Weight lifting beginner.
lovexlexi
Posts: 47 Member
I’m in need of some advice. So over the last few years I have lost 40 lbs and am now maintaining a healthy weight. I’m proud of how far I have come, but I want more. I want to gain muscle and definition. I feel like my body is at a stand still. I do weight lifting at the gym, but I don’t do any free weights and I definitely don’t do as much weight training as I should. Right now I spend about 20 minutes on weight machines and pump out a maximum of 5 sets of 10 on each machine. I have been slowly increasing the amount of machines and sets I do, but haven’t increased the amount of weight I am doing. I feel like I should be doing more. The rest of my time is spent on cardio. I know this is a common thing amongst women to be intimidated by weight training. I have access to 2 free personal training sessions at my gym, but I’m also a bit intimidated by that. Maybe I should consult them and see if they can help get me started with a weight routine, but I don’t know. Do any of you have advice for a beginner? How did you get started on weights? Do you prefer using weight machines or free weights? And how often do you up the reps and weight? Any input would be really helpful!
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Replies
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My advice would be to utilize the free training find out which trainer is better acquainted with weight training. Then, when you have a program following it will help you feel more comfortable. Earbuds help, and a baseball cap can too. But really, everyone is pretty much there for the same reason similar goals and it ends up being the same group of ppl at least at my gym. I use bar bells, dumb bells, and cables more than the machines unless everything is taken. Having a planned workout is important too. Good job on losing weight!!! Have fun!!1
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http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Any of the beginner programs should give you more focus. I recommend Starting Strength. The program can be found for free but the book is a valuable tool for form and reasoning behind the program.1 -
No progression equals no results. You need to increase the weight you are using. The weight you are using should be extremely challenging or you are likely not going to build any muscle.
No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Machines are fine. Possibly even preferable for beginners so you don’t have to worry about form too much. Free weights have some huge benefits to them so I would expand into those once you are comfortable with machines. A good regiment has both. Aim for that long term.
Use the trainers at your gym to teach you how to properly use free weights. Mainly deadlifts and squats. Or watch YouTube video tutorials.
Your main focus needs to be to push yourself. No matter what you do, using the same weight day in and day out is not going to get you where you want to be.
Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.9 -
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
Any of the beginner programs should give you more focus. I recommend Starting Strength. The program can be found for free but the book is a valuable tool for form and reasoning behind the program.
There is a lot of great information on this link. I'm biased because I'm a powerlifter but IMO you should look into a strength training program. Starting strength and 5x5 are good starting points. Just beware that Rippetoe's content in starting strength can be rather "lengthy".
Whichever you choose, don't be afraid to train hard and train heavy!!1 -
FIFYTayteHansen1992 wrote: »No progression equals no results. You need to increase the weight you are using. The weight you are using should be extremely challenging or you are likely not going to build any muscle.
No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Machines are fine. Possibly even preferable for beginners so you don’t have to worry about form too much. Free weights have some huge benefits to them so I would expand into those once you are comfortable with machines. A good regiment has both. Aim for that long term.
Full body exercises including Upper and lower body. Deadlifts and squats are good, so are OHP and Bench Press. So are Rows of various sorts and planks. YouTube isn't going to watch you do the exercises and correct your form.
Use the trainers at your gym to teach you how to properly use free weights. Mainly deadlifts and squats. Or watch YouTube video tutorials.Your main focus needs to be to push yourself. No matter what you do, using the same weight day in and day out is not going to get you where you want to be.
Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.
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I adore cable, there's lots of advice and instructions on YouTube concerning this way of lifting. It's quite incremental so you can build weight up quite slowly, the movements are measured and methodical and it's vary varied for each muscle group.
Lots of ladies use this, men too, but at least you can get to carry out compound lifting in an environment that isn't too testosterone filled unlike the bench areas!
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@lovexlexi Don't be afraid to use the free weights area, and follow a structured programme. Lots of good ones on Youtube. Good luck and keep going
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Good steady progression. Start with a weight you can do for 3 to 5 sets of ten. When you are able to use the same weight with 5 sets of ten, increase the weight by five or ten pounds. If you are able to get 3 sets of ten at that weight but only 6 or 7 on the last two sets, stay at that weight until you can get 5 sets, then increase the weight again. Too often there is a rush to increase the weight, but by increasing the weight too quickly, you tend to lose your form, which means your wasting your time. Every few weeks, back the weight off to about 50% and just focus on strict form, then start working the weight back up. Start about ten pounds less than your previous heaviest week and then start advancing again. Stick to the main lifts, Squat, Bench, Deadlift, but add in assistance work like rows, shrugs, curls, leg extensions etc, and mix the assistance work up every few weeks to keep hitting the muscles from different angles.5
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I’m in need of some advice. So over the last few years I have lost 40 lbs and am now maintaining a healthy weight. I’m proud of how far I have come, but I want more. I want to gain muscle and definition. I feel like my body is at a stand still. I do weight lifting at the gym, but I don’t do any free weights and I definitely don’t do as much weight training as I should. Right now I spend about 20 minutes on weight machines and pump out a maximum of 5 sets of 10 on each machine. I have been slowly increasing the amount of machines and sets I do, but haven’t increased the amount of weight I am doing. I feel like I should be doing more. The rest of my time is spent on cardio. I know this is a common thing amongst women to be intimidated by weight training. I have access to 2 free personal training sessions at my gym, but I’m also a bit intimidated by that. Maybe I should consult them and see if they can help get me started with a weight routine, but I don’t know. Do any of you have advice for a beginner? How did you get started on weights? Do you prefer using weight machines or free weights? And how often do you up the reps and weight? Any input would be really helpful!
Run an established program...there are many to choose from.
My wife started by doing Starting Strength with me. That particular program really wasn't her thing though and she wanted something more general fitness oriented rather than linear strength gain focused. She did New Rules of Lifting for Women...the program is pretty good, but for her, the read was even better as it puts a lot of fears and myths that many women hold in regards to weight training to bed. It will tell you what you're doing and why you're doing it.
She went from that to Strong Curves and then to New Rules Supercharged. She's been working with a personal trainer now for a couple of years...5 years total lifting for her.0 -
randycairns4655 wrote: »Good steady progression. Start with a weight you can do for 3 to 5 sets of ten. When you are able to use the same weight with 5 sets of ten, increase the weight by five or ten pounds. If you are able to get 3 sets of ten at that weight but only 6 or 7 on the last two sets, stay at that weight until you can get 5 sets, then increase the weight again. Too often there is a rush to increase the weight, but by increasing the weight too quickly, you tend to lose your form, which means your wasting your time. Every few weeks, back the weight off to about 50% and just focus on strict form, then start working the weight back up. Start about ten pounds less than your previous heaviest week and then start advancing again. Stick to the main lifts, Squat, Bench, Deadlift, but add in assistance work like rows, shrugs, curls, leg extensions etc, and mix the assistance work up every few weeks to keep hitting the muscles from different angles.
Thanks for this!0 -
Silkysausage wrote: »I adore cable, there's lots of advice and instructions on YouTube concerning this way of lifting. It's quite incremental so you can build weight up quite slowly, the movements are measured and methodical and it's vary varied for each muscle group.
Lots of ladies use this, men too, but at least you can get to carry out compound lifting in an environment that isn't too testosterone filled unlike the bench areas!
I like the testosterone-filled bench areas.4 -
randycairns4655 wrote: »Good steady progression. Start with a weight you can do for 3 to 5 sets of ten. When you are able to use the same weight with 5 sets of ten, increase the weight by five or ten pounds. If you are able to get 3 sets of ten at that weight but only 6 or 7 on the last two sets, stay at that weight until you can get 5 sets, then increase the weight again. Too often there is a rush to increase the weight, but by increasing the weight too quickly, you tend to lose your form, which means your wasting your time. Every few weeks, back the weight off to about 50% and just focus on strict form, then start working the weight back up. Start about ten pounds less than your previous heaviest week and then start advancing again. Stick to the main lifts, Squat, Bench, Deadlift, but add in assistance work like rows, shrugs, curls, leg extensions etc, and mix the assistance work up every few weeks to keep hitting the muscles from different angles.
Thanks for this!
Your welcome. Good luck!0 -
stanmann571 wrote: »
FIFYTayteHansen1992 wrote: »No progression equals no results. You need to increase the weight you are using. The weight you are using should be extremely challenging or you are likely not going to build any muscle.
No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Machines are fine. Possibly even preferable for beginners so you don’t have to worry about form too much. Free weights have some huge benefits to them so I would expand into those once you are comfortable with machines. A good regiment has both. Aim for that long term.
Full body exercises including Upper and lower body. Deadlifts and squats are good, so are OHP and Bench Press. So are Rows of various sorts and planks. YouTube isn't going to watch you do the exercises and correct your form.
Use the trainers at your gym to teach you how to properly use free weights. Mainly deadlifts and squats. Or watch YouTube video tutorials.Your main focus needs to be to push yourself. No matter what you do, using the same weight day in and day out is not going to get you where you want to be.
Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.
Agree to disagree on a lot of that I guess.
Personal trainer can be great. But they can also be awful. I have seen countless PTs with absolutely no idea what they are doing. I’ve seen them teach their clients how to dealdlift and squat with atrocious form, among other lifts. It really is a role of the dice. Hopefully you get a good one. YouTube however has countless well explained videos teaching people how to lift. Yeah, YouTube won’t watch you, some of the responsibility is on yourself to watch yourself. Use mirrors or even video tape yourself if you need. I think it’s a great alternative for people who don’t want to spend $100’s on personal training. You rarely get what you pay for.
I also stand by a well rounded split containing both compound lifts, isolation exercises, free weights and machines. Machines serve their purposes.
And yeah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a modest effort when it comes to building muscle just ain’t gonna cut it. You might get a bit off progress off the bat, but it’s gonna stop real quick. If you’re really really lucky you might be gifted genetically in which case a half *kitten* routine and effort can get you somewhere fairly substantial. But if you’re like most of us you’re gonna have to put in the effort. And the effort should be 100%.3 -
Well it's your comment I ripped up, so I imagine you would disagree.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »
Agree to disagree on a lot of that I guess.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »And yeah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a modest effort when it comes to building muscle just ain’t gonna cut it. You might get a bit off progress off the bat, but it’s gonna stop real quick. If you’re really really lucky you might be gifted genetically in which case a half *kitten* routine and effort can get you somewhere fairly substantial. But if you’re like most of us you’re gonna have to put in the effort. And the effort should be 100%.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.
Make up your mind. Giving full effort and giving 110% aren't the same thing.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Also and I forgot to address this before. Unless you're stacking their gear, it doesn't matter whether or not you train like they train... And Further, Intermediate/advanced programs are almost NEVER appropriate for a beginner.
HTH
HAND
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stanmann571 wrote: »
Well it's your comment I ripped up, so I imagine you would disagree.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »
Agree to disagree on a lot of that I guess.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »And yeah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a modest effort when it comes to building muscle just ain’t gonna cut it. You might get a bit off progress off the bat, but it’s gonna stop real quick. If you’re really really lucky you might be gifted genetically in which case a half *kitten* routine and effort can get you somewhere fairly substantial. But if you’re like most of us you’re gonna have to put in the effort. And the effort should be 100%.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.
Make up your mind. Giving full effort and giving 110% aren't the same thing.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Also and I forgot to address this before. Unless you're stacking their gear, it doesn't matter whether or not you train like they train... And Further, Intermediate/advanced programs are almost NEVER appropriate for a beginner.
HTH
HAND
110% or 100%. Same difference, same concept. The point is the same. Give it your all if you want to get anywhere substantial.
Agreed, gear is usually the difference between those that are good and those that are the best. By why even bring gear into this? Most Women take no gear whatsoever and they have AMAZING physiques. Likely a physique that the OP would be more than happy with. And that just comes from commitment, time and effort.
Maybe my take on life is just different than yours but with anything you get out what you put in. May as well give it 100%!1 -
As a woman, I have a bit of a different outlook on strength training than a lot of women do. I have been lifting most of my life and was once a bodybuilder. My goal is to get better and do better with each work out I do - otherwise why do it?
If I'm not sore the next day or within 48 hours, then I need to change something. I plan out each workout I do. I write down what I'm planning to do (the exercise, the weight, the # of sets and the # of reps per set) before I go work out and then I write down what I actually did so that I can improve on something with the next workout AND figure out if I need to change something out if something isn't working.
What @randycairns4655 said above is a good start but my suggestion is try to work with a trainer you feel would work well with you to get a routine put together for you to do. A lot of women I know are intimidated by strength training and there is no need to be. Find someone who knows what they are doing and can show you the proper form (NOTE: form is everything when it comes to doing weights -even on machines- because you can SERIOUSLY hurt yourself.) You will only need a few sessions with a trainer to get the idea. Good luck and push yourself - you will be happy you did.2 -
Davidsdottir wrote: »Silkysausage wrote: »I adore cable, there's lots of advice and instructions on YouTube concerning this way of lifting. It's quite incremental so you can build weight up quite slowly, the movements are measured and methodical and it's vary varied for each muscle group.
Lots of ladies use this, men too, but at least you can get to carry out compound lifting in an environment that isn't too testosterone filled unlike the bench areas!
I like the testosterone-filled bench areas.
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You can never outwork poor technique; find an experienced trainer take your time to learn and understand everything you’re doing movement wise and build from there.0
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"For the record, I haven't read the rest of the posts yet" ...that being said..---..I would look at your macros and increase them little by little . Week by week. That will help with putting on weight and as far as free weights vs machines I like mixing them up, different techniques for different types and as far as your reps go.. sounds like you on the right track depending on how you feeling in your sets, but if you feel like at 10 reps you can still pump out another 10 without resting you need to increase your baseline. You should have to struggle to get the last couple of reps in.. forced work.. that really helps me when I put on size.. don't over strain yourself tho -very easy to get hurt if you cramp up in the middle of a set.. and I like to keep a little moleskin pocket notebook and track what weights I used on what set.. if I got a good pump out if it, or felt easy, or starting to cramp.... and depending on how my workout is feeling from time to time I like to throw in a failure set at the end and see how many reps I can force out before they just ain't happening..lol2
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Use the personal training!0
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TayteHansen1992 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »
Well it's your comment I ripped up, so I imagine you would disagree.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »
Agree to disagree on a lot of that I guess.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »And yeah, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but a modest effort when it comes to building muscle just ain’t gonna cut it. You might get a bit off progress off the bat, but it’s gonna stop real quick. If you’re really really lucky you might be gifted genetically in which case a half *kitten* routine and effort can get you somewhere fairly substantial. But if you’re like most of us you’re gonna have to put in the effort. And the effort should be 100%.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »Also realize and understand that being a woman makes it quite hard to build muscle mass. You are going to need to train 110% for decent results. Don’t worry about the common misconception that hitting the weights hard will turn you into a man, because it won’t. That’s how you get the sought after “toned” or “I want a nice butt” that you hear so many women say.
Make up your mind. Giving full effort and giving 110% aren't the same thing.TayteHansen1992 wrote: »No pain, no gain. Take note at your gym of the men and women who have muscle. Watch how most of them train. They are likely pushing themselves to their limits because that is what it takes to build muscle.
Also and I forgot to address this before. Unless you're stacking their gear, it doesn't matter whether or not you train like they train... And Further, Intermediate/advanced programs are almost NEVER appropriate for a beginner.
HTH
HAND
110% or 100%. Same difference, same concept. The point is the same. Give it your all if you want to get anywhere substantial.
Agreed, gear is usually the difference between those that are good and those that are the best. By why even bring gear into this? Most Women take no gear whatsoever and they have AMAZING physiques. Likely a physique that the OP would be more than happy with. And that just comes from commitment, time and effort.
Maybe my take on life is just different than yours but with anything you get out what you put in. May as well give it 100%!
Does 100% / 110% mean training to failure every session?0 -
Does 100% / 110% mean training to failure every session?[/quote]
Not sure what the other posters mean by that but personally I never train to failure, meaning, I never miss a rep. It may be different for physique, but for strength training, it sets you back to go to absolute failure and it can take weeks to fully recover. The only time I miss a rep is if I miss an attempt in competition.0 -
randycairns4655 wrote: »Does 100% / 110% mean training to failure every session?
Not sure what the other posters mean by that but personally I never train to failure, meaning, I never miss a rep. It may be different for physique, but for strength training, it sets you back to go to absolute failure and it can take weeks to fully recover. The only time I miss a rep is if I miss an attempt in competition.
I agree with you, which is why I was curious as to what this guy meant when he said you need to give 110% every session.0 -
That my friend is a misunderstand of your maximum recoverable volume.0
This discussion has been closed.
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