Weight lifting--how to start?

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  • mikejholmes
    mikejholmes Posts: 291 Member
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    Oh, and one of the things that you'll get from both Starting Strength and Stronglifts is a huge bias towards barbell training. Machines isolate individual muscles in ways that you'd never use in real life. That can lead to all sorts of problems (muscle imbalance, extra stress on joints, etc.). You are MUCH better off doing the compound lifts described in those programs. I trained for years on machines, and basically never saw much in the way of gains. Once I picked up a barbell, the world changed.
  • leholcomb
    leholcomb Posts: 146 Member
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    bump for later
  • snorry
    snorry Posts: 9
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    For later
  • jalloggio
    jalloggio Posts: 141
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    Well if your going to start off in the gym. Start off by training your muscles in endurance beginners should use 2 sets with 15-20 reps per muscle group.

    You can either do a full body split or a push pull split

    Example
    (Full body split)
    Monday upper body
    Tuesday cardio
    Wednesday lower body
    Thursday rest
    Friday full body
    Saturday cardio
    Sunday rest

    Example
    (Push pull split)
    Monday push (chest, anterior deltoids, triceps)
    Tuesday cardio
    Wednesday pull (biceps back rear and medial deltoids)
    Thursday rest
    Friday legs
    Saturday cardio
    Sunday rest

    I would suggest the push pull also when I do a push pull I do abs with my legs workout
  • leahartmann
    leahartmann Posts: 415
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    StrongLifts! It´s easy, it´s free - except from the gym membership- and yes, you can learn about proper form on you-tube, reading Starting Strength and others. I´m new to lifting as well, started a month and a half ago. If you had told me three months ago, I would have laughed. Now I don´t know what I should do without it!

    And yes, forget about the machines for all the reasons mentioned.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
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    I also vote in favour of lifting the barbells and dumbbells rather than the machines. Free weights are more effective in that your body is the machine, supporting and moving the weight through space itself. Not some machine. The machines isolate various body parts and you are not required to support the weight yourself, so by sticking to machines, you really miss out on a lot of great benefits you can only get from barbell and dumbbell work. I think you'll have better overall results lifting free weights as opposed to the machines, and will find that you gain a lot of other stuff besides just strength. Confidence, for instance. I love lifting!

    Stronglifts 5 x 5, Starting Strength, and New Rules of Lifting for Women are all great places to start.
  • queencat3
    queencat3 Posts: 30
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    bump for later :)
  • fishnbrah
    fishnbrah Posts: 550
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    if you havent lifted before. i would get a reccomendation for a trainer and have them get you started. and go to bodybuilding.com, they have a female section in the forums.
  • lauraellie10
    lauraellie10 Posts: 273 Member
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    Thanks x
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/02/28/strength-training-101/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/03/05/101-equipment/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/03/18/strength-training-101-finding-the-right-gym/

    http://nerdfitness.com/blog/2010/02/15/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/2009/10/26/how-to-not-suck-at-working-out/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/2012/01/09/warm-up/

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/2012/01/16/how-to-stretch/



    http://www.nerdfitness.com/top-posts/
  • blacknivory
    blacknivory Posts: 30 Member
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    You will see a large fan base here for New Rules of Lifting for Women (NROLW) and it has its own group. Have a look at that. I am on stage 3 and really enjoying it. The book is incredibly encouraging and straightforward to use (if you are prepared to study it carefully and plan ahead by reading other posts and getting the workout sheets). I had never lifted weights before and have never been very strong but loving how my body is starting to feel. You will see other people lifting heavy weights but I just start everything with either body weight or light weights and work up gradually. I like the big emphasis on rest and recovery and diet as being the key ingredients for success.
    The best lifting advice I find anywhere generally says to stay away from machines.

    While I disagree with some of the information presented in the New Rules book, it's still the best beginner resource for women who want to reap the rewards of heavy lifting. It eliminates the intimidation most women feel by giving them a program and guide built just for them (even though most of it is exactly what a guy should be doing too). And misinformation or no...it's still going to be quite effective.

    As for the rest/recovery/diet...those are the key ingredients for success in any program :). The lifting sets you up for that success, but it's the other three that utilize that input and make something incredible of it!

    I'm interested in your criticisms. I'm still new to all this myself and thinking about where to go after I work through NROLW.
    Appreciate any advice.
  • VickyG1969
    VickyG1969 Posts: 3
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    Check out Tosca Reno's The eat clean diet
    Bodybuilding.com

    Hit the gym, have a trainer show you around and get a program happening...consistancy is the key to success...all the best! :wink:

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