Weight lift beginner advice?
tineeeka1990
Posts: 11
Okay so just bought a set of 2kg dumbbells and as I've never lifted before I just wondered how I should start off? Like how many lifts on each side etc?
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Replies
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Depends on your goals. I'm assuming you want to build at least a little muscle to tone up, so you need to go until the last few reps are a real struggle. Which is, of course, individual.
Generally start with 3 sets of 15 reps each. Add more sets and/or more reps as needed.0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?0 -
I found this site helpful ( http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/ ) in regards to showing different techniques, as a general rule feet shoulder width apart , back straight, head up, looking forward0
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You won't get bulky with 2kg dumbbells.
A 2kg dumbbell is probably only just heavier than your handbag.
Did you buy them with no plan what-so-ever?
I suggest looking into bodyweight exercises - google 'you are your own gym'.0 -
Always try to do the lifts standing, because it engages more of your body, including your core.
The position of the arms depends on what you're doing. If you can lift in front of a mirror to make sure you have proper form, that's good.
Be sure to squeeze the activating muscle, particularly at the top of the lift. Also, if you can, grip the weights as hard as you can, white knuckle 'em. This will add to your grip strength, and work your forearms at the same time, which will increase your functional strength.
I'm guessing you have a routine from somewhere. Hopefully it includes lower body exercises, such as squats and lunges, along with upper body exercises like shoulder and back flies, and of course arm exercises, like curls and tricep kickbacks.
As to bulking up, that's just not gonna happen. You have to eat at a calorie surplus, load up on protein, and overcome the lack of testosterone in your body. You could replace three pounds of fat with three pounds of muscle and you would still look mighty lean.0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?
Not sure if serious0 -
It is very difficult for a women to bulk up. I am not a lifter, but I have female friends that are and they are thin (US size 2-4). They usually lift 3-4x per week and can lift more than some guys I know...usually 100ish pounds. As someone else mentioned, you have to really try to bulk up by eating calorie surpluses and protein so don't be scared to lift heavy! If you're eating to maintain or lose, you definitely won't bulk!0
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To who said "not sure if serious," yes I am, why would I ask if I wasn't. I clearly said I'm a BEGINNER so I do apologise if my questions seem dumb to you, but that's exactly why I'm asking questions, to GAIN the knowledge that I so clearly lack. Jeez. Why do so many people on here feel the need to make others feel stupid? We all have to start somewhere!
Thank you those of you however who actually gave advice
I bought the dumbbells I did purely going by the five star beginner rating they have.
And yes I have a routine. I do an exercise DVD every day, which includes a warm up, an aerobic section, a tone up section which includes squats, lunges, press ups, sit ups and more, and then a cool down section. I then follow it up with 45 minutes on my Reebok Z9 exercise bike 0 -
To be honest, 2kg really isn't enough weight to do much of anything. Lifting should be a strain. Using dumbell weights during cardio is one thing, but if it's lifting and strength/toning you're after, I think 2kg is too light.
I found the beginner's programme at nerdfitness.com great... all you need is one heavyish weight (I use an 8kg kettle bell) and your own motivation. Start slow and it's mostly using your own body weight. You can finish this workout in under 30min and do it in your own room with limited space.0 -
Don't be afraid to start at a low weight. You will get more benefit by learning proper form and technique then you will just by leaping ahead to a heavier weight.
Learn to really squeeze the activated muscles. Make sure you are breathing properly (exhale throughout the exertion). Apply inward pressure to your abdominals, not external pressure, particularly during squats and lunges.
That being said, you won't want to stay at those 2kg dumbbells for long. But only you know your body. If the last few reps are a real struggle, then you're ok. If you have energy to spare, then move up. Simple as that.0 -
To who said "not sure if serious," yes I am, why would I ask if I wasn't. I clearly said I'm a BEGINNER so I do apologise if my questions seem dumb to you, but that's exactly why I'm asking questions, to GAIN the knowledge that I so clearly lack. Jeez. Why do so many people on here feel the need to make others feel stupid? We all have to start somewhere!
Thank you those of you however who actually gave advice
I bought the dumbbells I did purely going by the five star beginner rating they have.
And yes I have a routine. I do an exercise DVD every day, which includes a warm up, an aerobic section, a tone up section which includes squats, lunges, press ups, sit ups and more, and then a cool down section. I then follow it up with 45 minutes on my Reebok Z9 exercise bike
you're not stupid.
women who think that they shouldn't lift heavy weights because they are afraid they will bulk up is a pet peeve of many people on here. it's a pet peeve because many people are true believers in the benefits of strength training and they see lots of women afraid to try it because of that "worry". they find that mindset frustrating, that's all.
you can't bulk up because you don't have the hormones to bulk up. you can become very strong and fit though.
those 2kg dumbbells will be of little use to you. they may work for a week or two, but after that, they'll only be useful as door stops.
you want to get dumbbell bars and separate weights that allow you to increase your weight as you progress.
lifting weights for strength requires challenging your body to failure. only when you push them to failure will your muscles adapt and get stronger and larger. that's why you'll need to keep increasing the weight... you'll need to constantly challenge them.
rather than investing alot of money in the necessary equipment as a beginner, perhaps you should find a gym that has strength training equipment where you can find everything you need and learn the various exercises and form you should be using.
at a later time, when you know which exercises you'll want to be able to do at home, you can then invest in some good quality adjustable weight sets (benches, bars, various barbell weights).0 -
To who said "not sure if serious," yes I am, why would I ask if I wasn't. I clearly said I'm a BEGINNER so I do apologise if my questions seem dumb to you, but that's exactly why I'm asking questions, to GAIN the knowledge that I so clearly lack. Jeez. Why do so many people on here feel the need to make others feel stupid? We all have to start somewhere!
Thank you those of you however who actually gave advice
I bought the dumbbells I did purely going by the five star beginner rating they have.
And yes I have a routine. I do an exercise DVD every day, which includes a warm up, an aerobic section, a tone up section which includes squats, lunges, press ups, sit ups and more, and then a cool down section. I then follow it up with 45 minutes on my Reebok Z9 exercise bike
Im with you on this one. How would you know unless you ask? I think it is a good idea to start on a lower weight, you will learn how to do it right and get a good workout routine that you can add to with extra weights when ready. I have recently started lifting too and am building it up from a low weight as iv never realy used these muscles in this way and want to do it right and not cause injury. Well done you for going for it. Ignore people who think insults are advice.0 -
And yes I have a routine. I do an exercise DVD every day, which includes a warm up, an aerobic section, a tone up section which includes squats, lunges, press ups, sit ups and more, and then a cool down section. I then follow it up with 45 minutes on my Reebok Z9 exercise bike
Hang on.
Your original post asked how many lifts per-side etc. which makes it sound like you brought weights with absolutely no plan.
So does your exercise DVD not tell you what to do with the weights?0 -
rather than investing alot of money in the necessary equipment as a beginner, perhaps you should find a gym that has strength training equipment where you can find everything you need and learn the various exercises and form you should be using.
at a later time, when you know which exercises you'll want to be able to do at home, you can then invest in some good quality adjustable weight sets (benches, bars, various barbell weights).
this is great advice. You are already doing some bodyweight exercises (as someone else suggested - google 'you are your own gym' for more ideas)
But you will want to move on from your 2kg dumbbells soon. As an example, I am a beginner to lifting 9admittedly going down the lifting heavy route), but a pair of 7.5kg is what I am working with already. You will progress pretty quickly past the 2kg dumbbell level so it may be worth even for a short time joiingin a gym where there is a good variety of weights. Form is key, but honestly, I find that I need some substance to lift to even get form right (especially to sort out balance), and 2kg wouldn't be enough.
good luck and keep asking questions. Youtube has some good videos you could look through.0 -
Hi:
The amount of reps will depend on what type of body you would like. If you want a lean body then you would do more reps, lighter weight. If you are looking for mass then you would do less reps and more weight. For a lean body I would do between 8 to 15 reps and for more body mass between 3 to 8 reps. Whether heavy or light weights keep the intensity up by resting for no more than 30 seconds between sets. I have two complete 4 day cycle workouts. One of the cycles is heavy and one is light. This seems to work for me.
Best advice...for the first couple of workouts basically go through the motions with real light weight and progress to heavier weight. Get used to the weights in your hands and the movement. You will be tempted to lift a little heavier at the start, but don't, you will end up being extremely sore and turned off. Also before working out, have a game plan on what your going to do. Write it down or visualize your workout so your not wasting time trying to figure out what exercise to do next.
Hope this helps0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up,"
impossible without steroids.0 -
1 - women don't bulk up unless you are a genetic freak of nature or taking anabolic steroids
2 - 2kg weights aren't really "weights", so I agree with other posters that you should do some internet research for body weight exercises - Google and youtube
3 - With that kind of weight, you need high reps and it's really cardio as opposed to lifting.
Good luck!0 -
No such thing as a stupid question. Stick with the light weights and see if you like it. Weight training is not for everyone. If you decide you like weight training then check the classified ads as this is the best place to find slightly used exercise equipment. I am now 52 years old have been lifting weights since I was 16 years old and I am still learning and asking questions. Keep up the good work and continue to ask questions, continue to learn and continue to workout....well done.0
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No such thing as a stupid question. Stick with the light weights and see if you like it. Weight training is not for everyone. If you decide you like weight training then check the classified ads as this is the best place to find slightly used exercise equipment. I am now 52 years old have been lifting weights since I was 16 years old and I am still learning and asking questions. Keep up the good work and continue to ask questions, continue to learn and continue to workout....well done.
in a couple of months, alot of New Years Resolution people will have given up on their fitness resolutions and you'll be able to find lots of "hardly used" exercise equipment at discounted prices on Craigslist. FWIW.0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?
almost impossible for women to "bulk up".
do I look bulky?
IMG00724-20120916-1008 by crochetmom2010, on Flickr
I've been doing all kinds of arm/chest presses at 20-25lbs on the cable machines for MONTHS
For the last 2-3 months I have been doing dumbbell pec flies and chest presses with 15-25lbs weights.0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?
almost impossible for women to "bulk up".
do I look bulky?
IMG00724-20120916-1008 by crochetmom2010, on Flickr
I've been doing all kinds of arm/chest presses at 20-25lbs on the cable machines for MONTHS
For the last 2-3 months I have been doing dumbbell pec flies and chest presses with 15-25lbs weights.
bulky as in masculine no. body fat still edging though. Keep going.0 -
If you are serious about lifting, I would suggest looking into a program that will give you some good information and a program to follow (or else hire a trainer to show you how to get started). When I started, I did New Rules of Lifting for Women (although the whole New Rules serious is good - you don't have to do the one for "women"). I didn't know what I was doing either, and it was extremely helpful for me. There are plenty of other programs as well, like Starting Strength. I can't think of the others, but if you search the forums, you'll find reference to them... You will need a lot more than what you have though. These programs work well if you can get to a gym or if you are lucky enough to have the lifting equipment at home.
Also, you can do a lot with just body weight. I read a couple of books that look super fun and challenging - "You Are Your Own Gym" is one that I'd like to try one day. You don't have to use weights to strength train (at least until you get to a certain point). Check your local library, they should have both of the books I mentioned and more.
Or....if you're looking for a something different, there are lots of DVDs that will do some lighter weight work and you'll probably see some decent results with that too. Check out collagevideo.com - they have video clips of all their DVDs and tons of reviews.
Good luck!!0 -
Thanks for the all your helpful comments.
In reply to someone's "why don't you go to the gym," quite simply, I don't have the time. I'm a single mother of two, my kids are both under the age of five, I'm juggling being a mummy, working part time and studying towards a degree which is why I work out either early in the morning before the kids wake up, or after they're in bed.
In reply to someone else's question of "doesn't your DVD tell you how to use weights?" no, it doesn't because there is no weight/strength training involved in the DVD apart from as I said, the tone-up section which includes squats, lunges, sit ups, press ups etc without weights.0 -
In reply to someone else's question of "doesn't your DVD tell you how to use weights?" no, it doesn't because there is no weight/strength training involved in the DVD apart from as I said, the tone-up section which includes squats, lunges, sit ups, press ups etc without weights.
Ok - well it did seem an odd question. I mean, most people don't buy exercise equipment with absolutely no idea what to do with it. Without knowing what exercises your DVD is doing, we don't really have any way of knowing if it will be appropriate to use your weights with it. Even though those weights are small, some people are injury prone, and you could certainly hurt yourself if you swing them the wrong way or something (my dad once threw out his back because he THOUGHT something was going to be heavy and jerked it wrong).
If you like going the DVD route, you can buy DVDs that do incorporate weight exercises (the Firm, Cathe, Shape, Crunch, Denise Austin, Jillian Michaels, etc). You can also find routines on YouTube (try searching for Butt Bible), but I have no idea about accessing that from places outside the US. You can also go to any of the websites already suggested - there are lots of routines out there, for all kinds of goals.
You haven't been here long, so you don't know this, but people weren't sure if you were serious because you've only made a couple of posts, and people sometimes make accts here just to post things & rile people up. Gotta have a thick skin if you're going to post here (sorry, but a fact).0 -
You should check out Jamie Eason's LiveFit trainer on Bodybuilding.com. It's free. Also, women don't bulk up without excessive testosterone, so if you lift, you're just building muscle to keep your metabolism up.0
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Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?
It is literally impossible for you to "bulk" up without eating excess calories and lifting heavy. Wioment don't have teh testosterone to bulk up like men. Check out www.bodybuiling.com and it has mini vidoes on how you should perform exercise with weights etc... Great website no matter what your goal is.0 -
Get rid of the barbie weights, pick up some steel, and start moving it.
www.bodyrecomposition.com is a great place to get some in-depth knowledge
Most 'googled' sites will try to sell you something. Just take free routines or ideas and stay away from the stupid ****. Lift heavy, give your muscles rest, eat some more protein, and steadily increase your weight. You'll be fine.0 -
I reckon a DVD with weight training intervals would suit your routine perfectly until you decide whether to go further into standalone weight training.
Guessing from you're profile you're UK based, I really enjoy Davina McCall's Ultimate Target which has a bootcamp workout plus lower and upper body routines.
There's a great book called "Smart Girls Do Dumbbells" which I found far more accessible than other resistance training guides.0 -
Yeah, I don't want to "bulk up," just tone and have a bit of muscle there.
Thanks! Might sound like a silly question, but is there a particular way I should stand/position my arms when lifting?
almost impossible for women to "bulk up".
do I look bulky?
IMG00724-20120916-1008 by crochetmom2010, on Flickr
I've been doing all kinds of arm/chest presses at 20-25lbs on the cable machines for MONTHS
For the last 2-3 months I have been doing dumbbell pec flies and chest presses with 15-25lbs weights.
bulky as in masculine no. body fat still edging though. Keep going.
without a doubt. This was taken several months ago, so hopefully I have dropped a little more body fat since then.0
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