Why yes, I do want to bulk up a little actually

vypeters
vypeters Posts: 475 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
After 165 lbs lost, I've stopped my weight loss. My lower body still has some fat that could easily be dispensed with, but my upper body is starting to develop a kind of post-apocalyptic skeletor thing going on.

I'm not attaching the obligatory pic-in-a-sports-bra-with-arms-flexed because with all my loose skin the internet might explode if I did, but here's the summary: I have decent biceps, mediocre shoulders, scrawny back and chest and my triceps seem to have donned some kind of cloak of invisibility or something. Abs of nerf under another pretty annoying layer of loose skin.

Nothing to be done about the loose skin except plastics which I can't afford, but I'm hoping to do something about the scrawny with some lifting. However there are a couple of obstacles: I know the advice is heavy, but hubby is unemployed and I can afford neither a gym nor a good set of home weights. What I can afford is a set of heavier adjustable dumbells and a book or DVD that can teach me the exercises and some form so I don't hurt myself.

I realize with these limits I can't get spectacular results, but at this point mediocre would be a step or two up.

Two questions:

For a very beginner woman, what consitutes heavy? How much weight do I need to have to grow for the next few months? I'm not petite - almost 5'9".

What book/DVD would you recommend that doesn't require a lot of expensive equipment and can teach me decent form.

Replies

  • mandylooo
    mandylooo Posts: 456 Member
    Not going to be able to answer the technical question, but was just going to suggest a combination of Youtube for demonstrations of form and advice on here for putting a routine together without even books or DVDs!
  • withervein
    withervein Posts: 224 Member
    Heavy for a beginner is what makes you feel like you just can't eke out one more at about rep 8. It's very very personal for beginners.

    If you want to fill out in the chest/back, triceps you can probably benefit from pushups and pull/chin ups. These are cheap as free and easily one of those key indicators of physical health.

    If you can't do pushups, yet, that's something to work for. Check out Mistressing the Pushup: http://www.stumptuous.com/mistressing-the-pushup
    There are great tips to build up to and beyond picture perfect pushups.

    If you can't do a pullup yet, you can start by doing inverted rows (go to any playground, there will almost always be a bar about waist high. Get under it, hang from it with your body tensed like a board, then pull your chest to the bar.)

    Body weight exercises can build muscle in the legs too. Squats are always a winner, if you find you're cranking them out with ease, stand on a bench and do single legged squats. There are always ways to make things more difficult for yourself.
    Grab an old backpack and fill it with heavy things (milk jugs full of water?, sand bags?) Anything that is heavy that can have a handle attached can be a weight.

    Best of luck!
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    Without a proper set of weights true progression can be challenging for 'heavy' lifting. I'd definitely suggest lifting though as something is better than nothing.

    If you want a strength DVD, consider P90X.

    Also check out nerdfitness.com, they have a lot of bodyweight exercises that are quite good.


    Good luck to you.
  • lisao62
    lisao62 Posts: 80 Member
    I just bought a set of adjustable weights on amazon. It comes with 2, 3.5 lb handles, 0.5 lb collars to hold weight on, 4, 5 lb weight plates and 4, 3 lb weights. I used them for the first time yesterday and they worked out fine. I had to tighten the collars a couple of times during my workout but it worked fine. They were 50 dollars but inexpensive in comparison to all the different sets of dumbells .

    As for the weight training, I 'm 50 and had loose skin after losing my weight especially arms and abdomen. I started strength training and within the first month I noticed a difference in my mid section. The next month I have noticed a diiference in my arms. The loose skin is not gone but noticeably improved. Wish I had started lifting sooner. Read New Rules for Lifting for Woman it goes through alot about strength training, I don't follow the program in the book but found the info very very helpful

    I also do alot of body weight exercise, pushups, pull ups, chinups and use a ball for multiple abs and quad exercises. The ball was 12 dollars. Good Luck
  • barbiecat
    barbiecat Posts: 17,277 Member
    :bigsmile: I started with "Strong Women Stay Young"....it has a simple program that doesn't require getting down on the floor and some very good directions for assessing what weights to start with and how to know when to progress....I got the book from the library..:bigsmile:
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