What do you do...(strength training)

chrissyh
chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
What do you do for your strength/weight workouts?

What exercises and how many reps and what weight?

I need to increase my strength but not sure where to start...I've done leg presses, leg curls front and backwards (not sure if that's what they are called) and arm pulls in front and back of head, crunches, bicycle crunches, pushups, squats, wall squat with shoulder press...

I joined a fitness center almost a month ago and I feel like I need to utilize what's there while I am there.....any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Thanks!

Replies

  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    What do you do for your strength/weight workouts?

    What exercises and how many reps and what weight?

    I need to increase my strength but not sure where to start...I've done leg presses, leg curls front and backwards (not sure if that's what they are called) and arm pulls in front and back of head, crunches, bicycle crunches, pushups, squats, wall squat with shoulder press...

    I joined a fitness center almost a month ago and I feel like I need to utilize what's there while I am there.....any suggestions are greatly appreciated
    Thanks!
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    Tuesdays Triceps and Chest

    Wed Leg day

    Thursday Back and biceps

    I just use the machines or dumbells- if your going to the gym the machines will show you which area or areas you will be working


    Not to mention good old squats and pushups
  • benw
    benw Posts: 211 Member
    Does the gym offer trainers? Maybe just to get you started.
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Tuesdays Triceps and Chest

    Wed Leg day

    Thursday Back and biceps

    I just use the machines or dumbells- if your going to the gym the machines will show you which area or areas you will be working


    Not to mention good old squats and pushups

    What about reps and weight? I think that's where I get lost - not sure how many to do and I don't want to under or over do. There are trainers but right now the time they have isn't time I can get over there... maybe need to take a half day off and go over there.
  • riveraphx
    riveraphx Posts: 380 Member
    I always go to bodybuilding.com and print out their routines. They're great and they do all the work for me. Before I always did the obvious things. It will give you a schedule too.
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    Tuesdays Triceps and Chest

    Wed Leg day

    Thursday Back and biceps

    I just use the machines or dumbells- if your going to the gym the machines will show you which area or areas you will be working


    Not to mention good old squats and pushups

    What about reps and weight? I think that's where I get lost - not sure how many to do and I don't want to under or over do. There are trainers but right now the time they have isn't time I can get over there... maybe need to take a half day off and go over there.

    I do 3 sets of 12 or 3 sets of 8 depending on the amount of weight.
    As for how much weight thats something you have to figure out on your own- Sometimes I do 35-75 depending on which body part I am working- But remember the last set of reps shouldn't be easy if they are you need to kick it up a little.
  • jvandertuin
    jvandertuin Posts: 40
    I agree with Benw about getting a trainer. Generally, the lower the reps <6 you are training for strength (think of how power lifters look), anything over 10-15 you are training for endurance. If you can do more then 15 reps without it being difficult, you need to increase your weight. However, form is crucial so if you are doing the exercise incorrectly, you will hurt yourself. Most people who have never done weight training before, REALLY need professional guidance as to how to do the exercise correctly. Get the mechanics first, then worry about reps/sets later.

    If you hurt yourself, you won't continue.

    Strength training is key for weight loss. If you gain more muscle mass, the larger muscles are "hungrier" throughout the day vs with cardio, you only replenish what you've lost due to glycogen depletion from the cardio exercise. So, the benefits of increased muscle mass is you burn more calories "feeding" your hungry, bigger muscles throughout the day. REMEMBER, it takes a tremendous amount of training to look like a body builder. Most women refuse to do weights thinking it will give them Body builder-like muscles. It is not true, you might be genetically predisposed to larger muscles, but you still need to work at it.

    Consult a professional and MAKE SURE the professional has appropriate credentials. I'm Canadian, so I'm not sure of the accreditation process in the US, but generally your trainer should have gone through training to help you, e.g. they are certified as a strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS)

    Good luck!
  • thejarviclan
    thejarviclan Posts: 465 Member
    I use the machines at the Y also. Let me see...

    leg press - 110 pounds, 20 reps
    seated leg curl - 40 pounds, 20 reps
    leg extension - 35 pounds, 20 reps
    hip abduction - 50 pounds, 20 reps
    hip adduction - 50 pounds, 20 reps
    chest press - 40 pounds, 20 reps
    overhead press - 10 pounds, 20 reps (I suck)
    arm curls - 15 pounds, 20 reps
    pulldown - 50 pounds, 20 reps
    row - 50 pounds, 20 reps
    abdominal - 60 pounds, 20 reps

    I also have an arm routine I do with two 10-pound weights. 20 reps each:
    bicep curl
    overhead lift (with a rotation)
    arm extensions (bend to a 45 degree angle, pass the weight to the rear and back again)
    "sun" lift (lie on your back with the weights above your chest, lower them towards the floor on either side of your body and then return to start.)
    reverse curls (I do these while still lying on my back, lifting the weight over my head and back toward the floor)

    Then I do 5 sets of push-ups on an incline, 15 reps per set.

    I have a separate ab routine, too. 10 reps each:
    bent-knee crunches
    bent-knee crunches with feet off the floor
    elbow-to-opposite knee crunches (bent knee, feet off the floor - 20 of these, 10 per side)
    bicycle crunches (20 of these, 10 per side)
    side-lying crunches (2 sets, one per side)
    Plus a Pilates 100

    I don't do all of these every day. I usually do arms & abs one day, legs the next.
  • leshawnturner
    leshawnturner Posts: 382
    Can anyone give me any suggestions for a strength training routine that I can do at home. I have hand weights and a 15lb bar, but no gym membership. To those who strength train do you do your weights on the same day as your cardio or do you switch off??
  • andriarose
    andriarose Posts: 23 Member
    Can anyone give me any suggestions for a strength training routine that I can do at home. I have hand weights and a 15lb bar, but no gym membership. To those who strength train do you do your weights on the same day as your cardio or do you switch off??

    Yes! Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. It's for legs, butt, arms, stomach, everything. Use hand weights and it trains arms and legs together so you're burning more calories. I feel sooo strong and see the definition. I sometime run after this workout, depends on the weather. I do the dvd about 4 times a week and it is 50 min.
  • leshawnturner
    leshawnturner Posts: 382
    Can anyone give me any suggestions for a strength training routine that I can do at home. I have hand weights and a 15lb bar, but no gym membership. To those who strength train do you do your weights on the same day as your cardio or do you switch off??

    Yes! Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. It's for legs, butt, arms, stomach, everything. Use hand weights and it trains arms and legs together so you're burning more calories. I feel sooo strong and see the definition. I sometime run after this workout, depends on the weather. I do the dvd about 4 times a week and it is 50 min.


    Can I buy her DVDs at walmart or academy or do I have to go online?? A friend let me borrow a couple of Firm wokout DVDs...does any one do those, if so how are they??
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    It's not about numbers. It's not about moving the weight back and forth. It's about making your muscles work HARD.

    In order to produce muscular change, you have to use a lot of muscle fibers. They are in thick layers, fibrous, just like steak. Light work only uses the top of the 'steak'. You want to make everything down to the bottom work and get really, really tired. This is called fatigue or failure.

    Fatigue is a little less than failure. Failure is the inability to do even one more rep, while fatigue is the inability to do one-two more reps with proper form and control. Failure is better in terms of causing change, but not always practical (like while squatting or benching or holding weight over important body parts). You can reach this with few reps and very heavy weight, and a lot of reps with lighter weight. The point is just to get there.

    I personally incorporate explosive movement, strength, and endurance in every workout. I do compound sets (working the same area with two different exercises in rapid succession with no rest) and super sets (the same thing but with different muscle groups). I make sure whatever I'm doing is heavy, and when I get to the end of a set, whether it's 8 reps or 20 reps, I get to the end because I can't go anymore. I NEVER stop just because I reach a certain #. If I get to 12, and I can do 15, I do 15 even if I meant to do 12. You will not cause changes without stress.
  • andriarose
    andriarose Posts: 23 Member
    Can anyone give me any suggestions for a strength training routine that I can do at home. I have hand weights and a 15lb bar, but no gym membership. To those who strength train do you do your weights on the same day as your cardio or do you switch off??

    Yes! Jillian Michaels No More Trouble Zones. It's for legs, butt, arms, stomach, everything. Use hand weights and it trains arms and legs together so you're burning more calories. I feel sooo strong and see the definition. I sometime run after this workout, depends on the weather. I do the dvd about 4 times a week and it is 50 min.


    Can I buy her DVDs at walmart or academy or do I have to go online?? A friend let me borrow a couple of Firm wokout DVDs...does any one do those, if so how are they??

    I had to order her No More Trouble Zone dvd online. I don't think it is sold in stores yet. I've never used the firm dvd's.
  • singfree
    singfree Posts: 1,591 Member
    MWF: Upper Body, back
    Tu, Th: Lower body, lower back, abs

    Intense but short cardio each workout.

    Weekends generally light walking or biking.
  • fjtcjt
    fjtcjt Posts: 199
    What do you do for your strength/weight workouts?

    What exercises and how many reps and what weight?

    I need to increase my strength but not sure where to start...I've done leg presses, leg curls front and backwards (not sure if that's what they are called) and arm pulls in front and back of head, crunches, bicycle crunches, pushups, squats, wall squat with shoulder press...

    I joined a fitness center almost a month ago and I feel like I need to utilize what's there while I am there.....any suggestions are greatly appreciated
    Thanks!

    Try this link. It has a workout with exercises and reps. It incorporates most of what people of been talking about. At the top of each exercise, it lists several to chose from. Pick one of those and then do the recommended reps. The last 2 sets are the important ones where you do 12 then lessen the weight and do 12 more. As previously mentioned, you shouldn't be able to do one more rep no matter how hard you try. So if you only get in 8 reps, that is fine as long as you have pushed your muscles to failure.

    http://bodyforlife.com/exercise/downloads/exercise_guide.pdf
  • fjtcjt
    fjtcjt Posts: 199
    I just noticed that it doesn't say what days to workout. You do all of the upper body exercises on M and F, and you do the lower body exercises on W. You do cardio on T, Th & Sa.
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