Strength Training basics?

bmblair041

So basically all I do is go for walks and work on the Elliptical Trainers. I know I need to add strength training into my workouts. My gym only has 3 weight machines so the variety of stuff I can do is fairly limited on those. However I have a set of dumbbells at home that I know there are workout routines for just using those. My question is how do I know where to start? I used to just pile on as much weight as I could move once, but I know that's not the right way to do it. How much should I start with? I just don't know where to start with this stuff. If it helps any I'm 240-244ish. I'm 22 years old and 5'8" (no I'm not rounding lol)

breyn2004

I don't know the correct answers.... my husband and I just started ourselves, in January. But I have found some really useful information on www.bodybuilding.com. If you have the room to get a flat bench, there's a lot you can do with dumbbells. Bench press, skull crushers, sitting concentration curls, etc.....

Best of luck to ya!

wellbert

Does your treadmill farm gym have a squat rack?

gregpack

Good for you- heavy lifting will help you maintain muscle mass during weight loss.

I would take a look at the 5x5 strength program. It is a basic program on a few basic exercises, with the back squat being the foundation of the program. Also, starting strength can be a good resource. You can do a websearch for those

Oh, and don't forget to keep your protein intake WAY, WAY up- 1 g per pound of bodyweight is a rule of thumb in the athletic community.

RachVR6

I prefer barbell work to dumbell. Squats, bench press, overhead press, rows, and deadlifts. Basic and killer.

If you have access to a barbell and plates, I would suggest checking out StrongLifts 5x5. Perfect place to start. (www.stronglifts.com)

_HeathBar_

Look into "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe or Stronglifts 5x5 program. Both are great beginner friendly programs.

erickirb

Good for you- heavy lifting will help you maintain muscle mass during weight loss.

I would take a look at the 5x5 strength program. It is a basic program on a few basic exercises, with the back squat being the foundation of the program. Also, starting strength can be a good resource. You can do a websearch for those

Oh, and don't forget to keep your protein intake WAY up.

I would look into Stronglifts 5x5 (a 5x5 routine) or Starting Strength, which is fewer sets 3x5 working sets.

jj3120

I have started here...

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


This site here gives you the option of choosing your equipment I haven't tried it out yet though - still mastering my beginners routine!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/finder/lookup/filter/equipment/id/1/equipment/dumbbell

gastankerdriver

When I first started, I used a 20 pound dumbell for curls and I did a lot of pushups. For a beginner with a small home gym, I recommend lots of incline pushups, curls, dips (if you have a bench), deadlifts (but don't go to heavy to start), body squats--basically placing your feet shoulders width apart and kneeling, then coming back up. I like to do 10 sets of 10 reps. It sounds easy, but believe me, you will barely be able to walk up the stairs the next day. Dumbell flys are good, benchpresses are good. There are a lot of good videos out there. Try to focus on the basics first. Make sure you eat right. All the lifting in the world is a waste of time if you go and just eat some salad for dinner or don't eat. You need to provide nutrition to your muscles. I like the zero cholesterol protein drinks and aminocore and lots of complex carbohydrates like yams, spinach, brown rice, kidney beans, etc.

bmblair041

Does your treadmill farm gym have a squat rack?

The community gym has 2 elliptical trainers, 2 treadmills, a stationary bike, and a stair climber. It has 3 weight lifting machines and a large set of dumbbells. No barbells. if I had the money I'd go buy one of the Gold's Gym ones like my dumbbells. But sadly my drum kit and guitar amps and guitars take up most of the space. in my room.

edmercdeleted

Good for you. Strength training is not only essential for overall health, but for men, it can actually fend off a host of issues particular to us.

For instance, as men grow older, our levels of testosterone can begin to drop. Trust me on this, it's not fun, and it's not trivial either. Strength training is probably the simplest and most productive way of staving off that T loss.

For men, a session of heavy weight lifting can actually burn more calories than equal time spent on cardio. Also, the frat burning effects of strength training last throughout the day, helping you burn more calories than you would have from, say, a run.

Sounds like you feel limited by your access to equipment. Don't fret. Even if you had no equipment at all, you can still get a solid workout in. We did it every morning in the Army.

Start with your core; sit-up, crunches, back extensions, side crunches. DO NOT skip these. They are your foundation. You can only be as strong as your core is. When it goes, you go. Remember that.

Follow with push-ups. Seems old fashioned, but nothing beats the push-up for simple upper body strength training. You can vary this exercise to focus on a number of areas including your triceps, shoulders, traps, abs, and glutes. Yup. It's a winner.

Squats are one of, if not THE BEST exercise ever invented. And you don't need anything other than your body weight to get a really good workout too.

A proper squat is a rallying cry to all the major muscle groups in your body, hamstrings, quadriceps, glutes, abs, back, and even chest and neck to some extent. All are incorporated in this move.

A couple of points to remember for proper form, keep your knees over your toes, keep shoulders back and head looking straight ahead. Pick a static, eye-level point to focus on and keep your eyes locked on it through the entire move. And always reach a parallel with the floor. Anything less than 90* is not a squat.

If you have access to a bar you can hang from, then I challenge you to find a back exercise more intense and effective than the pull-up. It will be almost impossible at first if you are not used to it. You can assist yourself by having something to push off of on the way up. A step stool or bench work well. Then control yourself on the way down, slowly, for a "negative" rep. After a couple of weeks of this, you'll find you don't need so much help on the way up.

There are tons of other exercises and variations your can incorporate into your workouts that will work wonders for you. Give it a try. Don't be afraid to experiment. Go slow. Do research and ask questions. Learning will always be the best exercise you can to.

Good luck,
Ed.