Opinionated weight LIFTERS!!!

Prilla04
Prilla04 Posts: 174 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I keep reading on MFP how lifting is the answer to losing fat. How do you even start a lifting program? What equipment? What weight? What type of lifting? How often? What are good resources for a beginner? Seriously, I know NOTHING about lifting and the information that is available is completely overwhelming. Any information that you seasoned lifters could offer would be greatly appreciated and use small words and try not to lose me in all the lifting terminology. :huh: That seems to be a language all its own! :noway:

Replies

  • DostThouEven
    DostThouEven Posts: 148
    Read Starting Strength
  • RobertHendrix
    RobertHendrix Posts: 98 Member
    Or read New Rules of Weightlifting for Women, I have been doing Stronglifts 5x5 fo a while and my 13year old daughter started lifting with me 5 weeks ago but on a 3x5 routine and my wife started having many of the same questions you seem to have after she has started seeing some of the progression in our daughter. I am not a trainer and really had no clue how to handle her questions and the book was recomended by a trainer at the gym we go to and she has not been able to put it down and now has a really good sense of where and how she wants to start lifting
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
    I agree with all of the above. Starting Strength, StrongLifts 5x5, and New Rules of Lifting for Women are all awesome beginner programs. I will also add that I decided to start with the book "The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises" instead of NROLW and I loved it but I have since moved to SL5x5.

    You won't regret lifting!
  • da_bears10089
    da_bears10089 Posts: 1,791 Member
    Stronglifts 5x5 is my choice. check out their website.
  • Lt_Starbuck
    Lt_Starbuck Posts: 576 Member
    Or read New Rules of Weightlifting for Women, I have been doing Stronglifts 5x5 fo a while and my 13year old daughter started lifting with me 5 weeks ago but on a 3x5 routine and my wife started having many of the same questions you seem to have after she has started seeing some of the progression in our daughter. I am not a trainer and really had no clue how to handle her questions and the book was recomended by a trainer at the gym we go to and she has not been able to put it down and now has a really good sense of where and how she wants to start lifting

    same - i hate reading nonfiction and I read that book three times and and put it into practice at the gym and now im like whoa wtf did this hourglass and tight body come from? -finders keepers-
  • Docmahi
    Docmahi Posts: 1,603 Member
    i really think stronglifts 5x5 is the best starting program, with the addition of some assistance work

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feY6vi6ORXo - this is stronglifts 5x5 with some assistance work built in, if I were starting fresh today that is what I would do
  • DostThouEven
    DostThouEven Posts: 148
    Stronglifts 5x5 is my choice. check out their website.

    For bulking. Might as well do 3x5 if cutting.
  • zachatta
    zachatta Posts: 1,340 Member
    Lol you are gonna get many opinions on this.

    Starting Strength is fine.

    A split is fine, simpler imo to get someone used to lifting and identifying muscle groups.

    As far as actual material, it depends. You could go to bodybuilding.com and search through the FORUMS (not articles, forums) and find plenty of useful info that can get you started.

    You could also read a book to get the basics down, I don't know any current titles, I read "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" by Arnold (I think that is the title, might be incorrect, it is what I read a WHILE back)

    The books you read like the one above I suggested use it to learn the "basics", don't cling to specifics.

    Might even be some stickies here on this forum to get you started.

    Anyways good luck!

    EDIT: Also this post assumes you are getting a gym membership, if you are thinking of home equipment (which I do not recommend at all) it will lessen your options.
  • eej23
    eej23 Posts: 15 Member
    I had never really done much weight lifting, but when my husband ran a half marathon with me, i promised him i would start lifting with him. I was like you...totally lost. We started a program called Short Cut to Size. It is by Jim Stoppani, who is AWESOME. He works/writes for bodybuilding.com. The program was great b/c it goes through each exercise and shows you how to do them. It's 12 weeks and I have seen a HUGE gain in my strength and change in my physique.
  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    Pick any basic strength program. My favorite is 5/3/1. Do it for at least 6 months, then depending on progress either bulk and go on a decent hypertrophy program or continue cutting.
  • Prilla04
    Prilla04 Posts: 174 Member
    You guys rock! I have researched the subject ad nauseum and decided to turn to my MFP homies to get some real life suggestions from real people doing the real deal. Thanks!!!
  • iorahkwano
    iorahkwano Posts: 709 Member
    I've lifted weights on my own using a book & got no real results. (The book said to do 10-12 reps with moderate weight, and it had me doing tons of isolation exercises with dumbbells that weren't challenging enough). I thought they were, but turns out I didn't truly know what "challenging" meant. I wouldn't pick a heavy dumbbell because I knew I wouldn't be able to do 12-15 reps with it.

    A few years later, I tried again using The Strong Lifts program and I am pretty satisfied with how strong I've become & the muscle built. It's a pretty simple workout regimen too, just 5 different lifts you do with heavy weight & few reps. It's not like going into a gym and using 15 machines per workout.

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