Strength Training Newbie

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cornfieldsuburbia
cornfieldsuburbia Posts: 15
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 70 days into my new healthy living and weight loss journey. Down 31 pounds so far I have done nothing but cardio thus far. I am learning that with cardio strength training is a must. Never crossing over to that side of the gym because I am petrified...... I am asking for guidance. As a soon to be newbie in the weight section of the gym I am looking for tips from all you MFP peeps. One of my main questions is how do you know where to start weight wise..... please help!!!!

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  • ohkabash
    ohkabash Posts: 8
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    I am following this as I just asked the same question :o)

    Great job on your weight loss so far.
  • cornfieldsuburbia
    cornfieldsuburbia Posts: 15
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    I didn't get a response so I re-posted under "Introduce yourself"!!!! Looks like there is a lot more traffic there!!! Hoping to get an answer!!!!
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    I started with a weight that I thought I could handle. If I could do 8-10 reps clean and not struggle, I knew the weight was too light. If I could not do 8 clean reps, the weight was probably too heavy. If I did 10 reps and the last one or two felt barely doable, the weight was spot on.

    If you are looking for a plan to start try looking at the new rules for lifting books. Also you tube videos of exercises so you get your form correct.

    Without proper form, lifting weights wont get you were you want to be. And you might get hurt.

    Congrats on your loss!
  • username_misso
    username_misso Posts: 50 Member
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    you should look check out starting strength.

    if im coming back from a break i always just spend a session or two feeling my way around with weights to see where i should be starting from again.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Concentrate more on form and function in the beginning more so than the weight, just use a weight that is comfortable to do 8-10 reps, once you have some experience with that then start increasing your weight... You have the choice of heavier weights with lower reps or low weights with higher reps... It is going to be a personal choice on what you want out of your weight lifting... I like staying in that 8-10 rep range per set and I do 4 different exercises per body part... I switch things up every couple weeks, Some weeks I combine body parts (do Back/Biceps, Chest/Tricep, Legs/Shoulders) then other weeks I separate and do individual (Chest, Back, Arms, Legs, Shoulders). I prefer muscle confusion by changing things up and never letting my body get to comfortable with one routine. I try to do the same with cardio (swim one day, elliptical another, etc. etc). Best of Luck
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    If you are a total beginner, it's usually a good idea to get a program. That way, it's all laid out for you and all you have to do is follow the instructions. You'll learn and make some decent strength gains without the stress of wondering if you're doing it right.

    Starting Strength is a great book and program by Mark Rippetoe. I highly recommend it. It's pretty dry reading, but he outlines everything and explains in detail why you're doing what you're doing. It also provides references for form. You can find a lot of his videos on youtube with great explanations on form.

    Strong Lifts is another great beginner program. It's free and you sign up online. There are several groups on here for it.

    As far as a starting weight - you don't want to go too heavy too quickly. A lot of people start with the bar (or a little above it) and work their way up. Form is more important than weight in the beginning anyway.

    Good luck on getting started! Don't be intimidated - we were all beginners once! :)
  • cornfieldsuburbia
    cornfieldsuburbia Posts: 15
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    Thanks everyone for the great advice and the books to add to my reading list. Its very overwhelming just starting out but I am certainly learning the cardio and weight training need to go hand in hand to be success at become lean and healthy. Again thank you so much!!!

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