Help Needed: (Women) Where Do I Begin for Strength Training?

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votkuhr
votkuhr Posts: 276 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi there!

I’m coming close to my goal weight and I’ve been thinking about doing strength training to tone up and to just really be stronger. I’ve been doing a lot of cardio (for the weight to come off), and the occasional dumbbells and gym equipment to mix it up a little. There is a free gym downstairs in where I live and they have a set of hex dumbbells that range from 5 – 100 lbs.

My question is, as a beginner, where do I begin? Should I continue to cut until I reach my GW and then move to strength? Can I do both at the same time? What’s the ratio of cardio to strength training that I have to do? Err.. What do I do? What do I eat? How do I know if the weight is too little or too much? Reps? How long? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I really want to take this seriously! :flowerforyou:


Gym equipment (part of the condominium facilities, so not too fancy):
- 5 – 100 hex dumbbells
- Leg curl + extension machine
- Shoulder + bench press machine
- Lat pulldown + horizontal row machine
- Treadmills
- Elliptical trainers
- Exercise bike

PS: I’m pear-shaped and a lot of the fat I have left is in my saddlebags ;) I look forward to getting rid of them in the future through hard work and perseverance. :laugh:

Thank you very much in advance for your replies! :) Any bit of advice is greatly appreciated. I'm quite excited to begin and see where I'll end up at. x

Replies

  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    I'm a beginner as well, but I can tell you for sure that you shouldn't wait to do strength training. It will make losing fat easier and make your clothing fit better.

    There's a ton of good books and online info on how to get started, good beginner routines, how to know how much weight to lift, and proper form. nerdfitness.com has a bunch of good info, and so does scoobysworkshop.com.

    I can also tell you that it is nearly impossible for you to "bulk up." Ask any guy who is trying to do so...it's difficult for them, and they're genetically programmed for it. We're not.

    In addition to the weights at the gym, I have a small set of dumbells and bands at my house for quickies. If I know I don't have time for a full workout, I'll just do a set of curls or flies or something fast and simple. I do squats while I'm waiting for the microwave at work. I do lateral lifts with 12 packs of sparkling water while walking through the grocery store. It's amazing what little bits you can work in here and there when you try.
  • phuckingbadasscutie
    phuckingbadasscutie Posts: 1,619 Member
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    Read the book New Rules of Lifting For Women. Really good information and a good starting program.
  • michybeans
    michybeans Posts: 106
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    Hi friendo! I also totally recommend reading New Rules of Lifting for Women. Really made me understand about getting started lifting. There's workout plans and everything in there too, as well as knowledge about it. Read that and you're good to go!

    Once you've got the knowledge part down too, I recommend the app Stronglifts 5x5 - it's kind of a training plan on your phone and it has all the workouts laid out and you tick them off as you go. Kind of neat for those of us that need a reminder on what to do (like me lol).

    But yes def start with New Rules - it's all you need to get started!! :)

    P.S. I am also very pear shaped and the only fat I have left is in the saddlebags. Unfortunately it's a long process to firm that up, but lifting makes it happen slowly but surely! I can feel the muscles under there waiting to be in the spotlight once that pesky fat melts off. :)
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,732 Member
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    Second that! I have that exact book in my car right now :) It's great!
  • votkuhr
    votkuhr Posts: 276 Member
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    Thank you, ladies! I've ordered the book :) Can't wait to read it!
  • KhatLady
    KhatLady Posts: 51 Member
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    I'm gonna keep an eye on this thread. I've just started some strength training with Nerd Fitness' Beginner Bodyweight {those lunges embarrass me, I'd definitely recommend that as a starting point for desk-jockeys like me!} and a random video I found on youtube, but I would love to squirrel away some other options for when I feel ready to change it up.
  • snowbunnyA
    snowbunnyA Posts: 25 Member
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    I'll add my voice to reading NROLFW. It's a great book with loads of the basics in there. You might also want to read the book Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle, which will give you a clearer view on the nutrition part. Another great free resource that I use a lot is the bodybuilding.com website. No, I don't want to be a bodybuilder, but there's a wealth of information on there for people just starting out. Read the "stickies" in the forums and you can't go wrong. There's a female only section on the forum which doesn't have the posturing of the guys in the "main" section, which I find fairly infantile to be honest!
    There's also great exercise guides on the website, with videos of each exercise. Good luck!
  • snowbunnyA
    snowbunnyA Posts: 25 Member
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    Oh, and also, I'm doing the Simply Shredded program myself at the moment (search online for it). The one called "The Ultimate Female Training Guide". To be honest, men and women shouldn't train any differently, so the title put me off to start, but when you look at the workout, it's actually got the exact same lifts that any good beginner routine has, regardless of gender. I'm really enjoying it and can recommend it.
  • coolblondenerd
    coolblondenerd Posts: 90 Member
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    This thread has been great for me too! I need to put extra strength training into my routine. I'll be buying that book and checking out Nerd Fitness. One workout I'd recommend personally is Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. It's on YouTube (channel Lionsgate BeFit), it's about an hour long and aside from the warm-up it's all strength training. It is pretty tough but I fount it effective.

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  • Jenky85
    Jenky85 Posts: 190 Member
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    I'm doing Stronglifts 5x5 which is a great programme. I use the app so it's really easy to keep track of your reps and it sets your starting weight so no guess work involved to where to start. It is designed for barbell though and you don't mention whether your gym has that however I'm pretty sure you could modify the exercises to use barbells.
  • votkuhr
    votkuhr Posts: 276 Member
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    Hi ladies! Thanks for your kind advice on TNRoLFW. It's awesome! I just started Stage 1 and I'm on 2/16 right now. Any idea on what to expect in terms of weight fluctuations?

    I'm currently eating at a deficit, and will stick to the 3 times/week workout plan. I'll prolly throw in a run on the weekend as well because I really like running. Should I expect my weight to increase or...? Thanks again for the book recommendation. :flowerforyou:
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    you will see some water retention so potentially a 2-3 pounds (by potentially- I mean count on it)

    don't freak just keep lifting and eating at a deficit.

    You will not magically gain lots of muscle by lifting- it's hard hard work for a woman to do so. eat a deficit- you'll get stronger- you can worry about getting bigger later ;)
  • islagirl304
    islagirl304 Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm on Phase 1, #6 of workout B (so my 12th session will be today, I guess) and I'm up between 2 and 3 pounds. I'm down 2 inches off my waist and almost three inches off my hips, so almost a size down. And my scale says I'm up .5% body fat, so I know I can't trust that piece of technology.
  • ruby1867221
    ruby1867221 Posts: 23 Member
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    votkuhr wrote: »
    Hi there!

    I’m coming close to my goal weight and I’ve been thinking about doing strength training to tone up and to just really be stronger. I’ve been doing a lot of cardio (for the weight to come off), and the occasional dumbbells and gym equipment to mix it up a little. There is a free gym downstairs in where I live and they have a set of hex dumbbells that range from 5 – 100 lbs.

    My question is, as a beginner, where do I begin? Should I continue to cut until I reach my GW and then move to strength? Can I do both at the same time? What’s the ratio of cardio to strength training that I have to do? Err.. What do I do? What do I eat? How do I know if the weight is too little or too much? Reps? How long? Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I really want to take this seriously! :flowerforyou:


    Gym equipment (part of the condominium facilities, so not too fancy):
    - 5 – 100 hex dumbbells
    - Leg curl + extension machine
    - Shoulder + bench press machine
    - Lat pulldown + horizontal row machine
    - Treadmills
    - Elliptical trainers
    - Exercise bike

    PS: I’m pear-shaped and a lot of the fat I have left is in my saddlebags ;) I look forward to getting rid of them in the future through hard work and perseverance. :laugh:

    Thank you very much in advance for your replies! :) Any bit of advice is greatly appreciated. I'm quite excited to begin and see where I'll end up at. x
    what is ur gym routine do u recommend any gym classes?

  • jersey_54
    jersey_54 Posts: 278 Member
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    Need bigger weights OP, you'd prolly hit 100 within a month. Buy a barbell and bumper weights ranging till 300
  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
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    I love The Body Sculpting Bible for Women. There are programs for minimal/no equipment at home, for a small-ish gym (like what you've described), and for a really well-equipped gym, plus different programs for your different goals (toning vs. power vs. body-building).

    If you're super interested/invested, I would hire a personal trainer for a one-time session to show you how to use the equipment safely and effectively and to walk you through some good routines.

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