Seeking beginning strength program suggestions

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Barbellgirl
Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been lifting heavy working with a personal trainer for the last five weeks. My sessions will be coming to an end soon and it's time for me to fly solo. I'm seeking advice/suggestions from those with first hand experience with one of the programs I'm considering, or from certified trainers themselves.

I'm looking for a full body (not split) workout program training either 3 or 4 days a week. Preferably three to start with. The programs I'm researching are: 1) Starting Strength, 2) New Rules of Lifting for Women, 3) AllPros, and 4) Stronglifts 5x5.

If there are others I should look into, I'd love to hear about them as well. Thank you.
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Replies

  • jamiek917
    jamiek917 Posts: 610 Member
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    ive only done NROL (currently almost done with stage 5)- and i love it!!
  • mlnick69
    mlnick69 Posts: 84
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    One of my personal favorites is all compound exercises. Equipment needed Dumbbells and a pull up bar.

    Deadlifts - hits a lot of different muscles, including core. Top it off with a shoulder press if the weight allows.
    Squats - Again hits a lot of muscles and core, top this off with calf raises
    Pull ups - gives your biceps a decent work out too
    Dips - shoulders, triceps
    Incline bench press -chest, shoulders, triceps
    toss in whatever abdominal routine you like and its a full body workout.

    You can use machines, but they tend to isolate certain muscles by limiting joint movement. More for working on a particular body part. Dumbbells are great due to not allowing one side to compensate for the other. Even doing squats there are a lot of muscle engaged to keep you balanced, that doesn't happen on machines.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    Thanks Jamie. I've got the new rules book, I've read it and I'm prepared already for that program. I'm just making sure to research the others first.

    @Min, all of the programs I'm considering use compound movements/exercises and free weights primarily and not machines. Definitely my preference! :D.
  • leithy89
    leithy89 Posts: 19 Member
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    I'm just starting stronglifts due to the simplicity of it.
    Google it, or check out the group Stronglifts 5x5 for women
    :)
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
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    All four programs that you've listed are excellent. It seems like you've done you're homework on this aspect I would presume that you've done your homework for the other aspects. Once you've got it all sorted, pick a program quit your jibber jabber and go and embarrass the bros in your gym! :D
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    Leithy, thank you. I was reading about people stalling on that program due to the five sets. Have you noticed that yet?

    Haroon, it's unusual for me to solicit input like this, but since I have several days before i start this program i didn't think it would hurt to ask.
  • metalvegan
    metalvegan Posts: 133 Member
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    I'm doing something similar to stronglifts 5x5 from bodybuilder.com (it's essentially the same plan) and I love it. I can feel myself getting a lot stronger pretty quickly.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    I'm doing something similar to stronglifts 5x5 from bodybuilder.com (it's essentially the same plan) and I love it. I can feel myself getting a lot stronger pretty quickly.

    I have found some great workouts on BB.com as well. Do you recall the name or the link to the one you are doing?
  • MiaMauler
    MiaMauler Posts: 1
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    It is an AMAZING program. I taught the class for 14 years! Now that I have retired from teaching....I'm doing it at home on my own. The format is perfect for what you want. Here is the rundown.
    track 1 warm up
    track 2 squats
    track 3 chest
    trach 4 back, glutes & hamstrings
    track 5 tri's
    track 6 bi;s
    track 7 lunges
    track 8 shoulders
    track 9 abs
    track 10 cooldown
    Its roughly 5 minutes on each major muscle group. Head to toe. And great music. I taught Body Pump, Body Combat and Body Blend for YEARS at Gold's Gym and World Gym. LOVE the Les Mills programs.....and now that these programs are available for home use ~ its even better!!! You will NOT be disappointed.
  • billsica
    billsica Posts: 4,741 Member
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    Sounds like you might be looking for an intermediate plan. Something like Wendler 5/3/1 I know a lot of people "graduating" to that.

    http://www.jimwendler.com/2011/09/531-for-a-beginner/
  • Mia_RagazzaTosta
    Mia_RagazzaTosta Posts: 4,885 Member
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    ^^^ I don't think Body Pump is classified as heavy lifting, which is what the OP is looking for.

    OP, if you don't want 5x5, you can do 3x5 (starting strength's program is 3x5).
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Starting Strength. Get the book, even if you choose SL5x5. If you choose SL, do it as 3x5.

    p.s., lol at the person above suggesting body pump
  • DaniH826
    DaniH826 Posts: 1,335 Member
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    Starting Strength. Get the book, even if you choose SL5x5. If you choose SL, do it as 3x5.

    p.s., lol at the person above suggesting body pump

    ^^ What he said.

    I do Starting Strength and love it. I've done 5x5 before and enjoyed it also, but I personally prefer 3x5. To each their own.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    Thanks guys for all the input. I actually have the programs listed in the order to which I'm leaning. I know strong lifts can be modified but then why not just do SS? :)

    I'll get the Starting Strength book. It seems to be a well respected program that's been used successfully for many years so I think it's just down to it and New Rules for me. I do love the BB.com workouts and I'll look forward to switching things up with those programs from time to time.
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
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    I liked putting together my own routine on gymgoal.com.
  • dbrightwell1270
    dbrightwell1270 Posts: 1,732 Member
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    You may want to consider New Rules of Lifting: Supercharged. It's similar to the other books in the New Rules series except it gives a menu of exercises of various levels of difficulty for movement type (squat, hinge, pull, push, etc). The advantage I find in this book is that as one exercise gets easier, you can move up to a more difficult level for the same movement. The descriptions of the exercises also lets you adjust your exercises for specific goals.
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
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    Thanks Randomtai, I'll go look at that.

    Dbright, I will look at that. My main reservation to be honest with New Rules is the starting point of 2 sets of 15 reps. I've been doing 3 sets of 5-10 reps depending on the exercise. So I feel like doing 15 reps will be taking a step backwards in my training. No one wants to do that. :)

    I don't understand the whole fast twitch/slow twitch muscle fiber thing yet so I'm not sure if there would be anything wrong with me say starting at 3 sets of 8 which is about 1/2 or further through stage 1 of the new rules program and skipping the higher rep days.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    All four programs that you've listed are excellent. It seems like you've done you're homework on this aspect I would presume that you've done your homework for the other aspects. Once you've got it all sorted, pick a program quit your jibber jabber and go and embarrass the bros in your gym! :D

    This. You've picked 4 of the most popular beginner programs. Pick one and try it. I did Stronglifts and thought it was great. NROL seemed overcomplicated to me, SS I didn't like the power cleans and I never looked at AllPro.

    Either way you go, pick up the SS book to read up on proper form. You don't have to follow their program but the book is basically the form bible and I still use it for reference now and again.
  • CrankMeUp
    CrankMeUp Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Starting Strength. Get the book, even if you choose SL5x5. If you choose SL, do it as 3x5.

    p.s., lol at the person above suggesting body pump

    this^

    http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/The_Starting_Strength_Novice/Beginner_Programs
    http://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5-beginner-strength-training-program/
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
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    I started with NROLFW and loved it - only did it for maybe 2-3 weeks though. I mostly just loved that I was learning how to lift.

    Then I started working out with these 2 guys at my gym and doing their program.

    THEN a few weeks ago I started StrongLifts 5x5. LOVE IT!!! I want to continue this program and see how high I can get in weight. haha
    Also, if I finish the program and still have some extra time, I do other exercises like curls, dips, hip thrusts, etc...

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