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Beginning Weight lifting

paulylovesme
paulylovesme Posts: 170
edited February 5 in Fitness and Exercise
I am wanting to add some upper body weights to my routine but I really do not know where to start. I used to lift (16 years ago) and it was simple free weights. All these different machines make me tweek! I get plenty of lower body through my classes but I want faster results with my arms. I am sick of having jello flaps for triceps! I do have left shoulder issues because of an accident. So now my arm goes numb and I get spasms. I know I have to be careful with that. But I can't afford a trainer to teach me the machines to use. Okay I am babbling. Just to sum it up I need some upper body ideas to build muscle! Thanks_J

Replies

  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
    You would train at the gym or at home?
  • kinmad4it
    kinmad4it Posts: 185 Member
    Press ups, pull ups, dips. Can't go wrong with that lot and there are variations for everyone from beginners to highly advanced.
  • paulylovesme
    paulylovesme Posts: 170
    At the gym and some nights at home when I can't get a sitter
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    over head press
    lat pull downs
    pull ups
    BB/DB rows
    Push press
    handstand push ups
    bench
    fly

    have at it.
  • paulylovesme
    paulylovesme Posts: 170
    over head press
    lat pull downs
    pull ups
    BB/DB rows
    Push press
    handstand push ups
    bench
    fly

    have at it.


    I am a beginner with little upper body strength. Maybe I should mention I am a girl. I can't do a push up at all. I need baby steps and what are BB/DB rows?
  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
    At the gym and some nights at home when I can't get a sitter

    What equipment do you have a home??
  • paulylovesme
    paulylovesme Posts: 170
    At the gym and some nights at home when I can't get a sitter

    What equipment do you have a home??

    Myself. I have light zumba weights but that's it. We did have a weight set but my house is too small for anything (900 sg ft)
  • HannahJDiaz25
    HannahJDiaz25 Posts: 329 Member
    I'm a girl and I had almost ZERO upper body strength. I was convinced to start lifting when I read "New Rules of Lifting for Women."
    I started with that program, but hated all the different confusing moves so I researched a ton and started doing Strong Lifts. (There are groups here for that program.)
    I LOVE Strong Lifts!!
    It's very, very simple. You start with just the weight of the bar ( an Olympic bar is 45 pounds) and each workout you add weights.
    There are two workouts that alternate. (Deadlift starts heavier so you can have weights to keep it off the floor, but there preloaded bars in most gyms that you can use if you cant do the starting weight to work up to it.)
    Its basically:

    5 sets of 5 reps each...

    Workout A

    Squat 5×5

    Bench Press 5×5

    Barbell Rows 5×5

    Workout B

    Squat 5×5

    Overhead Press 5×5

    Deadlift 1×5 (Only one set here)

    There is a free app on the apple app store for tracking it, and if you use android I believe they are developing one (also JetFit has it I think)
    It looks easy, but it works!
    After just 6 weeks of sticking to this my butt was AWESOME, I had arm muscles and my entire body looks WAY more toned. The program has you add 5 lbs per workout, but It seems to be geared toward guys. Since I failed on the bar with the Bench press (LOL) I just kept doing the Bar until I could do all the reps. Then I added the 5 lbs and did it again.
    Just make sure you watch the videos about form. And have someone spot you. My husband had to pick the bar off my chest the first couple times I tried haha! The other difficult one for me was the barbell row. I had to use the pre-loaded 40 and 50 lb bars to work up to being able to do the starting weight on that.
    Also make sure you read about warming up. Once you start adding weight to the bar, the warmups make the workout longer, but I am usually never in the gym for over 40 minutes (YAY)
    This simple routine along with gentle Hatha yoga 3 times per week and 2-4 cardio workouts (Elliptical and mountain biking are my favs) will give you an amazing body if you just stick to it! (and eat lots of lean protein, whole grains etc of course)
    Google Strong Lifts for more info. Feel free to friend me if you like. Also, just a warning: The Strong Lifts program is marketed towards guys in their early twenties I think. The website and the guys emails can be annoying, but I try to get the good from it and ignore the marketing stuff.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    over head press
    lat pull downs
    pull ups
    BB/DB rows
    Push press
    handstand push ups
    bench
    fly

    have at it.


    I am a beginner with little upper body strength. Maybe I should mention I am a girl. I can't do a push up at all. I need baby steps and what are BB/DB rows?

    so what?

    I didn't realize you needed an extra appendage to do those.
    Don't use being a girl as an excuse.
    A woman trains the same way a man does.
    You are weak- but you get stronger doing these things.

    Do your push ups on a desk.. start high- then work down.

    All of those exercises can be done with a broomstick or modifications. There are modifications for EVERYTHING. But you need a name to start with to figure it out. If it's a body weight movement (hand stand push ups) there is a way to start with your feet on the ground and still work on shoudler strength.


    Any of the lifts? just go with a lighter weigh- a broomstick or a bar

    BB = Bar bell
    DB = dumbbell.
  • rolemodel69
    rolemodel69 Posts: 365
    You can find a lot of free lifting programs at Bodybuilding.com

    Since you don't have any equipment at home, you will have to do your program at the gym. You could do your workout at home by doing bodyweight exercices like push-ups, plank, pull-ups, bodyweight squat, etc...I would be worry though about doing pull-ups with a shoulder injury.

    I would strongly suggest you get resistance bands if you want to train at home.
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