What is a good weightlifting workout routine for me?!
Question: I'm 27, female and just lost over 75 lbs (5 st 5 lbs for the UK), going from 234 lbs (16 st 10 lbs) to 159 lbs (11 st 5 lbs) over a year. I'm coming to the end of the weight that I wanted to lose (approx another 20 lbs to go) and wanted to start getting some good muscle tone, but don't want to be buff like a bodybuilder or anything.
Just wanted to see if anyone knows a good routine to follow for a near beginner (have done light weightlifting, but nothing intensive) using dumbbells or basic equipment at home.
I do running 3-4 times a week for 20 mins a pop and ride my bike to work 5 days/wk at 1 hr/day for cardiovascular exercise. Just unsure how to mix my existing exercise plan with a new one for weightlifting, how to figure out rest days, if I need protein supplements, if I need to up my caloric and/or protein intake (I'm at 1300-1400 calories a day before exercise), etc.
Any help would be most appreciated! Some abs work in there would be very good (I've had two kids!!) TY
Answers: I'm 27, female and just lost over 75 lbs (5 st 5 lbs for the UK), going from 234 lbs (16 st 10 lbs) to 159 lbs (11 st 5 lbs) over a year. I'm coming to the end of the weight that I wanted to lose (approx another 20 lbs to go) and wanted to start getting some good muscle tone, but don't want to be buff like a bodybuilder or anything.
Just wanted to see if anyone knows a good routine to follow for a near beginner (have done light weightlifting, but nothing intensive) using dumbbells or basic equipment at home.
I do running 3-4 times a week for 20 mins a pop and ride my bike to work 5 days/wk at 1 hr/day for cardiovascular exercise. Just unsure how to mix my existing exercise plan with a new one for weightlifting, how to figure out rest days, if I need protein supplements, if I need to up my caloric and/or protein intake (I'm at 1300-1400 calories a day before exercise), etc.
Any help would be most appreciated! Some abs work in there would be very good (I've had two kids!!) TY
First, congratulations on losing all that weight.
If you aren't looking to build a lot of muscle then forget the protein supplements. Just make sure you consume enough lean protein in your diet.
Personally I believe you could get away with lifting 3x/week for about 20min to 1/2 an hour. You could break it down into Chest, Back and Arms, then Legs, Abs and Shoulders. Just alternate the routines so you do CBA twice one week, then once the next week and vice versa for LAS.
I'd stick to one exercise per body part each day.
Chest - Bench Press - 4 sets of 10 reps
Back - Lat Pulldows - 4 sets of 10 reps
Biceps - Dumbbell Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps
Triceps - Pushdowns - 3 sets of 10 reps
Legs - Leg Press - 4 x 10
Shoulders - Dumbbell Raises/Lateral Raises/Bent Over Flies - 3 x 10 of each exercise. Do all three exercises for shoulders as it is such a complex muscle group, and doing just one exercise per day wont give your shoulders enough stimulation.
Abs - Crunches - 3 sets to failure
Abs - Reverse Crunches - 3 sets to failure
These are great for women who have had children. They are a little difficult to learn, but well worth the effort. Basically lay on the floor with your knees bent. Lift your legs off the floor until your thighs are at a 90 degree angle to the floor. Your back should be slightly arched. Now contract your lower abs and push your lower back into the floor. Your legs should automatically move above your abs. Relax your abs, let your back arch and your legs will move back to the 90 degree position. That's one.
Due to the fact that their baby has been hanging over the front of their hips for so long, women have a very weird posture after pregnancy. By strengthening the lower abs, it helps to push everything back to where it's supposed to be. It also helps people who have been very fat for a long time. You can also concentrate on keeping your but in and down and your abs in while you walk or stand. It will help with the muscle memory.
Here's a good site I found that really helped. It gave me great workouts and diet tips and showed me what I was doing wrong before...
http://www.bestabsolution.com
Good luck to you!