Morbidly obese interested in lifting. Help?

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

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!!!

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.

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:

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.

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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.

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!

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.