Any weight lifting experience?

I am walking, sometimes jogging a little now but I want to start to tone up the places like chest, arms, legs etc so the hideous flap monster doesn't attack me. I am up for any advice anyone has about weght lifting, I am a former strength lifter from HS football, former lineman but I have no experience with toning exercises I NEED SOME HELP.

 my best advice is to find a gym that goes month to month and join.  You need to find one that will give you one personal trainer session to get you started on how  to use the equipment ( a lot of them do).  After you master the equipment, you can decide to stay or not.  If you don't, take what you learned and try to replicate them at home with free weights or cans of baked beans or whatever you can get yer little hands on.  

good luck.  

Justin, I see your surgery was in January? I would surely talk to your doctor about whether you are ready to do the weightlifting.  I have a friend at work whose friend had wls, then started exercising and added weights too soon. She ended up with problems because of overworking her body too soon...  Just dont want to see you hurt yourself.  There might be nothing to worry about, but better safe to get clearance, right?

Just another thing to consider also...   Do you have a wellness center in your area like a hospital?  I work at a hospital and we have a fitness/wellness center where the trainers will work with you to get a routine down, show you how to use the machines, get reps that would be best for you,etc. That might be a good thing.  Also, if you are wanting to tone up some areas, I used a site of a lady who lost a lot of weight and looks wonderful.  she gives exercises that helps tone, and they are easy, and use a broom stick.  Here is her link: Julie Hedges Her name is Julie.  

 

 

Thanks, I actually didn't even think about asking for clearance. That is my being young and careless, probably what got me to that shape in the first place. I am definitely over doing myself, and my body has let me know this week. The hospital/doctor offices in this podung town thinks if you are not doing manual labor then you are dumb anyway lol I wish I lived in a more metropolitan area. Thanks so much for the advice and I am going to follow up that link.

Now I might be totally wrong...  the doc might say "go for it" on the weight lifting!  But I just want you to be cautious...

what i wanted to add about those exercises from Julie Hedges, my tummy wouldn't seem to go down as much as I wanted...  then I found those exercises with the broom handle...  and it seemed that just poof! Overnight, my tummy went way down.  Now let me also say, I DID have plastic surgery (a tummy tuck) because as heavy as my stomach was, it was very flat but the skin was not going to snap back into normal shape...  it hung down very low and was quite dense (heavy) at the bottom...  nothing would have corrected it but surgery! But, the exercises did help it look as if the swelling or pooching OUTWARD had gone way down...  and closer to my body.  Hope that helps.  I wish I had found them earlier on in my journey.

Funny how thats the first time I ever shared that with anyone.  I just remembered it, as if it were a file that got spilled out on the floor and I bent over to pick it up... something I had tucked away.  Isn't that funny or ironic how that happens?  

Hey Justin---well, here's  my 2 cents worth.  First, check with Dr. Dyer & make sure that he clears you for weight lifting.  My guess is that, especially in light of your high risk for hernia, etc., that he is going to encourage you to exercise, but want you to take it slow & make sure that any weight lifting exercise you do is done correctly--- & getting to the gym is a great place to start, of course.

Second, do you have a "Y" in your area?  If so, they YMCA has incredible programs that they will tailor to your needs.  Af far as signing up--my husband and I donate to something called "Open Doors" at the Y and it offers income-based fees at the Y---I notice a lot of college students & younger people use that program, so that would be a way to make it happen.  If you do have a Y and start there, they have multiple (and free) programs where an exercise physiologist works with you to develop a program that will get you to your goal.  For instance, you want to tap into your inner-beefcake and be a hottie this summer :)....okay, good goal.... work towards that by doing a portion of cardio and a portion of nautilus & a portion of free weights.  Strengthing your core is so important and a total body approach, at first, will help waken all your muscles. As time goes on you will mix things up (so you don't get bored) and revise your program.  More free-weights can be added and you can eventually move into a type of lifting program that involved "muscle confusion"---which is an incredible way to burn fat and build strong muscle. 

You probably remember being told to work alternate muscles (biceps/tris one day & chest/back, etc. another) but thoughts on that have changed and now "muscle confusion" workouts are amazing. You can Google search that topic & find a zillion articles.  Probably some by Tim, my hubby, who absolutely believes in it (he played Division I college football and was college bowl winner, etc.).  Of course, along with weight lifting Tim is an advocate of core cardio--for him, his cardio passion now is boxing (as a form of exercise, not professionally) and he combines that with weights--he's 6'6", weighs 245 pounds & really doesn't have an ounce of fat on him---eats really healthy & takes lots of supplements, like Whey protein & Creatine....anyway, I'm off track here....

Where I was going with this, is that the end result you are trying to get from weight lifting will come quicker if you combine it with strong cardio (interval treadmill training, etc. where you walk at different paces-even putting this to use on your walk outside in this beautiful weather----I have a ton of these if you want me to send you one--it makes the workout go by so quick).....and combining that with nautilus and free-weights will get you looking great!!!

Ah...I finally found a topic that I can add some insight to---exercise----despite my need for WLS I have always been super active, taught kick boxing, step aerobics years ago, ran a marathon when I was 22---love the gym--just love it. My motivation for WLS was that I gained so much weight having our three little ones in such a short period of time (wouldn't trade that for the world) that my joints were killing me and I could barely make it through a step or kickboxing class--and no way could I run.  But, I still have the knowledge and can definitely help with this!!!!

I hope that helps...xo, Micheala.

Thanks so much for the advice, I had heard of muscle confusion but i have been taught core lift core lift core lift every day and I guess that comes from 45 and 50 year old- old school football coaches so yeah I really appreciate the insight. I have always enjoyed exercising but I have been completely overweight as far back as when I was 2 years old so... there goes that. It's really cool to hear your husband is that involved, that is actually where I want to be when I get back in college this fall (at least down that path) I know I have a lot of hard work to look forward to but advice like this keeps me going.

Glad it helped a bit---get an okay from your doc....get amnesia about the core lift core lift mantra (lol to the 50 year old HS football coaches...I can just see them in their polyester short-shorts and knee-high tube socks blowing their whistles..eeeks). 

You are so ready to go down that path...I mean, if my hubby can do it (lol) anybody can (okay, if he reads this he is going to put rat poison in my water...lol!!!!!HA!!!).   You can do it....I am so glad you are focusing on that. 

Sometimes the Y or joining a gym can be freaky at first, especially if you have been away a while, but don't let that dissuade you...do it & you will find good people there who quickly learn how great you are!

xo, Micheala.

I am a little behind on posting, but I totally agree with Micheala said about the "Y", it is where I have been going.  I am currently in Phase I of a three phase program, where every four weeks, you meet with a trainer, who sets up certain exercises, whi*****lude cardio, as well as strength/toning with weight machines.    All four visits with the trainer are one on one, and they do not charge extra for the phase program.

But..  I would also have to agree that you need to get clearance 1st with your doctor! 

Good luck!

Hey Amy---I knew I loved you--thanks for having my back!!! LOL!!!

It's funny that I would be giving advice right now b/c I feel like my little runner-girl on my ticker should be lying down, stiff as a board, feet up in the air & very, very still.

Ug!  xo, M.