Weightlifting program for beginners

Nnekaschild
Nnekaschild Posts: 26 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good weightlifting program for beginners? I am female, if that even matters.

Time to start lifting heavy and stop being a slave to the treadmill.

Do you think I need a personal trainer to start with?

Replies

  • MOS3
    MOS3 Posts: 134 Member
    I would like to know too - time to tone the muscles.
  • hungryPHATbunny
    hungryPHATbunny Posts: 84 Member
    I just downloaded 'workouts' app- its on iPhone and iPad and I tried a workout yesterday...you need only dumbells and a mat...boy did I wake up sore this morning! It's a free app btw so definitely worth trying...
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    Hey there, I'm in the same boat tho I am betting I'm a good deal older than either of you. I'm nearly 60 and I have not done any weight training in many years. I have P90X, but I know I can't just start out there. Actually, I had just gotten back to the gym when I broke my ankle (3 weeks ago). I can't do anything just yet, but I'm hoping that at my next visit with the doc he will tell me I can start doing "stuff" again! If he does, this is where I will start - www.bodybuilding.com Do a search for weightlifting for beginners.
  • Nnekaschild
    Nnekaschild Posts: 26 Member
    I actually have new rules of weight lifting for women so I may actually start and finish that.
  • jarrettd
    jarrettd Posts: 872 Member
    I definitely recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women!
  • laineylynnfit
    laineylynnfit Posts: 369 Member
    I ordered The New Rules of Lifting for Women. It's been highly recommended here :) I should get my copy next week!
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
    I also recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women or ChaLEAN Extreme
  • dougpear
    dougpear Posts: 21
    For a beginner program start with full body exercises every other or every third day. Once you have a base fitness level, i.e. your body has become accustom to your new program then think about adding in specifics. StrongLifts has a good example of a beginner program.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
    Absolutely the New Rules of Lifting for Women! I have the book and very much looking forward to starting it!
  • yankeedownsouth
    yankeedownsouth Posts: 717 Member
    bodybuilding.com has free programs, including those for beginners. I only recently started lifting, and I wasn't comfortable jumping right into free weights. I wanted to be sure to learn how to do them correctly before using them. So I found a machine program for beginners (for women) on bodybuilding.com and started there. As I'm learning the free weights, I'm substituting them for the machine exercises.

    I also have NROLFW, Starting Strength, and StrongLifts 5x5. Haven't decided which one of those I'll ultimately be doing.
  • Skeemer118
    Skeemer118 Posts: 397 Member
    I started out with Body for Life
  • Farhanum
    Farhanum Posts: 13
    To be honest I'd suggest start small and work your way up:
    JUST lifting heavier weights won't make you grow big muscles like a bodybuilder so it's safe to go heavier!!

    Ya'll wanna work out biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders and lats with dumbells.. However I don't think I can give adequate advice for the majority of those areas so I'll use biceps as my example:

    Start with 1-2kg dumbells on each arm.

    For biceps, you gotta do bicep curls (whilst holding dumbells, straighten your arms downward, with your palms facing the front and raise each arm after the other)

    Do around 10 repetitions- Then repeat two more times ( 3 sets of 10 reps)

    After a while, you'll be able to do 3 sets of 10 with ease. Move up to 3 sets of 20 and so on and so forth..
    If you'd like to go heavier simply increase the weight of the dumbells and do 3 sets of 10 again and build up!

    Hope I helped. :wink:
  • suelegal
    suelegal Posts: 1,282 Member
    I actually have new rules of weight lifting for women so I may actually start and finish that.


    So many have given this such rave reviews, I just bought the eversion. Just reading through the first 25 pages or so, I can tell I already like this! But quite frankly, I'm petrified of adding all those calories!!! OMG, I've never consumed that much before in my life without gaining weight. I'm going to continue reading, and as soon as my doc gives me the ok, I'll give it a whirl.
  • Smuterella
    Smuterella Posts: 1,623 Member
    I have to say isolation exercises with dumbells are not the way to go, I read this site regularly and the women I have seen whose bodies have shown the most incredible improvements have all lifted heavy, doing compound moves with barbells (squats, deadlifts etc). I haven't started that myself yet, am very new to lifting so have started with Chalean Extreme, a good starter programme for compaound lifts with dumbells, but I am champing at the bit to start barbell moves. I'm going to do Stronglifts 5x5 I think, as the workouts are fairly short and then, if I really get the bug will move to NROL4W. I'm just wary of the long gym sessions it entails right now.
  • nick1109
    nick1109 Posts: 174 Member
    I have to say isolation exercises with dumbells are not the way to go, I read this site regularly and the women I have seen whose bodies have shown the most incredible improvements have all lifted heavy, doing compound moves with barbells (squats, deadlifts etc). I haven't started that myself yet, am very new to lifting so have started with Chalean Extreme, a good starter programme for compaound lifts with dumbells, but I am champing at the bit to start barbell moves. I'm going to do Stronglifts 5x5 I think, as the workouts are fairly short and then, if I really get the bug will move to NROL4W. I'm just wary of the long gym sessions it entails right now.

    exactly this
  • nutandbutter
    nutandbutter Posts: 447
    I have to say isolation exercises with dumbells are not the way to go, I read this site regularly and the women I have seen whose bodies have shown the most incredible improvements have all lifted heavy, doing compound moves with barbells (squats, deadlifts etc). I haven't started that myself yet, am very new to lifting so have started with Chalean Extreme, a good starter programme for compaound lifts with dumbells, but I am champing at the bit to start barbell moves. I'm going to do Stronglifts 5x5 I think, as the workouts are fairly short and then, if I really get the bug will move to NROL4W. I'm just wary of the long gym sessions it entails right now.

    Agreed. I read NROLFW but the routine was too complicated for me. I saw at bb.com all the women I admired advising to do heavy compound lifts. I do compounds (bench, squat, deadlift, rows, overhead press, lat pulldown) for 3x4-8. If I can do the upper end of the reps (6-8) for all 3 sets, I move up in weight. startingstrength.com has a lot of excellent videos on form.

    http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/platform_the_squat_bar_position
    ^ Probably one of the best squat technique videos you'll find.
  • billthekill
    billthekill Posts: 90
    bodybuilding.com has free programs, including those for beginners. I only recently started lifting, and I wasn't comfortable jumping right into free weights. I wanted to be sure to learn how to do them correctly before using them. So I found a machine program for beginners (for women) on bodybuilding.com and started there. As I'm learning the free weights, I'm substituting them for the machine exercises.

    I also have NROLFW, Starting Strength, and StrongLifts 5x5. Haven't decided which one of those I'll ultimately be doing.

    +1
    All three books are excellent.
  • mbts08
    mbts08 Posts: 284 Member
    I did Chalean Extreme years ago and I liked it.

    Currently I am doing The New Rules Of Lifting For Women and really liking it. I have one more workout in stage one. I love the compound exercises.
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