Calling all weight lifters

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13

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  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
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    Lol,I totally grunt when I lift. Its involuntary,occasionally an 'rrrrrgh' just slips out!!

    Hahaha yeah, it certainly does!
  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
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    I'd suggest you get a trainer who can watch your form and teach you the basics. Simply for safety reasons and to avoid making bad habits.

    It for sure would help, even just once, so they can help me out! :)
  • Justagirl1978
    Justagirl1978 Posts: 64 Member
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    I wrote a blog post about this, you might find it useful :)

    http://www.jagsfitnessblog.com/2011/06/28/strength-training-how-to-get-started/
  • ocukor1
    ocukor1 Posts: 66
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    Just hit the machines one by one and do what you can, weight lifting works great for building up metabolism because muscles use some energy to recover over several days after the workout.
  • Justagirl1978
    Justagirl1978 Posts: 64 Member
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    Just hit the machines one by one and do what you can, weight lifting works great for building up metabolism because muscles use some energy to recover over several days after the workout.

    Please don't do this ^^
  • ocukor1
    ocukor1 Posts: 66
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    She's not training for a damn body building show, she's just getting familiar with everything. If she is going to be using her energy worrying all the time about what to do, how many reps, how much creatine to take and all the rest of the bs, then she'll never get to do anything. I understand she needs to do thing safely and have some kind of plan, but we are talking familiarization here, not training for the olympics.
  • Justagirl1978
    Justagirl1978 Posts: 64 Member
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    She's not training for a damn body building show, she's just getting familiar with everything. If she is going to be using her energy worrying all the time about what to do, how many reps, how much creatine to take and all the rest of the bs, then she'll never get to do anything. I understand she needs to do thing safely and have some kind of plan, but we are talking familiarization here, not training for the olympics.

    First of all, no need for the hostility.

    Secondly, I never mentioned creatine, body building or olympics. I said it's a bad idea to walk into the gym and use every machine, which it is. I'm all for familiarity and I would advise her to have a trainer show her how to use the equipment safely.

    She asked:
    I don't even really know where to begin or what would be a good schedule to follow.

    and you replied
    Just hit the machines one by one and do what you can

    This is not helpful.

    At the end of the day, we exercise to stay fit and get in shape. Doing so without a plan is pointless and a sure fire way to spin your wheels and get nowhere.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    Machines aren't that bad. I started out weight training on machines for a few months before I switched to barbell work. Of course I didn't jump on every machine in the gym, I'd never have the time, but I still built a good deal of strength. Everyone seemed to think I'd been lifting for a really long time with my numbers but really I've only been at it for like 3-4 months now.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    Machines aren't that bad. I started out weight training on machines for a few months before I switched to barbell work. Of course I didn't jump on every machine in the gym, I'd never have the time, but I still built a good deal of strength. Everyone seemed to think I'd been lifting for a really long time with my numbers but really I've only been at it for like 3-4 months now.

    Rehabbing an injury, like the OP is doing, is what the machines were designed for. In her case, I would get a PT (physical therapist) or qualified trainer to help choose an appropriate program to rehab the injury and balance muscle development. Isolation machines for people in good health are a waste of time.
  • ocukor1
    ocukor1 Posts: 66
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    She's not training for a damn body building show, she's just getting familiar with everything. If she is going to be using her energy worrying all the time about what to do, how many reps, how much creatine to take and all the rest of the bs, then she'll never get to do anything. I understand she needs to do thing safely and have some kind of plan, but we are talking familiarization here, not training for the olympics.

    First of all, no need for the hostility.

    Secondly, I never mentioned creatine, body building or olympics. I said it's a bad idea to walk into the gym and use every machine, which it is. I'm all for familiarity and I would advise her to have a trainer show her how to use the equipment safely.

    She asked:
    I don't even really know where to begin or what would be a good schedule to follow.

    and you replied
    Just hit the machines one by one and do what you can

    This is not helpful.

    At the end of the day, we exercise to stay fit and get in shape. Doing so without a plan is pointless and a sure fire way to spin your wheels and get nowhere.

    This is not helpful either, instead of encouraging her to go and try things out, you're suggesting that she should spend money and time on personal trainers because otherwise it would be "pointless"? There is no such thing as pointless when you're starting out. Any exercise is good. There are just pointless people that knock you down and tell you you can't.
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    I recently discovered how to introduce weight lifting and my cardio workout at the same time. Before I did 60 minutes of elliptical training. After getting off the machine, it is difficult to continue weight lifting. What I ended up doing few weeks ago is do my cardio in 2 sets. I do 30 minutes. Then stop and do a weight lifting set. After I do another 30 min cardio. Then I complete my second weight lifting. It works better for me.

    With that said I alternate my weight lifting exercises with pushing and pulling. Pushing sets are: chest, triceps, shoulders. Pulling sets are: biceps and back. Alternating these will allow your muscles to recover from fatigue.

    So, for example I do 30 min cardio, set of shoulder exercises, another 30 min cardio, and complete with chest,

    Just my $0.02 Good luck

    That's actually not a bad idea! Once I am fully recovered I think I'll start doing that! :)

    something I forgot to mention. 60 minutes on machine is awful long time to hang around if you don't watch tv or read book. What I ended up doing is grabbing a 20LB dumbbell. For you might want to start with 5 or 10. And I would do biceps, triceps and shoulders exercises while walking. At the beginning you would think this is a waste of time, but at the end of 60 minutes your arms and shoulders feel like you just got through lifting a car. :) It certainly dropped some fat of my arms and I still got my cardio in at the same time.

    Interesting! Not sure if my gym would be too happy with me grabbing some weights and walking on the treadmill, though haha! :)

    do it. you might get some strange looks. i recently started doing farmer's walks with the kettlebells and that gets me strange looks from some of the gym goers, but i dont care. most of those people are boring workouts anyway.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    Starting Strength
    Stronglifts 5x5
    or New Rules

    Close your eyes and pick one.

    This. Be really really careful on form if you have a bad knee. Watch lots of youtube videos. Ask lots of form questions. There's a woman's strong lift group here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/4618-stronglifts-5x5-for-women
  • CallieM15
    CallieM15 Posts: 910 Member
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    Thanks guys, I'll look into them!

    I belong to a gym, so all the gym rats in the weight area intimidate me haha! I always run right to the treadmill or my classes, completely avoiding that area haha!


    Dont worry! I got intimidated too... But honestly, everyone is in their own bubble and not really paying that much attention to you. Go work thoes weights!
  • chikkenlikken
    chikkenlikken Posts: 24 Member
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    At the beginning, don't concentrate on how much you can lift. You should only worry about lifting correctly with proper form for the first few weeks. If you are unsure where to begin, I'm sure you can have one of the trainers at the gym to customize a program for you and show you how to lift correctly. If you lift incorrectly, you will see no results, and may even end up with another injury. Second, you will need to write down your reps and weight each time you lift. Without progressive loading, you won't see increases in your lifts. At least, that is what has worked for me!
  • anels449
    anels449 Posts: 3,187 Member
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    Thanks guys! You've all been such a great help! I really appreciate it! :D
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Stronglifts has my vote for what it's worth. Look at incorporating straight-leg deadlifts if you have a bad knee.
  • rcthale
    rcthale Posts: 141
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    If you've never done weights or resistance, then dip your toe in the water with bodyweight exercises. It's the safest way to start and avoid injury. The big ones are push-ups, chin-ups (and later, pull-ups), and bodyweight squats. You can get nice and sore with only these exercises. After a few weeks, you'll be primed for actual weights.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    Starting Strength
    Stronglifts 5x5
    or New Rules

    Close your eyes and pick one.
    Any of the above would be a great starting point. All of them were designed by experienced lifters who've done the research and have plenty of time under the iron to back it up.
  • peterdt
    peterdt Posts: 820 Member
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    The New Rules of Lifting For Life: An All-New Muscle-Building, Fat-Blasting Plan for Men and Women Who Want to Ace Their Midlife Exams

    I just bought this book and read for about an hour. Seems like the best for anyone who is middle age and/or overweight. I briefly looked at reviews on the other recommended at Amazon and the above seems like the best on the surface at least.
  • jamiealdridge02
    jamiealdridge02 Posts: 93 Member
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    Thanks guys, I'll look into them!

    I belong to a gym, so all the gym rats in the weight area intimidate me haha! I always run right to the treadmill or my classes, completely avoiding that area haha!

    I would book a session with a trainer. Most gyms offer at least an introduction to the weight machines and such for members. They can show you what to do and how to use the equipment properly. I began lifting weights in college and it has made a huge difference in not only in my body shape, but also in injury healing and prevention. Good luck and if all else fails, there a re lots of apps and websites with lifting tips.

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