Strength training noob - please help
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Bodyweight exercises. Have you considered ditching the gym and working out from home or anywhere that has a door/swingset/tree? I use the Unit 2.0 from TruFit and I work out at parks and in the forest next to my house. It is just body suspension training but it works great and its easy.
I'll look into this. Thanks.
My gym does have a pull down bar/chin up machine but unfortunately it's been out of order for about a month, and I'm short, I don't think I could even reach the chin up bar.
At this point, I'm pretty confused. I feel as if I'm getting mixed messages. Some people are telling me to lose body fat I need to up protein and lift heavy; others are saying to lose body fat I need to cardio and be at a calorie deficit. Which is it?
probably a combination of both ..
If you are newb then maybe a three day total body program would be a good place to start that is build around compounds. Something where you are squatting, doing chest press, overhead press, rows, etc and working in the 8-10 rep range and then cardio on off days...
broscienc and powerlifter what do you think?0 -
Yea, I'd say fine with a full body program 3x week.
Depends on the equipment that she has access to as well.0 -
LolBroScience wrote: »Yea, I'd say fine with a full body program 3x week.
Depends on the equipment that she has access to as well.
oh yea that is right...
OP - you still need a new gym...0 -
I want to lose fat first and foremost, I was under the impression that building muscle would do that, but if they're in opposition of each other then yeah, getting rid of fat is first.
probably a combination of both ..
If you are newb then maybe a three day total body program would be a good place to start that is build around compounds. Something where you are squatting, doing chest press, overhead press, rows, etc and working in the 8-10 rep range and then cardio on off days...
broscienc and powerlifter what do you think?
I think it's expectation vs understanding... ndj is giving you great advice here, but he also understands why you would center your training around compound lifts and incorporate cardio, and also knows what to expect from a cut. OP, your expectation of building muscle and losing fat may be to look "ripped" or "toned". The fact is losing fat will reveal muscle, thereby making you look "toned". However, you may not have built significant muscle to achive the look you desire. You have to understand that you won't build muscle in a deficit (your muscles won't grow). Also understand that if you don't incorporate resistance training in your cut, you can lose any LBM you have, and end up with a skinny fat look.
Bottom line, do what you can with the limited resources you have in your gym. Resistance train to retain as much LBM as possible. Get to a desired weight, then focus on caloric surplus to increase muscle mass. Cut again.0 -
It's all starting to make sense now, and I really appreciate all the responses.
I will do what the majority of you suggest; lift heavy 3 days a week to maintain LBM and cardio on the other days. I'll up my protein and go with a calorie deficit.
I'm not looking for a super toned body, I just want to to get to a point where I don't have rolls, that's my goal for now. After that I'll look into getting more toned, if I want.
In response to ndj's questions
1) I do not have a food scale but I do log my meals daily, and try to stick to USDA measurements.
2) I believe currently I'm set to 25/40/35 for fat/carbs/protein percents. I really am at a total loss when it comes to these things though.
3) This is the weightlifting routine I've been doing: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/planet14.htm
4) I'm doing MFP0 -
You can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It won't just be very effective, but there are lots of studies showing that this can be done, beginners and more experienced trainers alike. You can improve your results by cycling your calories, that is, eat at maintenance or 100-200 kcal over on the days that you lift and then 500-700 under on days you don't lift.
Whatever you do, it is important that you lift or do heavy bodyweight exercises and to eat enough. Don't try going on a super low calorie diet, you'll just end up doing real damage to yourself if you do that while training hard.0 -
Bodyweight exercises. Have you considered ditching the gym and working out from home or anywhere that has a door/swingset/tree? I use the Unit 2.0 from TruFit and I work out at parks and in the forest next to my house. It is just body suspension training but it works great and its easy.
I'll look into this. Thanks.
My gym does have a pull down bar/chin up machine but unfortunately it's been out of order for about a month, and I'm short, I don't think I could even reach the chin up bar.
At this point, I'm pretty confused. I feel as if I'm getting mixed messages. Some people are telling me to lose body fat I need to up protein and lift heavy; others are saying to lose body fat I need to cardio and be at a calorie deficit. Which is it?
probably a combination of both ..
If you are newb then maybe a three day total body program would be a good place to start that is build around compounds. Something where you are squatting, doing chest press, overhead press, rows, etc and working in the 8-10 rep range and then cardio on off days...
broscienc and powerlifter what do you think?
One thing I would add - for your cardio days - instead of "steady state" cardio I suggest you do 30 mins of HIIT (interval training) or tabata style training - suggested to be much more efficient for fat burning.
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You can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It won't just be very effective, but there are lots of studies showing that this can be done, beginners and more experienced trainers alike. You can improve your results by cycling your calories, that is, eat at maintenance or 100-200 kcal over on the days that you lift and then 500-700 under on days you don't lift.
Whatever you do, it is important that you lift or do heavy bodyweight exercises and to eat enough. Don't try going on a super low calorie diet, you'll just end up doing real damage to yourself if you do that while training hard.
Please link these studies. I've only come across one, based on OLYMPIC athletes in a super-strict testing environment (and olympic athletes don't take steroids, right?) It's an extremely slow process or none at all.
You do realize that muscle is torn down in the gym, and built in recovery? Therefore, your calorie cylcing recommendation of 200 over on liftting days and 700 under on off days doesn't make sense.
Strength gains can be made, but this is more of a function of CNS adaptation, improved leverages, range of motion etc.0 -
dieselbyte wrote: »You can build muscle and lose fat at the same time. It won't just be very effective, but there are lots of studies showing that this can be done, beginners and more experienced trainers alike. You can improve your results by cycling your calories, that is, eat at maintenance or 100-200 kcal over on the days that you lift and then 500-700 under on days you don't lift.
Whatever you do, it is important that you lift or do heavy bodyweight exercises and to eat enough. Don't try going on a super low calorie diet, you'll just end up doing real damage to yourself if you do that while training hard.
Please link these studies. I've only come across one, based on OLYMPIC athletes in a super-strict testing environment (and olympic athletes don't take steroids, right?) It's an extremely slow process or none at all.
You do realize that muscle is torn down in the gym, and built in recovery? Therefore, your calorie cylcing recommendation of 200 over on liftting days and 700 under on off days doesn't make sense.
Strength gains can be made, but this is more of a function of CNS adaptation, improved leverages, range of motion etc.
Yea, I don't know about ALOT of studies. I'm aware of that Norwegian Olympic study, and a few on obese individuals but haven't seen many other published ones (which would fit into one of the wide spread exemptions obese, retraining, totally new to training.
However, I do recall Brad Schoenfeld addressing the issue on his Facebook wall a few weeks back saying it possible in trained athletes to have site specific hypertrophy occur while in a deficit. However, there are a lot of factors... can't be a substantial deficit, training needs to be progressive and at a high enough level to product stress and adaptation and much more. So, I interpreted it as possible but far from optimal. Even then, it won't be a very appreciable amount.0 -
dieselbyte wrote: »Please link these studies. I've only come across one, based on OLYMPIC athletes in a super-strict testing environment (and olympic athletes don't take steroids, right?) It's an extremely slow process or none at all.
Definitely not among those that I was referring to. I'll see if I have them somewhere in my history or if I can find some of them again.LolBroScience wrote: »However, there are a lot of factors... can't be a substantial deficit, training needs to be progressive and at a high enough level to product stress and adaptation and much more. So, I interpreted it as possible but far from optimal. Even then, it won't be a very appreciable amount.
Exactly. I seem to recall one set of results were something like gaining 2,5 lbs lean mass and losing 7 lbs fat while eating 2000 kcal vs. gaining 8 lbs lean mass while eating 4000 kcal. I might have the exact figures wrong, but the scale should be right.
You can obviously fine tune the cycling as well. For most people it is easiest to manage they way I wrote, but sure, if you want and can it would be better to maintain that excess for around 24-36 hours after lifting and then cutting until you lift again. It is just so much easier to calculate that on a daily basis, so that's why I recommended that.0 -
a couple things…
First- It is almost impossible to build significant muscle mass and lose fat. The reason for this is that stye are opposite processes. To lose fat you need a calorie deficit, and to build muscle you need a calorie surplus. Think of it this way - can you build a house out of the same material and tear it down at the same time?
The only caveat to this is that obese beginners may experience newbies gains, but those are minimal and will cease within about four to six weeks.
Second - What are "unnecessary" carbs? If you are going to be lifting then your body is going to use carbs as a source for energy, so I would not worry about cutting them out. I would just make sure that you are hitting your calorie and macro targets.
Third - i would suggest getting on a structured program like strong lifts, 5x5, etc. New rules of lifting for woman is supposed to be a great resources too. Make sure that you build a program around compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, rows, pullups/chinups, etc.
Finally - Find a new gym, seriously
And choose what is more important to you - losing fat or building some muscle. If you want to lose fat continue eating in a deficit and lifting heavy until you get your body fat % to your desired range, and then do a bulk to add some muscle…
I see a lot of recommendations for lifting heavy, but the programs I find online require a barbell. Can't afford a gym, and I'm afraid of using a barbell without a spotter at home (got trapped under a 70 pound one a couple of decades ago). Is my fear unjustified? The hand weights I have at home are limited (I can combine up to 25 pounds with a 10 and a 15). Should I just buy a barbell and go for it?0 -
a couple things…
First- It is almost impossible to build significant muscle mass and lose fat. The reason for this is that stye are opposite processes. To lose fat you need a calorie deficit, and to build muscle you need a calorie surplus. Think of it this way - can you build a house out of the same material and tear it down at the same time?
The only caveat to this is that obese beginners may experience newbies gains, but those are minimal and will cease within about four to six weeks.
Second - What are "unnecessary" carbs? If you are going to be lifting then your body is going to use carbs as a source for energy, so I would not worry about cutting them out. I would just make sure that you are hitting your calorie and macro targets.
Third - i would suggest getting on a structured program like strong lifts, 5x5, etc. New rules of lifting for woman is supposed to be a great resources too. Make sure that you build a program around compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, rows, pullups/chinups, etc.
Finally - Find a new gym, seriously And choose what is more important to you - losing fat or building some muscle. If you want to lose fat continue eating in a deficit and lifting heavy until you get your body fat % to your desired range, and then do a bulk to add some muscle…
I see a lot of recommendations for lifting heavy, but the programs I find online require a barbell. Can't afford a gym, and I'm afraid of using a barbell without a spotter at home (got trapped under a 70 pound one a couple of decades ago). Is my fear unjustified? The hand weights I have at home are limited (I can combine up to 25 pounds with a 10 and a 15). Should I just buy a barbell and go for it?
is joining a gym an option?0 -
It's all starting to make sense now, and I really appreciate all the responses.
I will do what the majority of you suggest; lift heavy 3 days a week to maintain LBM and cardio on the other days. I'll up my protein and go with a calorie deficit.
I'm not looking for a super toned body, I just want to to get to a point where I don't have rolls, that's my goal for now. After that I'll look into getting more toned, if I want.
In response to ndj's questions
1) I do not have a food scale but I do log my meals daily, and try to stick to USDA measurements.
2) I believe currently I'm set to 25/40/35 for fat/carbs/protein percents. I really am at a total loss when it comes to these things though.
3) This is the weightlifting routine I've been doing: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/planet14.htm
4) I'm doing MFP
I would suggest getting a food scale and weighing/logging/measuring everything, and use cups for liquids. You can get one for like 10-20 and it will pay itself back in no time.
I would go into MFP custom settings and go for 35 protein/35 carbs/30 fats < I would also be interested way broscience and diesel think of this..
On the workout - your gym has no barbells, right or squat area right? I would suggest incorporate goblet squats into that routine and doing three sets of 8-10 reps. I would also look up romancing dumbbell dead lifts and do three sets of 8-10 and incorporate that into your routine…OR try to find a three day total body workout where you are going at it for about 30-45 minutes a session…< again I would be curious what broscience and diesel think of this..
MFP method is fine. Just don't enter your calories from strength training because the estimate will be off. also, when you go running only eat back HALF of the calories that it gives, because MFP estimates tend to be off…
feel free to add me if you like...
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a couple things…
First- It is almost impossible to build significant muscle mass and lose fat. The reason for this is that stye are opposite processes. To lose fat you need a calorie deficit, and to build muscle you need a calorie surplus. Think of it this way - can you build a house out of the same material and tear it down at the same time?
The only caveat to this is that obese beginners may experience newbies gains, but those are minimal and will cease within about four to six weeks.
Second - What are "unnecessary" carbs? If you are going to be lifting then your body is going to use carbs as a source for energy, so I would not worry about cutting them out. I would just make sure that you are hitting your calorie and macro targets.
Third - i would suggest getting on a structured program like strong lifts, 5x5, etc. New rules of lifting for woman is supposed to be a great resources too. Make sure that you build a program around compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, rows, pullups/chinups, etc.
Finally - Find a new gym, seriously And choose what is more important to you - losing fat or building some muscle. If you want to lose fat continue eating in a deficit and lifting heavy until you get your body fat % to your desired range, and then do a bulk to add some muscle…
I see a lot of recommendations for lifting heavy, but the programs I find online require a barbell. Can't afford a gym, and I'm afraid of using a barbell without a spotter at home (got trapped under a 70 pound one a couple of decades ago). Is my fear unjustified? The hand weights I have at home are limited (I can combine up to 25 pounds with a 10 and a 15). Should I just buy a barbell and go for it?
is joining a gym an option?
Joining a gym is not an option,0 -
a couple things…
First- It is almost impossible to build significant muscle mass and lose fat. The reason for this is that stye are opposite processes. To lose fat you need a calorie deficit, and to build muscle you need a calorie surplus. Think of it this way - can you build a house out of the same material and tear it down at the same time?
The only caveat to this is that obese beginners may experience newbies gains, but those are minimal and will cease within about four to six weeks.
Second - What are "unnecessary" carbs? If you are going to be lifting then your body is going to use carbs as a source for energy, so I would not worry about cutting them out. I would just make sure that you are hitting your calorie and macro targets.
Third - i would suggest getting on a structured program like strong lifts, 5x5, etc. New rules of lifting for woman is supposed to be a great resources too. Make sure that you build a program around compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, rows, pullups/chinups, etc.
Finally - Find a new gym, seriously And choose what is more important to you - losing fat or building some muscle. If you want to lose fat continue eating in a deficit and lifting heavy until you get your body fat % to your desired range, and then do a bulk to add some muscle…
I see a lot of recommendations for lifting heavy, but the programs I find online require a barbell. Can't afford a gym, and I'm afraid of using a barbell without a spotter at home (got trapped under a 70 pound one a couple of decades ago). Is my fear unjustified? The hand weights I have at home are limited (I can combine up to 25 pounds with a 10 and a 15). Should I just buy a barbell and go for it?
is joining a gym an option?
Joining a gym is not an option,
oK - I would suggest getting bow flex select tech dumbbells.they go up to to 50 or 100# and you can then to do a variety of dumbbell exercises with varying weights….0 -
a couple things…
First- It is almost impossible to build significant muscle mass and lose fat. The reason for this is that stye are opposite processes. To lose fat you need a calorie deficit, and to build muscle you need a calorie surplus. Think of it this way - can you build a house out of the same material and tear it down at the same time?
The only caveat to this is that obese beginners may experience newbies gains, but those are minimal and will cease within about four to six weeks.
Second - What are "unnecessary" carbs? If you are going to be lifting then your body is going to use carbs as a source for energy, so I would not worry about cutting them out. I would just make sure that you are hitting your calorie and macro targets.
Third - i would suggest getting on a structured program like strong lifts, 5x5, etc. New rules of lifting for woman is supposed to be a great resources too. Make sure that you build a program around compound lifts - deadlifts, squats, overhead press, rows, pullups/chinups, etc.
Finally - Find a new gym, seriously And choose what is more important to you - losing fat or building some muscle. If you want to lose fat continue eating in a deficit and lifting heavy until you get your body fat % to your desired range, and then do a bulk to add some muscle…
I see a lot of recommendations for lifting heavy, but the programs I find online require a barbell. Can't afford a gym, and I'm afraid of using a barbell without a spotter at home (got trapped under a 70 pound one a couple of decades ago). Is my fear unjustified? The hand weights I have at home are limited (I can combine up to 25 pounds with a 10 and a 15). Should I just buy a barbell and go for it?
is joining a gym an option?
Joining a gym is not an option,
oK - I would suggest getting bow flex select tech dumbbells.they go up to to 50 or 100# and you can then to do a variety of dumbbell exercises with varying weights….
Thank you 0 -
I want to thank everyone again for your input.
Today was my first day of my new regimen, which is as follows:
Day 1, 3, & 5 - 10 minute warm up jog, 30 minutes heavy lifting, ab work out (30 day challenge)
Day 2 & 4 - HIIT for elliptical or treadmill, ab work out
Day 6 & 7 - Rest
On lifting days I take in milk with whey protein post work out. I've added more protein to my diet and cut back on carbs, trying to stay within the 35/35/30 that ndj suggested.
0 -
I want to thank everyone again for your input.
Today was my first day of my new regimen, which is as follows:
Day 1, 3, & 5 - 10 minute warm up jog, 30 minutes heavy lifting, ab work out (30 day challenge)
Day 2 & 4 - HIIT for elliptical or treadmill, ab work out
Day 6 & 7 - Rest
On lifting days I take in milk with whey protein post work out. I've added more protein to my diet and cut back on carbs, trying to stay within the 35/35/30 that ndj suggested.
sounds good ..now go crush it!0
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