Need advice re: starting serious strength training

blytheny · July 2013

Hi!

So, most of my life, my working out has consisted of mostly cardio... I'm a runner who shouldn't be running much anymore d/t knee issues that are fine for now, but will create the need for joint replacements in the future if I continue.

So, I've begun doing the elliptical for cardio, but need to up my game on the weights.

We have a small wt machine at home that I use for pull-downs and leg lifts, other than that I just use free wts at home for arms and do sit-ups/crunches.

I do belong to a small gym where we have all the machines and free wts I need, I just haven't gone back to using the machines like I used to years ago, mostly b/c after spending 45-60 min on the ellip, I need to get back home and back to "life"!

So - I could use "newbie" advice on getting into strength training... I do have personal trainers I can ask at the gym, but thought I'd come here for advice, as well, as I see so many great success stories that are r/t strength training as a part of weight loss.

I have about 15 lbs to go to hit the weight I'd like to be at for my height/age (I am 5'7", 45 yrs old, currently at 150lbs... would like to be 135, but realize that may not be my "ideal weight" if I am able to drop my fat percentage and up my muscle mass)

My upper body has always been my weakest area - I really want to gain arm strength and tone - my core is strong, but my abs need fat loss d/t my two lovely children

- and my legs, although my strongest area thanks to soccer, running and volleyball, need serious toning/fat loss. They're my heaviest area.

So... bring it on.... any and all tips/advice welcome!!

billsica · July 2013

Work on the main lifts with a trainer if one is there for you. With a barbell.

squats, dead-lifts, bench press, clean, press, rows.

Look up starting strength or new rules of lifting for women.

bookworm_847 · July 2013

Fellow newbie with the strength training here! I just finished reading the New Rules of Lifting for Women, which I've seen mentioned on here quite a bit, and am planning to start the program next week. There's a lot of good information in the book and stage one of the program doesn't look like anything that will be impossible for me to do.

I'm sure all of the veterans on here can give you more advice, but that's where I'm starting.

This post also serves as a "bump" so I can get more info too!

Good luck! :flowerforyou:

laserturkey · July 2013

I'm 4 years older than you and about the same height.

I got the book New Rules of Lifting For Women and it was a great launching point. I've had to modify a bit for medical reasons, so I just try to get in a good variety of exercises and I try to keep the weight high enough that I can just manage to complete 3 sets of 5 reps.

I bet if you put on muscle, you will find 135 is too low at your height. When I was in heavy martial arts training, people told me I looked "gaunt" and "anorexic" at that weight.

I'd focus on the strength training and keep your calorie deficit minimal. Use a tape measure instead of a scale to track your progress.

cwolfman13 · July 2013

New Rules of Lifting for Women, Starting Strength, Strong Lifts 5x5 or any other beginner oriented routine that is going to be progressively intelligent. These three in particular are held in high regard. All will have you focus on the big, compound lifts that should ultimately be the central focus of any routine, beginner, intermediate, or advanced. You will get more exposure to these with SS and SL, but good exposure with New Rules as well. New Rules will have you doing more assistance work in addition to those big lifts while SS and SL have no assistance work early on and minimal assistance later.

I'm partial to the 3x5 format of SS for the beginner...I made excellent strength gains for 6 months before moving to Wendler's 5/3/1. I could have continued making linear strength gains when I switched, but the weight and volume of squats left me unable to run or cycle which I enjoy and my fitness regimen was ultimately becoming too unbalanced...but it was a great program to get me back into things and excellent where linear strength gains are concerned.

Bottom line is you need to do a tried and true program...if you're just walking around picking up random weights with no rhyme or reason, you're essentially wasting your time and are not getting anywhere near the benefits you could be getting with time well spent working withing the framework of a solid program.

justinhatchett · July 2013

Blytheny,

Fat loss will always be a function of diet before exercise. To help with making a diet easier, we try to build more lean mass to sustain our metabolism. You're on the right path to start strength training instead of cardio! It turns out that cardio really impedes lean muscle gain, and while it burns a decent amount of calories, it doesn't improve fat loss the way weight lifting will. I highly suggest starting with bodyweight training! here are some great resources for workouts you can do at home. The goal is to push yourself to do a little better each day (or training session, it doesn't have to be each day).
http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/basic_exercises
http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/faq
http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness

More importantly - lets look at diet. #1 goal is to be at a proper deficit, between 20% and 15% of your calories per day. This seems hard if you aren't eating the proper foods. Whole, unprocessed foods keep you full longer, because there is a lot more volume per calorie. In addition, cutting sugars and starches will improve your leptin response (the chemical that makes you feel full!) I had great success with a ketogenic diet this year, dropping 40 pounds between Jan 3rd and April 1st. I maintained until Jun 1 when I started lifting, and I lost another 4% bf while gaining 10 pounds back. I highly suggest keto, and you can find some resources here:
www.reddit.com/r/keto
http://keto-calculator.ankerl.com/
http://www.reddit.com/r/keto/wiki/faq

Good luck!

kdiamond · July 2013

Another vote for starting with New Rules of Lifting for Women. I did the program twice and got great results.

Free weights are obviously the best, but I supplement with some machines as well.

helenjon752 · July 2013

I am 62 and been doing the Stronglifts 5 x 5 for about 5 weeks , I am getting great results so far.

knitwit0704 · July 2013

Bump!

I have a lot of injuries that are hard for me to exercise around, so I'd love to see what gets said.

tracieangeletti · July 2013

I'm 5'1" and 47 years old and I've just finished my 5th week of a program called Thinner Leaner Stronger by Michael Matthews. It is a five day a week program although he tells you how to do it in 3 or 4 days if you can't do five. It is mainly all compound lifts with squats, deadlifts, bench presses etc. It is very easy to follow and so far very effective. I chose this program over New Rules of Lifting because it seemed to be easier to follow with less isolation type work. I would recommend really spending some time looking at a few different programs and picking the one that seems to fit your needs better. For me just getting up the nerve to enter the squat rack was the hard part, now I wish I wouldn't have been so afraid and started sooner. MUCH sooner. Really can't tell you enough how lifting is going to change your body. I am shocked by the changes to mine in such a short period of time. Good luck to you!!

blytheny · July 2013

Wow!! thx for all the advice! Recently ordered the RoLforWomen book, looking forward to reading/using it... also got some very helpful tips from a female trainer at the gym today.

Keep the tips coming - glad it's helping others, too!

Need advice re: starting serious strength training

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