Complete beginner - help

pinkuslinkus

Hi all I'm Link, I sorry that this is another beginner topic but all the ones I've found are (obviously as we are all different) different to my goals.
I'm 28 years old, mostly around 155lbs (up and down) and 5ft4 I've lost weight from eatting healthier and smaller portions. I really want to start strength training. I have ordered NROLFW and am hoping it will come over the next few days. I mainly want to get into strength training a) to tone and loose weight b) to be physically fit and stay fit while aging. I am worried about my motivation levels and thats why I asking for help and advice from you lovely peeps. I also suffer from mild depression and major social anxiety disorder which sometimes (other than work) leaves me not wanting to leave the house. Another reason I want to start lifting etc to boost my confidence.
I work different shift patterns but want to aim for 4 strength work outs a week and get back into running for my cardio. My problem areas are all over. I'm quite big up top arm area and chest, I have a waist but have a large lower adomen and my legs are pretty chucky (but always have been). At home I have dumbbells and my other half has a bench with a bar which I can use. I'm also looking into getting an exercise ball.
I am thinking about joining a local gym as we have 2 gyms which I call 'mens gyms' as in they mainly have free weights etc. But atm am too shy to go to until I've been training for a few months.
My main questions are
1) What is the best home equipment I should invest in? My other half is VERY fit he plays basketball, squash, american football etc and has offered to help me in my training.
2) How long did it take anyone to pick up strength training when they were a complete newbie like moi?
3) When did anyone join a gym and feel comfortable (as a woman or inexperienced person) asking for help at a gym? I was a gym member last year but found all the instructors to just palm me off on crosstraininers and weight machines rather than listen to my goals.
I'm also looking to make friends on here for motivation and advice. This is something that I feel I need to do to be healthy and happy for the rest of my days (god that sounds awful as I'm only 28 but had a mid life crisis at 21!)
Anyways I hope this reaches you in good health and would love some advice on my worries. Take care

jarrettd

Hello, Link!

When you get your book, it will help guide you through many of your questions and concerns. We have lots of ladies doing this from home (myself included), some with full home-gyms, others with a hodge-podge of things that fill the purpose. It's a great place for working out ideas. There are also many who have broken the gender barrier in the weight rooms, and are reporting that the guys are mostly helpful and courteous (and somewhat in awe of our heavy-lifting sisters!)

If you're serious about lifting, your cardio just became optional. There is some interval training built in to the program, along with the dreaded Body Matrix...takes care of the cardio quite well, IMHO! But we also have some ladies who combine endurance training with weight training....tricky, but they manage quite well.

You may rethink 4 training session per week...the author is rather adamant about rest days. Most of us do 2 or 3 sessions per week. If you are really challenging yourself when you lift, you'll NEED those rest days! You'll figure out what works for you.

There is something empowering about lifting heavy...you begin to feel strong and capable. It may help you with your personal challenges, in all parts of your life.

Welcome to the coolest group on MFP!!!

meshashesha2012

definitely have someone walk you around a free weight room first. i think part of the intimidation comes in not knowing what the hell things are and not wanting to look foolish by asking.

if you join a gym, take advantage of that complimentary training session and have the trainer walk you around the weight room and have him/her explain how to use the squat cages and power racks, how to work with plates and collars, where the bars are kept when they aren't in use, etc.

i think it's easier to ask when you first join, but when you've been there for awhile it's tougher. especially if they see you aren't going to be a potential client of theirs.

if you're lifting a challenging enough weight, then honestly 3 sessions at most will be the maximum you'll be able to do. if you feel you can lift 4 times a week then that should be your cue to increase your weights on the other 3 days.

when i first did NROL4W, the gym i belonged to was 100% male in the weight room. i never saw any women in that section because there was a smaller section on a different floor that also had weights and that's where the girls were. but since i needed cable machines and olympic bars i had to be down in the dungeon with the boys :laugh: at first it was a little intimidating since most of the guys were there in packs of 3-4 working out together. at first they just ignored me but by the time i got to stage 3 and stage 4 they were a bit more accepting and were doing things like giving me their collars when they were done, pointing me to where cable attachments were, or even giving me pointers or asking me questions about my routine.
i only had 1 bad experience. that was when some guy tried to bully me off a weight bench. but before i could say anything, 2 other guys swooped in and basically told him to STFU and either wait or find another bench :laugh:

oh yeah, one of the groups was doing NROL. not the one for women, but the first one that came out. lemme tell you that program is way easier (in terms of movements) than the NROL4W. i let one of them borrow my book so they could photocopy it. they ended up starting the program, but i guess they didnt want to buy it since the words "4 women" were in the title.

anyway, my point is dont be intimidated by the weight room. most of the muscleheads in there are nice. and after a few months, you'll also be considered a muscle head


sorry for rambling

MMarvelous

I have to agree it feels weird being the ONLY WOMAN in the weight room but then again you get to see some eye candy. I have learned form over the past year by attending strength training classes. While we didn't really use heavy weights, I learned form and I have gotten stronger. There are plenty of places to learn form online and in the book and by asking for help at the gym.

1) What is the best home equipment I should invest in? I workout at the gym so I don't have equipment at home. But for the first 16 workouts you will need free weights, a step like in an aerobics class and a yoga ball.
My other half is VERY fit he plays basketball, squash, american football etc and has offered to help me in my training. DEFINITELY GET HIM TO HELP YOU WITH FORM and to ENCOURAGE you to LIFT HEAVIER!
2) How long did it take anyone to pick up strength training when they were a complete newbie like moi? Like I said I decided to take strength training classes 2X a week.
3) When did anyone join a gym and feel comfortable (as a woman or inexperienced person) asking for help at a gym? I am at a gym now. I was a gym member last year but found all the instructors to just palm me off on crosstraininers and weight machines rather than listen to my goals. ~ Probably NOT the right gym for you. Can you workout w/ your S.O. at the gym? If not ask other women who weight train about the most women friendly gyms.
I'm also looking to make friends on here for motivation and advice. This is something that I feel I need to do to be healthy and happy for the rest of my days (god that sounds awful as I'm only 28 but had a mid life crisis at 21!)

deninevi

Welcome, link!

I agree with what everyone said so far. I was a gym member before I started the program. I love it! I was a bit scraed of the big meatheads in the free weights area, but I just went in there and did what I had to do. Then with time my confidence went up and now I don't care.

This is a great book! I hope it works for you, beacuse I love it and hope every lady that picks it up loves it too!

ecrogers4

Hi! Welcome!

I agree with everybody above! Wait until you get the book - read it... then plot.

As for what to buy to get you started... I read one review of a woman who actually used a broom and bags of books until she had enough $$ to get a bar, dumbbells etc... so technically you can make anything work... (not that I'm recommending using a broom...)

A couple things if you really don't want to go to a gym (although - at the very MOST you will be super comfortable with what you are doing in the weight room by 1/2 way through Phase 1... probably sooner)... then I would suggest a Swiss Ball (some people call them Thermo Balls?), and a couple of dumbbells (not Barbie ones!) most likely 10 lbs, 15 lbs, 20 lbs would do you at first). Since you are using low weights for the first part of Stage 1 (if you are a real newbie like I was when I started) you can modify the squats & deadlifts to be done with dumbbells. When you eventually move up to needing a bar you might feel confident enough to get into the gym.... if not... you can use a curl bar instead (cheaper then an olympic squat bar). BUT - once you get to REALLY lifting heavy - it gets tricky at home... (Kudos to all the home worker-outers who manage it!! You guys ROCK!)

Hope you enjoy the program as much as I am!!!!! LOVE it!

pinkuslinkus

Thanks everyone for such a warm welcome

I am getting a bit ahead of myself as the book still hasn't arrived I'm very excited for a new healthy strong me and am hoping to encourage a few friends to join.

Once I have read through the book I am going to go have 'tours' of the 2 gyms just round the corner from me and will possibly take my other half along to a few sessions to help.

Thanks again everyone x