Strength Training for a wimpy beginner

kr1stadee
kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I want to start lifting weights, and doing other strength training. I'm a ball of flab at the moment. I can MAYBE do 5 modified push ups.

I've been reading how good heavy lifting can be for women, and I want to get in on it!

What are some tips? How heavy should I lift, how many reps/sets, and what moves would be suggested? I have 5lb weights at home but I'm planning on heading out to get another set of dumbbells soon.

I could use all of the help I can get! Thanks so much!
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Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I want to start lifting weights, and doing other strength training. I'm a ball of flab at the moment. I can MAYBE do 5 modified push ups.

    I've been reading how good heavy lifting can be for women, and I want to get in on it!

    What are some tips? How heavy should I lift, how many reps/sets, and what moves would be suggested? I have 5lb weights at home but I'm planning on heading out to get another set of dumbbells soon.

    I could use all of the help I can get! Thanks so much!

    You should incorporate squats, deadlifts, chin ups/pull ups, overhead press, chest presses, etc into your base work out. Check out this thread http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/686963-large-collection-of-info-for-beginners

    Has a lot of good info for beginners. Starting out they say that you should do three times a work out with some kind of full body routine..i.e. deadlift, chest press, squat, overhead pres, arm curls ...etc...then once you adjust to that go for a more "advanced" kind of program...feel free to add me if you like...
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    For maximum results, check out a program like The New Rules of Lifting for Women or Strong Lifts. A program is a great way for a beginner to be introduced to strength training and learn good form.

    These programs are going to require you to use more equipment than a set of dumbbells though. Do you have access to a gym with free weights? You will probably need a bench press, an Olympic bar, a squat rack, and some (increasingly) heavy dumbbells. Keep in mind that "heavy" lifting means heavy for YOU. If you have to start out with the bar (45lbs), that's fine. You add weights slowly. Everyone can work at their own pace - that's the great part of strength training. You're not competing with anyone but yourself, so there is no pressure to bench press 150lbs right off the bat! Just strive to improve upon your own performance.


    If you aren't interested in doing free weights, you can always check out a program like P90X or a Jillian Michaels DVD like Ripped in 30 or 30 Day Shred. But, you won't see the same results with those programs as you would with a heavy lifting program.
  • joeamendiola
    joeamendiola Posts: 54
    They use to say; if you can't lift it 8 times its too heavy. If you can lift it more than 12 times, its too light. I know people who start off with just the bar.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    for a brand new beginner, the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels is more than enough. You can get it at Wal Mart or Target for like $8.00. When you can get through that, you will be ready to move on.

    All these folks here who say "lift heavy" is the only way to go seem to forget they were once new also.
  • angel_eyes17
    angel_eyes17 Posts: 103 Member
    30 Day Shred is on youtube for free. I highly recommend it.

    Lv.. 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pc-NizMgg8

    Lv. 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKdJ9jJv594

    Lv.. 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMN4g3D4ODE&feature=relmfu
  • melb2003
    melb2003 Posts: 198
    bump...
  • Stefanny91
    Stefanny91 Posts: 223 Member
    Do the 30 day shred!!! omg I've never had muscles before!!!! its all very new to me ... I have arm muscles leg muscles stomach muscles!!! seriously great for a beginner I highly recommend :P
  • Davidgettinghealthy
    Davidgettinghealthy Posts: 76
    bump for reading later.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    1) Stop calling yourself a wimp
    2) See step 1
    3) Look into a strength program and find one that interests you. NRoLFW, 30DS, P90X, Insanity, your body is a gym, StrongLifts, whatever.
    4) Give it an honest attempt for 6 to 8 weeks
    5) Adjust after that time as needed
    6) Profit.
  • JennafurC
    JennafurC Posts: 65 Member
    30 Day Shred is on youtube for free. I highly recommend it.

    Lv.. 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pc-NizMgg8

    Lv. 2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKdJ9jJv594

    Lv.. 3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMN4g3D4ODE&feature=relmfu

    YAY thanks! Somehow my dvd went missing and I've been putting off buying another one.
    I agree, start with 30 day shred, it is hard and will get you results
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
    Find a good book, site, or schedule a session with a trainer. Pick out a couple of exercise each for your

    Chest
    Shoulders
    Arms
    Legs.

    Use the five-pound weights for now. Work on your form (posture and breathing) before handling anything heavier.
  • MrTypical
    MrTypical Posts: 24
    Try Starting Strength by Mark Ripptoe. It's the basic "where to start" bible of lifting heavy.
  • Martucha123
    Martucha123 Posts: 1,089 Member
    Don't do 30 DS shred! it's not strenght training it's cardio with weights
    I mean do it if you want cardio, but clearly OP wants to start lifting.
    I reccomend StrongLifts or Starting Strenght
  • Klima
    Klima Posts: 7 Member
    Power 90 Beach Body video is really easy and has good tips for beginners. You can use free weights or a resistance band which works remarkably well. I started off with the beach bodies video for two or three months before going to body pump class at my gym. Its a good combo of activities. Good luck!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    They use to say; if you can't lift it 8 times its too heavy. If you can lift it more than 12 times, its too light. I know people who start off with just the bar.


    ???, a lot of strength training programs focus on a 5-6 rep range, so it depends. If you program stipulates 5 reps and you can do 7, then that weight is too light.
  • RCS17
    RCS17 Posts: 51 Member
    Try StrongLifts 5x5. I'm almost on week 5 and I'm much stronger than 5 weeks ago. Read up on proper form for each exercise, which I think most of it is on StrongLifts. Good luck!
  • JaziH
    JaziH Posts: 19 Member
    for a brand new beginner, the 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels is more than enough. You can get it at Wal Mart or Target for like $8.00. When you can get through that, you will be ready to move on.

    All these folks here who say "lift heavy" is the only way to go seem to forget they were once new also.

    You could save a few bucks and find the 30 day shred levels 1, 2 and 3 on youtube for free. Thats wheat i did then i hooked my laptop to my TV with a VGA cable and a sound cable. Its just like working out with a dvd but its free, which is always great !
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    Don't do 30 DS shred! it's not strenght training it's cardio with weights
    I mean do it if you want cardio, but clearly OP wants to start lifting.
    I reccomend StrongLifts or Starting Strenght

    you must not have done 30 DS. It is an excellent STARTING point. you can increase the weights Jillian uses as you progress.

    Anyone who says dont do the 30 DS either hasnt actually done it or they have been brainwashed by the "lift heavy " virus that has invaded this site.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
    **INSERTING MY OWN QUESTION**

    How much cardio is required in 30 Day Shred?

    I have a mild heart thing that keeps me from doing much cardio.

    will 30DS work if I skip the cardio?
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    **INSERTING MY OWN QUESTION**

    How much cardio is required in 30 Day Shred?

    I have a mild heart thing that keeps me from doing much cardio.

    will 30DS work if I skip the cardio?

    doubtful. it has alot of cardio,,,it isnt meant to be a weight program...it is a fat burning get in shape program
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    **INSERTING MY OWN QUESTION**

    How much cardio is required in 30 Day Shred?

    I have a mild heart thing that keeps me from doing much cardio.

    will 30DS work if I skip the cardio?

    It is a cardio program that uses light weights for added resistance.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    For maximum results, check out a program like The New Rules of Lifting for Women or Strong Lifts. A program is a great way for a beginner to be introduced to strength training and learn good form.

    These programs are going to require you to use more equipment than a set of dumbbells though. Do you have access to a gym with free weights? You will probably need a bench press, an Olympic bar, a squat rack, and some (increasingly) heavy dumbbells. Keep in mind that "heavy" lifting means heavy for YOU. If you have to start out with the bar (45lbs), that's fine. You add weights slowly. Everyone can work at their own pace - that's the great part of strength training. You're not competing with anyone but yourself, so there is no pressure to bench press 150lbs right off the bat! Just strive to improve upon your own performance.


    If you aren't interested in doing free weights, you can always check out a program like P90X or a Jillian Michaels DVD like Ripped in 30 or 30 Day Shred. But, you won't see the same results with those programs as you would with a heavy lifting program.

    This

    I ordered New Rules of Lifting for Women for my wife and she LOVES the book. She's eager to get in the gym and throw some weight around and doesn't let the giant hulksters in the back in the free weight section bother her, or the "mini-hulks," as she calls them, that hang around the dumb-bells and mirrors in the front bother her either. She goes in, does her program with what she can lift and enjoys the results. It makes going to the gym really fun.

    I suggest going with a partner if you go to the gym, but if you can't, go by yourself. If you can't get to a gym, or don't want to, then as mentioned above, there are several at home options to start with. Or start with a DVD and work your way to a gym.

    Caution: Lifting can become addicting. Building muscle can become addicting. (and I don't mean looking like a huge muscle bound man, because you can't look that way without come chemically induced help) When you start lifting you WILL be sore, but it's a good sore, the kind of sore you look forward to and when it's gone, you want it again.
  • bprague
    bprague Posts: 564 Member
    I just want to note that the term "lift heavy", unless we are talking true body builders, is probably used to indicate heavy to the individual in question. I know I say that I "lift heavy" but this means that every day I am challenging MYSELF to complete 6-8 reps per 3 sets. Heavy is relative to what I am capable of doing.


    So my advice to you, is to continually challenge yourself with your weights and use as many free weight exercises as you can. It should always be hard and it should pretty much suck by the end of your sets, but it should not cause you to lose proper form. When I first started I really liked this website for ideas and proper technique.

    http://www.sportsinjuryclinic.net/rehabilitation-exercises/free-weights-exercises
  • Stefanny91
    Stefanny91 Posts: 223 Member
    **INSERTING MY OWN QUESTION**

    How much cardio is required in 30 Day Shred?

    I have a mild heart thing that keeps me from doing much cardio.

    will 30DS work if I skip the cardio?


    its a circuit you do 2 minutes strength 2 minutes cardio and 1 minute abs .. X3 ... but they do a beginner modification to pretty much every move so if you are not strong enough to do the whole thing you can do a modified version to work yourself up to it.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    I want to start lifting weights, and doing other strength training. I'm a ball of flab at the moment. I can MAYBE do 5 modified push ups.

    I've been reading how good heavy lifting can be for women, and I want to get in on it!

    What are some tips? How heavy should I lift, how many reps/sets, and what moves would be suggested? I have 5lb weights at home but I'm planning on heading out to get another set of dumbbells soon.

    I could use all of the help I can get! Thanks so much!

    I always figure that since I am so heavy, that body weight exercises are "lifting heavy" for me. I found this link very useful when I first started considering strength training:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    I agree that you can't start off lifting heavy. Hell, when I started working out I could barely chest press a 40 pound dumbbell...actually I think I could only get it up once...lol...

    Now a 40 pound dumbbell is like a warm up if I am doing chest press..and i typically use 70 pounders for chest press...

    So weight is relative to where you are..

    If you have 5 pound weights...try those..if you can barely squeeze off 8 reps then keep at it for two weeks, and then keep bumping up five pounds every week...for squats and deadlifts just use the bar, it will help you work on form too...

    As long as you are seeing increased gains and are able to do MORE weight then its all good becuase you are progressing...

    Don't forget that diet is important too...
  • californiagirl2012
    californiagirl2012 Posts: 2,625 Member
    For maximum results, check out a program like The New Rules of Lifting for Women or Strong Lifts. A program is a great way for a beginner to be introduced to strength training and learn good form.

    These programs are going to require you to use more equipment than a set of dumbbells though. Do you have access to a gym with free weights? You will probably need a bench press, an Olympic bar, a squat rack, and some (increasingly) heavy dumbbells. Keep in mind that "heavy" lifting means heavy for YOU. If you have to start out with the bar (45lbs), that's fine. You add weights slowly. Everyone can work at their own pace - that's the great part of strength training. You're not competing with anyone but yourself, so there is no pressure to bench press 150lbs right off the bat! Just strive to improve upon your own performance.


    If you aren't interested in doing free weights, you can always check out a program like P90X or a Jillian Michaels DVD like Ripped in 30 or 30 Day Shred. But, you won't see the same results with those programs as you would with a heavy lifting program.

    I totally agree with this. I think you are best with free weights and you can do a lot with some bigger dumbbells and a bench for step ups, Bulgarian split squats, and bench steps, and one legged get ups, rows, kickbacks, etc. At some point you might want to get an easy curl bar or adjustable bar bell with some small plates. Find a good women's full body workout. The new rules of lifting for women sounds like a really good place to start.
  • NuggetLovesEdie
    NuggetLovesEdie Posts: 477 Member
    If you have a YMCA near you, many of them offer women's specific weight training classes, and all of them offer a couple of free introductory sessions with a personal trainer to make sure you are lifting properly so you don't injure yourself.
  • girlykate143
    girlykate143 Posts: 220 Member
    1) Stop calling yourself a wimp
    2) See step 1
    3) Look into a strength program and find one that interests you. NRoLFW, 30DS, P90X, Insanity, your body is a gym, StrongLifts, whatever.
    4) Give it an honest attempt for 6 to 8 weeks
    5) Adjust after that time as needed
    6) Profit.
    I agree. Stop the negative self talk, You have to switch it to only positive, because the more you say things like wimp and ball of flab, the more you will start to believe it, so stop it! :)
    Switch the thought to something like, hey, I *can* actually lift this! Or, hey, maybe I'm the only one at the moment here who can even do 5 pushups. Just keep doing them. Nobody is judging but you.
    Another thing to do to increase strength is little things. When I go to the grocery store, i don't usually push a cart. I carry a basket and as the basket gets heavier, well, then I know it's time to check out. Gallons of milk--check. Picking up a kid--check. Picking up my 20 lb cat with one arm and tossing him to the foot of the bed @ 5 a.m.--check. Walk up a few flights of stairs a day. Walk hills if you can. Little things.

    I don't know what the poster means by profit, but maybe you can make money off your muscles one day. :)
  • kr1stadee
    kr1stadee Posts: 1,774 Member
    Oooh wow lots of responses, thanks so much!!

    I'm at work right now, so I didn't get to read any, but I didn't want to post and run!!

    I'm kind of excited to see what everyone thinks after work!
    thanks again!! :)

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