starting my weight routine TODAY!

anawhatsme
anawhatsme Posts: 261 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
just looking for some advice on where to begin.
i am very out of shape and pretty weak.
for the past month i have done cardio almost every day - trying to make exercise a habit.
i feel i have the habit down and now i am ready to incorporate weights - i want to work up to lifting heavy.
but as a beginner, i want to start slow.

i have some free weights.
but i wonder if to start, my own body weight is enough - remember i am quite weak at this point.
also, should i have a certain amount of time for a routine?

any advice would be helpful.
i am literally going to get started in a few minutes!

Replies

  • anawhatsme
    anawhatsme Posts: 261 Member
    glad i didn't wait around for advice before starting.
    haha!
  • onanoko
    onanoko Posts: 18
    I've just started my weights routine this week as well. Not sure what sort of weights you have? Do you have a bar or hand weights? Or are you going to the gym for weights? I'm using the Stronglifts program, which is great, really simple to follow. A lot of people recommend New Rules of Lifting for Women as well, which might be worth checking out. There are a lot of weights groups on here as well, and i bet they will have a lot more advice for you than i do! Add me if you like :-)
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    Buy New Rules of Lifting. I paid $6 at Amazon. It's very comprehensive and there's lots of support on here for it. I'm just about to begin Stage 3. Although I'm not new to lifting, I love this book. My gym partner is BRAND new to lifting and she loves it too.
  • warmachinejt
    warmachinejt Posts: 2,162 Member
    You won't get to heavy lifting without access to a gym. You will quickly outgrow any weights you own.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    also bodybuilding.com has some bodyweight exercises and routines that are very helpful. That's where I started...
  • dward2011
    dward2011 Posts: 416 Member
    I started with my body weight until I felt ready to graduate to 5 lb... and now up to 10 pound.
  • aztec1966
    aztec1966 Posts: 12
    If you aren't a member of a gym, and want to lift weights, break your routine into upper body exercises and lower body exercises. For the lower body, do squats and lunges. Start with a low weight and do 3 sets of 12-18 reps. For the upper body, do power lifts. 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps. Also do abdominal exercises. That's a good place to start for about a month till your body and muscles begin to tone. Good Luck!
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    yeah, lunges blow! but keep telling yourself "this is for my *kitten*" that's what gets me through them...trust me, they may suck, but you get awesome results...just push through and prove to yourself how strong you really are.
  • anawhatsme
    anawhatsme Posts: 261 Member
    hey!
    thanks everyone!
    i doubt i'll outgrow our weights any time soon.
    and i think i'd rather invest in a universal machine before purchasing a gym membership.
    hopefully that would take me where i want to be.

    thanks again for the advice!!

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