Im back! I am engaged! I want to stay consistent and get this done
Hey people,
I am back. I have literally been in hibernation running away from the inevitable. I have gained back what I have lost so I am starting over. The good news is that I am engaged and planning a wedding for this August. I have extra motivation because I want to hit the 140s (145-149) by my wedding.
What am I doing different? I got me a "transformation coach". Her job is to keep me accountable in the eating area. I am weighing in every week and I joined a weight loss challenge. I am now keeping a food journal and focusing on the time/portion and frequency of my meals.
Some concerns.
I need major help on my weight program. I can’t afford a trainer and I am not comfortable with free weights. I will continue to do my machine weight till I can find someone to help me in the weight room. I haven’t had a weight program in a while and I am scared to begin one because I am afraid. I like the way I look when I lift and I know that I will not look the way I like without weight training so I will suck it up and go. I plan on 4 days of weight + 5 days of cardio each week.
Some Questions
Any suggestions on weight training? I prefer lifting heavy. How heavy is too heavy. How much repetition do I need. Should I work out my whole upper body and lower body and alternate between the two. I want a track (sprinter) or a gymnast body. What is the best way to achieve that? Low weight, High rep or high weight , low rep?
April 13, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Congratulations girl! When is the wedding?
April 16, 2009 at 9:16 am
Hi,
If you are uncomfortable with free weights, you can get a lot of the same benefits by doing circuits. You get the benefits of resistance training without the intimidation of barbells. Personally, I think free weights are better for most things, but circuits are still a good place to start.
To answer your other questions, if you are really new to lifting free weights, don’t worry about lifting heavy at first. Your body won’t be ready yet, plus you won’t have your technique down, so you would really be risking injury that way.
Here’s what I usually recommend for people who are new to lifting free weights. For the first 3 weeks, do a full body workout 3 times per week on non-consecutive days. Don’t worry about lifting heavy. The emphasis here should be on good technique. Go for 2 sets for each exercise in the 12-15 rep range.
For the next 3 weeks after that, continue with doing a full body routine, but increase the weight. Keep the same 12-15 rep range, but lift enough that the last few reps are difficult.
After that, you may want to consider an upper-lower body split 4 days per week. (i.e. upper mon & wed, lower tues & fri). As far as how much to lift, I’d start with lifting as much as you can (with good technique) in the 10-12 rep by 3 set range. Everybody is different though, so experiment a little and see what works for you.
Of course, this is very general advise, and it doesn’t take injuries, family history, etc… into account.
Sorry for the long reply. I was trying to cover all of your questions. *grin*
April 18, 2009 at 2:06 am
Thank You! That was helpful.