Beginning to Lift - Need Suggestions!

teerae326 · September 2013

Hi everyone! I know this same post has been posted a million times, so please forgive me for adding to the list. I have just bought NROL4W for my Kindle, planning to start it today after work. Also looked at StrongLifts and other websites to see what would be the best approach. I have lost 18 lbs since starting with MPF, and people have started to see a difference. I can't see anything physical, but my pants are fitting better and I am going down in sizes. To keep this up, to lose more inches, I have decided I don't care too much about the scale, I just want to lose more inches and after reading endless posts about women lifting, I have decided to try it out. I don't eat clean, I just try to stay at a calorie deficit. For now, that's working just fine. For lifting, I will be using the small gym in my apartment complex... haven't been in a gym in years. I'm nervous about going, nervous about going alone and not being familiar enough with the exercise to do it properly. I am hoping that the good folks on MFP can give me some beginners tips on lifting, certain exercises that were helpful, etc. I have an athletic build and have always fallen victim to the idea that I would get bulky if I lifted but after seeing so many beautiful women on here thanking lifting for their bodies, I have changed my mind! Please share ANYTHING you can think of that would be helpful. If you lift now and are seeing success, please add me!

Thank you!!!

es513 · September 2013

bump! I need to know this info as well

princesstoadstool82 · September 2013

I use and love stronglifts... I brought the nrol4w. . Read it and went what... lol it seemed to complex for me and my tiny brain... so I find strong lifts nice and simple easy to follow... ive been doing it for a month. I love increasing my weights

my body has changed heaps already... good luck with what ever you choose

deksgrl · September 2013

Recommended exercises: just follow the program that you have decided to do. Look up which exercises you do on the first day of whichever program you have chosen, and read about the correct form. Then you can also google those exercises and watch videos of the correct form. Recommend that you just use the barbell only with no weights on it the first time so you can practice the form. Don't worry about anybody else at the gym, everyone started as a newbie once.

princesstoadstool82 · September 2013

Oh also google some of the exercises. . I found thats helped with my form... I was doing bench presses over my neck.... I know I know... until I watched a you tube vid on form.... also.. when I first started I was shown all the exercises by one of the instructors... and been doing it alone since...

3laine75 · September 2013

if you're going to do the stronglifts routine, i'd highly recommend reading 'starting strength'. it has really helped me with form.

teerae326 · September 2013

I use and love stronglifts... I brought the nrol4w. . Read it and went what... lol it seemed to complex for me and my tiny brain... so I find strong lifts nice and simple easy to follow... ive been doing it for a month. I love increasing my weights my body has changed heaps already... good luck with what ever you choose

I'm glad to hear it's working well for you! I have heard that NROL4W was complicated, we'll see when I start reading! StrongLifts seems easier, just need to practive form. Thank you!

teerae326 · September 2013

Recommended exercises: just follow the program that you have decided to do. Look up which exercises you do on the first day of whichever program you have chosen, and read about the correct form. Then you can also google those exercises and watch videos of the correct form. Recommend that you just use the barbell only with no weights on it the first time so you can practice the form. Don't worry about anybody else at the gym, everyone started as a newbie once.

That's probably what I'm going to have to do, Google everything, unless there's some super star lifter in my gym that feels like being nice to me.

I've heard that form means everything in lifting, so if you aren't doing it right, it doesn't matter how much weight you have! Definitely want to have correct form! Thank you!

teerae326 · September 2013

if you're going to do the stronglifts routine, i'd highly recommend reading 'starting strength'. it has really helped me with form.

I will have to check this out, thank you!

tonynguyen75 · September 2013

The main exercises you want to focus on are the large compound movements. Squats, Deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows and chin ups/pull ups.

For proper form, be sure to check YouTube. OmarIsuf, CanditoTraining, etc have lots of good videos to help with form on the main lifts.

teerae326 · September 2013

The main exercises you want to focus on are the large compound movements. Squats, Deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, rows and chin ups/pull ups.

For proper form, be sure to check YouTube. OmarIsuf, CanditoTraining, etc have lots of good videos to help with form on the main lifts.

Thanks! I've heard I need to engage as many muscle groups at once, so those should do the trick! And thank you for the videos - I'll check those out today!

pawnstarNate · September 2013

I did stronglifts earlier this year and found it simple and quicker than any workout I've done. over that time, I gained 8 lbs but, never gained in my waist and I noticed a little in muscle size, people around me noticed a lot.......and it does get tough when you start getting into the higher weights

triniechu · September 2013

Main lifts you need to learn are deadlifts, back squats, and bench press. Im not really a bench presser but I do the other 2. Definitely start lifting light and as you get more comfortable with it increase the weight 5 pounds more each week. Also women don't get bulky from lifting, it really helps strengthen your core and helps give you more definition. I've been lifting since Oct 2012 and I havent bulked, but more defined and much stronger. I started from deadlifting only THE BAR and now I can lift 280 pounds easy. I see 300 in my near future.

As you get heavy though, I suggest you definitely have a trainer to teach you proper form. Doing these lifts incorrectly can get you hurt. So just be careful as you get heavier. My bf lifts, so he's the one who has been training me the proper forms. Goodluck!

Stage14 · September 2013

NROLFW isn't really complicated if you take it step by step, rather than reading through the whole book then trying to start. I read all of the first two sections (why you should lift heavy and nutrition), but when it came to the workout section, I immediately read about Stage 1, went online and printed off a workout journal sheet, and then skipped through reading ONLY about the moves I would be doing starting out. I also watched a ton of videos on form before attempting any I was unfamiliar with. So, I read about all the Exercises in Workout A, watched the videos, then went the next day and did them. Then, on my rest day, I read about all the exercises in Workout B and watched the videos. When I get to the next stage, I will do it the same way. So long as you don't overload your brain with 6 months worth of workouts at once, it's pretty easy to follow.

I did Starting Strength when I first started lifting back last January or February. It was simple, but honestly boring for me and didn't keep me engaged. I had an unrelated neck injury, and after recovering from that and graduating back to free weights from resistance bands, I just sort of mulled along doing various workouts I found online, which were largely isolation moves. I picked up NROLFW about a month ago and the difference from all of my previous lifting experiences has been amazing! Now, I have to force myself to take rest days and limit it to 3 times a week. I want to lift every day.

Edit to Add: My biggest tip is to really pay attention to form before adding more weight, do the warm ups they recommend in the book, and don't worry if you don't get some moves right on the first try. I literally faceplanted in the middle of the gym the first time I tried the prone jacknife. Now it's one of my favorite ab moves and I've had several people comment on how impressive it is and ask me to spot them while they try it.

keflexxxx · September 2013

stronglifts is a fine beginner program but take pretty much anything mehdi tells you with a grain of salt.

glreim21 · September 2013

I started NROLFW in May. I went from not having a clue how to do any weight lifting to gaining significant muscles in my arms and back. I have only lost 3 lbs but waist decreased 2 inches. I would absolutely recommend this book for beginners. Before you start, watch Mark Riptoe you tube clips for proper form. Also join the NROLFW group on MFP, for extra information o this program.

MityMax96 · September 2013

I would start with light weights to get the rhythm down.....then add weight to where you need it.

Go hard.

Be sure to rest.

And get your diet right....you will get the most benefit from a proper diet.

bakeralison1 · September 2013

There is a really good forum at jpfitness.com that is all about NROL4W, so if you have any questions on the book, take a look over there.

dimam13 · September 2013

Stronglifts was a great starter program for me. It's very easy in the beginning and you feel too strong for it but by week 4 your lifts should be jumping +20-40lbs. it gets hard quick but you will build muscle in the process and break your records. I found it while searching for some program where you can burn fat and build muscle. Efficiently, you're supposed to do one or the other. I think my only progress pic on here is me before I started SL. It's not many exercises but you're using lots of muscles during each...it comes with a cool app also for tracking purposes..i liked it!

fitbulky · September 2013

Hey...I have been lifting for one year now.You should lift free weights with proper form.Do compound lifts like squats,rows,deadlift and presses.Lift heavy 8-10 reps to failure.Start with 3 days a week full body workouts.Take progress photos