BEGINNER needing help with weight training

In what way do you feel your husband is making you do more than you can? Having someone in person to help you is a great resource!! Maybe give your husband another shot?

I totally feel ya! Weight training can be intimidating. I have found a lot of success with the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred videos. I got mine for $7 at Target. I highly highly recommend it. I started off with 3.5 pound hand weights and am now up to 8 pound weights. I like her workouts because they are short (apprx 24 mins long) and sustainable for me. I totally have been surprised at how I've been able to build muscle with a workout video. Some of the workouts are on YouTube, so you can try them out before buying the DVD to see if you like them. Best of luck!!!

I just do dumbells at home. I do various exercises using different weights. So I use a heavier weight for biceps and shoulders and lighter weights for other. I do 3-4 sets of about 15-20 reps at least each.

Just take is slow. Maybe just have hubby show you some different exercises you can do at your own level. He should keep in mind that you are basically a beginner. If you have the money, maybe get a personal trainer to help you. At least a session or two to help get you started.

If your husband is weight training exercises that use multiple muscles like pull downs, rows, bench press, squats, lunges, leg press, chest flys? Then those are all exercises that will work for you. I would focus on multi muscle exercise and not isolation weight training right now. You need to build muscle and burn fat.

You could also check these out.

There are ones for each body part you need to work.

https://www.exercise.com/equipment/chest-workout-chart

Also, take a look at Bodybuilding.com which has different routines for beginners, women, et al.

In what way do you feel your husband is making you do more than you can? Having someone in person to help you is a great resource!! Maybe give your husband another shot?

Because it's too hard! LOL I guess I want to know exactly what kind of exercises I should do to start building muscle underneath my flab. I will work out with him, but I want to know that I'm doing the proper exercises for my needs. I feel like he thinks about how he lifts weights and just has me do the same thing with less lbs. I want to do the most efficient workout to aid in weight loss.

Also, it's supposed to be hard...but I guarantee you can do more than you think you can do. Put away the 5 Lb dumbbells and stop wasting your time. My wife is 5'2" and 125 Lbs and she's now squatting around her body weight x 12 reps with a barbell (I think NRoLfW is 12 reps, I'll have to verify with her...but the weight is right).

^^This was my first thought too. It's supposed to be hard. Last year when I first started working with a trainer, he was pushing me hard. I kept saying "I can't" over and over. He finally said to me, "Listen, I see you do hard *kitten* every day. You work 40+ hours a week, you work hard at eating right, you provide for yourself. You do hard *kitten* every day. Why are you shying away from this particular hard *kitten*??" Hmmm, good questiont. I realized that without doing hard stuff, I was never going to reach my goal. I even tacked up a reminder on my computer monitor at work. I.D.H.T. "I do hard things." Embrace the hard!

In what way do you feel your husband is making you do more than you can? Having someone in person to help you is a great resource!! Maybe give your husband another shot?

Because it's too hard! LOL I guess I want to know exactly what kind of exercises I should do to start building muscle underneath my flab. I will work out with him, but I want to know that I'm doing the proper exercises for my needs. I feel like he thinks about how he lifts weights and just has me do the same thing with less lbs. I want to do the most efficient workout to aid in weight loss.

Also, it's supposed to be hard...but I guarantee you can do more than you think you can do. Put away the 5 Lb dumbbells and stop wasting your time. My wife is 5'2" and 125 Lbs and she's now squatting around her body weight x 12 reps with a barbell (I think NRoLfW is 12 reps, I'll have to verify with her...but the weight is right).

^^This was my first thought too. It's supposed to be hard. Last year when I first started working with a trainer, he was pushing me hard. I kept saying "I can't" over and over. He finally said to me, "Listen, I see you do hard *kitten* every day. You work 40+ hours a week, you work hard at eating right, you provide for yourself. You do hard *kitten* every day. Why are you shying away from this particular hard *kitten*??" Hmmm, good questiont. I realized that without doing hard stuff, I was never going to reach my goal. I even tacked up a reminder on my computer monitor at work. I.D.H.T. "I do hard things." Embrace the hard!

Nice! I would put instead I.D.H.S. "I do hard *kitten*" !

In what way do you feel your husband is making you do more than you can? Having someone in person to help you is a great resource!! Maybe give your husband another shot?

Because it's too hard! LOL I guess I want to know exactly what kind of exercises I should do to start building muscle underneath my flab. I will work out with him, but I want to know that I'm doing the proper exercises for my needs. I feel like he thinks about how he lifts weights and just has me do the same thing with less lbs. I want to do the most efficient workout to aid in weight loss.

Also, it's supposed to be hard...but I guarantee you can do more than you think you can do. Put away the 5 Lb dumbbells and stop wasting your time. My wife is 5'2" and 125 Lbs and she's now squatting around her body weight x 12 reps with a barbell (I think NRoLfW is 12 reps, I'll have to verify with her...but the weight is right).

^^This was my first thought too. It's supposed to be hard. Last year when I first started working with a trainer, he was pushing me hard. I kept saying "I can't" over and over. He finally said to me, "Listen, I see you do hard *kitten* every day. You work 40+ hours a week, you work hard at eating right, you provide for yourself. You do hard *kitten* every day. Why are you shying away from this particular hard *kitten*??" Hmmm, good questiont. I realized that without doing hard stuff, I was never going to reach my goal. I even tacked up a reminder on my computer monitor at work. I.D.H.T. "I do hard things." Embrace the hard!

Nice! I would put instead I.D.H.S. "I do hard *kitten*" !

LOL, Yeah, I though about that......but I knew someone was going to ask what it meant, and I was trying to keep it expletive-free at work.

Here's a thought. If lifting is too overwhelming, why not try some body weight strength exercises to build up some strength, then try the weights again? Here's a good protocol: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

The only one you should really have a problem with is the pushup. In that case, you can start with wall pushups, as per this post: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/02/15/proper-push-up/
If it's any comfort, I am using my kitchen counter for pushups, because doing them on the floor, even on my knees, is impossible to do properly. If you notice, he wants you to go down all the way. That's how you build strength. And if 10 wall pushups in perfect form is too much, then do how many you can and aim to do one more the next day you do it.

In fact, this routine is something you could work up to, if it's too hard. Start with 2 circuits the first week, add the 3rd the next week. If you can't do 20 lunges, do 10, then add as you are able, etc.

Not sure if this has been covered, but there are a few things you will want to keep in mind:

* You should not strength train the same muscles twice in a 48 hour period. Three days a week is good, because then you can do 3 of cardio and 1 of rest.

* You want to gradually increase either the reps or the weight, or you will plateau and only maintain. That might be okay at some times, but it's better to change things up when they get too easy.

Don't worry, you'll figure it out! And don't let your husband scare you away. If you aren't ready for what he was showing you, then work on something that will get you there. Kind of like how I can't do a pull up to save my life, but I want to, so I'm working on a routine that will strengthen the muscles that help me do a pull up, so that someday I will be able to do one!

Good luck!

Try searching on google dumb bell exercises... There are loads of web pages right at the start that have visual demos on how to do each individual exercise... Practice them with your husband watching with light weights at first to get your form perfected then move on to variations of routines like 5x5 ... Don't worry if you don't understand what it is, once step at a time - I personally don't do that but whatever rocks your boat

A lot of good advice. #1 thing I will tell you is GOOD FORM, GOOD TEHNIQUE, well that's really two :bigsmile: . Do it right and then worry about how much you are moving. Search the web with terms like Novice, Beginner, Female, Weight Training, Strength Training, Routines. I'd start with a 3x a week routine. If you go to a gym, see if you can get setup on the circuit machines, they are easier to start on and less intimidating. Once you do that for about 2 months then you can move onto a free weight program. If your hubby works out he ought to be able to help you, good luck and stay injury free by using proper technique and good form.