-body workout at home. Add some common items and dumb bells, and that should keep you out of the gym for a while. However, if you are serious about getting strong, you will get to the point where bodyweight + common items are not enough and will need to either invest in a home gym or pony up for a membership. But there's time enough for THAT discussion when you get there ... for now, don't fret about the gym.

If you are just starting out, you can certainly start with Jillian Michaels, but you don't HAVE to (and you can save yourself some $$ by not buying DVDs you're going to "outgrow" quickly). It's better to learn the exercises and learn what muscles they strengthen, learn the moves/form/posture, and take that with you to the gym when you're ready.

2) ANY type of training is going to suffer a bit with a so-so diet. However, I also think that ANY type of training is better than NONE. So enjoy your treats and try to meet your protein goal at the minimum (without worrying too much about balancing the 40/30/30). Your protein goal should aim for 1g per lb. of bodyweight (in your case, average of 129g of protein daily). It's a lot to take in, I know. I weigh about the same as you and my protein goal is a bit higher -- I'm a meat lover, and I still have to resort to protein powders sometimes. But it will help you maintain and build muscle so you're not so flabby.

3) Read this and watch his video -- it'll help put you on the right path at home for bodyweight workouts. This is the workout I use when I'm too lazy to drag my butt to the gym. It gives me NO excuse to not do SOMETHING that day.

http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

Also, the rest of his site is pretty informative, if you need more info, so poke around some. It's written to people who might not have grown up on Muscle Beach, but DO want to get a lot more fit and toned, so I find it easy to read and I love the videos he finds to demonstrate proper form and movement. (Specifically, his videos/articles on how to do deadlifts and squats, and how not to suck while working out at a gym, are must-reads.)

Good post caveats^^

caveats

Aww, thanks.

Sidesteal

2) ANY type of training is going to suffer a bit with a so-so diet. However, I also think that ANY type of training is better than NONE. So enjoy your treats and try to meet your protein goal at the minimum (without worrying too much about balancing the 40/30/30). Your protein goal should aim for 1g per lb. of bodyweight (in your case, average of 129g of protein daily). It's a lot to take in, I know. I weigh about the same as you and my protein goal is a bit higher -- I'm a meat lover, and I still have to resort to protein powders sometimes. But it will help you maintain and build muscle so you're not so flabby.

I also think this entire post was good, but I wanted to mention one small thing-- I think you would be sufficient at 1g PRO/lean mass vs 1g/bodyweight. I'm splitting hairs to a degree here, but I only mention it because it seems like OP was concerned about food selection. In the ballpark of 100-105g PRO would likely be sufficient as a minimum and it would free you up just a bit more.

caveats

Sidesteal, I agree with you. However, with beginners, I suggested bodyweight because calculating LBM can be a whole 'nother discussion altogether, and I think it's easier to take it one step at a time.

Denziee

bump