Overwhelmed by Strenght Training, Help

Check out http://www.bodyrock.tv/category/daily-workouts/. These are mostly weightless strength workouts geared towards women. I'll do some research and get you some more good ones as well!

I have been in your exact place (down to height and weight) and learning how to work with weights really changed my life. I feel so much better about my body since going from doing only cardio to incorporating weights about six years ago.

Does your gym offer any group fitness classes? Look for titles like "Body Pump" or something similar. I got started by taking what was, essentially, a circuit training class. We would warm up, do some jumping around on a step or something similar and then move into fast-paced exercises with (light-ish) free weights, bands, and bodyweight exercises (pushups, triceps dips, etc.). The class was about an hour and man was it the greatest workout! Got my heart rate up AND I got a lean look that had just never come with cardio alone.

I will admit that I favor using free weights and bodyweight exercises to using the weight machines at the gym. The reason is that the machines tend to be far more isolating and only focus on one muscle or a limited group of muscles. Lifting free weights, doing squats, lunges and pushups, etc forces you to use more of your little stabilizing muscles. The downside is that form is far more important and it can take a bit more learning to get the form correct.

That said, if you want to use the machines, get one of the employees to show you around and teach you how to use them correctly and maybe even help you build a little circuit of exercises to do.

Hey there,

Yes, strength training is incredibally important. Most people think that the only way to lose weight is to do cardio. However, while dieting and only doing cardio, the body loses a lot of muscle and little fat (if your not obese). Dont get me wrong, cardio is definitely important if you want to increase your daily caloric expenditure. But studies have shown that people who only do cardio as a form of exercise, have the same amount of body fat as they did when they started their exercise routine. So they may look smaller, although it is due to loss of muscle. Furthermore, incorporating a strength training routine with your cardio will increase the amount of lean muscle in your body. Which will not only make you look more toned but also increase the amount of calories you will burn at rest. An hour of strength training is about 300 calories. Just a good number to remember.

Exercise recommendations (Cardio)

3-5 Days/week
15 min warm-up and cool-down
30-60 mins at correct heart rate

Exercise reccomendations (Resistance)

2-3 days/week
8-10 exercises for your full body
1-2 sets
12-25 reps
30-90 sec between exercises
24 hr rest after

Hope this helps!

The biggest thing is that you're moving! For me, I have a hard time remembering all of the various exercises that I could do. So, I purchased two sets of FitDeck cards, one standard and one with weights. A bootcamp trainer I had for a bit would use these during the class for various exercises and circuits. When I go to the gym it is 30-45 min of cardio and I pick out about 9 of the FitDeck cards. Usually, 3 arm/back, 3 abs, 3 legs and I'll run through the 9 exercises for 3-4 reps each. There are enough cards that you can mix it up quite a bit - got to alleviate the boredom. :-)
Good luck with whatever you decide on!

Hey there,

Yes, strength training is incredibally important. Most people think that the only way to lose weight is to do cardio. However, while dieting and only doing cardio, the body loses a lot of muscle and little fat (if your not obese). Dont get me wrong, cardio is definitely important if you want to increase your daily caloric expenditure. But studies have shown that people who only do cardio as a form of exercise, have the same amount of body fat as they did when they started their exercise routine. So they may look smaller, although it is due to loss of muscle. Furthermore, incorporating a strength training routine with your cardio will increase the amount of lean muscle in your body. Which will not only make you look more toned but also increase the amount of calories you will burn at rest. An hour of strength training is about 300 calories. Just a good number to remember.

Exercise recommendations (Cardio)

3-5 Days/week
15 min warm-up and cool-down
30-60 mins at correct heart rate

Exercise reccomendations (Resistance)

2-3 days/week
8-10 exercises for your full body
1-2 sets
12-25 reps
30-90 sec between exercises
24 hr rest after

Hope this helps!

25 reps is waaaaaaay too much. I wouldn't go any higher than 15 reps.

Start out with 2 sets of 10-15. When you can get through those 2 sets without any fatigue add a third set. When you are able to get through those 3 sets, add more weight.

Basic Exercises to Consider:

Squats
Lunges
Push ups
Lat Pull Downs
Bench Press
Shoulder Press
Bicep Curls
Tricep Press
Push Ups
Planks
Heel Raises
Rowing

tagging for the website to see later
I am overwhelmed by strength training as well

tagging for the website to see later
I am overwhelmed by strength training as well

Me too - Tagging for later!

Stay positive, I agree a trainer should be able to set you up with a program you can do on your own if you are not able to make the monetary commitment to a training package. Also many of the members would probably be happy to show you around. Take classes and meet some people, you will be surprised at how much you will learn!

Jesi
instructor/trainer