Lifting Programs - what to choose

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michellekicks
michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Towards the end of this summer, when my running races are all done, I would like to start lifting. I have pretty decent muscles from years of martial arts, but I'd like to get stronger (to do a Spartan sprint next spring and Tough Mudder next summer) and, eventually, sort of cut... my initial body fat goal is 20% to start. I just want to look fit.

What lifting program do you recommend and why?

Thanks!
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Replies

  • michaelispas
    michaelispas Posts: 39 Member
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    P90X is perfect for that. You could also blend in Insanity to replace the P90X cardio to make a really solid hybrid. Either program works, really. Let me know if you have more questions :)
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    if you wanyt a real lifting program.. ..
    new rlues
    starting strength
    strong lifts
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    if you wanyt a real lifting program.. ..
    new rlues
    starting strength
    strong lifts

    Are those, like, the choices?

    I'm going to order the NROLW book I think... Just wanted to know if there were others I should check out.

    I don't think P90X is going to be enough. I already do Insanity videos for cross training but really want to get stronger, not just better cardio. P90X would be better than Insanity, but not really enough. I definitely want to lift real barbells and stuff :D
  • peachyxoxoxo
    peachyxoxoxo Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Check out the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises. It is a great resource and has suggestions for various lifting programs. I followed the 12 week "Get your body back" routine and had good results.
  • LastMinuteMama
    LastMinuteMama Posts: 590 Member
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    I just started "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren. (the bible of bodyweight exercises) I can't say much for the program yet as I'm only on week one. However, the reason I decided to go with it was because A) I don't have access to the gym for the summer and B) The bootcamp/circuit training classes that I take are pretty much all bodyweight exercises which I enjoy and have had some great results with. I have lifted in the past, but for what ever reason I prefer the bodyweight stuff...you might too with a martial arts background.

    The bootcamp classes classes plus running are what prepared me for Tough Mudder...and I was very happy with how I did.
  • Crazy4Healthy
    Crazy4Healthy Posts: 626 Member
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    I'm doing NROL right now and it's been great. I have gained a great deal of strength and muscle. Once I'm done (I'm currently in phase 5 of 6) I think I'm going to look at doing the strong lifts program. NROL will have you doing a wide variety of exercises, I believe strong lifts has the basics (squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc). I would like to get more squats and deadlifts in, great compound exercises that work many things at once.

    Best of luck, let me know if you have any questions on NROL.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I just started "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren. (the bible of bodyweight exercises) I can't say much for the program yet as I'm only on week one. However, the reason I decided to go with it was because A) I don't have access to the gym for the summer and B) The bootcamp/circuit training classes that I take are pretty much all bodyweight exercises which I enjoy and have had some great results with. I have lifted in the past, but for what ever reason I prefer the bodyweight stuff...you might too with a martial arts background.

    The bootcamp classes classes plus running are what prepared me for Tough Mudder...and I was very happy with how I did.

    Thank you... I've been doing a similar class that uses some weights, medicine balls, steppers etc. to do compound movements at high intensity. That was my cross training with running from December through May. Then those classes ended for the summer. I started Insanity as my cross training instead. I will say the weights and the bodyweight exercises helped me gain speed with my running. I think now I'm more looking to be a little vain haha... want to see more muscle now... even at the expense of my mileage. I'll probably bring my running down to about 10-15 miles/week if that. Maybe 2-3 easy runs.

    I'd like to see 3 real lifting days tho.
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
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    I'm doing NROL right now and it's been great. I have gained a great deal of strength and muscle. Once I'm done (I'm currently in phase 5 of 6) I think I'm going to look at doing the strong lifts program. NROL will have you doing a wide variety of exercises, I believe strong lifts has the basics (squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc). I would like to get more squats and deadlifts in, great compound exercises that work many things at once.

    Best of luck, let me know if you have any questions on NROL.

    So is Stronglifts more for advanced lifters?
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    Check out the Women's Health Big Book of Exercises. It is a great resource and has suggestions for various lifting programs. I followed the 12 week "Get your body back" routine and had good results.

    I just bought this book myself and am happy to see that someone else on the site has experience with it! And I'm also glad to hear that you have had good results :) I have read the whole book and found it to be very educational.....a great start for a "newbie" to the heavy lifting concept! I'm hoping to get started on it by the end of August.....I just have to add more things to my home gym before I'm ready to go!
  • dlpoisson
    dlpoisson Posts: 19 Member
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    My two favorites are ChaLEAN Extreme - This one concentrates on lifting heavy weights slowly. You typically lift 8 to 12 times with a heavier weight very slowly. This was my primary strength workout for a year. Then in May of this year, I started Les Mills Pump. This one you use the barbell and do hundres of reps. It is such a fun program. You can get both from Beachbody.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
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    I'm doing NROL right now and it's been great. I have gained a great deal of strength and muscle. Once I'm done (I'm currently in phase 5 of 6) I think I'm going to look at doing the strong lifts program. NROL will have you doing a wide variety of exercises, I believe strong lifts has the basics (squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc). I would like to get more squats and deadlifts in, great compound exercises that work many things at once.

    Best of luck, let me know if you have any questions on NROL.

    So is Stronglifts more for advanced lifters?


    stronglifts is a beginners program
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
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    Bump. All awesome info, thanks guys x
  • Kcham817
    Kcham817 Posts: 106 Member
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    Bump for info.
  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
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    Obviously there are thousands of workouts out there but they are all essentialy variations of the same thing.

    Squatting movements
    Pulling movements
    Pressing movements

    For people starting out, the fine details of rep ranges, rest periods and exercise selection is really of secondary importance.

    Stick to the basics, lifts with 100% effort and intensity, eat well and sleep well and you will be fine.

    you really cant go wrong with stronglifts or NROLFW IMO.
  • persian_star
    persian_star Posts: 197 Member
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    I do Stronglifts 5x5 and I'm only a beginner. I did read NROL4W but found the program really confusing, the SL routine is very easy to grasp and master, the whole point being to do 5 sets of 5 reps of very simple but extremely effective compound lifts with 2 alternating workouts, and then up your weights regularly.
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
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    I'm currently doing a home dumbbell workout, as I don't belong to a gym and am broke (!). It's similar to strong lifts in that it's very basic and does what it needs to do (compound lifts!!). Not to put down NROL4W, but I got to Stage 3 and ended up quitting it. All the different exercises became confusing and I just prefer a simple, basic, effective workout. Will probably do Strong lifts next.
  • BOLO4Hagtha
    BOLO4Hagtha Posts: 396 Member
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    I just started "You Are Your Own Gym" by Mark Lauren. (the bible of bodyweight exercises).

    So at most you might need free weights?! I don't have bars or medicine ball, or kettlebells and really do want to invest for space reasons. I have adjustable weights that go up to 40lbs. If this is mostly body weight, then fantastic!!
  • MissMaggie3
    MissMaggie3 Posts: 2,464 Member
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    I'm doing NROL right now and it's been great. I have gained a great deal of strength and muscle. Once I'm done (I'm currently in phase 5 of 6) I think I'm going to look at doing the strong lifts program. NROL will have you doing a wide variety of exercises, I believe strong lifts has the basics (squats, deadlifts, bench presses, etc). I would like to get more squats and deadlifts in, great compound exercises that work many things at once.

    Best of luck, let me know if you have any questions on NROL.

    So is Stronglifts more for advanced lifters?


    stronglifts is a beginners program

    That's interesting, because I'm approaching the end of the NROLFW (I'm on Stage 5 right now) and wondering what to do next. In the discussion pages for the mfp group, most people say they are heading for stronglifts 5x5 next, so I assumed it was a more advanced program. The NROLFW does get quite complex and time-consuming, and there are various moves that don't seem to be really necessary, so I was also looking forward to something more simple. Think I'll do it anyway, for that reason.

    Don't get me wrong though, the NROLFW is good, and I would definitely recommend it if you can see yourself sticking to it for 5/6 months when some of the workouts are 90 minutes or even more if you do them exactly by the book (I cheat)!
  • mpf1
    mpf1 Posts: 1,437 Member
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    I have started ChaLean extreme-- did some of Jamie Eason's program for 2 weeks, and 2 weeks of NROLFW before that. I didn't like the book-only aspect of New Rules, and Jamie's program on bodybuilding.com had videos of how to do each exercise. Then I thought a structured program w/ DVDs might be something to follow through the summer. I may go back to some of the other programs, but ChaLean is meant to be done at home with dumb bells only, which I have. I don't have all the stuff for New Rules or Jamie Eason's workouts.
    Love to hear other people's thoughts for at home work outs! I bought P90x also but am not starting it until after ChaLean.
  • ChristyU74
    ChristyU74 Posts: 234 Member
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    I'm in NROLFW, Stage 6 and I have really loved learning to lift and all of the various workouts. At times though I have wanted to get back to the basics, and I think that's where Stronglifts comes in. It's not necessarily for beginners, but it has fewer specific exercises than NROL. With Stronglifts, you just focus on those few core lifts, but just keep adding on the weight. With NROL, as soon as I felt like I was really starting to make progress with an exercise, I moved on to the next stage and started new ones.

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