Workout beginner - help?

jenwalton
jenwalton Posts: 87 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been changing my diet and seeing some good results in the last couple of weeks. Tonight will mark my triumphant return to working out (but I haven't regularly worked out in years).

Can anyone recommend a good workout regimen for burning fat for a person with zero athletic ability / limited endurance (can't run a mile without stopping)? Ideally, I would like to "tone" my upper body as much as possible in the next three months (wearing a strapless dress in a friend's wedding).

These are the resources I have available: a treadmill in my basement, some 5 lb hand weights, Wii Fit (no balance board) and the resistance band that came with the Wii game. I do have a gym membership, but because they close at 9, I won't be able to go some days and want to come up with a great, effective workout at home.

As far as my specific level of fitness:

I once tried doing 30 Day Shred and literally fell asleep 10 minutes in to it. Not from boredom - I literally shredded myself to exhaustion.

I know I can do the "modified" versions of the exercises, but I think I need to work my way up to that. I can't even do a modified push-up! I have the upper-body strength of a rag doll : (

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • ItsSamantha
    ItsSamantha Posts: 127
    Check out this youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/BeFit
  • NostalgicMuse
    NostalgicMuse Posts: 340 Member
    go to youtube... check out BUTT BIBLE.... HERE IS THE FIRST ONE!! http://youtu.be/TcNxaXb5Ews

    14dj9n4.png

    KILL IT!!
  • sjewell79
    sjewell79 Posts: 45 Member
    Butt Bible was GREAT! i also have no upper body strength, anytime there are pushups i do them on the wall. My muscles still burn so I am getting the benefit at my level. i can now do some on my knees but not all the way to the ground so dont be discouraged. You can only get better!
  • Lcnena209
    Lcnena209 Posts: 60
    Take it one day at a time... take it eady in the beginning and work your way up. good luck:happy:
  • degausser234
    degausser234 Posts: 157 Member
    I would suggest finding a good walking pace to start out on with your treadmill. Then to boost your heart rate as well as calorie burn, you could switch every few minutes between this pace and a little higher pace or by changing incline, lifting hand weights, etc.

    Best of luck! :)
  • DontStopB_Leakin
    DontStopB_Leakin Posts: 3,863 Member
    I don't have any recommendations for upper body toning, but for cardio and endurance, I'd recommend either Zumba Fitness or Zumba fitness 2 for the WII. So. Much. Fun. After just a week of doing it, I'm already see an increased endurance and I have loads more energy throughout the day.

    I also tried 30 DS and I could just never get into it. I would literally loathe the idea of doing it every morning. I actually look forward to doing Zumba. Seriously. And trust me, I normally find ANY excuse to not exercise.
  • chezileigh
    chezileigh Posts: 255
    I'm doing 30DS and can't bust a push up to save my life, even modified, just working up to it as I go. I still burn though so am I benefiting x
  • sssygirl
    sssygirl Posts: 55 Member
    check the magazines like Health, Shape and Women's Health..they have great easy workouts you can do with weights or just your body weight.
    Also an easy start is doing push ups and dips every other day. Start small..its ok..I could not do them either..but I can now!

    As for Cardio, walk on your treadmill...if you want to get some bursts...try running for 1 minute then walking for 5...keep that up for a half hour-45 minutes..then after a couple days try running for 1min 30 seconds...and work your way up.

    Yoga is also a great work out for strength..try any on your TV or check out videos at the library.

    Good luck!
  • taintedbutterfly18
    taintedbutterfly18 Posts: 189 Member
    I take Zumba classes, but have heard good things about Zumba on wii as well. Zumba is fun and not boring. It's like being at a dance party which is why I love it. I started 10 months ago and wanted to die...but it takes time for endurance to be built up. Give yourself time to get to a comfortable level.
  • JenniferNoll
    JenniferNoll Posts: 367 Member
    I'm getting ready to start a DVD called Walk Away the Pounds. I've done it before, and it's a good way to start building up to the tougher stuff like Zumba and 30 day Shred.
  • APirc
    APirc Posts: 6
    Go Jen go! I recommend intervals on the treadmill, fastest way to burn calories! I also use hand weights while walking on the treadmill to work my arms.
  • krisiepoo
    krisiepoo Posts: 710 Member
    I hit reply and don't remember if you belong to a gym?

    alternate treadmill/weight lifting. Then you build muscle and burn fat.

    I go to the body pump class at my gym and it's great for someone who doesn't really get into the whole weight lifting thing... (not that I don't like the end result, I just get really bored).

    On the treadmill alternate inclines/speeds. I read once that you can up the speed during commercial breaks, or up the incline during the commercial breaks...

    Do something you enjoy that works up a sweat. That way you'll be more likely to continue
  • jenwalton
    jenwalton Posts: 87 Member
    I don't have any recommendations for upper body toning, but for cardio and endurance, I'd recommend either Zumba Fitness or Zumba fitness 2 for the WII. So. Much. Fun. After just a week of doing it, I'm already see an increased endurance and I have loads more energy throughout the day.

    I also tried 30 DS and I could just never get into it. I would literally loathe the idea of doing it every morning. I actually look forward to doing Zumba. Seriously. And trust me, I normally find ANY excuse to not exercise.

    Thanks! You're the third person who has recommended it! I will check it out, thanks!
  • jenwalton
    jenwalton Posts: 87 Member
    Go Jen go! I recommend intervals on the treadmill, fastest way to burn calories! I also use hand weights while walking on the treadmill to work my arms.

    Buddy - I tried to use hand weights on the treadmill and literally smacked myself in the lip with one! I'm soooooooo not coordinated. But I will give it another shot!
  • jenwalton
    jenwalton Posts: 87 Member
    Thanks for all the advice!!

    Intervals, zumba, hand weights, butt bible - all on my to-do list!
  • cindybowcut
    cindybowcut Posts: 250 Member
    When I started exercising in February, I would just walk. I also have a firm video that I just love. It is a mixture of cardio and weights. I also like water aerobics.
  • susi819
    susi819 Posts: 50 Member
    Hey, I saw the suggestions you were given, they are all great. I would recommend buying a heart rate monitor so you can monitor your heart rate and how many calories you burn. I have a Polar FT60, which I LOVE, but there are cheaper options like the FT4 that is good as well. Regarding working out, I started walking the first week and then increased my intensity. Now, week 8 and I am doing the Zumba DVDs since I don't have a wii. I hope this helps! Any questions, let me know.
  • cinemafromage
    cinemafromage Posts: 26
    I lost my first 50 lbs just with diet and walking! Walking is pretty great. I started with about 15 min every other day, then once that stopped being sore, bumped it up to 30 min every day. Wasn't long after that that I was out walking every day. Do as fast as you feel comfortable, take a break when you're too sore, just make sure you get back to it when you're no longer sore :)

    After about a month and a half of walking, you'll start getting curious on what else you can do, then the exercise will just snowball from there!

    As for the weights and toning, I use mostly dumbbells with guidance from a fit friend, but the Butt program everybody's suggested here looks great, so I'd go with that!
  • ♥Amy♥
    ♥Amy♥ Posts: 714 Member
    Jen-
    I lost the most of my weight solely by changing my diet and by taking walks around our subdivision and doing games on the Wii (Just Dance 2, EA Active 2, Zumba, Wii Sports & Wii Fit Plus) while my older son was at school and my younger one was napping.

    My walks started off just walking my older one to school and pushing the younger one in the stroller (.35 miles) and back and then just gradually walking more and more around the subdivision until I was walking around 3 miles or so at a time.

    You don't need to start off with anything intense at all. As long as your diet is in check and you are exercising in some way (getting your heart rate up and burning calories), then you are doing what is good for you and your health :)
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
    I believe that the guy at nowloss.com has wonderful workouts for people trying to lose weight and get fit. Lots of free video workouts and good knowledge of losing weight. All really aimed at beginner level.
  • SpazzyMal
    SpazzyMal Posts: 276 Member
    If you want to build up slowly, I suggest the book You Are Your Own Gym. It has good suggestions for easier versions of the typical bodyweight exercise movies, so you can take it step by step until you can do the tough version. You don't necessarily need to use weights to build strength, especially at the beginning. I'm not anti-weights or saying that you shouldn't use them when you're at the gym, though!

    As for cardio, just go outside for a run! I see you can't run a whole mile without stopping... that's okay! Most people can't! I suggest downloading the C25k application for your phone and using that program. It alternates walking and running, getting progressively harder until you're running the entire time for about 30 minutes.
  • mburger84
    mburger84 Posts: 19 Member
    just start walking! and jog as much of it as you can but dont get discouraged if you cant run a mile, jog when you can otherwise just walk at least 3x a week, daily if possible. also add in weight lifting, that helps a lot.
  • Goal_Line
    Goal_Line Posts: 474 Member
    just start walking! and jog as much of it as you can but dont get discouraged if you cant run a mile, jog when you can otherwise just walk at least 3x a week, daily if possible. also add in weight lifting, that helps a lot.

    second this
  • vtachycardia
    vtachycardia Posts: 374
    just start walking! and jog as much of it as you can but dont get discouraged if you cant run a mile, jog when you can otherwise just walk at least 3x a week, daily if possible. also add in weight lifting, that helps a lot.

    second this

    I don't. I loathe, despise, detest running especially distance running. BORING BORING BORING.

    If in my bid to lose weight, get fit and the only option was running then I would still be in terrible shape. Without one bit of runnning my 'practically dead' level of fitness is now pretty good, if fitness means, strength, stamina, balance, flexibility then I have it. And no bad knees, twisted ankles, jarred vertebrae or any of the other myriad of injuries that seem to befall my marathon, triathlon, ultra runner friends.

    Want to run, run. Want to work your body and your heart and your balance and your strength and your flexibility there are greater workouts to do in 30 to 45 minutes than running or walking. You want 'bang for your buck', not endless hours of drudgery when you could be doing other things.

    IMHO

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