Help! Cleared to weight-train, but CLUELESS

As of today I am cleared to start lifting weights, and after reading the post about lean body mass losses I am even more eager to get started. The only problem is I feel like I have no idea where to start. The only weight training I have ever done was the intense program from Body For Life.  Should I just pick that up again, or try something else. I really don't know what the hell I am doing in there. Anybody else using a program, or doing there own thing? I know a lot of you guys have opinions on this...Please help!

Here's my two cents on weight training...cut and pasted from my reply to a similar question a couple of weeks back. Weight training and building lean muscle mass is proven to make your body more efficient in the fat-burning process.  A combination of cardio-vascular exercise and weight/resistance training is recommended...the two compliment each other and aids greatly in weight loss along with close attention to your nutrition regimen. Ideally, the first thing to do is talk with a Trainer from your gym.  Discuss your goals and map out a plan that best fits what you're trying to accomplish.  A well-qualified and experienced trainer should be able to provide you with a plan that's conducive to your goals.  At this stage of the game, weight loss should be your utmost priority...so your weight program should be tailored toward fat-burning, toning and building lean muscle mass.  Generally this means lower amounts of weights, with higher repetition, higher amounts of sets.  The time for building significant mass should come after you've lost the majority of your weight.  If you can afford it, investing in a Personal Trainer it is money well-spent.  This person can help you design a program, educate you on the equipment and the importance of proper form, monitor your progress along the way and help keep you accountable.  If you're unable to afford a personal trainer, the gym you attend should at very least have a trainer and a fitness evaluation to help establish a baseline for you and help you map out a program to follow with some periodic follow-ups.   ONE WORD OF CAUTION:  Fitness Instructors and Personal Trainers are famous for pushing nutritional guidelines for their clients.  99 times out of 100 these folks, although well intentioned have no clue about WLS and the unique needs of bariatric patients - they can do you more harm than good.  Don't fall into this trap.   Make sure you focus solely on the fitness aspects with the Trainers and let your Nutritionist and Surgeon be your guide as far as your nutritional requirements! We could get into the specifics of what types of weights...bench press, leg press, seated row, pullovers, curls, crunches etc...but each gym is different, you may choose machines or free weights or a combination of both...you may do full body all in a day or split your routine into alternating days.  These are all things that are best determined on an individual basis.  Most important is just getting there and doing it...make the commitment and stick to it. Best of luck to you! Cards Fan "STEP OFF THE SIDELINES AND GET IN THE GAME!"

Body for life is a great book, and program, and like card said, it might be a good idea to get some personal training sessions.  While much of weight lifting can be done by "figuring it out" through books and online sources, I found it makes such a difference (to me personally) to have someone show me the proper form for some exercises.  Scott

NotDave (the resident guru, and with his results who can argue) has his routine posted in his profile.   I'll just tell you where I agree and (foolishly?) differ from him, to give you some things to consider. We disagree on split workouts and repeated sets.  I'm in the minority.  Most people do some form of split workout with 3-4 sets each.  I use full body high intensity training (HIT) workouts, 1 set each of about 15 exercises.  (My current workout is squats, calve raises, rows, leg extensions, leg curls, incline bench, pulldowns, military press, flies, tricep extensions, bicep curls, crunches, shrugs).  I have charts for a couple years under each method, and I definitely see faster gains under HIT. I also have an (unsupported) theory that HIT may be better during early WLS, because it gives good stimulation to prevent muscle loss but simply does less damage than repeat sets, at a time our recovery may not be as good due to protein/calorie issues.  Under HIT, good record keeping is essential, because you only get one set and it's a disaster if the weight is way to low or way too high. We both agree deadlifts are the monster muscle builder.  They stimulate growth all over.  The guys that do ten sets of bicep curls would probably see more arm growth cutting down to one curl set and adding some heavy deadlifts.  Some people consider them really dangerous.  The only reason I'm not doing them is I don't have the equipment right now.  We disagree on the number of reps.  3-5 seems too low to me.  Certain people grow like weeds under this method.  It may depend on genetics.  I use 6-11 lower body, 8-13 upper.  Of course, fewer reps means more weight (to failure).  More than 15 and you probably won't see fast gains, you will "fat burn" (but isn't the fat burning fast enough for most of us as it is? think long term instead). We agree on the number of sets, 16 is about right.  Stick to exercises that hit major muscles, and don't try to hit your biceps 6 different ways. We disagree on how often to work out.  He's getting in 6 16-set workouts (+2 8-set) a week.  I get in 2-4.  My rule is I workout when nothing sore anymore, to give the muscles full time to recover before I hurt them again.  After a layoff, than can take 4 days or more.  After a couple months, I'm about every other day.  Everyone's different.  Again, I think it takes very good genetics to do eight workouts a week and not overtrain.  Definitely, split routines allow more workouts.  For me, as noted above, I see more gains on fewer workouts with a full body HIT routine, and spend the extra workouts on cardio.  And I'm concerned too much lifting during fast losing may be bad. We agree that it is important to go to true failure on the last rep.  Studies show a big difference in gains when people fail on 9 rather than quit on 8, for example. You have to think about safety if you are going to failure.  On bench press, better have a trustworthy spotter.  I use dumbbells or machines if there's no spotter. We disagree on abs.  He doesn't work them, I do.  It's a prime area where we are all more muscular than most people and will lose it during WLS if we don't exercise it.  Plus, if you are hitting you back heavy (you should, for the same reasons), a muscle imbalance can lead to back pain or a muscle pull.  I learned the hard way on this one.  (BTW, abs, calves, and traps are slow fatigue, and will need a lot more reps than the other muscles.) We agree on moving fast.  It's not aerobics, but the rest should be just enough to get back to strength.  Plus if workouts start taking 90 minutes, you'll start missing a lot more.  Mine take about 40 (not counting cardio).

hey ardbeg,

nothing wrong at all with HIT workouts. very tough to do if you have the balls to do it! not for the faint of heart. keep up the good work.....carbonblob

Hi Michael, If you have a YMCA in the area, you can go there and they should have on staff a trainer - just ask him/her to show you what's best for your goals and they will show you the way.  If no YMCA, just do a circuit of weights.  Work out the big muscles - there's a host of information on line.  The Body for Life is a good program, you can tweak it as you go.  Peace, Bob.

I periodically use the HIT method that was mentioned above - but I can't say I enjoy it....it's super intense, it's painful and admittedly I've come very close to tossing my sugar free cookies  during some of those workout**** is effective and delivers results, but not something that I personally care to do for extended periods of time. Not only do my workouts provide physical benefits, but they are also my mental therapy - my chance to get away from the rat race and just focus on myself.  I used to self-medicate with food, now I use the gym.  Mentally I don't get the benefit from HIT that I do from other methods.   Don't get me wrong, while I take my time and I perform higher reps and sets with slightly less weight than I do with HIT, my workouts are high intensity and I take them very seriously, but it's an intensity I can sustain and enjoy.   To me:  HIT = "Oh man, I have to go to the gym!"    The workout strategy I typically follow = "Man, I can't wait to get to the gym!"  Bottomline is - find something that is effective for you and find something that you enjoy.   Regardless of your strategy, it's got to be something that will hold your interest and keep you wanting to go back. Cards Fan "STEP OFF THE SIDELINE AND GET IN THE GAME!"

I can see why you don't like HIT.  I rarely get those effects.  For me, it's the third set of squats or heavy leg press that leaves me feeling sick.  And more generally, it's leg days on a split that leave me wiped out and dreading going back.  But no doubt that's partly because my legs have always developed much more than my relatively slow upper body. I must concede, I wouldn't call my workouts mental therapy.  Maybe shock therapy.