Adding strength training in--buying hand weights
NayNeeNoo
Posts: 25 Member
I have decided I want to add strength training in to my routine. Currently I rotate between the treadmill, step aerobics, and 3 times a week I do the Biggest Loser circuit at my local gym. That said, after this week I won't have access to the gym and need to come up with another option to use at home. I already do the treadmill and step aerobics at home, so that is taken care of, but do not have any weights at home to speak of. On most of the circuit machines, I can barely do 10 pounds (except the ones that work the legs--I can do up to 45 pounds on those). I'm going to buy two sets of hand weights to start out. Should I go with a set of 5's and a set of 10's or a set of 10's and a set of 15's. Any recommendations for what to do with them? I'm currently researching online but would love any input.
Oh and ftr, I'm 29, 5'1", 118 lbs, looking to lose about 10 more pounds, give or take depending on how my body is looking the further down I go.
Oh and ftr, I'm 29, 5'1", 118 lbs, looking to lose about 10 more pounds, give or take depending on how my body is looking the further down I go.
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Replies
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none of the above is strength training.
How much time do you have to dedicate, and do you have access to free weight equipment?0 -
Yes I realize the treadmill and step aerobics are not strength training, thank you.
The machines in the circuit were strength training, though and I will not have access to those. I currently have no weights of any kind at my house, nor will I have access to any, so buying something will have to suffice.
I am a SAHM with three kids. I workout during their nap (about 2 hours in the afternoon).0 -
She just asked how heavy she should go with the free weights. >.<none of the above is strength training.
How much time do you have to dedicate, and do you have access to free weight equipment?0 -
She just asked how heavy she should go with the free weights. >.<none of the above is strength training.
How much time do you have to dedicate, and do you have access to free weight equipment?
Yes, and 5, 10, 15 pounds is pretty much useless for any kind of strength training.
In the OPs case, for home strength training, she would be a lot better off with a program like 'you are your own gym' or convict conditioning.0 -
Considering the fact I can barely lift a gallon of milk chest high, starting small and building up is going to have to do.0
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Considering the fact I can barely lift a gallon of milk chest high, starting small and building up is going to have to do.
I doubly stand by my recommendation for the 'You are your own' gym program. Have a smart phone? The app is cheap.
No weights required.0 -
How much you can do depends on the lift itself. You'll most likely be able to squat more than you can press overhead or curl.
Your program should have the basic compound movements:
A Squat
A Vertical Press (Overhead Press)
A Horizontal Press (Bench Press for example, though if you don't a bench, you can do Floor Presses)
A Lower Body Pull (Can't really do Deadlifts with dumbbells, but you can do Romanian Deadlifts with them).
An Upper Body Pull (Rows would be good for dumbbells. If you can get a pullup bar you can start with using a chair and doing negatives then work your way up to chinups then pullups.)
You can add in a few isolation movements like Curls or Lateral Raises, but the fundamental compound lifts should be in there. Personally, I think finding a set of dumbbell handles that take Standard or Olympic weight plates may serve you better because it'll be cheaper to increase the weights since plates are much cheaper than dumbbells. However, try them out first. Some Olympic Dumbbell Handles can be clunky and hard to use for isolation lifts.0 -
Considering the fact I can barely lift a gallon of milk chest high, starting small and building up is going to have to do.
I doubly stand by my recommendation for the 'You are your own' gym program. Have a smart phone? The app is cheap.
No weights required.
I will check it out. Just a note that you could have cut out your previous posts by saying you don't recommend 5-15 pound weights as they are not helpful, to try out this app as a cheap alternative. No need for the snarky posts before this one.0 -
How much you can do depends on the lift itself. You'll most likely be able to squat more than you can press overhead or curl.
Your program should have the basic compound movements:
A Squat
A Vertical Press (Overhead Press)
A Horizontal Press (Bench Press for example, though if you don't a bench, you can do Floor Presses)
A Lower Body Pull (Can't really do Deadlifts with dumbbells, but you can do Romanian Deadlifts with them).
An Upper Body Pull (Rows would be good for dumbbells. If you can get a pullup bar you can start with using a chair and doing negatives then work your way up to chinups then pullups.)
You can add in a few isolation movements like Curls or Lateral Raises, but the fundamental compound lifts should be in there. Personally, I think finding a set of dumbbell handles that take Standard or Olympic weight plates may serve you better because it'll be cheaper to increase the weights since plates are much cheaper than dumbbells. However, try them out first. Some Olympic Dumbbell Handles can be clunky and hard to use for isolation lifts.
Thank you. This was helpful. I'll check out dumbbell handles/weight plates.0 -
Considering the fact I can barely lift a gallon of milk chest high, starting small and building up is going to have to do.
I doubly stand by my recommendation for the 'You are your own' gym program. Have a smart phone? The app is cheap.
No weights required.
I will check it out. Just a note that you could have cut out your previous posts by saying you don't recommend 5-15 pound weights as they are not helpful, to try out this app as a cheap alternative. No need for the snarky posts before this one.
I'm sorry that you took terse as snarky. Our posts get shorter and shorter when we're answering the same question multiple times per day in the same forum
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I use 7 and 10 pounds depending on the exercise. Something you might consider is adjustible weights.0
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You don't have to reply!!!
I'm sorry that you took terse as snarky. Our posts get shorter and shorter when we're answering the same question multiple times per day in the same forum
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What? I use 15 pound weights for shoulder raises all the time. Useless? FYI...it's not the weights that matter, its the form. Plus, I'm sure a 10 lb dumbbell will be fine for curls for her. Useless? HA0
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If you want to get the most bang for your strength training buck, compound lifts are the most efficient. Squats, deadlifts, overhead press, bench press, rows, lat pulldowns, and maybe a couple others. Different beginner programs use different combinations of these lifts, but they'll form the core of any beginning strength program.
Strength training is most effective at low repetitions (5-8 reps per set), which means weights that would wear you out after that many reps. And a strength program needs progression - that is, heavier and heavier weights. Just 2 dumbbells isn't going to last you very long in a real strength program, because you'll get stronger very quickly and outgrow what you have.
There's another option besides dumbbells: bodyweight programs. Be Your Own Gym is a book with a bunch of exercises with little or no equipment. It uses positional tricks and a few household items to increase the intensity of the movements. It'll take you a long way. When I tried to use that program, I had to refer back to the book a lot when I needed to learn how to make an exercise harder, because some of the progressions weren't obvious to me. Be prepared to wear your book out if you stick with it! Fortunately it's well organized.0 -
I've been doing Body By You which is You Are Your Own Gym for women. The same exercises, but with some pauses added in to make the progression a little more gradual.
I enjoy it, each move is working many muscles and you progress to more and more difficult movements with bodyweight alone. I have noticed an increase in strength already and noticed that my posture is better.
It has been a good way to incorporate strength training for me because I am a SAHM/WAHM and don't have access to a gym.0 -
What? I use 15 pound weights for shoulder raises all the time. Useless? FYI...it's not the weights that matter, its the form. Plus, I'm sure a 10 lb dumbbell will be fine for curls for her. Useless?
Nice to see this thread is going so well.
Btw, the post I quoted just proved the 5-15 pound weights are useless for strength training as curls and lateral raises are NOT strength training0 -
Yes, and 5, 10, 15 pounds is pretty much useless for any kind of strength training.
Disagree. She hasn't lifted before. She'll feel 15lb curls. And one-arm tricep extensions. And shoulder presses. And seated tri press. Lateral lift, front lifts, fly's, walking weighted lunges...etc, etc.0 -
I can barely do 10 pounds (except the ones that work the legs--I can do up to 45 pounds on those).
Yes you can. You have kids. At some point they weighed more than 10lbs and I bet you lifted them/carried them around just fine. Hell, the diaper bag alone weighs 10lbs.
Suck it up. You got this
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I've been doing Body By You which is You Are Your Own Gym for women. The same exercises, but with some pauses added in to make the progression a little more gradual.
I enjoy it, each move is working many muscles and you progress to more and more difficult movements with bodyweight alone. I have noticed an increase in strength already and noticed that my posture is better.
It has been a good way to incorporate strength training for me because I am a SAHM/WAHM and don't have access to a gym.
This is an excellent suggestion. Please listen to this and not the people telling you to do curls. If you would like additional information as to why you can and should be lifting more on COMPOUND exercises (bench press, pushups, chinups) instead of light weight on ISOLATION exercises (curls, lateral raises, flyes) read New Rules of Lifting for Women in addition to the books recommended in this post0 -
5-15 lbs at high reps is cardio( if even that) with light resistance, low reps high weights is strength training. Save your money and buy 20-35 lb weights in pairs0
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Yes, and 5, 10, 15 pounds is pretty much useless for any kind of strength training.
Disagree. She hasn't lifted before. She'll feel 15lb curls. And one-arm tricep extensions. And shoulder presses. And seated tri press. Lateral lift, front lifts, fly's, walking weighted lunges...etc, etc.
Well, you're right. Going from 0lbs to 15lbs is 15lbs of progression. However, you will quickly become adapted to 15lbs, and it will no longer provide sufficient stress for further adaptation. This happens very fast. And 15lbs isn't heavy enough for any of the compound moves. (Exception, its plenty for the first month of overhead press for someone with little upper body strength.)
Also: Curls/tricep extensions are generally a waste of time, if you aren't an advanced bodybuilder. Why spend the time isolating one muscle when in the SAME TIME you could be recruiting entire muscle groups instead?
That's why I suggested You are your own gym.
An example, is the incline pushup. You start against a wall. When you're stronger, you go at 45'. Eventually you do "real" pushups. When you have adapted to that, you do foot raised pushups. Eventually, you can do handstand pushups. Total cost for equipment required? $0
Squats? Body weight squqats. Then split squats. Then one-legged squats. Cost? $0
It's not as fast as a barbell program, but it doesn't require a gym, a barbell, or hundreds of pounds of iron laying around.0 -
I've been doing Body By You which is You Are Your Own Gym for women. The same exercises, but with some pauses added in to make the progression a little more gradual.
I enjoy it, each move is working many muscles and you progress to more and more difficult movements with bodyweight alone. I have noticed an increase in strength already and noticed that my posture is better.
It has been a good way to incorporate strength training for me because I am a SAHM/WAHM and don't have access to a gym.
This is an excellent suggestion. Please listen to this and not the people telling you to do curls. If you would like additional information as to why you can and should be lifting more on COMPOUND exercises (bench press, pushups, chinups) instead of light weight on ISOLATION exercises (curls, lateral raises, flyes) read New Rules of Lifting for Women in addition to the books recommended in this post
True, but she doesn't have a bench press.0 -
I've been doing Body By You which is You Are Your Own Gym for women. The same exercises, but with some pauses added in to make the progression a little more gradual.
I enjoy it, each move is working many muscles and you progress to more and more difficult movements with bodyweight alone. I have noticed an increase in strength already and noticed that my posture is better.
It has been a good way to incorporate strength training for me because I am a SAHM/WAHM and don't have access to a gym.
This is an excellent suggestion. Please listen to this and not the people telling you to do curls. If you would like additional information as to why you can and should be lifting more on COMPOUND exercises (bench press, pushups, chinups) instead of light weight on ISOLATION exercises (curls, lateral raises, flyes) read New Rules of Lifting for Women in addition to the books recommended in this post
True, but she doesn't have a bench press.
She probably owns a floor, or could find one somewhere.0 -
What? I use 15 pound weights for shoulder raises all the time. Useless? FYI...it's not the weights that matter, its the form. Plus, I'm sure a 10 lb dumbbell will be fine for curls for her. Useless?
Nice to see this thread is going so well.
Btw, the post I quoted just proved the 5-15 pound weights are useless for strength training as curls and lateral raises are NOT strength training
So my shoulders getting STRONGER from TRAINING them with lateral raises and front raises, or even rotator cuff exercises, is not strength training? And how do you, personally, train your biceps to get stronger without curls?0 -
Yes, and 5, 10, 15 pounds is pretty much useless for any kind of strength training.
Disagree. She hasn't lifted before. She'll feel 15lb curls. And one-arm tricep extensions. And shoulder presses. And seated tri press. Lateral lift, front lifts, fly's, walking weighted lunges...etc, etc.
I think where this is coming from and the point that a couple people are making is that "Strength Training" is generally synonymous with the big compound lifts...squat, dead-lift, over head press, bench press, power clean/pendlay rows. These lifts are generally done in the 3-5 rep range where you're "heavy" enough to be very close to fail on your final reps. I guarantee that pretty much anyone can squat with more than a 10 or 15 Lb dumbbell.
To your point, 10-15 pound dumbbells are most likely fine for her for curls, etc...but these are assistance and isolation lifts, not "strength" lifts. Also, these kinds of weights are great for circuits as well...but circuit training, even with weights isn't "strength" training...it's muscular endurance and cardio training. These things are in fact different.
OP...I also agree you would be better off with an intelligent body weight routine rather than sitting around doing isolation and assistance work. Isolation and assistance is fine, but in the absence of the bigger strength lifts, pretty much they don't do a whole lot...which is why the term "useless" was used.0 -
I've been doing Body By You which is You Are Your Own Gym for women. The same exercises, but with some pauses added in to make the progression a little more gradual.
I enjoy it, each move is working many muscles and you progress to more and more difficult movements with bodyweight alone. I have noticed an increase in strength already and noticed that my posture is better.
It has been a good way to incorporate strength training for me because I am a SAHM/WAHM and don't have access to a gym.
This is an excellent suggestion. Please listen to this and not the people telling you to do curls. If you would like additional information as to why you can and should be lifting more on COMPOUND exercises (bench press, pushups, chinups) instead of light weight on ISOLATION exercises (curls, lateral raises, flyes) read New Rules of Lifting for Women in addition to the books recommended in this post
True, but she doesn't have a bench press.
She probably owns a floor, or could find one somewhere.
True But she didn't ask about a barbell and weights, she asked about dumbells. I'm going to assume she has a routine already in mind. 0 -
So my shoulders getting STRONGER from TRAINING them with lateral raises and front raises, or even rotator cuff exercises, is not strength training? And how do you, personally, train your biceps to get stronger without curls?
Those lifts are nice for evening things out, but do you BTN Push press, Overhead press?
And I know you asked Davpul, but have you ever tried a chin up? A bent over row? Inverted rows? / tons of other compound exercises that hit biceps.0 -
You can buy some crappy light dumbbells or you can invest in a good program and make use of the 118 pounds of yourself.
Which do you think will build more strength?0 -
What? I use 15 pound weights for shoulder raises all the time. Useless? FYI...it's not the weights that matter, its the form. Plus, I'm sure a 10 lb dumbbell will be fine for curls for her. Useless?
Nice to see this thread is going so well.
Btw, the post I quoted just proved the 5-15 pound weights are useless for strength training as curls and lateral raises are NOT strength training
Of course they are. Strength training doesn't just refer to olympic lifts or any specific routine.0 -
Ok, totally didn't mean to open a can of worms. LOL. Consider me a completely clueless, total newb just starting to dip her toe into something other than cardio. Cardio is how I lost 20 pounds before our last child, but that alone is not really cutting it this time around, so I'm trying to expand my horizons and shake things up. I do not have a routine in mind as I just started researching everything this afternoon. I truly thought, when I posted, that dumbbells were the way to go. Considering me clued in to that not being the case. I wasn't trolling or trying to start something....lol. Truly clueless person here.0
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