home gym / weights

TurtleRunnerNC
TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello, looking for some advice. I have seen a lot about lifting heavy & I realize that using a home gym vs. Free weights / barbell is not really lifting heavy but at the moment it is what I have to work with.

I have a Hoist V4 Elite home gym w/ leg press attachment & a side attachment w/ a pully (don't know what it is called. Sorry).

I am currently at 131lbs. I walk / run about 3 miles per day but I want to add strength & weights. I am recovering from a herniated disc (lower lumbar) & have hip issues (arthritis).

What would a good workout on the home gym? How many reps of each exercise should I do for best results? I know I probably cannot get the same results as lifting heavy using machines but will I still get some results / benefits?

Thanks in advance.

Replies

  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    Bump
  • tship74
    tship74 Posts: 48
    Are you looking to build muscle to lose weight? Tine up? Or anything special?
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    Probably mostly build muscle. I woukd like to lose another 10lbs but not extremely stressed over tthe number if I can look better.

    I am pear shaped so I have large legs. If at least they looked toned or even muscular I wouldn't mind them being so darned large.

    I guess I want people to think I have nice athletic looking legs when they see them. Does that help? Make sense?
  • tlw81
    tlw81 Posts: 13 Member
    "Lifting heavy" is a relative term. I have a set of 15# dumbbells at home that are heavy for me, but a cake walk for the hubby. You should lift enough that it's challenging, but not so much that it's uncomfortable or too difficult to complete a set. I would start doing 10-12 reps at a moderate weight; whatever you can start off lifting easily, but the last 2-3 reps should be difficult. Lifting is a lot of trial-and-error. Good luck to you!
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    another dumb question. Do I rest between sets. If I am using the leg press for example - do I do 3 sets of whatever in a row or do a different exercise in between. If I do them in a row - do I rest between & for how long?
  • tlw81
    tlw81 Posts: 13 Member
    I usually rest about a minute between sets. Some people take two. It just depends on how much recovery time you need between sets to feel comfortable going on to the next one. Some people do what's called "active rest" and jog in place for a minute or two to keep their heart rates up. Again, it's whatever works for you. Also, the only way you wouldn't be resting between sets would be if you were doing a "super set", which would be, for example, alternating between lat pull downs 3x10 and seated row3x10 with no rest between sets. Bodybuilding.com has some really good programs, from beginner to advanced. And they also have exercises and videos you can watch. Check it out sometime if you get a chance. It's where I get a lot of my info from. Good luck!

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