Strength Training for girls :)

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NikkiJ17
NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok you fitness buffs...I know I need to combine strength training with my cardio...how do I get started?? I'm a very detail oriented person so just telling me to start lifting weights isn't gonna help me. I wanna know what exercises, how much weight, how many reps & sets, how many days a week, etc. Can anybody help????

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  • becomingsara
    becomingsara Posts: 205
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    I was JUST wondering the same thing!
    BUMP!
  • soze
    soze Posts: 604 Member
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    I'm a guy and I still know what you are talking about. Grab some very light barbells, say 5 lbs or less. It doesn't take much. do curls and shoulder press. Then lay on the bench and do chest press with the same weights. Then you can do lunges holding the weights.

    Now this may sound foreign. So you can look them up on the internet. Also, grab someone at the gym that looks like they know what they are doing and ask for guidance. You can also hire a personal trainer for about 3 sessions to get you started.

    I'm big guy and I had a skinny woman personal trainer kick my butt. We sometimes worked out with weights as light as 2.5 lbs. It really doesn't take much.
  • DeepSeaDoc_Wife
    DeepSeaDoc_Wife Posts: 112 Member
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    just as the above person said but what I do is my cardio and then the strength. If you are a walker bring some resistance bands along the walk and halfway in your walk do some band training.
  • simply_healthy
    simply_healthy Posts: 175 Member
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    You can find a good routine for starters at this website.

    http://www.kristensguide.com/Health/Exercise/strength_routines_beginner.asp

    Hope this helps ! All the best :)
  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
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    This is a really great thread! I used to strength train, using my own body weight style though, so crunches, squats, calf raises, things like that. But adding the small amounts of weights really does help, I need to get back to that!
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
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    this is my usual routine... however what works for one person may not work for others.


    I tend to do 70kg on the leg press machine, 3 sets of 12 reps. 25kg on the seat row machine, again 3 sets of 12 reps, 20 kg on the chest press 3 sets of 12 reps.

    As you have probably gathered by now I do 3 sets of 12 reps for all my weights lol.

    Hip abduction machines 37kg on the inner and 45 kg on the outer.

    I also use dumbbells and do shoulder presses with 4kg, hammer curls with 5 or 6kg, tricep kickbacks with 3kg, bicep curls wth 4kg erm and i think they are called lateral raises with 4kg dumbbells.

    I have been using weights for the past 3 months and my strengths has really increased. When I started I couldnt move 40kg on the leg press and I stuggled with 3kg dumbbells!

    Thing to do if your a member of a gym is to ask an instructor there to just give you a basic tour of the weight machines so you can learn how to set them up to the correct height and make sure you have proper form when doing the exercise. Same with the dumbbells, ask them to show you a couple of moves to start off with and how to do them correctly.

    Good luck! :D
  • ladyrem
    ladyrem Posts: 13
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    I LOVE strength training!!!! ... If you are just starting out there is no magic one size for all plan ... so I would say it would be of the up most importance to start with something you find fun! I also recommend going to a local store and pick up a video that has the 10 minute sections (upper body, lower body, abs...etc.) just a suggestion .... they come in all levels..... but start easy.. ! FORM is very important and if you aren't used to it a simple intro routine would be the best place to start. -GOOD LUCK
  • SarahBC
    SarahBC Posts: 72 Member
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    Ok if you have never done weights before I recommend starting on a beginner program, also I can give you exercises but you need to get someone to help you to make sure your doing them correctly.

    I enjoy circuit training with weights, so put together a full body workout covering every area, and complete the circuit three times.
    You want to do at least 15-20 reps.

    A Beginner Circuit would include:

    Exercise Reps Sets

    Squats 15-20 1
    Chest Press 15-20 1
    Lat Pull Down 15-20 1
    Shoulder Press 15-20 1
    Bicep Curls 15-20 1
    Tricep Dips 15-20 1
    Plank MAX 1
    Swiss Ball Crunches 20 1

    (Sets are at one as it is a circuit and you repest the whole thing 3 times though)
  • becomingsara
    becomingsara Posts: 205
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    You can find a good routine for starters at this website.

    http://www.kristensguide.com/Health/Exercise/strength_routines_beginner.asp

    Hope this helps ! All the best :)

    WHOA this is EXACTLY what I needed! Thanks!!!
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
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    Great info, thanks!!! Unfortunately I live in a small town and don't have access to a personal trainer, not that I could afford one anyways. Oh well, maybe someday. How many days a week should I do weights??? I'm currently only doing cardio 3 times a week, I'm a newbie!!
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
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    Are you a member of a gym? You wouldnt need to hire a personal trainer, if you just asked one of the instructors to give you a quick guide to the weights many will be more than happy to :)

    I would only do weights every other day. Muscles need time to recover between sessions.

    When i signed up to the gym the instructor told me to do weights 2 or 3 times a week
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
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    You can find a good routine for starters at this website.

    http://www.kristensguide.com/Health/Exercise/strength_routines_beginner.asp

    Hope this helps ! All the best :)





    Love the info on this site but not sure what some of the exercises are like military/shoulder press, inward/outward shoulder rotation, pullovers, pull downs, inclined dips, back crunches, straight leg dead lift, good mornings, hip raises, thigh squeeze, leg extensions, leg curls. Are you familiar with any of these??
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
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    Are you a member of a gym? You wouldnt need to hire a personal trainer, if you just asked one of the instructors to give you a quick guide to the weights many will be more than happy to :)

    I would only do weights every other day. Muscles need time to recover between sessions.

    When i signed up to the gym the instructor told me to do weights 2 or 3 times a week

    Unfortunately our closest gym is 30 minutes away and membership plus gas money, it's not an option. :frown:
  • schnarfo
    schnarfo Posts: 764 Member
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    Ah ok. Investing in some dumbells or... bottles filled with water hehe :D - my old swimming coach used to make us lift those instead of dumbbells
  • kayb58
    kayb58 Posts: 20 Member
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    See if your local library has a copy of Weight Training For Dummies. If not I think you can get a copy through Amazon.
  • s_sanchez
    s_sanchez Posts: 96
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    bump
  • NikkiJ17
    NikkiJ17 Posts: 295
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    See if your local library has a copy of Weight Training For Dummies. If not I think you can get a copy through Amazon.

    Great idea...I love my library. I'll check it out!!!!
  • ShaneT99
    ShaneT99 Posts: 278 Member
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    Buy and read New Rules of Lifting for Women written by Alwyn Cosgrove and Lou Schuler. It will tell you everything you need to know.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
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    I second New Rules of Lifting for Women - a GREAT book and comes highly recommended by fitness experts.

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