Strength Training Questions

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heatherc369
heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am 5 ft 7 and I weigh 185.7 lbs
I am 34 years old
I usually workout 3-5 Days a week
Goal: get down to around 140-150, lose fat gain muscle

5 Day Schedule:
Mon-Cardio (Treadmill/Stairclimber)
Tuesday -2Miles on treadmill then Chest/Shoulders/Back and abs if I have time
Wednesday-2Miles on treadmill then legs
Thursday-2Miles on treadmill the Arms and abs if I have time
Friday-Cardio (Treadmill/Stairclimber)

4 Day schedule:
Same as above minus 1cardio only day
3 Day Schedule:
Same as above minus 2 Cardio only days

My main question is about the weight I use. I was told by the trainer at the gym along time ago that since I am a woman I should do 3 sets of 15 reps at a lower weight. I recently decided to up the weight to a weight that I could barely do 8-10 reps, and I finally felt that muscle soreness again! Even when I was doing lower weights and higher reps I would change the weight every few weeks but I am not sure what is best/right/wrong?

Also if anyone has any better suggestions as far as my schedule or breakdown of the areas I work each day (I am working off a plan that was made for me by the people at planet fitness 3 years ago lol)

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    edited July 2015
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    That trainer was completely incorrect. I have never seen one shred of evidence proving that people need to use different rep schemes or relative weight levels purely due to the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.

    My suggestion is to get on an established full body program. Here are a few that you can google:

    - All Pro's simple beginner routine (8-12 rep range)
    - Stronglifts 5x5 (5 reps)
    - Strong Curves (some 8-12, some higher)
    - New Rules of Lifting for Women (varies)

    All of those are 3x/week routines. You could do something like

    M - weights
    T - cardio
    W - weights
    R - cardio
    F - weights

    If you want more cardio, do something light after one of the weight days or on the other two days of the week. That's really your preference. You could do no cardio at all or one day of cardio even. The important thing would be to get on a routine that is going to help you progress, which will help you add strength and eventually add muscle.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    How long have you been lifting? Have you ever gone through a beginner program from beginning to end to help build a strong foundation in strength for your work?

    Your gym trainer is full of BS... just saying.

    Read up on programs like Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, Ice Cream Fitness, New Rules of Lifting for Women, or read Nia Shanks' blog http://www.niashanks.com/

    There are so many good beginner programs out there that you shouldn't be forced to listen or learn from someone who sounds like they have no idea what they are talking about... especially since women don't need to train differently than men unless there are specific goals involved.
  • heatherc369
    heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
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    jemhh wrote: »
    That trainer was completely incorrect. I have never seen one shred of evidence proving that people need to use different rep schemes or relative weight levels purely due to the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.

    My suggestion is to get on an established full body program. Here are a few that you can google:

    - All Pro's simple beginner routine (8-12 rep range)
    - Stronglifts 5x5 (5 reps)
    - Strong Curves (some 8-12, some higher)
    - New Rules of Lifting for Women (varies)

    All of those are 3x/week routines. You could do something like

    M - weights
    T - cardio
    W - weights
    R - cardio
    F - weights

    If you want more cardio, do something light after one of the weight days or on the other two days of the week. That's really your preference. You could do no cardio at all or one day of cardio even. The important thing would be to get on a routine that is going to help you progress, which will help you add strength and eventually add muscle.

    I will look into the programs you suggested, and I hate cardio! But I started off doing treadmill as a 10 min warm up and then I set a goal to be more active in general and try to get my 10k steps in a day so now I get back on the treadmill after my strength training until it's time to leave the gym.
    i have been on this schedule since March, and still slowly and steadily losing weight but I am getting bored with it and want to maximize my results with the small amount of time that I have. ( I get to the gym at around 4:50-5am and have to leave by 5:50am)
  • heatherc369
    heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
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    BecomingBane wrote: »
    How long have you been lifting? Have you ever gone through a beginner program from beginning to end to help build a strong foundation in strength for your work?

    Your gym trainer is full of BS... just saying.

    Read up on programs like Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, Ice Cream Fitness, New Rules of Lifting for Women, or read Nia Shanks' blog http://www.niashanks.com/

    There are so many good beginner programs out there that you shouldn't be forced to listen or learn from someone who sounds like they have no idea what they are talking about... especially since women don't need to train differently than men unless there are specific goals involved.

    I have been doing the weight machines on this routine for about 4 months, I really want to get over into the free wights area but I feel like I need someone to help me with my form, I did the Chalene Extreme videos from BeachBody so I know "some" free weight "moves" but not too many and it has been while. I cannot afford a trainer (I go to Planet Fitness because its in my budget)

    thanks for your advice !
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    heatherc369 wrote: »
    jemhh wrote: »
    That trainer was completely incorrect. I have never seen one shred of evidence proving that people need to use different rep schemes or relative weight levels purely due to the presence or absence of a Y chromosome.

    My suggestion is to get on an established full body program. Here are a few that you can google:

    - All Pro's simple beginner routine (8-12 rep range)
    - Stronglifts 5x5 (5 reps)
    - Strong Curves (some 8-12, some higher)
    - New Rules of Lifting for Women (varies)

    All of those are 3x/week routines. You could do something like

    M - weights
    T - cardio
    W - weights
    R - cardio
    F - weights

    If you want more cardio, do something light after one of the weight days or on the other two days of the week. That's really your preference. You could do no cardio at all or one day of cardio even. The important thing would be to get on a routine that is going to help you progress, which will help you add strength and eventually add muscle.

    I will look into the programs you suggested, and I hate cardio! But I started off doing treadmill as a 10 min warm up and then I set a goal to be more active in general and try to get my 10k steps in a day so now I get back on the treadmill after my strength training until it's time to leave the gym.
    i have been on this schedule since March, and still slowly and steadily losing weight but I am getting bored with it and want to maximize my results with the small amount of time that I have. ( I get to the gym at around 4:50-5am and have to leave by 5:50am)

    I do a 10 minute treadmill warmup too, before I do weights. You should be able to fit in all of those programs during that hour of gym time. It might take longer the first few times, just because you have to get used to setting up what you need, but once you get into the routines (assuming nobody else is using the equipment) you'll be good.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    If you're really worried about form, read Starting Strength. It pretty much a text book that goes over form of several compound lifts in great detail. You can take the sections on diet with a grain of salt, but the section on lifts, while a bit long winded, is some of the best I've ever read outside of Greg Nuckols writing (http://www.strengtheory.com/) which is usually very well written and even better researched.
  • heatherc369
    heatherc369 Posts: 1,555 Member
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    Thank you both so much! i have been reading up on the Strong Lift 5x5 and I am actually getting really excited about starting it! There's a lot to read and learn but I am looking forward to it!
  • blb85
    blb85 Posts: 187 Member
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    also check-out http://www.bodybuilding.com/ - they have tons of programs, and you can pick one that meets your goals/needs. I personally love Jamie Eason's LiveFit and Lee Labrada's Leanbody Trainer
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    For form videos, I like the Buff Guys, as they tend to do a good job of showing the exercise and not just talking about it. Also, Alan Thrall is my favorite squat video guy because his one video is something like 20 minutes of him doing a voiceover while you watch him just squat and squat and squat. I loathe form videos that have somebody talk for 10 minutes and then show you the exercise 3 times and that's it.
  • Jennloella
    Jennloella Posts: 2,287 Member
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    I'd also do weights first and do the extra cardio "if you have time" and yeah, don't do that many reps.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    Personally, I would steer most people away from Bodybuilding until they have a good beginner program under their belt. Sure, there are lots of beginner programs on BB.com but in my opinion, most of them are too complex for a beginning lifter.

    I prefer to have clients build a strong foundation before adding the amenities, so to speak. It make the lifter more confident and takes less time in the workout. Once a lifter has a good foundation of strength, they can and should then move on to more goal oriented programs depending on what their goals might be.

    Stonglifts if a great first choice simply because it's intent is to make a novice lifter focus on form more than anything else. That's part of what makes it great and why some people find it boring. Boring is fine if it prevents injuries now or further down the road.

    Just my two cents.
  • upgradeddiddy
    upgradeddiddy Posts: 281 Member
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    Everyone has given really good tips because she is a beginner but...OP what is your ideal body type? How do you want to look? Yes getting the foundation is important for anyone who wants to start lifting but if you don't have a good vision of how you want to look, it's just going to lead to a lot of catch up work down the road. That's just my opinion.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    When you say "Down the Road" what do you mean exactly? Running a beginner program for 3 months or even 6 is not going to negatively impact anyone's lifting goals or make anything more difficult. To the contrary, a strong foundation is going to make any further goal oriented work easier and more effective.

    I'm happy to talk with you about this at length, @upgradeddiddy but I'd rather not hijack OP's post to discuss this with you. Feel free to message me if you'd like to chat more in depth about lifting... it's a lifetime passion of mine.
  • upgradeddiddy
    upgradeddiddy Posts: 281 Member
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    Oh lord here we go... my statement is fully based on that we don't know her goals or aspirations are. Obviously an aspiring triathlete and a power lifter yes can start training at a 5x5 split but the "later down the road" means with a power lifter you may concentrate more on the big 3 lifts with less focus on accessory work while the triathlete will want to focus on lifting to make them a better runner (lunges and squats) or swimmer (pull ups and lateral movements), everyone is different. Yes the foundation does make an easier transition but you have to have a general idea of what you want to look like and even right now look at where your weak points are now. No where did I say a strong foundation was going to be negative (my exact words were that it was important for anyone who wants to start lifting) but the vision should there first.
  • oceandriveslim_82
    oceandriveslim_82 Posts: 22 Member
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    In my opinion I think you might be doing a little too much steady state cardio. Try mixing it up. Do some type of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) 2 or 3 times a week for 12 to 15 minutes. Try to do you steady state cardio after lifting weights so you get more out of your weightlifting.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,375 Member
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    heatherc369 wrote: »
    BecomingBane wrote: »
    How long have you been lifting? Have you ever gone through a beginner program from beginning to end to help build a strong foundation in strength for your work?

    Your gym trainer is full of BS... just saying.

    Read up on programs like Starting strength, Stronglifts 5x5, Ice Cream Fitness, New Rules of Lifting for Women, or read Nia Shanks' blog http://www.niashanks.com/

    There are so many good beginner programs out there that you shouldn't be forced to listen or learn from someone who sounds like they have no idea what they are talking about... especially since women don't need to train differently than men unless there are specific goals involved.

    I have been doing the weight machines on this routine for about 4 months, I really want to get over into the free wights area but I feel like I need someone to help me with my form, I did the Chalene Extreme videos from BeachBody so I know "some" free weight "moves" but not too many and it has been while. I cannot afford a trainer (I go to Planet Fitness because its in my budget)

    thanks for your advice !

    Doesn't your PF have a trainer? When I went there, I got to meet with the trainer for free, and he ended up writing up a routine for me. I've gone back to All Pro since then, but you should ask about that. Also, All Pro is a good beginner's routine, and can be adjusted for dumbbells. http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843&pagenumber=1
  • lemonsnowdrop
    lemonsnowdrop Posts: 1,298 Member
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    There aren't any free PT sessions at your gym? Mine has two free sessions, and I used those to get him to watch and correct my form, that way I could lift on my own and not have to pay a dime.

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