Can someone suggest a weight training routine for me?

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marialexx
marialexx Posts: 18 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 5'4, currently 142lbs, which is the highest I've ever been. I want to alternate weight training and cardio. For instance, do cardio every other day, and a bit of cardio followed by weight training the other days.

I've googled endlessly but could not find a convincing routine (note that I have no clue about weight training exercises) for a female, beginner, who wants to lose weight.

I am not in super shape, so I cannot complete boot camp level stuff, and also I don't want to tear any muscles!

Any suggestions on types of exercises, number of repetitions, number of sets, and weights (be specific!) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
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Replies

  • charLie_910
    charLie_910 Posts: 3
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    I would check out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It combines strength, cardio and abs in a 25/30 minute workout. I am only in my second week, but I have been doing cardio 5 days a week, and 3 days a week (MWF) I add the video and I have been feeling stronger and my clothes have been noticeably fitting better- in just 2 weeks! :smile:

    Good luck!
  • deanadimples
    deanadimples Posts: 419 Member
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    I'm a couple weeks in to Les Mills Body Pump DVDs from Beachbody. It's working with barbells (comes with it) and is great for beginners. I love it.

    I've also done Supreme 90 Day which is much cheaper ($40) and combines come cardio with free weights. By the time I was done I was doing push ups on my toes :)

    Of course, I've also done Jillian's 30 Day Shred...also a good one for starting out. But I still like th 2 above more. Body pump is strictly lifting (do your own cardio other days) and Supreme 90 day is a good blend of the two.
  • bachooka
    bachooka Posts: 719 Member
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    Whatever moves you do try to stick between 8-12 reps. If you can't do 8 the weights are too heave, if you can do more than 12 they are too light. Also you should be working to get the last two or three in.

    Do you go to the gym? Do you have access to free weights or machines? What type of cardio do you do?
  • Alta2000
    Alta2000 Posts: 655 Member
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    Start with Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. It is free on youtube. Look for the Befit channel, they post videos every week. Big range to experiment and choose.
  • marialexx
    marialexx Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks! I do have access to my building's gym. It's very small and does not have all the machines, but it does have hand weights, the smallest are 5lb. It has the leg press machine, and the machine for the inner and outer thighs. There is also a machine that combines the wide grip pull down, seated rows, and also has a pulley to pull the weight.

    In terms of cardio, there is an elliptical, a treadmill and bike.

    I try to do the elliptical, or go walk or ride my bike outside.

    Thanks!
  • chasterson
    chasterson Posts: 11
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    may sound crazy but check out bodybuilding.com routines for women. it even has food advice. there are bulking plans and leaning out plans.. all of which are free. not to mention some dedicated for women others for men. i always tend to lean to a girl named Jamie Eason. she starts very basic and works into a harder routine over 12 weeks. but its a great start.
  • EOHerrera
    EOHerrera Posts: 45
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    I would not recommend Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I've been exercising and doing free weights at home for a while now and when I tried her video, I hurt so bad I could hardly walk, had to do hot baths before bed and take Aleve to sleep. Invest in a set of 5 or 8 lb weights and a set of 5 lb ankle weights from Wal-Mart. Then go to YouTube and look up Margaret Richards (Body Electric was her TV exercise show for years) and follow her exercises. You will find many various exercises for different parts of the body. I love her workouts - they definitely work your muscles, are easy to follow and you will build muscle.
  • deanadimples
    deanadimples Posts: 419 Member
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    I would not recommend Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I've been exercising and doing free weights at home for a while now and when I tried her video, I hurt so bad I could hardly walk, had to do hot baths before bed and take Aleve to sleep. Invest in a set of 5 or 8 lb weights and a set of 5 lb ankle weights from Wal-Mart. Then go to YouTube and look up Margaret Richards (Body Electric was her TV exercise show for years) and follow her exercises. You will find many various exercises for different parts of the body. I love her workouts - they definitely work your muscles, are easy to follow and you will build muscle.

    I did Jillian Michaels 30 DS and was really sore but for the first few days. After that it was a good sore. If knees hurt, it's probably because they are weak or bad form. Also if you were that sore you may have been using too high of weights. For some I could only use 3lbs. I've had several work outs that hurt so bad at first going to the toilet hurt. But after a few days it gets better.
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    If you belong to a gym, I highly recommend the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women." I finished the program and had tremendous results!

    There's a group here on MFP you can join for support. A great bunch of ladies.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/102-new-rules-of-lifting-for-women-nrol4w

    Here's another women's strength training group:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/771-women-strength-training

    Congratulations on making the wise choice to add weight lifting to your fitness routine!
  • bizco
    bizco Posts: 1,949 Member
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    Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Shred it with Weights, etc. are not strength training. All of her workouts are CARDIO using light dumbbells. Not even close to being true strength training programs.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    I would check out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It combines strength, cardio and abs in a 25/30 minute workout. I am only in my second week, but I have been doing cardio 5 days a week, and 3 days a week (MWF) I add the video and I have been feeling stronger and my clothes have been noticeably fitting better- in just 2 weeks! :smile:

    Good luck!

    Agreed... Screw Beachbody cause that costs money and they often try to sell you a lot of crap that you really don't need.

    Soreness as mentioned in this thread comes with any new regime, you'll get past it within 5 days and afterwards, you ask why you aren't getting sore anymore. I highly recommend 30DS as will hundreds of MFPs.. once you get through 30DS, look into Stronglifts 5x5 (there is a group) (you will need to go to a gym for that) as well as New Rules of Lifting for Women. Bodybuilding.com has some amazing strength workouts for women
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    I would recommend building a program around deadlifting, squats, bench press, over head press, chin ups, pull ups, etc, and then build a total body program that has you hitting arms, legs, back, shoulders, etc about three days a week and then run/hit the eliptical another two days a week.

    So...

    mon - weights
    tues - run
    wens -weights
    thurs - run
    friday - weights
    sat - active rest
    sunday - off

    Good Luck to you ...
  • Mommy4812
    Mommy4812 Posts: 649 Member
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    may sound crazy but check out bodybuilding.com routines for women. it even has food advice. there are bulking plans and leaning out plans.. all of which are free. not to mention some dedicated for women others for men. i always tend to lean to a girl named Jamie Eason. she starts very basic and works into a harder routine over 12 weeks. but its a great start.


    ^This.
  • Mommy4812
    Mommy4812 Posts: 649 Member
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    I would check out Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. It combines strength, cardio and abs in a 25/30 minute workout. I am only in my second week, but I have been doing cardio 5 days a week, and 3 days a week (MWF) I add the video and I have been feeling stronger and my clothes have been noticeably fitting better- in just 2 weeks! :smile:

    Good luck!

    Agreed... Screw Beachbody cause that costs money and they often try to sell you a lot of crap that you really don't need.

    Soreness as mentioned in this thread comes with any new regime, you'll get past it within 5 days and afterwards, you ask why you aren't getting sore anymore. I highly recommend 30DS as will hundreds of MFPs.. once you get through 30DS, look into Stronglifts 5x5 (there is a group) (you will need to go to a gym for that) as well as New Rules of Lifting for Women. Bodybuilding.com has some amazing strength workouts for women


    ^This too.
  • AMBlass
    AMBlass Posts: 161
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    Check out blogger and fitness trainer Tina Reale's Best Body Bootcamp. She's about to launch the 5th round on April 1st! Includes 8 weeks of workouts, never repeating the same workout, and it's really great! Can be modified and can be done at home or at the gym. I lost 5 lbs. my first time! Some people lost even more. We even have a Facebook group where you can chat about the moves and get support. Check it out at http://www.tinareale.com/best-body-bootcamp/
  • marialexx
    marialexx Posts: 18 Member
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    Thanks all! :)
  • _Lori_Lynn_
    _Lori_Lynn_ Posts: 460
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    I would do Bill Phillips program he has on his Transformation website. I believe the site is free. He does upper one day and lower the next. He tells exactly how to do it and has video demos. It is a full body workout.

    This is really all you need, it is actually very basic (you just need the basics). You work your larger muscle groups. Two exercises for each group.

    When I hired a personal trainer (he was a man who trained people to compete. He himself won many shows - he was 52. He gave me a routine that when I stepped back and looked at it, it was the same as Bill's. I thought why am I paying someone $50 twice a week to give me what I had for free? I stayed with my pt and it was the best shape I had ever been in, in my life. The basics: (chest, back, biceps, triceps, quads, glutes, hams, calves, shoulders, obliques), All I know is my trainer had me do 20 reps, 2 sets and then we upped the weight. A lot of ppl will disagree with that, but I stayed with that, bc it worked for me before. I don't know enough to change it on my own.

    **Some ppl argue to work your abs. They are the only muscle group which can be worked every day. I asked my trainer about it and he said it is a waste of time, bc you work your abs via the other exercises. Bill doesn't have you work your abs either. He says abs are made in the kitchen, not the gym.
  • Cait_Sidhe
    Cait_Sidhe Posts: 3,150 Member
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    New Rules of Lifting for Women
    Starting Strength
    Stronglifts

    Most of the programs others have suggested are strictly cardio. The programs I listed above are very detailed as far as form. I completed New Rules of Lifting for Women and am currently doing sort of a mix of Starting Strength and Stronglifts. I like my current program much more.
  • judydelo1
    judydelo1 Posts: 281 Member
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    If you've never lifted weights, I would suggest going to a gym for even just a month and have a trainer there show you a routine. You need to have someone show you the form for each movement. They can help you with choosing the right weight for each exercise and developing a routine around your goals. If your goal is to be able to lift from home with dumb bells, tell them and they'll design a program for you.

    Free weight training is fantastic! It's helped me get my body into shape a few times in my life. I just wish I never stopped!!!! But I'm back at it again.

    My favorite schedule for weight training is upper body one day, lower body next day, skip a day, repeat. That way you can really focus on upper or lower and do a complete workout. Otherwise it takes too long to do a nice full complete workout of both upper and lower on the same day. Of course in the beginning, when you're just starting out doing upper/lower same day works. But you also need to rest the muscles. You wouldn't lift heavy two days in a row for the same muscle(s).

    Don't be afraid to increase your weights as you go along. You won't end up looking like those muscular professional female weightlifters. They take steroids. I used to lift pretty heavy and I never got too pumped up. Look at the profile pic of me lifting back in 1983 when I first started. As I said before in other threads, I was one of the only girls at the gyms back then. I'm so glad that's changed.


    Good luck.
  • DanaMcCrea
    DanaMcCrea Posts: 56 Member
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    Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, Shred it with Weights, etc. are not strength training. All of her workouts are CARDIO using light dumbbells. Not even close to being true strength training programs.

    Maybe you should have increased the weight of your dumbbells. I've gone from 3lbs to 5lbs in my first seven days. Maybe that was your problem. You should have tried the most logical thing before commenting that it didn't work.

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