Beginner Weight Training

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a_crotty
a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello everyone and let me start off by saying I know NOTHING about weight training. I have actually always been afraid of it being 5'1" I thought I'd end up looking stockier than I already do at 173#. Anyhow,my general question is how do I know where to begin? I know my best tool is my body but I get easily bored with that and really need the push of being in a gym. So again, are there websites that are recomended that will tell me what and how many etc? I do Zumba now 3 days a week for 1 hour, so cardio is covered.

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  • JcMey3r
    JcMey3r Posts: 431 Member
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    I recommend you start off with maybe at home programs with body weight exercising and then maybe buy a kettleball or two later on.

    Best would be if you have a gym partner so guys can encourage each other to go and then maybe get a personal trainer to go over the basics with you and then you go on your own.

    After that start educating yourself on weight training. Believe me that you will not end up looking like a bodybuilder if you train weights. you will get toned and have great definition on your body.
  • a_crotty
    a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
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    I recommend you start off with maybe at home programs with body weight exercising and then maybe buy a kettleball or two later on.

    Best would be if you have a gym partner so guys can encourage each other to go and then maybe get a personal trainer to go over the basics with you and then you go on your own.

    After that start educating yourself on weight training. Believe me that you will not end up looking like a bodybuilder if you train weights. you will get toned and have great definition on your body.

    Thanks for the tips, I actually just sent a request for a trainer for 4 weeks :)
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
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    "Jasaon Blaha's beginner program"
  • girlienerd
    girlienerd Posts: 16 Member
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    dailyhiit.com is good, exrx.net, fitnessblender.com and then there are several apps for your phone that will get you started and set up a beginner program. gorilla fitness is a great app for that and I believe it's on itunes and android.

    Let me say that you will not get bulky, it would take you years and HEAVY weights to get that way plus some steroids. Women just don't have the genes to get bulky. The more muscle you have the more fat and calories you will burn though so you want to replace that fat with muscle. A pound of fat takes up WAY more mass and space on your body than a pound of muscle. Generally speaking think about a pound of flour as being a pound of fat and then quarter that, that's more like a pound of muscle. That's not to scale but to get a visual you understand.

    I actually have not lost much weight but my body shape has changed dramatically, people ask me all the time how much weight I've lost and I can't really tell them that much but I know I"m fitting into pants I haven't worn since 2006 and things are getting baggy. I love that!

    Measure all over before starting any weights, b/c you will probably get to a point where you either stop losing or gain a bit but measure measure measure and you will see the changes!!
  • spiccone
    spiccone Posts: 2
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    This thread might help. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/533458-weight-lifting-where-to-even-start
  • a_crotty
    a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
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    Thanks everyone, I am one my way to see the trainer for the first time now.
  • SarahBeth0625
    SarahBeth0625 Posts: 685 Member
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    One word: Youtube!

    A few more words: weighted lunges/squats. Start with maybe 8-10 lb dumbbells. Regular curls/hammer curls/supinated.... I had to Youtube EVERYTHING because I was so clueless in the beginning. I like doing 10 minute ab videos 3x a week too -- there is a lot of great stuff out there. My favorite one is the Laura London Ab workout. :) Pushups too!

    Good luck!
  • a_crotty
    a_crotty Posts: 225 Member
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    I checked some things out on youtube and then also got on fitness mag.com etc. I did 1 set of 15 reps per thing today. Stomach is KILLING me, so I'm sure that's good lol
  • tonynguyen75
    tonynguyen75 Posts: 418 Member
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    "Jasaon Blaha's beginner program"

    Plus one for Ice Cream Fitness' AKA Jason Blaha's Novice 5x5 Program.

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