OK... Getting serious. Advice please?!

hbunting86

Howdy

I'm a 5'3'' female and currently weigh around 132lb. My frame is really petite and ideally I'd like to be around 120 - although numbers aren't that important as my overall goal is to be really toned, reduce my body fat and go from 'skinny fat' to toned and muscular physique.

How to go about this?!

I go in the gym - end up a bit clueless and give up after a week or two - I don't have the money for a trainer or anything so that's out of the question.

I DO want to do some lifting - I also want to learn how to do push ups (don't laugh, I can't even do one my upper body strength is that bad!).

So - to all you gym and fitness people out there could you please come up with some form of guidance for me just as a start at the gym. If I know I'm aiming towards something, then I'm a whole lot more confident and motivated. I'd ask at my gym but it's a womens gym and on my induction they went through my goals etc... and then negated the whole thing by asking ME which machines I wanted to use/exercises I want to do. Er.... that's their job surely!

Help please!

happythermia

I'm not much help (I'm a yoga gal!) but I hear everyone say that The Women's New Rules for Lifting is a really good book to check out!

http://www.amazon.com/The-New-Rules-Lifting-Women/dp/1583332944

hbunting86

Bump

wellbert

New rules is good. Or Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

emhargs

Hey Heather!

I used to work as a fitness instructor, and I currently work in a gym behind the reception desk.

Here are some points I recommend although this is just my personal opinion.

You need a day of rest after working out. So this means you can do the same weight training routine with a day off in between, or a day of cardio in between. If like me you are going to go the gym for 5 days in a row as this is what my schedule dictates, then you need a split program - which means on one day you work say chest & shoulders & quads, and the next day you work say back & hamstrings for example. It means the muscles you work are having a day's rest each time. I hope this makes sense let me know if it doesn't.

Work your big muscle groups - like BACK, CHEST, QUADS, HAMSTRINGS. I do 3 sets of each exercise, and 10-12 repetitions. I do 2 or 3 exercises per muscle group. For example for Back I do: seated row, lat pull down, & bent over dumbell rows.

This is the most important piece of information. If its not challenging you, then it ain't going to change you. It needs to be hard to be effective. If you can do 12 reps of something easily, then you need to make it heavier. For the first few weeks by the time you get to say 10 reps, it should be hard, with the final 2 reps being quite difficult.

Let me know if you want to know anything else. Can you book in for a program with a fitness instructor at your gym? Even to get the correct technique shown to you?

hbunting86

Hey thanks for the post!

I was worried NOBODY out there knew what I was talking about haha!

Yeah I see what you mean about the muscle groups. I'm wanting to lose some weight too - so would it be ok to do say 20mins cardio each day (with a rest day) but also after my cardio work one of the muscle groups - i.e. do arms and cardio one day, legs and cardio one day, abs and cardio another etc etc?

Thanks for the advice about weights needing to be difficult too - I see what you mean! Muscles aren't going to burn if they're not challenged enough!

Thanks

H

emhargs

yeah you could totally do that... 20 minutes of cardio and then some weights.... you could stick to upper body one day, lower body the next day which would be easy to remember.

i don't personally exercise my arms specifically at the moment, because all the weights i do for my bigger muscle groups (back, chest, shoulders, dead lifts etc) actually work my arms in the process, so its like killing two birds with the one stone....

i also recommend recording your weights and exercises etc on a program. there's nothing quite as satisfying as seeing yourself get stronger. in fact i have mine circled in red every time i have increased my weights, hahahahaha.

hbunting86

That's a really great idea!

I also REALLY want to learn to do proper push-ups so I can hammer out some burpees!

emhargs

well you could start with push ups on your knees? thats what i do.... i must try doing them on my feet & see if i can do them now.