Suggestions on strength training?

MsKrisL
MsKrisL Posts: 1 Member
edited March 5 in Fitness and Exercise
I have lost 22 lbs in a year, taking it slow, logging food & doing cardio. I need to overcome some depression & a plateau. Anyone have suggestions on how to strength train, in addition to my cardio, on a very limited schedule and budget? I am a single mom of 3 who owns a retail business & lounge. Time is NOT on my side. LOL

Replies

  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    Hi there, huge congrats on your loss so far!

    I would suggest starting with body weight exercises. I started with Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred as it is freely available on YouTube and is only half an hour, so no matter how busy there is no real excuse to not find 30 minutes.

    I moved on to her Body Revolution, again, only 30 minutes a day. I have been inspired by various posts by fellow MFPers who are good enough to post before and after pics of their body progress from both cardio and lifting heavy. When I finished Body Revolution I felt strong enough to be challenged by real weight lifting and have started Stronglifts 5x5.

    Hope this helps.
  • Lofteren
    Lofteren Posts: 960 Member
    Just keep doing stronglifts 5x5. It's a solid weight lifting program for a newb. Bodyweight exercises are nice but unless you are really heavy you aren't going to get very strong or build very much muscle doing them. With stronglifts you will be able to build strength and muscle for a long time before you plateau.
  • Mistraal1981
    Mistraal1981 Posts: 453 Member
    Lofteren, while I agree that lifting heavy from the beginning is the best idea, I am thinking that the OP is limited on time. Workout videos at home are a great way to get started. They break you in gently and , in my case, made me realise that I am capable of more. If the OP has her own home gym then absolutely start lifting.
  • Misshodge64
    Misshodge64 Posts: 8,588 Member
    Both of the upper post are correct. But with three kids and lack of time, doing around the lil ones maybe profitable. I do Jillian Michaels 30 days of stred now off YouTube for free. The whole DVD, you just have to type in level 1 than 2 than 3. I have read post where people worked through and went back and applied heavier weights for more resistant.
  • SemperAnticus1643
    SemperAnticus1643 Posts: 703 Member
    Just keep doing stronglifts 5x5. It's a solid weight lifting program for a newb. Bodyweight exercises are nice but unless you are really heavy you aren't going to get very strong or build very much muscle doing them. With stronglifts you will be able to build strength and muscle for a long time before you plateau.

    I went about 6 weeks before I hit a wall on the weight progression. Since then my progression hasn't been as steady.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    I think it really depends on your initial fitness level. I just started lifting (stronglifts 5x5) about 4 months ago, but I had done a couple rounds of p90x before that. I think that 30 day shred, p90x, insanity, etc. are good to give you fitness base first if you don't already have one. Body weight exercises can take you a long way (Google Herschel Walker training program), but as you continue to drop weight and your muscles become acclimated to the work, your gains will taper off without adding more and more volume. For example, you might have to end up doing 300+ push-ups in a day to equal 24 bench press reps (3 sets of 8 reps).

    So long story short, if you can't do push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups...start with those and when you can do a good number of those start adding in weights.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    As with all things, if it is important to you to get into shape, you will make the time.

    If it is not important, you won't.

    Stronglifts is a great progressive model, and should take about 30-45 minutes. That's short enough that it's easy to carve out the kind of time needed for that.
  • McCloud33
    McCloud33 Posts: 959 Member
    As with all things, if it is important to you to get into shape, you will make the time.

    If it is not important, you won't.

    Stronglifts is a great progressive model, and should take about 30-45 minutes. That's short enough that it's easy to carve out the kind of time needed for that.

    True, but as the OP stated, budget is an issue as well. SL either requires a gym membership or investment in the equipment for your home.
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