Heavy lifting, but where to start

Soon you will learn the beauty of multi-joint exercises and will laugh at all the barbies standing on bosu balls in the squat rack curling their pink dumbells. After you're done laughing, you'll hit a new one-rep-max squat with 150lbs on your traps.

LOL!!!

Ok, so form is obviously important, but I need someone to show me, right? It doesn't seem to be the kind of thing you can get easily from a book.

Ok, so form is obviously important, but I need someone to show me, right? It doesn't seem to be the kind of thing you can get easily from a book.

I'd recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. It is pretty much the gold standard for the major lifts. In my experience, gym staff often don't understand proper form (especially for squat), so if you are going to go that route, find a real personal trainer who works a lot with barbell stuff (with the current crossfit craze it shouldn't be very difficult).

If it helps, here's a basic routine you can use. The volume is limited so it works well when losing weight (calorie restriction limits recovery, so a 'cutting' workout should involve a lot less volume than a bulking or maintenance workout).

Do 3 warm-up sets, one with just the bar (5-6 reps), one at 50% of your working weight (5-6 reps), one at 80% of your working weight (2-3 reps).
Wait 3 minutes.
Do one set at the heaviest weight you can with good form (target 6-8 reps).
Wait ~2 minutes.
Reduce weight by around 15-20%, do another set (target 8-10 reps).
Wait ~2 minutes.
Reduce weight by another 15-20%, do a final set (10-12 reps).

Repeat with second exercise.

It may take you a couple of weeks to figure out how much weight you need to do. That's normal.
If you are doing the right amounts of weight you will be REALLY sore for the first few weeks. That's normal, and it gets better with time.
Make sure you are getting at least 1g of protein per pound of lean body mass. This is an absolute must when weight training!

Monday:
Push-up (if you can do more than 12 already, add weight with a vest, or do Press instead)
Deadlift

Wednesday:
Dip
Chin-up

Friday:
Bench Press
Squat

For dips and chins, your gym should have an assisted chin/dip machine, which you can use until you can do body weight. After that, you probably want to get a nice weight vest to continue to add resistance (weightvest.com has some good ones, although they are a little pricey).

Hope this is helpful!

Ok, here's your simple routine!

You will lift 3 days a week, preferably Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You should be able to complete this workout in roughly an hour. There are two routines...called 'Workout A' and 'Workout B'. You will do Workout A on your first Monday, and Workout B on your first Wednesday. After that you will simply alternate, A, B, A, B etc. So on your first week, you'll do Workout A twice, second week, Workout B twice. You will use a 5x5 format...meaning 5 sets of 5 reps, with no more than a minute rest between. I rest FAR less than that...30 seconds tops. In order to decide on a weight (this goes for all exercises), you'll need to find a weight you can do only 6 or 7 reps with on your first set. This should make it properly challenging for your last set.

Now, the exercises:

Workout A:
1 - Weighted Squats/Lunges - Using either dumb bells, kettlebells, or a smith machine, do 5 sets of 5 squats, or 5 sets of 10 lunges (5 each leg)
2 - Dumb Bell Press - Lay back on a bench, and using a 'bench press' motion, press up your matched dumb bells, twisting them so the sides touch at the top. Again, 5 sets of 5.
3 - Horizontal Row - Using the lat pull down machine, lay backwards as far down as you can, and using the bar with a shoulder width grip...pull the weight until the bar touches your chest (a slight gap is fine). 5 sets of 5.
4 - Ab Work Flex - I perfer to do leg lifts for this workout. Using the ab stand (similar to a dip bar, but with handles), lift your legs straight forward, bending at the hips...return to lowered, then lift them towards the left side, return, then towards the right, and return. That is one rep. Do 3-5 sets of 5 reps. If you cannot lift your legs with your knees straight, bend them however much is necessary to allow you to complete the workout.
5 - Ab Work Static - Forward Planks. Get in pushup position, only resting on your elbows. Hold your body straight as a board from shoulders to toes for 30 seconds. Do this 3-5 times.

Workout B:
1 - Weighted Squats/Lunges - Using either dumb bells, kettlebells, or a smith machine, do 5 sets of 5 squats, or 5 sets of 10 lunges (5 each leg)1B. Vertical push - 5 x 5
2 - Dumb Bell Shoulder Press - Using dumb bells, sit on a bench, then press your weights upward from your shoulders, to above your head. Do 5 sets of 5 reps.
3 - Weighted Extensions - Utilizing the extension stand, place a dumb bell of appropriate weight on the ground. Lock your ankles under the pads, and brace your hips against the stand. Bend down, pick up the dumb bell, then straighten your body, until your back is perpendicular to the ground...bringing the weight slightly forward. Then, lower yourself down, letting the weight touch the floor. That is one rep. Do 5 sets of 5 reps.
4 - Pullups - 5 sets of 5 reps. If you cannot complete that many regular pullups, use the assisted machine, and a level of assistance that allows you to do only 7 reps on the first set. Worst case, use the lat pull down machine, and use a pullup motion with it.
5 - Ab Work Rotation - Using the ab station, lift your legs straight outward, as if you were leg lifting, then, twisting your hips side to side, sweeping your legs side to side in a 'windshield wiper' type motion. Do 10 reps (each sweep in one direction is a rep, so left, right, left would be 3 reps), 3 sets minimum, 5 sets maximum.

That's it! This is my EXACT workout at the gym, currently. It's simple, quick, targets your entire body, and since you're lifting the heaviest weight you can...the workout is extreme. Each successive workout, try to add 5lbs to your weight. If you have to stop in the middle and lower the weight to complete the exercise, that's fine as well. The next time you do that exercise, start with the same weight, until you can complete the entire 5x5 at that weight...at which point you'll move up 5lbs again.

This is where you start.

http://www.thenewrulesoflifting.com/nrol-for-women

Soon you will learn the beauty of multi-joint exercises and will laugh at all the barbies standing on bosu balls in the squat rack curling their pink dumbells. After you're done laughing, you'll hit a new one-rep-max squat with 150lbs on your traps.

LOL!!!

Ok, so form is obviously important, but I need someone to show me, right? It doesn't seem to be the kind of thing you can get easily from a book.