looking for some help from female lifters

Options
Hey guys not new to mfp have been logging for over a year and have lost 30lbs so far. Am really wanting to try lifting but have no clue where to start so any advice would be helpful work full time and have a young daughter so am aiming for 4-5 workouts a week x

Replies

  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    Options
    Look up Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength, Ice Cream Fitness, or NROL for women. These are all good lifting programs. If you belong to a gym, ask a trainer to show you around the weight room/equipment. If you don't have access to a gym or barbells, try convict conditioning or other body-weight program.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    new to lifting? the most important thing is form so if you can afford a trainer to coach you to begin with that will be great

    if not, then the recommendations above are great ... I'd also add strong curves in there

    but again it's form, form, form .. look at stronglifts and there are videos on how to do the lifts - it's also a 3 x a week programme
  • Corpsebride81
    Corpsebride81 Posts: 1,188 Member
    Options
    thanks guys Ill have a look x
  • TasnimEz
    TasnimEz Posts: 280 Member
    Options
    Check out Nia Shanks. She offers a free mini course (you can buy other programs too but this free program is quite enough to begin with), 3 workouts per week.
  • Corpsebride81
    Corpsebride81 Posts: 1,188 Member
    Options
    ok great thanks x
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Options
    ooo... I just saw this on the fitness board and the OP is absolutely right on

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1169757/i-am-the-woman-in-the-freeweights-section-of-the-gym#latest

    read it :)
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    Stronglifts app is great. If you are willing to read a book New Rules for Lifting Supercharged is great, better than the female specific one. Strong Curves is also a good option.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    Options
    I really like stronglifts 5x5. Its simpler, imo that nrolw. Never tried starting strength.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    Starting Strength is really good for the focus on form, but IMO SL is a better starting program.
  • HWeatherholt
    HWeatherholt Posts: 283 Member
    Options
    I got away from lifting (and working out in general, and dieting) after I started a new job almost a year ago and I am regretting it. Going to get back to it. I use and like New Rules of Lifting For Women. And that is what I am going to go back to. I started off slow but following the plan I made great improvements and was pushing myself pretty good. One of the last times I lifted it was me and 13 guys in the weight area of the gym and I was lifting heavier then a few of them. Of course, when I get back to it, I am not going to start where I left off, but it probably won't take me long to get back there.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
    Options
    TasnimEz wrote: »
    Check out Nia Shanks. She offers a free mini course (you can buy other programs too but this free program is quite enough to begin with), 3 workouts per week.

    Nia is great! Also have a look at her Minimalism prog if you're looking to workout at home.

    I loved NROL4W, it's what got me into lifting & I love it. Any of Lou Schuler's books are excellent, they have a brand new one called Strong that I have yet to read. 5X5 is a great prog too, but don't follow the prescribed increases every week, focus on your form (especially OHP!).
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
    Options
    Look up Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength, Ice Cream Fitness, or NROL for women. These are all good lifting programs. If you belong to a gym, ask a trainer to show you around the weight room/equipment. If you don't have access to a gym or barbells, try convict conditioning or other body-weight program.
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    new to lifting? the most important thing is form so if you can afford a trainer to coach you to begin with that will be great

    if not, then the recommendations above are great ... I'd also add strong curves in there

    but again it's form, form, form .. look at stronglifts and there are videos on how to do the lifts - it's also a 3 x a week programme

    Both of of these answers are great!
  • andylllI
    andylllI Posts: 379 Member
    Options
    Where are you planning to work out and what equipment is there? How much time do you have to complete your workout?

    When I started I like full body 3x a week so starting strength or strong curves or strong lifts work for that. They emphasize compound movements, strong curves adds in a bunch of glute hypertrophy work. Full body workouts 3x a week worked well for me for a long time - busy life young kids because of you have to delay a workout or skip one (kids get sick for example) it doesn't throw you off at all...unlike splits or highly structured programs with lots of different exercises.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,627 Member
    Options
    i like NROLFW and SL
  • ngagne
    ngagne Posts: 57 Member
    Options
    Try Crossfit!
    A good crossfit gym will stress having excellent form. Everything is scale-able to your ability (and with a good gym, it won't just be scaled, it will be scaled to something to help work on whatever is preventing from doing the full movement).
    All crossfit gyms in my area also have FREE childcare for while you're in class (staffed by other members, certain class times only though).
    Squats, Deadlifts, Snatch, Clean, Jerks, Press, Pull-ups, Planks, and lots of other strength movements. MetCon's (Metabolic Conditioning) to help with your cardio.
    And you will NOT get bulky for doing it. In order to get "bulky" as a female, you have to try, and try REALLY hard - those girls that are "bulky" have worked their butts off to get there.
  • Corpsebride81
    Corpsebride81 Posts: 1,188 Member
    Options
    Thanks guys had a look at the 5x5 and am going to do that tomorrow at the gym will start off light and see where it goes cheers for the advice x
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,485 Member
    Options
    If you find the 5x5 is not for you, try All Pro. It is a compound progressive programme like the others but you work rep progression (8-12) before weight increase. I like it because as a new lifter working the rep progressions gives me better confidence when upping the weight.
    ( old woman in the gym alone syndrome)

    Cheers, h.