advice on the way I am trying to approach weight lifting

Carfoodel · September 2012

I really want to add proper weights training to my routine and bought the New Rules book and glanced through it - I realised that before I started a programme I would be best to get my form right and understand a bit more about what the moves were.
I saw someone in the gym and they looked like they knew what they were doing so asked them and they gave me a list of what I should be doing. I then booked a session with one of the gym trainers and said "show me how to do these"

This is my second week and I am still trying to work out how much I can manage to start with - could anyone that is experienced give the list below a glance and say either "yeah that's a good start but you are missing out ____" or even " you are not lifting nearly enough it's too puny try for lower reps at ...".(no need to sugar coat it for me) I would really appreciate this as I want to work on improving this each week. I am trying to do this 3 times a week with a day's break between and I do 10 reps in each set. I take a 30 /40 second gap between sets.

Squats: set 1 55lbs set 2 66 set 3 77 set 4 88 (this is with the really long bar, I was trying to find out what I could manage so was bumping it up each set of 10)
Benchpress: set 1 44lbs set 2 55lbs set 3 55lbs
Deadlifts 3 sets of 10 at 88lbs (I use the shorter regular bar for these)
Tricep pushdown 3 sets of 10 at 110lbs
Side Lat Raise 3 sets of 10 of 8.8lbs
Bicep curl 3 sets of 10 of 17lbs
Leg curl set 1 108lbs set 2 108lbs set 3 92lbs ( last week I did all 3 sets at 92lbs)
Leg extension set 1 108lbs set 2 108lbs set 3 92lbs
Leg press 3 sets of 10 at 507lbs

This may sink like a stone or you may say "go n google it yourself" which is a fair comment - but would love to know if I am kinda taking the right approach as I know I am winging it a bit. If it's relevant I am 45, 5 ft 2 231lbs I have lost 66lbs so far and 84lbs is my half way mark, I anticipate this will take me about a year and I want weights to be part of the improvement.

thanks in advance to anyone that takes the time to read this/comment.

iWaffle · September 2012

Squats
Dead lifts
Leg press
Leg curl
Leg extension

Great exercises. On squats and dead lifts t you should definitely start off easier and get your form and posture down correctly. There's no need to go for world records. Simply squatting the bar (the long bar) is enough to make most people sore if they're new to this. The leg curl and extension are isolation exercises. I would do these at the end of your workout because the machines help with form and it's not going to hurt you to go to failure on these.

Call this "leg day" There's no need to do upper body on the same day as these. Your legs are nearly 50% of your muscle mass. Devote an entire day to just doing these.

[quote
Benchpress (dumb bell or barbell)
Lat pulldown or rows
Overhead dumb bell shoulder press
Tricep pushdown
Bicep curl
side lateral raises
[/quote]

I tweaked this a bit. Let's not neglect the back muscles. Believe it or not they're actually bigger and more powerful than the chest. Add in something like lat pull down or bent over rows. Also note here once again that I moved the isolation exercises to the end of the set. Do the bigger compound movements first and the isolation movements towards the end.

Personally I would split it and have a leg day and upper body day. That lets you rest one body part while working the other. How much weight? If 10 reps is all you can do then great. If you can do more then increase the weight slightly.

Plates559 · September 2012

I'd recommend doing the work out routine that comes in the New Rules book.

Carfoodel · September 2012

Thanks Plates559 - I as still working my way through the New Rules Book and I don't want to take the book to the gym with me - just want to go in and have a good idea what I am doing and just get on with it, rather than stopping and refering to the book for each one. I figured if I got familiar with the exercises themselves first then I could move on to a programme like New Rules or SL 5*5 - but I want to make sure that I am getting the basics right.

Thanks iWaffle for taking the time to look over it and give me suggestions, it's really appreciated. I will take your suggestions on board about a "leg day" and making sure I am covering the back muscles by adding the overhead shoulder press and lat pulldown.

nz_deevaa · September 2012

If you don't want to take the book into the gym with you, maybe try StrongLifts 5 x 5.

There are only 5 lifts and you do 5 sets of 5 reps. Easy Peasy.

Squats.
Deadlifts.
Rows.
Overhead Press.
Bench.

nz_deevaa · September 2012

(you only do 3 lifts a session, not all 5).

Carfoodel · September 2012

Thanks - and does that get to all the muscle groups by just doing that? - do you ever mix it up or is it a case of doing the same thing all the time and just increase the weight whenever you can?

I love my cardio and I have it fixed in my head that variety change and mixing it up is the key - are weights the opposite approach? in that the only thing that changes is the weight?

(I know that's a really basic question but the more I ponder it the more confused I get lol)

krundell88 · September 2012

Have you tried a les mills body pump class? I found that a great introduction to weight training in terms of using it to slim down rather than to bulk up.

Martucha123 · September 2012

yes
you will get whole body workout just with 3 moves.
once you finish the book just start the program, it's great!

Good luck

beckssmith70 · September 2012

I used to do three sets and increase the weight and lower the reps each time

ie For bicep curls

15 reps @ 5kg - warm up
10 reps @ 7kg
8 reps @ 10kg

That is an example! I cannot remember what I used to lift.

When you finished your sets don't drop the weights as it will cause more tears, as slowly as you can possibly do it until your arms are shaking!

I used to do as much weight work as I possibly could making sure that I gave the muscle rest,
day 1 upper body & abs
day 2 lower body & abs
day 3 day off weights
day 4 upper body & abs
day 5 lower body & abs
day 6 day off
day 7 upper body and abs

dinosnopro · September 2012

If you don't want to take the book into the gym with you, maybe try StrongLifts 5 x 5.

There are only 5 lifts and you do 5 sets of 5 reps. Easy Peasy.

Squats.
Deadlifts.
Rows.
Overhead Press.
Bench.

QFT

Carfoodel · September 2012

That's great, thanks for all the replies - I guess I am over-thinking it ( as usual lol) it seems deceptively easy.

They don't have any classes like body pump at my gym - I do kettlebell classes and use fitness blender at home and do their kettlebells, dumbells (but low weights) and HIIT workouts - and up till now have done loads of cardio.

doing the drop in reps but increase in weight sounds like it would be a good way of building it up too - thanks for that beckssmith70

cheers again for everyone taking the time to reply

meribethd · September 2012

I have done both New Rules and Stronglifts 5x5 and while both programs are really good, Stonglifts is better if you don't want to bring a book w/you. However, you should bring a notebook or something to write down your weights and number of reps you completed in each set so you can progress accordingly.

The SL exercises are full body exercises; they don't isolate muscles but they are fantastic exercises. if you have good form and get to weights heavy enough that you are really pushing yourself, those exercises will absolutely help you! Squats are great for full body--legs, core, balance. And deads are maybe the best full body lift you can do.

Anyway, like I said I really like NROLFW but if you aren't really going to follow the book, I'd do Stronglifts instead. Good luck!

ritmeyer · September 2012

I started New rules 5 weeks ago. the first 8 weeks are the same 2 workouts, with only 5 "moves" each workout. I brought the book the first week, just to make sure my form was good on the squats & deadlifts and since then I just know that now, I'm 3 sets, 10 reps on everything, but abs is 20. Super easy. I was inbetween dress sizes, on the last bit of weight I wanted to lose. I am now firmly in the low dress size and have been getting serious compliements on my muscle definition, which was pretty good to begin with.

My suggestion...do the program in New Rules for Women since you already have it!! Once I'm done with that program, I'm moving on to strong lifts.

Carfoodel · September 2012

Thanks meribethd I do take a wee notepad and write down my sets and I really am trying to push myself - the first day I had DOMS from the squats for days and was still looking forward to trying again lol. Stonglifts does sound a simple option.

cheers

bokodasu · September 2012

Make yourself a cheat sheet using the NROL program - just list the names of everything you want to do that day (maybe with a little note if you know there's something you need to remember about a lift) and have a space to record your sets. It's one sheet of paper and you won't forget anything. Take it to your trainer, too, and let them know these are the things you want to work on - it's SO much easier to work on your form if you have someone who can watch what you're doing and point out how to fix it, plus they'll probably have advice on how to order your workouts, if you should be doing splits, and what they should be if you should.

For figuring out how much you should be starting with - my rule of thumb is that if I can do any set of 15, I need to move up. If I can't do a first set of 8, I need to bump it back down.

advice on the way I am trying to approach weight lifting

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