Weight Lifting for Beginners for Weight Loss

Here's what to do. Start a program called Strong Lifts 5x5 (there's a free app and it's very simple) using just the empty barbell, learn how to squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press and bent over row. At the gym, ask someone to show you how to properly do these a trainer is best of course. Google videos aren't horrible if you view enough of them to find out the common elements.

I recommend this one because it is simple and you can remember 5 sets of 5 reps for each exercise. Start with only the empty barbell and add a few pounds to the bar every week. You start with the empty bar so that you can master the movement. You can decide how fast to increase the weight on the bar and it varies with each exercise. Keep adding on 2.5 - 5 lbs each week or so to each exercise until you can't anymore. You'll find that your squat and deadlift will increase much faster than the others because your using bigger muscles to do them.

Each workout should only take about 15-30 minutes.

If you have to choose only one single exercise that you can fit in with your cardio workouts then do squats. Do 5 sets of 5 reps of squats after your cardio. Do them 3 days per week. I say do them after your cardio only because it will ensure you are already warmed up. First with the empty bar, then add 2.5, 5 or 10 lbs each week until you need to add less.

It isn't really important how many sets and reps you do as long as you can count them on your fingers and toes, the weight keeps getting heavier every week

bringingsexyback2007 wrote: »

After losing 60 lbs, I am ready to incorporate weight training in order to build lean muscle and aide in burning more calories. I have absolutely no idea where to start, what machines to use, what weight, how many reps. Any advise helps! I want to make sure I am still doing my 60 minutes of cardio as well while weight training.

I highly recommend a few sessions with a personal trainer. Proper form is much easier learned with in-person guidance. Tell them you want a progressive overload program. (Which is what Strong Lifts mentioned above is.)

I walked into a fitness store and told the worker something along the lines of what you've put down in your original post. And was told, "You can use dumbbells or fitness tubes. And since I'd walked 35 minutes to get there and wasn't sure if I wanted to walk back with dumbbells in a shopping bag (It's one thing to curl them; it's something else when they're dangling from your wrist!), I went with the tubes. Found some exercises online both on YouTube and the Theragear website and got started.

Well... that was a few months ago. I'm slowly building up a gym in my basement with inexpensive equipment. I bought a book on strength training, and I'm trying out various exercises, figuring out what works for me and what I enjoy (for example, squats with a stability ball seem to be better for me than the edge of a chair seat). I've added a mat, stability ball, resistance bands, and dumbbells. Plus a soccer ball; some of the warmups in the book involve, for example, holding a ball over your head, then lowering it to chest height as you alternate raising your knee to touch it.

I'll be honest: with more than 70 lbs to lose, my body doesn't look all that different. But a year ago, I was straining to do 10 reps with a 5-lb dumbbell. I've been using the fitness tubes for about 3 months, now. And today, I went to buy the heavy resistance one. While there, I picked up a 10-lb dumbbell and did about 20 reps with struggling. So... even if I don't look stronger, I know something's working!