Help on getting started the right way

[Laughlin78]

I have just started with weight training, my brother got me interested in toning/building your bod & introduced me to this website. I am 24 yrs old and weigh 140 and 5'5. I have no idea what my body fat % is but i'm sure its not good. I am on a cut right now eating at or less than 1900 cals per day. my concern is this, when I go to the gym I'm not sure how many reps to do of what. I would like to have some sort of schedule to do everytime or every other time I go. How often do I go to the gym. Anything you can give me would be greatly appreciated. I really want to get a toned body the right way this time.

Danka ' [img]/forum/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[soccerchick]

welcome [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

i would suggest not doing more than 12 reps of any exercise. doing more than 12 will increase your muscular endurance rather than your muscular growth. muscular growth is what you want! you will need to play around with different weights to see what you can lift and for how many reps. once you find a weight that you fail at with 12 reps start with that.

i usually start with a light warm up set of 20 reps, then i do a set of 12 reps, a set of 10 reps, then a set of 8 reps. therefore, my weight increases each set while my reps decrease. i also make sure i use a weight that allows me to fail at the certain number of reps i do. does that make sense?

do what you feel comfortable doing as these are only my suggestions and an example of what i do!

3 days of weight training is usually good for a beginner. do you have a "schedule" now? can you post it? have you looked at the blue exercise tab at the top of this page? it has some great exercises listed according to body part.

i highly suggest getting your bodyfat checked. it will help you track your progress, or at the least take your measurements. its something i wish i would have done when i first started [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

GENERAL TRAINING GUIDELINES

1. Always start with big muscle groups first. Always do chest before triceps and shoulders, always do back before biceps.

2. Work each bodypart once per week with the exception of abs and calves, you can work them 2-3 times per week if you'd like.

3. For big muscle groups, do 3-4 exercises per part, 3-4 sets per exercise.

4. For smaller muscle groups, do 2-3 exercises per part, 2-3 sets per exercise.

5. Work each muscle group to failure on each set with the exception of warm-up sets. Pick a weight where you cannot physically lift it more than 12 reps. Lift the weight til you can't lift it anymore (for 12 reps or less).

6. Take 1-3 minutes rest between each set of 6-12 reps.

7. Make up your training split based on how many days per week you can go to the gym and how long you want to spend there. Personally, I wouldn't try to do more than 2 bodyparts per session if you can help it. Reason is cause it's very difficult to maintain your intensity for more than two bodyparts. If you are really giving it all you got, you'll find it quite difficult to still have the energy to train that third bodypart.

8. Never do cardio before lifting weights, ALWAYS do cardio AFTER weight training and PREFERABLY on a separate day altogether.

9. Don't overdo it on the cardio, cardio is WAY overrated in terms of burning fat. DIET and weight training (muscle) is what's gonna burn the fat for you. For starters, I'd only do cardio twice a week for no more than 30 min and I recommend high intensity interval training if you're up to it. H.I.I.T. is explained in the "workouts" section I believe, blue tab at top.

NOTE: If you are a total beginner and have not mastered the proper lifting techniques/forms yet, I would NOT advise starting with heavy weights but rather a weight you can lift in the 12-15 rep range until you have mastered the proper form, to avoid injury.

For different weight training exercises to do, see the blue tab at the top labeled "exercises". Each exercise has its own description along with an animated illustration to show you how to perform the exercise properly.

EXAMPLE OF A TRAINING SPLIT

Monday - back & abs
Tuesday - chest & shoulders
Wednesday - cardio
Thursday - legs, calves
Friday - arms
Saturday - off
Sunday - cardio

Hope this helps and welcome to Abc!! [img]/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MrQuick]

Welcome to the boards Sis. I wish I had a big brother that hooked me up with information like this. [img]/forum/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] I'm sure the ladies in this forum will give you all the information you could ever want, and then some. Good Luck on your training.