Strength Training ???

Hello, For the past 8 months I have been completely focused on aerobic exercise..sweating off the fat as much as possible... and I think I've done a pretty good job with a 140lb loss though I'm still a bit aways from my ultimate goal. Now, I'm looking into adding weights to my routine. I haven't the slightest clue as to where to begin. I was shown at my gym how to use the weights without hurting myself, but I don't know how many reps or sets I should do. I'm primarily concerned with my upper body and abdomen. My lower body is in pretty good shape because of the cardio I do on the elliptical and treadmill. At any rate, can anyone give me some advice or provide some resources as to where/how I should start? Thanks so much! April

Great job on the weight loss! 140 pounds, wow! These types of questions are hard to answer because they're so involved, you can literally write a book. Speaking of which. I think Body For Life by Bill Phillips is one of the better beginner’s books and has a good program in. The http://www.bodyforlife.com/ and http://www.bodybuilding.com are good online sources but can get overwhelming for beginners because there's so much information and the articles contradict each other. There is no right or wrong way to start. Everyone is different, has different goals and different levels of conditioning before they start. My personal opinion on getting started: Resistance training supposed to be a long term commitment, not something you do for a couple of months and quit. So, start slow and gradually increase the amount of work you're doing. Jumping right in with an advanced program is a sure way to get injured, but also jumping into the fire before you're ready will cause you to get frustrated and quit. So basically, I think everyone should start with just 1 set of 1 exercise per body part for 12 to 15 reps, 3 days a week and gradually, over time,  increase the sets, resistance and number of exercises you do. (Over time means weeks, months and years, not days) Depending on your goals the program can go in a thousand different directions from there.

 

Hope that helps a little

Earl

Thank you so much for your response Earl! I have been looking at books online, but couldn't decide the better of the options.. there are so many. I'm definitely going to check out Body for Life. I also checked out these websites and you're right, they are contradicting and very overwhelming. You've been a great help in pointing me in the right direction :-)

April

Hi April, Best bet at first is to get one book and just "start"...something. Then watch others at the gym and ask questions. Most people are more than willing to share and help out, even us guys that look like serial killers having a bad day, while we train. Have fun. Earl

LOL  I know, you guys look very intimidating when y'all are lifting those big ole weights! I'm still somewhat self conscious too... silly yes, I know. I am now just getting comfortable working out in the "big" room as opposed to the "small" room where all the self conscious women workout hehe. Thanks for all the great advice. You've been a great help! April

Hey April, What you are doing is GREAT!  140lb weight loss is extremely difficult...almost impossible.  There are tons of exercises that you can do to build your muscle to increase your metabolism.  As far as the aerobic exercises go, keep it up.  When it comes to weight training, there are literally hundreds of options to choose from and then it gets to number of reps and sets...the exact problem that you're coming up with.  Remember, low weight and high reps (around 15 or so) is ideal for maintaining muscle. A good website & magazine that I highly recommend is Women's Health magazine (www.womenshealthmag.com).  They have complete workouts that can give you some insight on what exercises to do as well as sets and reps.  Some advice to consider before you actually step into the gym.  Wait about 20 or 30 minutes before you transition from weights to running.  Research shows that you can actually negate the strength building aspects of weight training if you do aerobic exercise right  after or right before.  Myself, I do my weight training or plyometrics on a complete different day from my aerobic exercise.  That way, I can keep a solid routine and I am active on most, if not all, days of the week. Stretch before and after weight training.  The exercise regimen should go from larger muscles to small muscle groups to avoid fatigue of the small group required for the movement.  Stay active and good luck! Chris Candidate for M.S. in Exercise Science

Thanks so much for the advice and compliments Chris! I didn't realize aerobic exercise and strength training can conflict each other like that. I'll definitely keep that in mind when I do begin to use weights. I hope to start after Christmas... right now, I'm in the research stages, asorbing as much information as possible. I know it is important to stay active most days of the week. Consistency is hard for me... some weeks are good, some are bad. I'll eventually get there :-)

Thanks again and good luck with the M.S.!

April

Thanks!  We ALL  have those weeks.  The important thing to remember is to keep doing it.  I wish you luck also on your MS. Chris