Morbidly obese interested in lifting. Help?

DivineChoices · June 2014

Hello!

I'm morbidly obese, but I want to start incorporating heavy lifting into my exercise regime. However I have some concerns and was hoping those more knowledgeable than myself might be able to address them with me.

1) I am already carrying close to 200 lbs EXTRA weight on my body. If I start adding heavy lifts, could I damage my joints or bones? My biggest concern is my knees and ankles.

2) My core muscles are pitiful, and I injury/tweak my back every couple of months. Will strength training exasperate this? Will I need to make special accommodations? Or just start slow and small and work upwards.

3) I don't want to belong to a gym, but my husband is OK with me turning the garage into a weight room. I plan on getting used equipment. Would it be best to have a trainer come each time to make sure my form is good. Do I put mirrors up so I can see what I'm doing?

4) Weight lifting ALONE. What do I need to know to be safe?

5) How do I start? With just the barbell until my form is good? I read many people recommend "Starting Strong" or something like that, but I haven't purchased anything yet.

Thanks in advance for all your help.

Edmond_Dantes · June 2014

You won't damage your bones unless you have an underlying condition.
Just start slow and steady. If you go all gung ho, you will be so sore that you may not lift again.
Buy equipment piecemeal to make sure you are still interested after a while. Start with dumbbells maybe.

BigT555 · June 2014

1. you may want to start slow, if you dont then you very well could damage your joints but theres no reason you cant get into weight lifting if you do it wisely

2. be careful and again go slow, back injuries are not to be trifled with, but weight lifting will improve your back problems and strengthen your core if you work your way up from small weights

3. mirrors are a good way to check form but there is no substitute for a coach for proper form, many people get injured because they have bad form and dont even realize it. i would recommend to try and get a trainer (or at least someone who knows what they are doing) for the first few sessions, every time isnt really necessary once you get going

4. proper form, and gradual progression. dont add 50 lbs to the bar on the second day because you thought the first was easy

5. the barbell should be the core of every strength routine, other equipment isnt even really necessary if you know how to use on effectively. starting strength is the book you probably heard of, and is a great read for people just getting into weight lifting

CountryGirl8542 · June 2014

I would suggest just getting a couple hand weights... start small... and I would discuss some of these concerns with your doctor

bodybuilding.com has some good workout regimes for beginners as well as freetrainers.com and youtube

Also you may want to consider trying Jillian Michaels 30 DS... people of all shapes and sizes have started and finished it. Listen to your body. If you feel bad pain stop doing whatever you are doing

I think there is a book out their also called The New Rules of Lifting for Women I hear it is very good start for all woman.

Best of luck to you! xo

sarfer10 · June 2014

It's really great that you're interested in lifting!

1. You really should consult with your doctor on this one, (i'm only in the process of obtaining a certification in training) but even a certified trainer cannot guarantee that you may not have a previous condition that could be worsened or anything. For the average healthy person as long as form is proper and they don't try to go out of their range of motion (the range in which it is comfortable for you to contract your muscle) or lift to heavy of a weight they are fine.

2. training your core and your back will strengthen them and help prevent injuries - however definitely start small and working with a trainer who knows what they're doing will help in making sure you do enough to help but not over-do where you can hurt yourself.

3. I really think as a novice weightlifter + with all your concerns seeking a trainer out even for just a session to teach you the basics and address more of these questions in person is a very good idea. A mirror would be good for a beginner most definitely but if you have a trainer there you might could go without for a little while.

4. if something hurts, stop and drop the weight (assuming its safe to do so). Don't lift things that feel too heavy and don't push something to the point of pain that is not muscular.

5. As a beginner and with your joint and safety concerns i would recommend starting with bodyweight. Because you said you are carrying a lot of extra weight this will be a lot on you to do bodyweight. Start all your exercises with bodyweight and learn to control your core, form, balance, flexion and extension of your muscles etc etc. It doesn't matter how much weight you lift as long as you feel challenged the exercise is doing it's job. Nothing wrong with heavy lifting (i myself am a powerlifter), but you want to grasp the basics first before you get into the heavy stuff - which will come with time.

Congratulations on your fitness journey it can be a long journey but it is very worth it!!!

DivineChoices · June 2014

Thanks for all the help!

Do you think just a barbell set would be OK to start? Or do I need the bench and the rack?

AlwaysBigSteve · June 2014

Hey divine. This is great to hear you want to lift. There is nothing stopping you. I think as long as you take it slow you will be fine like others have said.

I would love to suggest a kettlebell. I lost a lot of weight just swinging that thing. The muscle I packed on is great.

I think garage gym is awesome, you could even build a custom gym and have undulation ropes and other stuff you don't always see in gyms. But I think you should know, coming from a guy that started 200 pounds over the limit that you should give a second thought to joining a gym. Planet Fitness here in the US is only 10 bucks a month. I know what you are thinking Divine, but people won't stare. I see peeps that are bigger than me now and all I can think of is how awesome it is that they are there. If someone does stare at you, F~ them. This is about your health.

Back to the garage gym. Boy I would be jealous. I have some ropes and kettlebells but I have to pack up when I am done. I would start out with a bar, maybe a bench. The bars have some weight on them so you could get by practicing with just a bar. But I just want to return to the kettlebell, you can get a nice burn with them for the entire body. Investment is low and the results are great.

Best of luck! Add me if you like.

kwaz29 · June 2014

These are some great suggestions, but just want to add that kettlebells or 30DS are not really heavy lifting. They may be great workouts, but if you mean what I think you mean by heavy lifting, I think you are more looking for a program that has compound lifts like deadlifts, squats, bench--I would suggest checking out Stronglifts 5x5 or one of the similar programs.

You can start with just the bar and work on your form and progress slowly as your body will allow. As mentioned, it is great that you will be able to have all of the equipment in your house, but it may be worth it to work with a trainer for a few sessions just to get the form of these lifts down so that you don't hurt yourself.

For SL5x5, you would need a barbell and plates, but then also probably a power rack so that you can lift safely and effectively. You can probably do it without one, but not sure how that would work! A bench is probably also important...not sure how you would bench press without one if that's what you are hoping to do!

There are many other people on here with far greater knowledge than me on this, and hopefully they will chime in, but I would also recommend checking out the Stronglifts 5x5 group here for some great info and inspiration: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women

Feel free to send a friend request! I've only been lifting for about 2 or 3 months, but have seen some great changes so far, much faster than before I started!

DivineChoices · June 2014

Sounds like getting a trainer is a good idea at least for the first bit. How will I know they know their stuff?

I may not start lifting right away. Acquiring the equipment is expensive. I joined a gym before but found it just wan't my speed. I prefer to walk w/ my dog, and the boys in the weight area just flat out intimidate me. We have 1 planet fitness in my county but it's at the opposite end, easily 50 miles away. Which isn't feasible as a 3x a week thing.

My husband and I will need to come to a mutual decision about what gets us the most bang for our buck, and has longevity. I know he is hesitant on shelling out money for gym equipment when I have an elliptical that I NEVER use (it is stuck in some crazy high resistance setting, so I can barely move the pedals). BUT maybe we can look into getting that fixed, and add that to my home gym.

shor0814 · June 2014

I know a lot of people recommend body weight workouts to start but if you serious about lifting and eventually lifting heavy you will probably want to start with at least the bar, especially for squats. The reason I say this is because you can get some terrible habits if you train without the bar.

If 45 lbs is too heavy you can start with PVC or lighter bars but having the bar on your back will help you with squat form especially for low bar. For deadlifts you should put the bar at ~9 inches off the ground. You can use boxes or even 10lb bumper plates to get the right height.

The rest of the equipment is up to you. If you are serious then a power cage and bench will eventually be a "requirement" but you can start off with a bench and squat rack off craigslist.

The book you are referring to is Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and even if you don't use his program the detailed description on how to perform the lifts is invaluable. Worth getting and reading cover to cover.

Good luck!

woodml1 · June 2014

My best advice would be to hire a trainer in the area who has a specialty in working with obese clients. ALL trainers should be able to help you start a weight training program and as a novice lifter, it's really important to make sure that you've got the form correct and are using techniques for your fitness level so that you're not damaging joints or tweaking your neck/back issues. :flowerforyou:

Azdak · June 2014

You might take a look at this.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/heavy-lifting-always-the-best-541735

kevinsmithrn · June 2014

Get an appointment with a personal trainer at your local gym - set up 3 sessions or so. He will start you on a beginner program and give you a regimented approach to your weight training. You will get a lot out of value out of those three hours. If not you risk improper technique as well as spinning your wheels and wasting time trying to establish a routine. Best money you will ever spend.

lili61 · June 2014

It's great that you're interested in heavy lifting!

You may want to look into bodyweight training to start off with, because it might give you a better base strength to start your heavy lifting from. I started working out about a year ago after a looong time away from strength training and was shocked at how weak i was. I started out with TRX classes (bodyweight) and found them extremely beneficial in assessing my strength.

I then moved on to the New Rules of Lifting for Women program, which I highly recommend. I am really glad I started with bodyweight before starting NROLFW, though.

If you plan on working out at home, I know you can buy TRX or similar equipment that give you lots of options for bodyweight exercises.

Whatever you decide to do, I think it would be a good idea to work with a trainer a few times to get form checked, etc.

Good luck!

xero2099 · June 2014

start slow maybe some dumb bells and wegiht bench you can get those cheap and you can do a lot of things with them

QueenBishOTUniverse · June 2014

All you should need equipment wise for a while is a bench and some weight. It is very likely that in the beginning, body weight squats etc. will be MORE than enough to challenge you, but I would also go ahead and get some adjustable dumbbells (you can find a cheap basic set at walmart) and an olympic barbell that you can build off of as you progress. These few pieces of starter equipment shouldn't break the bank, especially if you can find a high quality used bench and barbell and then you can add on plates and save up for a power rack when you're ready.

As far as safety and form, I agree that your best bet is to work with a trainer who specializes in your situation, it is very likely that you will need to do some work building up stabilizing muscles first so that you can control the movement safely through the compound lifts.

NCDJ2013 · June 2014

I definitely think you need to first educate yourself so you don't get hurt. If you could get a trainer to come to your home for a few sessions that is what I would do. The New Rules of Lifting is a good book; I have that myself. that requires you to get a barbell set, a bench and dumbbells . I would suggest going somewhere like Play it Again Sports and getting a bench, some lower weight dumbbells and maybe a couple of body bars to start off I had one of those adjustable dumbbells sets but I really prefer plain old iron dumbbells. . And you can learn a lot from DVD'ss as well. For lifting I think you can't beat Cathe Friedrich. Next best thing to having a trainer in your house.

NahrasWay · June 2014

I'm also interested in lifting (I have almost 200lb to lose as well) but I realize that I won't be able to do it effectively until I can actually do the movements required (like the low squat). I'm starting out by doing a body weight routine and let me tell you I was surprised by what I COULDN'T do.

The exercises I do are pushups, pullups, squats, and planks. There are different levels for each exercise so just starting out I figured I'd start at the very beginner with Wall pushups, easy right? FML. I thought I'd breeze through wall pushups, after all I had done them before and was easy, and my goal was 40 .. I got to about 25 before my arms were on fire and felt like jelly. I watched videos on how to do them PROPERLY (I was standing way to close to the wall before) and it made a load of difference. Body weight exercises can be hard for those of us with a lot of weight to lose, so IMO I would start out with something like that. Even if you got a bar for the squats to help you prepare for when you do start using the heavier weights on it, I would still do bodyweight stuff. It's hard work even without the extra weights.

Also I picked up some good pointers in this thread. Definitely going to go get a cheap piece of PVC to practice squats with for the future!

tmaryam · June 2014

I think this guy might be able to give you some solid advice.
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1276219-i-went-from-morbidly-obese-to-6-pack-abs-ask-me-anything

LKArgh · June 2014

If you already have back problems and no previous experience with lifting, find a gym near you, hire a personal trainer and go through the basics, to make sure you have proper form and you learn what is not safe for you to do. After a few times, you should be perfectly fine continuing at home.

Morbidly obese interested in lifting. Help?

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