lifting heavy, cardio, nutrition, Im lost!!!!

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lcchrt
lcchrt Posts: 234 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been on a weightloss journey for the last four months. I lost 34lbs total, and now I'm onto a new goal. I want to be fit. i want to get strong. This means... lifting heavy? This is where I get lost. How much do I do cardio? How many times a week should I be doing strength? Do I still need to have a slight caloric deficit? I am so clueless now.

Help please??

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  • oaker
    oaker Posts: 132 Member
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    Do a search on this forum and you will find a ton of people pointing you in the right direction. You can also download for free, Stronglifts 5x5. Read thru it and ask questions if you still have any. Otherwise, there is New Rules of Lifting and Starting Strength. Again, lots of info on this topic on this site and others. Make sure you read and then ask questions.
  • Libby81
    Libby81 Posts: 734 Member
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    I would strongly recommend the book the New Rules of Lifting for Women. It truely opened my eyes, dispelled all the myths about strength training and gives great routines to work through at your own level. Theres a group on here dedicated to people using this system, so you could ask there for more guidance. I personally love it
  • tangal88
    tangal88 Posts: 689
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    Aim for lifting 2-3 days a week.
    Low reps, heavy weights. With Good Form.So roughly 6-10 reps (depending on program used, exercise type, and weight used) and the last three reps should be hard, to the point it would be almost impossible to do one more.

    Cardio - should do 2-3 times a week. I actually do more, but that really a personal preference for my personal needs/goals.

    New Rules for Lifting Book - good
    Stronglifts Website - good
    Jamie Easons Live Strong website (Bodybuiding.com) - good, but a bit more difficult for beginners in some things

    Are all some good sources.

    If you want a DVD program, P90X or Chalene Extreme, Chalenes a bit better for beginners, but ether is adaptable for your fitness level

    Also aim for high protein, about 1 gram per pound of bodyweight.

    If you are at your goal weight you want to actually be at maintenance cal level or above, if you are trying to add on some muscle. If you are to low on cals, you will not have the strength you need to lift, and your muscle repaire will suffer.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    I guess it depends on what "be fit" means to you and where you are right now.

    For most people, that means getting tone, or shedding body fat to expose the muscle beneath it. To do this you'll want to be at a very modest cal deficit. You'll want to be eating a lot of protein (start off at 1g per lb of lean body weight), and you'll want to start lifting to maintain the muscle you've got so you have something to show off as your body fat drops.

    As for how much to work out... Try to lift 3x week. Heavy weights, low reps (6-8 reps seems to be the sweet spot). Cardio isn't all that necessary at this point, so do it for fun or to keep your workouts varied (or to allow yourself to eat more).

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