Newbie at Lifting Weights!.. Please Help!

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sarahmartin2013
sarahmartin2013 Posts: 91
in Fitness and Exercise
So how much weight do I need to do?.. How many reps? and how many at one time.. Example: Like 5 reps doing whatever 5 times with how much weight.. Please help!.. I took everyones advice on going to strength part of the gym instead of just cardio.. and now I'm lost..

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  • kanncm
    kanncm Posts: 139 Member
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    This is hard without knowing your goals. Let me suggest gainfitness.com. It is basically a free personal trainer. You tell it what you want to work and how much time you have and it will put together a workout for you. As far as weight, you are going to have to start light and build up.
  • OkieTink
    OkieTink Posts: 285 Member
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    Let Google be your friend...

    http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/a/liftingheavy_2.htm
  • jessicasweeney76
    jessicasweeney76 Posts: 3 Member
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    I would highly suggest hiring a personal trainer if you can afford to do so....even if for only a few sessions. The reason I say this is because for a couple of years, I lifted weights on my own; learning from websites and watching other people in the gym. A year and a half ago, I hired a personal trainer to work with me once a week and I've learned so much....and I also have learned that much of my technique was all wrong - to the point that I had incurred a knee injury from improper squatting (which is now remedied from my work with my trainer) . It really does help to have someone show you the right way to lift, and to evaluate your goals and help you put a plan together to hit those goals.

    Best of luck to you! Nothing is more empowering to me than lifting. It's a great feeling:)
  • CKJ118
    CKJ118 Posts: 54
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    I do weights at the gym with one of the trainers and he told me that a good goal is 8 reps at a time and to aim for at least 3 sets. I am in no way an authority on lifting and am not sure of what weight you are on, but that was his suggestion for doing weights.
  • MyOwnSunshine
    MyOwnSunshine Posts: 1,312 Member
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    I would recommend one of the following programs, instead of trying to go it on your own and figure it out from scratch:

    New Rules of Lifting for Women (a book by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove)

    Stronglifts 5x5 (a program you can download from the internet)

    Starting Strength (a book by Mark Rippetoe)

    Why reinvent the wheel when experts have already figured it out for you?

    It's much better to hit the weight room with a plan, instead of just going in and fooling around with the weights. Once you've done one of the programs, you'll have a better idea of what you want and need to tweak.
  • sarahmartin2013
    sarahmartin2013 Posts: 91
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    Thanks everyone for your input!!
  • Loftearmen
    Loftearmen Posts: 380
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    stronglifts.com
  • angel101netta
    angel101netta Posts: 152 Member
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    bump
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
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    I would recommend one of the following programs, instead of trying to go it on your own and figure it out from scratch:

    New Rules of Lifting for Women (a book by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove)

    Stronglifts 5x5 (a program you can download from the internet)

    Starting Strength (a book by Mark Rippetoe)

    Why reinvent the wheel when experts have already figured it out for you?

    It's much better to hit the weight room with a plan, instead of just going in and fooling around with the weights. Once you've done one of the programs, you'll have a better idea of what you want and need to tweak.

    Or if you want to skip the StrongLifts pdf.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

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