Women Weight Training - Advice Please : )

Jazzmagic

Hi All,

I'm due to have my first introduction to free weights tomorrow evening at the gym and wondered if anyone could give me a little advise and guidance? I've been reading a lot of the threads about this topic and so far (exclusive and now inclusive of MPF) I have lost 50lb. I have just under 100lb to go before I'm at my goal weight but just wondered is this a good time to start weight training? I'd like to avoid loose skin etc.. as much as I can and have read that this way you can help encourage everything to tighten up. Am I right? Btw I'm currently 230lb, looking to be 140lb. Oh and would it be advisable to take gloves to my intro session tomoz, my boyfriend has some that he used to use?

Also, any real life pics would be awesome! I'd love to see how weight training has altered your bodies! : ) Something to aspire to and all that!

Thanks

Cat x

dad106

You can start weight training at anytime.. Nothing says that you have to be at goal to start weight training.

As far as avoiding loose skin, that can only be helped so much by weights.. a lot of that will be genetics. As far being tighter because of muscle, then yes that can happen.

Gloves, only if you want to or feel like it's necessary. I personally wear them when I lift... otherwise my hands get all torn up.

As far as pictures go, I don't have many but I can tell you that I currently weigh what I did 4 years ago..and 4 years ago I was wearing a size 10 at 150 pounds.. I'm now wearing between 4-6 depending on brand, style, etc.

mnsesq

Weight training is essential to weight loss that stays off. I wouldn't wait to start it. The more muscle you build, the more calories you burn just by breathing....Just keep in mind that if you've never done it before, you'll hurt yourself and get discouraged unless you lift appropriates amounts of weight. DO NOT compare what you are lifting to the person next to you. Find a weight that works your muscle to exhaustion (like you couldn't lift it even one more time) in 10 or so repetitions. Depending on the exercise, you might need only a three pound weight to do that. And that would be the only weight that would create the desired changes for you. Do you have a trainer to help you?

Jazzmagic

You can start weight training at anytime.. Nothing says that you have to be at goal to start weight training.

As far as avoiding loose skin, that can only be helped so much by weights.. a lot of that will be genetics. As far being tighter because of muscle, then yes that can happen.

Gloves, only if you want to or feel like it's necessary. I personally wear them when I lift... otherwise my hands get all torn up.

As far as pictures go, I don't have many but I can tell you that I currently weigh what I did 4 years ago..and 4 years ago I was wearing a size 10 at 150 pounds.. I'm now wearing between 4-6 depending on brand, style, etc.

Ok cool, thanks : )

Fingers crossed genetics might be on my side (time will tell obviously) but if I go by my mum, shes always been above average weight wise had 2 pregnancies, one of which was with twins and she doesn't suffer from loose skin so... fingers crossed!

Gloves, ok... I'm gonna take them, better to have them and not use them than need them and they be sat in drawer at home!

Awesome work on the clothes size vs weight! xx

Jazzmagic

Weight training is essential to weight loss that stays off. I wouldn't wait to start it. The more muscle you build, the more calories you burn just by breathing....Just keep in mind that if you've never done it before, you'll hurt yourself and get discouraged unless you lift appropriates amounts of weight. DO NOT compare what you are lifting to the person next to you. Find a weight that works your muscle to exhaustion (like you couldn't lift it even one more time) in 10 or so repetitions. Depending on the exercise, you might need only a three pound weight to do that. And that would be the only weight that would create the desired changes for you. Do you have a trainer to help you?

Yeah I'm booked in with a trainer at the gym tomorrow for an hour intro session, I think he'll help out as I progress too. I didn't want to start doing anything till I'd been shown proper form and exercises etc... I seriously don't want to hurt myself! As for it helping to keep weight off, wicked... fingers crossed : )

suztheq

Weight training is great and any time is right to start. Like the other posters said, take your time and don't compare yourself to what others are doing. You don't know how long they have been lifting and they may be doing it wrong. Hopefully you have a trainer helping you since you are a newbie. They'll be able to help you determine the amount of weight you should be lifting as well as proper form. However, if you don't have a trainer working with you, look for videos online. There are tons of them out there that will show you good form. As far as gloves go, it's all personal preference. I don't wear them, but I've also worked as a painter/carpenter/welder for the past 12 years. There's no helping these hands. I don't have any current pictures, but I can tell you that all of my clothes fit better, even though the number on the scale doesn't move (I'm really close to my goal weight though). Take measurements as well as weighing yourself -you may be amazed by what you see In addition, make sure you keep track of what exercises you are doing, how much you are lifting and how many reps you do so you remember everything and so you can see your progression over the weeks. Good luck and have fun!

I now see you are working with a trainer. Excellent! And don't go by what your mom looks like. If you aren't doing what she did, you won't look like she does. My whole family except me and one of my sisters is on the plus side. My sister is a genetic freak and I work hard.

jlang625

According to the annual fitness assessment I do at work... thanks to weight training I weigh the exact same as one year ago (truthfully, I have lost maybe 5 pounds) with 3 inches less around my waist and 3% less body fat. Not super sure how to add pictures... or I would!

Jazzmagic

Great thanks both : ) Really excited to start! Definately going to measure, I didnt before I started losing weight in general and wish I had.. so now I it's a definate!