Strength training

mfp116

so im very new to the whole weightloss thing and as time goes on ive realised (which i wouldnt of known if it wasnt for this website)
that i need to do strength training not only for muscle tone but to hopefully reduce the chances of me having loose skin once all the weight is gone now its all fine and dandy saying id rather have loose skin than be fat but surely if its possible to avoid it i want to try do it at all costs

now to my question... im a novice at this whole thing so ... a little help with the whole strength training please?! where do i start! what do i do etc

jacksonpt

That's a big question.

Do you have a gym locally you can join? If not, do you have any gear at home? If not, are you willing to buy some? How much time do you have to commit to this?

mfp116

i dont have a gym but im more than willing to buy weights and whatever else i may need
i just need to know what to do is all! and im not sure an hour or so?

jacksonpt

ok, good.

There are a few ways to start. Most people will say you should look into the following 3 options: New Rules of Lifting (they have a women's version if you're interested), Starting Strength, and StrongLifts. The latter 2 are very similar and have a wealth of info available online if you're willing to do some research. New Rules is a book. All 3 are very successful.

Your other option is to join a gym and/or see a personal trainer and have them plan things out for you. Certainly this option is more expensive, but if you stick with it there is more accountability (for people who need it) and more personalization (for those who want it).

mfp116

may have to give that a try because a gym/personal trainer is definitely not within my price range all i can do is maybe buy a few weights and do what i can at home unfortunately

mdbs2004

Look into jilliam michaels stuff. She uses power bands and free weights in some of her workouts.

jacksonpt

Nothing wrong with that... there are LOTS of people doing awesome workouts at home.

Look at craigslist and similar for used gear... lots of it around and it's a good way to save some money. Probably a good idea to decide on which program you want to do first, as that may well determine what gear you need now and what you can hold off on.

Lastly, if doing at home, spend some time youtubing Mark Rippetoe - he's got some great videos for technique, which is really important.

WendyTerry420

My suggestion is to start with body weight exercises, unless you can afford to join a gym and pay a personal trainer.

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

domgirl85

Visit fitnessmagazine.com. That's how I learned most of what I know related to weight training (as well as exercising as a whole and food). It's a great resource to slowly learn more and more. I rarely perform an entire featured workout. I use the website and a collection of issues to pair moves together for the best workout possible. I refer back to past issues ALL THE TIME

nikinyx6

My suggestion is to start with body weight exercises, unless you can afford to join a gym and pay a personal trainer.

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

Agree! body weight is the way to go, push ups, sit ups, squats, pull ups, etc...

urloved33

If you have access to a gym then starting with the machines is the simplest thing to do..and simple equates to actually doing it. If you do not have access to a gym or weights anything can be used. I saw a clip on empty plastic milk bottles filled to the desired weight with either sand or water used as weights.

californiagirl2012

Well I've been a lifter and runner for over 30 years and in my humble opinion the best strength training EVER for overall health, functionality, and LOOKS, is the Venus Index for women and the Adonis Index for men. Not only do you get the workout but you get some amazing insights into how to set goals for yourself, metrics and calories, the truth about calories, etc.

I am really glad I lift and have done so for so long because not only does it help with my loose skin (I am almost 52 and I lost 60 after being obese so yes I have loose skin - but even younger people get this), but here is the CLINCHER --> I just recently got a DXA scan done to check my bone density because of my age, and it was nice because it gave me my body fat, etc. Anyway it shows that at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting keeps you younger I don't know what is!

blog bobbiesfitness.com

lydt5880

I recently bought a Human Kinetics book by Irene l=Lewis-McCormick, it is brilliant for beginners and teacher you so much more than others plus it tells you the way to do Strength Training at home with free weights.

Bentley2718

Unless you plan to put on enough muscle to be the same size you were when you were fat, strength training is not going to help your extra skin. For example, I used to weigh 80 pounds more than I do now, and I have a fair bit of extra skin, however, it would be both undesirable, and basically physically impossible, for me to put on enough muscle to "fill out" my extra skin.

sjohnny

Nothing wrong with that... there are LOTS of people doing awesome workouts at home.

Look at craigslist and similar for used gear... lots of it around and it's a good way to save some money. Probably a good idea to decide on which program you want to do first, as that may well determine what gear you need now and what you can hold off on.

Lastly, if doing at home, spend some time youtubing Mark Rippetoe - he's got some great videos for technique, which is really important.

This is exactly what I've done. I have a bench, an adjustable rack and an olympic bar and weights up to about 320lbs. I have about $200-$250 in the whole thing and my initial outlay was around $125 to get the bench and about 140lbs of weights/bar.

The Mark Rippetoe videos and articles are really helpful.

Bentley2718

Well I've been a lifter and runner for over 30 years and in my humble opinion the best strength training EVER for overall health, functionality, and LOOKS, is the Venus Index for women and the Adonis Index for men. Not only do you get the workout but you get some amazing insights into how to set goals for yourself, metrics and calories, the truth about calories, etc.

I am really glad I lift and have done so for so long because not only does it help with my loose skin (I am almost 52 and I lost 60 after being obese so yes I have loose skin - but even younger people get this), but here is the CLINCHER --> I just recently got a DXA scan done to check my bone density because of my age, and it was nice because it gave me my body fat, etc. Anyway it shows that at 51.5 years of age I have the bone density of a super athletic 30 year old. Now if that is not scientific proof that lifting keeps you younger I don't know what is!

blog bobbiesfitness.com

The project of science is not to "prove" things, the project of science is to systematically investigate phenomena and rule out unlikely explanations. Also, a single case study does little to demonstrate anything, there are any number of factors that contribute to bone density.

daisiecpa

My suggestion is to start with body weight exercises, unless you can afford to join a gym and pay a personal trainer.

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

that is what i just started doing. this is my 2nd week. i do a modified lower rep version of the leg exercises. as i did the full version and paid for it the next day pain wise. but now im working my way back up.

mfp116

thank you so much everyone im looking into everything youve all told me and hopefully ill be able to get started on my strength training!

jacksonpt

regarding body weight exercises...


I didn't mention them in my original post because I'm not a fan of them when weights are an option. Body weight exercises can work just fine, but the biggest problem with them is the inability to add weight after a certain point. Sure, you can go from traditional squats to 1-legged squats. You can go from traditional pushups to single arm push-ups, etc. But then what?

The ceiling on free weights is almost non-existent. But there is a very definite ceiling on body weight exercises.

nikinyx6

regarding body weight exercises...


I didn't mention them in my original post because I'm not a fan of them when weights are an option. Body weight exercises can work just fine, but the biggest problem with them is the inability to add weight after a certain point. Sure, you can go from traditional squats to 1-legged squats. You can go from traditional pushups to single arm push-ups, etc. But then what?

The ceiling on free weights is almost non-existent. But there is a very definite ceiling on body weight exercises.

Add weight.

Squats with handweights, pushups with a weight belt, one arm, feet inclined, body weight exercises can be modified in oh-so-many ways

brandiuntz

I do body weight and dumbbell exercises at home. You definitely don't need a gym. If you can afford and have space for a bench, barbell at home, that's the way to go. You can get excellent results from body weight and hand weights, though. The key with any of it is to build upon your results with heavier weights and harder versions as you progress.