Lifting weights at home advice please!

sarahbrown1015

So... I have lost a total of 50 lbs. 18 on MFP. However, it has taken me 2 1/2 years to do so. And the more I take my fitness and diet seriously, I am convinced that I should be lifting heavier weights more frequently. I am currently running(shuffling) 3 times a week and doing a boot camp dvd 3 times a week with 8lb weights. This is new. I had been using 5lb weights forever and already the scale has started to move a little for me. And while this is, of course , about the scale, I am starting to think about long term health and strength. The problem is, I am not going to join a gym. I know myself well enough to know that if I can not do it in my living room or on the sidewalk, it is not happening. I am willing to buy heavier free weights but I'm not sure where to go from there. There are so many routines on the internet and it is a little overwhelming. I don't have room for a barbell. Everyone talks about The New Rules of Lifting For women, but Will this teach me how to workout at home? Is there a dvd that is strictly weights? A particular website? I appreciate any feedback!

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

I believe that NROL will teach you the lifts and it is an entire workout program, so it will take the guess work out but I have never read the book or done the workout. When I decided to get into lifting, I bought the book "The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises". It has illustrations of each exercise as well as variation and it has many pre-designed workouts. If you don't want to buy a book, I would suggest a website like bodybuilding.com as they have a load of beginner workouts and you can also find video demonstrations of how to do the exercises on the site.

I hope this helps!

Oh, and stay with something that focuses on compound lifts and the basics...keep it simple starting out.

FullOfWin

If you don't want to go to a gym or buy a lot of equipment, you might be better off with a bodyweight routine like "You are your own gym"

AmyRhubarb

Your situation sounds similar to mine - I'd love to lift heavier, but no room or cash for barbells at home, and no gym membership. I have dumbbells, 8 - 20 lbs, and I've been using them with the Nike Training Club app. Heaps of workouts in the app, from 15-45 minutes, with lots of variety. I have used some of the full body workouts, but mostly the focused, 15 minute segments that focus on one area, like arms, shoulders, legs, etc. You can see my arm results in my profile pic.

If you're curious about NROLFW, check it out from your library first, and see if it's something you could do at home. I have read that one and New Rules Of Lifting For Abs - finally bought the Abs one hoping hubby might also use it if we get all the equipment someday.

But for just dumbbells, there are some good online workouts you could use as well:
http://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/dumbbell-only-home-or-gym-fullbody-workout.html
http://www.building-muscle101.com/dumbbell-workout-routine.html

chrishgt4

An excellent routine is the 5x5 routine which has different ways but an ideal starter version is based on 3 workouts a week and is below. FYI - 5x5 means 5 sets of 5. 2x5 would be 2 sets of 5 etc.

You do 2 sets as warm ups then go into 3 proper or "Stabilizer" sets.

1st set is at 60% of your stabilizerset weight
2nd set is at 80% of your stabilizer set weight
Then you do 3 sets of 5 with 100%

It takes a little time to work out what weight you should be using and it's basically trial and error.

So for example in the above - If I was intending to squat 100kg I would do 5 reps of 60kg, then rest for 3 or so minutes. I would then do 5 reps of 80kg, then rest a few minutes. Then I would put 100kg on and do 3 sets of 5 of that, resting for 3 minutes in between each

Now, if you can do all of that, it means you should up the weight next time out, then keep working your way back up to being able to do 3 sets of 5, each time you can - you up the weight next time.

Workout A

Back Squats 5x5
Chin-Ups or Pull-Ups 5x5
Dips or Bench Press 5x5
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Workout B

Front Squats 5x5
Rows 5x5
Standing Press 5x5
Deadlifts 3x5 (2 warm-up sets and 1 "stabilizer set")
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B
Week 3: A, B, etc

sarahbrown1015

Thanks!!! I'm going to try all of it! And thanks for the clarification of what 5x5 means. I have tried to look up and do workouts on my own but they fell short.

FullOfWin

An excellent routine is the 5x5 routine which has different ways but an ideal starter version is based on 3 workouts a week and is below. FYI - 5x5 means 5 sets of 5. 2x5 would be 2 sets of 5 etc.

You do 2 sets as warm ups then go into 3 proper or "Stabilizer" sets.

1st set is at 60% of your stabilizerset weight
2nd set is at 80% of your stabilizer set weight
Then you do 3 sets of 5 with 100%

It takes a little time to work out what weight you should be using and it's basically trial and error.

So for example in the above - If I was intending to squat 100kg I would do 5 reps of 60kg, then rest for 3 or so minutes. I would then do 5 reps of 80kg, then rest a few minutes. Then I would put 100kg on and do 3 sets of 5 of that, resting for 3 minutes in between each

Now, if you can do all of that, it means you should up the weight next time out, then keep working your way back up to being able to do 3 sets of 5, each time you can - you up the weight next time.

Workout A

Back Squats 5x5
Chin-Ups or Pull-Ups 5x5
Dips or Bench Press 5x5
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Workout B

Front Squats 5x5
Rows 5x5
Standing Press 5x5
Deadlifts 3x5 (2 warm-up sets and 1 "stabilizer set")
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B
Week 3: A, B, etc

no credit to Reg Park brah?

chrishgt4

An excellent routine is the 5x5 routine which has different ways but an ideal starter version is based on 3 workouts a week and is below. FYI - 5x5 means 5 sets of 5. 2x5 would be 2 sets of 5 etc.

You do 2 sets as warm ups then go into 3 proper or "Stabilizer" sets.

1st set is at 60% of your stabilizerset weight
2nd set is at 80% of your stabilizer set weight
Then you do 3 sets of 5 with 100%

It takes a little time to work out what weight you should be using and it's basically trial and error.

So for example in the above - If I was intending to squat 100kg I would do 5 reps of 60kg, then rest for 3 or so minutes. I would then do 5 reps of 80kg, then rest a few minutes. Then I would put 100kg on and do 3 sets of 5 of that, resting for 3 minutes in between each

Now, if you can do all of that, it means you should up the weight next time out, then keep working your way back up to being able to do 3 sets of 5, each time you can - you up the weight next time.

Workout A

Back Squats 5x5
Chin-Ups or Pull-Ups 5x5
Dips or Bench Press 5x5
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Workout B

Front Squats 5x5
Rows 5x5
Standing Press 5x5
Deadlifts 3x5 (2 warm-up sets and 1 "stabilizer set")
Wrist Work 2x10
Calves 2x15-20

Week 1: A, B, A
Week 2: B, A, B
Week 3: A, B, etc

no credit to Reg Park brah?

Haha ALLLLL credit to Reg Park