lots of questions regarding weight training!

kinsa2
kinsa2 Posts: 58 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am a 19 year old female who weighs 63kg at the moment. My height is 5ft5. I used to be 86kg and have lost the weight through walking and counting calories and I didnt really change what i ate. My goal is to fit into a size 8 jean tightly, i am a size 12 at the moment.
Now that that I have set the scene, I would like to tell you the obvious; I am not completely satisfied with how I look now, I know u must be thinking "well of course you wouldnt, you only did bloody cardio". I have some soft/ not too flabby kind of skin near the top part of my inner thighs, I was hoping that they would dissapear, but they are still there, not too much of a problem, but still there. The same goes with my belly and my arms, they have got smaller but they are still kind of soft, if u touch my belly, it literally feels like touching soft cotton :) I want to firm those up, and thats when i started searching around and found out that almost all articles told me the same: to do weight training!!!

so the questions:
1) is it too late for me to start weight training?
2) an article told me that it becomes more difficult or takes longer to sculpt the body as you get nearer to the goal weight, which i will be in about 6-8kg, does that mean i will have to do this for ages?
3)Considering that I am at home with a chair, few dumbells and a barbells, what would be a good workout routine, how many sets and reps and how many times a week?
4) is it essential that i need to take protein supplements? if so how much and when, taking into consideration my weight?
5)if i stop doing cardio and focus on strength training alone, would i fail to lose any more weight and just get a more toned look with the body i have now?
6)what are the suggestions to losing weight and sculpting the body at the same time?
7)when do i change the routine?
8)what do i do when i have reached the desired look? continue to do the same workouts? or do i still have to change them?

this may be annoying to some, but i am a beginner so please be patient with me :-) all advice are welcome including any criticisms, thanks you!

Replies

  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
    Weight training is awesome! I don't have answers for everything, but here are a few:

    1. It's never too late to start.
    2. If you haven't lifted before, you'll probably see some good results pretty quickly. It won't take forever to see the effects.
    4. You don't need to take protein supplements, but you do need to get good protein from your diet. The minimum recommendation is 0.8g per lb of LBM (weight minus % body fat). Some lifters go up to 1g per pound of body weight, but that's not necessary.
    5. If you're eating at a deficit, you should still be losing. You might get a couple of weeks of no loss (or even a gain of a pound or two) at the beginning -- that's totally normal when you start a new exercise routine. It's just water retention, and it goes away after a few weeks. Be patient and take measurements during that time! The bigger question is why would you need to drop cardio and add lifting? Do both.

    Successful weight lifting programs are progressive, so you add weight and/or reps over time. You need to think of it as an ongoing process, not as something that you'll do until you get the body you want. (If you stop at that point, you'll quickly lose the body you want).
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    1) is it too late for me to start weight training?
    It's never to late to start

    2) an article told me that it becomes more difficult or takes longer to sculpt the body as you get nearer to the goal weight, which i will be in about 6-8kg, does that mean i will have to do this for ages?
    I have never seen anything to indicate that, in my personal experience the closer I get to goal weight the better the muscle defintion shows because there is less fat covering it.

    3)Considering that I am at home with a chair, few dumbells and a barbells, what would be a good workout routine, how many sets and reps and how many times a week?
    This I am not sure, I know goblet squats with dumbells are good, squats with barbells, you can do dumbell rows, Overhead press with dumbells and the bar bells, tricep extentions, I am sure that there are lots of exercises to do other than those I listed just drawing a blank atm

    4) is it essential that i need to take protein supplements? if so how much and when, taking into consideration my weight?
    No protien supplements necessary, I get all my protien from food, most say you need 1g of protien for every pound of lbm

    5)if i stop doing cardio and focus on strength training alone, would i fail to lose any more weight and just get a more toned look with the body i have now?
    no you will continue to lose weight if you are in a calorie deficet

    6)what are the suggestions to losing weight and sculpting the body at the same time?
    I personally prefer my program Stronglifts 5x5 but resistence training alone is good...body weight exercises, convict training, you are your own gym are a few things to google, and you can add in dumbell weights in when you want

    7)when do i change the routine?
    I haven't changed mine for 6months just added weight to the lifts

    8)what do i do when i have reached the desired look? continue to do the same workouts? or do i still have to change them?
    I don't think you should have to change them if you are enjoying what you are doing

    Edited for formatting
  • kinsa2
    kinsa2 Posts: 58 Member
    thanks for the feedback, its a bit more clearer for me :) one more question (sorry), do we need to drink 2 litres of water or does that really not matter with regards to weight training
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    thanks for the feedback, its a bit more clearer for me :) one more question (sorry), do we need to drink 2 litres of water or does that really not matter with regards to weight training

    I don't think it is necessary...I drink about 8 cups of water a day...literally 8 cups but that's because I have low blood pressure and if I don't stay hydrated I get dizzy spells....

    As long as you stay hydrated with liquids (milk, juice, water etc) you are good.
  • kinsa2
    kinsa2 Posts: 58 Member
    hi5! i also have low bp! i'll drink 8 cups of water as well then :) i get dizzy as soon as i get up from bed first thing in the morning

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