Strength Training Tips Needed!

melsmith612

If that's all the equipment you have and all you're ready for at the moment, I think the best thing you can do is get a Jillian Michaels DVD. They are relatively inexpensive and really work for getting the basics down and for fat loss

Lexgem,

I have a treadmill, ab lounger, Wii Fit Plus, 2 lb hand weights, 5 lb hand weights, yoga mat, cushioned gym mat, Urban Striptease Aerobics DVD, Pilates for Dummies DVD, some Tai Chi DVD that I've never been able to follow well, and probably a few other less memorable workout DVD's. I also have a 15 lb dog that acts as added resistence whenever I lay on the floor.

Thank you for the suggestion but to be honest... I'm not a fan of Jillian Michaels. I appreciate the help she gives people on TV but there's just something about her face/voice/personality that has never sat well with me. Maybe it's some kind of intuition or just paranoia that she'll be as tough on a DVD as she is on TV. lol

engineman312

i did this body weight routine when i started strength training.

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

you shouldn't neglect your legs or lower body, even if you are on the treadmill "strengthening" them. squats and lunges can make your running much more effective, plus help make you much fitter.

Thanks for the link! I understand about the lower body being important because they are the largest muscles and offer the most "burn" for the buck - so I fully intend on working my lower body, I just don't have much in the way of ideas for upper body workouts. It's always been my weak spot. Lower body I could work all day long without anyone helping.

push ups are one of the best upper body work outs, right next to pull ups.

can you do any push ups, even assisted ones?? (girly, on your knees) lets say you can do three at once. do three every half hour over the course of the day. lets say you have a typical 18 hour day. thats 108 push ups.

melsmith612

i did this body weight routine when i started strength training.

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

you shouldn't neglect your legs or lower body, even if you are on the treadmill "strengthening" them. squats and lunges can make your running much more effective, plus help make you much fitter.

Thanks for the link! I understand about the lower body being important because they are the largest muscles and offer the most "burn" for the buck - so I fully intend on working my lower body, I just don't have much in the way of ideas for upper body workouts. It's always been my weak spot. Lower body I could work all day long without anyone helping.

push ups are one of the best upper body work outs, right next to pull ups.

can you do any push ups, even assisted ones?? (girly, on your knees) lets say you can do three at once. do three every half hour over the course of the day. lets say you have a typical 18 hour day. thats 108 push ups.

Pushups are extremely difficult for me. I honestly can't even hold that position (even the girly version) long enough to lower myself. Like I said, WEAK upper body. I *can* try starting out doing them standing up against a wall to work some of those muscles though and maybe tone them enough to work up to 3 at a time. Thanks for the tip... I like that gradual way of doing so many!

For reference... at one point (about 6 years ago) I was doing 200 situps/day and 50 pushups/day (100 and 25 each in the morning and then before bed). So I know it's possible! Just gotta work back up to it and get some weight off before I can crunch those big numbers again.

mideon_696

5lbs will do very little in my opinion except help with some cardio.

Definately get into those pushups. Any variation you can handle!
And focus on getting down on the floor as a goal.

Combine them with body weight squats and deep lunges, and keep focussing on getting lighter.

I quote Agc67 here:
Maintain a consistent caloric deficit, eat foods you like, don't eat foods you don't like, while trying to get in a minimum of 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass(so you'll need to work that out) and .35g of fat per lb bw.
end quote.

The remaining calories left over can be whatever you want. Including that double twix if it fits your calory goal. Which i trust is not the generic 1200 cals...

LilBee82

Oh gosh, my upper body strength, and lower are horrible.

I HATE exercising. And push ups? FORGET IT!!!

However, I am just starting out (again) with strength training. And my exercise specialist gave me a few moves to try until I get to see her next month. And, I don't have to do them all in one day. I can do a couple one day, and another couple the next and so on. I have a total of six moves.

Countertop Push-ups. 2 sets of 10

Unilateral Triceps Extension (French Curl) Sit holding 5 lb dumbbell in one hand, support elbow with other arm. Straighten elbow toward ceiling. 2 sets of 10

Lunges (ugh) 2 sets of 5 reps, perform one session a day.

Half squat to chair. 2 sets of 10 reps, one session a day.

High row: standing with resistance band. Face anchor, feet shoulder with apart. Palms down, pull arms back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Keep shoulders down. repeat 10 times per set. do 2 sets per session. Do 2-3 sessions per week.

Trunk Twist: Standing, with resistance band. Side toward anchor in wide stance (so you feel the resistance already) Reach toward anchor. Thumbs up, pull away from anchor. Keep arm furthest from anchor straight. Repeat 10 times per set. Repeat on other side. Do 2 sets per session. do 2 sessions per week.

I have yet to do any this week lol

nikolaim5

Oh gosh, my upper body strength, and lower are horrible.

I HATE exercising. And push ups? FORGET IT!!!

However, I am just starting out (again) with strength training. And my exercise specialist gave me a few moves to try until I get to see her next month. And, I don't have to do them all in one day. I can do a couple one day, and another couple the next and so on. I have a total of six moves.

Countertop Push-ups. 2 sets of 10

Unilateral Triceps Extension (French Curl) Sit holding 5 lb dumbbell in one hand, support elbow with other arm. Straighten elbow toward ceiling. 2 sets of 10

Lunges (ugh) 2 sets of 5 reps, perform one session a day.

Half squat to chair. 2 sets of 10 reps, one session a day.

High row: standing with resistance band. Face anchor, feet shoulder with apart. Palms down, pull arms back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Keep shoulders down. repeat 10 times per set. do 2 sets per session. Do 2-3 sessions per week.

Trunk Twist: Standing, with resistance band. Side toward anchor in wide stance (so you feel the resistance already) Reach toward anchor. Thumbs up, pull away from anchor. Keep arm furthest from anchor straight. Repeat 10 times per set. Repeat on other side. Do 2 sets per session. do 2 sessions per week.

I have yet to do any this week lol

That is a fantastic routine you have there!.... If you're 80. Seriously, get a new coach who's main concern isn't that you'll pull a muscle doing a real exercise and sue them.

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm so sick of useless coaches and trainers. You're 29. Did you have some major injury recently or a disability that's stopping you from doing proper exercise?

Get this book..."The New Rules of Lifting for Women"

TiffaniBarrett

That is a fantastic routine you have there!.... If you're 80. Seriously, get a new coach who's main concern isn't that you'll pull a muscle doing a real exercise and sue them.

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm so sick of useless coaches and trainers. You're 29. Did you have some major injury recently or a disability that's stopping you from doing proper exercise?

Get this book..."The New Rules of Lifting for Women"

That book is fantastic! Definitely invest!! :-) x

TiffaniBarrett

I'll give you my whole regime. I do 3 days a week - an hour at a time (and then I do 4 or 5 cardio classes a week)

Day 1:

Seated Ab Twist - 5kgs - 3 x 20
Ab Leg Extensions - 6 x 10
Ab Leg Lifts - 6 x 10
Side Bends - 10kg - 3 x 10 either side

Squats with barbell - 40kg - 3 x 10
Adductor - 30kg - 3 x 10
Leg Press (Single Leg) - 30kg - 3 x 10 either side
Leg Curls - 20kg - 3 x 10
Leg Extensions - 20kg - 3 x 10


Day 2:

Seated Ab Twist - 5kgs - 3 x 20
Ab Leg Extensions - 6 x 10
Ab Leg Lifts - 6 x 10
Side Bends - 10kg - 3 x 10 either side

Tricep Pull Down - 10kg - 3 x 10
Bicep Curls - 5kg each arm - 3 x 10
Shoulder Press - 5kg each arm - 3 x 10
Bench Press - 30kg - 3 x 10


Day 3:

Seated Ab Twist - 5kgs - 3 x 20
Ab Leg Extensions - 6 x 10
Ab Leg Lifts - 6 x 10
Side Bends - 10kg - 3 x 10 either side

Lunges - 8kg each hand - 3 x 10
Reverse Lunges - 8kg each hand - 3 x 10
Standing Calf Raises - 10kg each hand - 3 x 10
Leg Press (Single Leg) - 30kg - 3 x 10 either side
Adductor - 30kg - 3 x 10

Shoulder Press - 5kg either hand - 3 x 10



I do abs each time because I am trying to focus on them. I know you cannot spot reduce, but I am doing other things to lower the body fat all over, I feel that I am accomplishing something from focussing on my abs every time I do a strength/weight work out.

lexgem

Oh ok that's fine then if you don't like Jillian. I know I do and I enjoyed her workouts before I was ready to start lifting heavier weights (I'm doing NROLFW right now and loving it -- never in a million years did I think I'd be squatting 29kg when I could barely handle Jillian's squats with 3lb dumbbells less than a year ago).

I'd suggest doing a lot of bodyweight stuff, nerdfitness has some good routines and use your dumbbells in the exercises that you can

LilBee82

That is a fantastic routine you have there!.... If you're 80. Seriously, get a new coach who's main concern isn't that you'll pull a muscle doing a real exercise and sue them.

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm so sick of useless coaches and trainers. You're 29. Did you have some major injury recently or a disability that's stopping you from doing proper exercise?

Get this book..."The New Rules of Lifting for Women"

Yes, actually I DID have an injury which prevents me from a LOT of movements, so we were looking at things that wouldn't cause me immense pain. Walking, standing and sitting all cause me a lot of pain.

I might check out the book though.

mideon_696

whats the injury?

LilBee82

I took a nasty fall and sprained my back. I'm also having bad nerve pain through my hip, all the way down to my toes. It feels kinda tight sometimes, and sharp burning pain other times. And certain movements cause almost what feels like an electrical shock.

nikolaim5

That is a fantastic routine you have there!.... If you're 80. Seriously, get a new coach who's main concern isn't that you'll pull a muscle doing a real exercise and sue them.

Sorry for the sarcasm but I'm so sick of useless coaches and trainers. You're 29. Did you have some major injury recently or a disability that's stopping you from doing proper exercise?

Get this book..."The New Rules of Lifting for Women"

Yes, actually I DID have an injury which prevents me from a LOT of movements, so we were looking at things that wouldn't cause me immense pain. Walking, standing and sitting all cause me a lot of pain.

I might check out the book though.

Fair enough, that's why I asked. My apologies. Good luck with your rehab

LilBee82

thank you. It's been more then a year now that I have been in pain but I do find that losing weight has eased it somewhat. But some days are worse then others.