smooshmcsmeesh

Thanks for all the info Jason! I'll definitely check it out.

Built

Wow, Smoosh, if I hadn't lifted weights before, I'd be a bit overwhelmed by all the different programs (some very good ones, at that) suggested. I am a personal trainer by profession, and though I sure don't know everything, I would first and foremost look at your health history before suggesting any heavy lifting. For example, if I had someone who suffers from any shoulder impingement issues, I'd proceed very cautiously with lifting heavy weights over head. Secondly, I would (gulp) have you start out lifting moderate weights if you've never lifted weights (10-12 rep max) before just to make sure your form is good. Once you know proper form, then we can talk about heavy lifting--always with good form (which rarely causes a woman to "bulk up" if she's created a calorie deficit). Once you've discovered what "moderate" means to you, your weights should be increased progressively, i.e., no more than 10% increase at a time. I have seen some trainers punish new folks with very heavy lifting and many never return to the gym, which is a shame. That said, I agree with Jason and others as to challenging your muscles and mental attitude with new exercises and higher intensity. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

One of the wisest purchases I ever made when starting out with resistance training was to hire a qualified trainer. At a minimum, you want to at least find someone who has been certified by a nationally accredited personal training organization. If you can't afford that, some group fitness classes geared towards beginners are excellent and affordable. In fact, some people prefer the group classes over training alone. There are many different classes--body pump, basic crossfit for beginners, and some that mix in a little pilates and yoga. A good group fitness instructor will suggest alternative moves for different populations, especially if you approach him/her before class to discuss your concerns.

If you do decide to go it alone at home and you want to use weights, I’d look into purchasing dumbbells in the following weights: 5#, 8#, 10#, 12#, 15# & 20#. Also, I’d suggest purchasing a swiss ball and perhaps some resistance bands in varying strengths.

I am excited for you as you create your new healthy body!

smooshmcsmeesh

Thanks for your post Beth! I do have a few health conditions, such as Diabetes, but nothing that I feel would prevent me from working with weights. I will consult my physician however before engaging in heavier weight work.

I've seen the swiss balls before, and can only imagine myself rolling off of it and bouncing across the floor. LOL

I do have another question for all of you though...

When you work with weights, is it best to work out the whole body together? Or can you focus on one area, say arms, to develop upper body strength?

CoeyCoey

Do you have type I or type II diabetes?

Oh, and to answer your question, it is best to work out areas of your body individually so that you go through your entire body once a week. You can do this in three workouts, once a week and split it up into upper body, core, and legs. If you worked out your entire body three times a week, it will likely not have time to fully recover between workouts.

midwestj

Full body routines are also nothing to scoff at. You can perform a workout that has 4 or so major lifts and by the end of that you are going to be dead tired. Sometimes isolating or only working some muscles will cause you to over train. Full body routines allow you to work all your biggest muscle groups in one workout, which produces more calorie burned, more calorie after burn, and more total muscle development. Another bonus of doing a full body routine is that you only have to work out 3 days a week to train everything you want, where as spreading this out might have you in the gym 6 days a week!

Isolating muscles is a new wave thing that came along with steroid users, because of the steroids they could train longer and harder and recover faster, so isolating was more effective for them, but before that most "natural" bodybuilders did full body routines.

Full body routines will be lifts like: squats, rows, dead-lifts, presses, pull ups/or overhead pull downs, lunges etc..

I prefer to train my body as a harmonious system, instead of a pile of jumbled parts. These lifts that target multiple muscle groups will cause the biggest hormonal response in your body to change.

smooshmcsmeesh

I have Type II, and am insulin dependent. I also take oral medications, that hopefully I'll be able to discontinue at some point. I visit my physician regularly, so he will be monitoring my progress.

And Jason, I looked at the TT site last night, as well as some other videos regarding TT on YouTube. One interesting video compared P90X vs. TT, saying that the results appeared the same -- however, the time invested to achieve those results was far less with TT.

I'm still a bit intimidated by that type of training right now. I just don't think I can handle it in my present state of health/fitness. But, I do believe I will eventually be able to do it. Hope that doesn't sound like an excuse, I just don't want to injure myself as I'm prone to being a clutz. LOL

midwestj

The first few workouts from TT are bodyweight and range of motion exercises, sort of conditioning you for whats to come. You can definitely ease into lifting following this program. Later on when your body demands more from you to make changes, the workouts are progressively getting more challenging.

I'll give you a list of the exercises from the "beginner" workout, hopefully you feel comfortable easing into weight training with these exercises.

Lying Hip Extension
Plank
Bodyweight Squat
Bird Dog
Kneeling Push Up
Side Plank
Stick Ups
Ab Curl Up
Step Ups
Stability Ball Leg Curl
Prisoner Squat

Thats just a list of the low impact exercises from the beginner workout, not in any particular order and that is not a routine, just a list of the exercises. Look them up and see if you think you can perform them. I have never really compared P90X to TT, but with TT I can tell you that I spend 45 minutes in the gym 3 times a week, I do moderate activity on my off days.

Built

Smoosh, I guess you can tell from the different responses that there is no one-size-fits-all training program that's best for everyone. That said, I'm with Jason on this--full body workouts are excellent! It's very difficult to isolate just one muscle group, particularly with compound exercises, and though isolation exercises (just biceps curls, just leg extension, etc.) have their place, they shouldn't be the main focus of a fitness program (just my opionion) You get more bang for your buck using compound movements and they simulate our activities of daily living. Personally, I like doing a 2-day split (upper on one day and lower body 2 days later). Even still, I like changing up to full body workouts every month or two. Physical adaptation is a curse and a blessing. Gotta keep my body and mind guessing.

I know you've already gotten some suggestions for websites, but I'm going to suggest another (there are many good ones): ExRx.net. Great, informative site!

Guess I'll have to take a peak at the TT program...sounds very versatile!

smooshmcsmeesh

I've been watching fitness videos tonight on YouTube and came across some of the routines from the Ms. Fitness World competition -- and in particular -- one athlete that I find just very inspiring to watch. Her name is Vanda Hadarean and here is a link to one of her routines from a few years ago:

YouTube - Vanda UFE Championships_0001.wmv

She is incredibly fit, yet still very feminine looking. That is what I hope to achieve someday, of course maybe not to her competitive level, but she is a model of inspiration for me.

Built

DANG! Inspirational is an understatement!