Look 15 pounds lighter, in 2 easy steps: Eat and Lift

You look great! I am really interested in starting to lift but unfortunately I do not have a gym buddy to help with spotting etc. Do you think you can get similar results from the machines?

You can certainly start with/use machines but the results won't be the same. You won't be using your stabilizing muscles or be able to do compound lifts/movements, which allow you to work more of your body at once. With compound movements I can get done in 30-60 minutes depending on how heavy my weights are and such. To work your who body with machines it'll take all day.

But don't be discouraged, I currently don't work with a gym buddy anymore (Haven't since the end of June). It's a little scary at first but as long as your careful and know your limits you'll be fine.

You look great! I am really interested in starting to lift but unfortunately I do not have a gym buddy to help with spotting etc. Do you think you can get similar results from the machines?

You can certainly start with/use machines but the results won't be the same. You won't be using your stabilizing muscles or be able to do compound lifts/movements, which allow you to work more of your body at once. With compound movements I can get done in 30-60 minutes depending on how heavy my weights are and such. To work your who body with machines it'll take all day.

But don't be discouraged, I currently don't work with a gym buddy anymore (Haven't since the end of June). It's a little scary at first but as long as your careful and know your limits you'll be fine.

Follow up, for further info, as supplied by someone who knows more stuff about stuff than me

The benefit is that no matter what their goal, they will get there faster and easier with free weights.

Compound free weight exercises are worth learning because they make reaching your goals much much easier

Agree with the other comments - you look great! I'm not seeing the weight loss I'd hoped I would from 7 weeks of my calorie counting & cardio combo. Maybe resistance training is what's missing? Thanks for the inspiration!:)

I would say give it a shot (I mean obviously that's what I would say.) But even without my bias you have to think: What do you have to lose? Some time? Losing weight takes time anyway, so might as well.

Count the calories, keep a reasonable deficit, lift the weights, give it a few months, and see what develops. If you don't like it then you know you don't like it and can move on knowing at least you tried it, and you'll lose weight anyway cause deficit. Literally no downside.

Can u plz tell ur weightlifting routine i wna do that i just have dumbells

I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 right now.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/560459-stronglifts-5x5-summary

These sets are for your WORKWEIGHT (the weight you are lifting that day) and do not include warmup sets.

Workout A
Barbell Squat 5x5
Bench press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5 (The app and the PDF call them that but they are actually pendlay rows).

Workout B:
Barbell Squat 5x5 (5 sets with 5 reps)
Overhead press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5 (1 set with 5 reps)


I do this 3 times a week, alternating workouts. These lifts do call for a barbell (I'm using your standard Olympic but I started with a light ones) but there are routines out there that use progressively heavy dumbbells. Something like this maybe:
http://produmbbellworkouts.com/dumbbell-routines/5x5-heavy-weight-with-dumbbells/

That said you'll eventually run out of weight to add with dumbbells.