Tell me your beginners weight lifting regime for whole body?

[liquidice]

I've always been interested in weight lifting but have no idea where to start

Ideally looking for a routine I can do at home (have weights) which will strengthen and tone me up. Changing shape/ losing weight would be an absolute bonus

I suffer from fibromyalgia and have recently had a c section so definitely need to start gentle. It would be great to build up and see progress

[moreismore]

Have a look at myfitfamilylife on IG

[RacerBakk]

Watching. I'd like to get into weights, but in a female-friendly manner, and not sure how to start.

[GonnaSortIt40]

Ooh I'm also watching! I suffer with hypermobile joints and have been told to build muscle. I am very unfit, very fat but totally need to do this!

[Upzadaizy]

Well the obvious start is squats body weight at first then build up to weight bearing.

But you need to have safe correct technique. I see so many people in pump class doing squats badly - that is, unsafely.

Maybe start by doing lunges? Do them slowly and correctly: knee over ankle, upper body absolutely upright, chest open.

The other big compound lift is the deadlift. Again though if you don’t do it correctly it could be worse than not doing it at all with regard to injuries.

But if you could do some sort body pump class with an instructor who can correct you and guide you to good form, or use a good YouTube coaching video and a mirror at home and go super carefully, all sorts of squats will be great for
Quads
Glutes
Hamstrings
Hip flexibility
Abs - suck ‘em in while you squat
Ankle flexibility

But be really careful about trying to teach yourself. Best to get to a class or a gym trainer to get you started with correct technique. You can’t lift heavy with bad, unsafe technique.

[Helenluvsrob]

Have some training sessions with someone who understands your body.

[liquidice]

@moreismore sadly I'm not on Instagram but will try joining

@RacerBakk yes defo in a female friendly manner! Forgot to say in my OP

@GonnaSortIt40 I also have some hypermobile joints..

Thanks for the input @Upzadaizy @Helenluvsrob I have used a personal trainer in the past and was told my form was good

I might check out Pinterest as well actually

[sweetkitty]

Watching as well as I would love to do this

[Skala123]

What does 'female friendly manner' mean?

[cathyandclare]

I read somewhere that the three basic lifts to work most of the body are squats, deadlifts and bench presses. Do those and add in others if you have time .

[EmmaPea]

StrongLifts 5x5 app. Use the free version.

[liquidice]

@EmmaPea just downloaded the app thanks!

[umberellaonesie]

Love the strong lifts 5x5 app it is really easy to use

[soulrunner]

yes defo in a female friendly manner

While women are not just "little men" the lifts that work for men will work for women. There's no "women's lifts" and "men's lifts". If you mean you don't want to bulk, my response would be "you should be so lucky" . However, the recent c-section might be a limiting factor if you can't brace your mid-section to protect your back.

The most effective exercises for building muscle and burning fat are the big compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench, pull ups, press-ups, overhead presses, hip thrusters). General rule of thumb is that lower rep schemes build strength while higher rep schemes (10-15) build muscle "volume". No-one but Les Mills knows what >15 reps does.

What size weights do you have at home? 5x5 is a great, simple and effective strategy, but you'll struggle to make that work unless you have a garage gym with a full set of DB's, bench, rack, pull up bar etc. just because you'll out-squat a 5 rep DB weighted squat in no time - you'll be restricted by what weight DB you can get onto your shoulders rather than what you can squat with that weight. I also find DB deadlift really awkward and hard on the grip vs. a barbell lift.

All that said, you can do a fair bit with bodyweight and then look at a gym as you progress. Options are press ups, plank, lunges and squats (don't do hundreds of air squats- do a few reps with a hold half way up to develop strength under tension), hand stand holds, tricep dips off a step etc. If you have anywhere you can install a pull up bar that would be a big help as then you can start working towards a pull up- lots of progression options and they are amazing for your back. A lot of people put them on the outside of the house.

Achieve Fitness Boston is another great insta account. Great form tips and a very inclusive "vibe".

[pontiouspilates]

I'm really keen to start working with some weights. I have some at home. I'm 50, relatively fit (run and do pilates ) would u be better getting a couple of PT sessions to learn form or can I just use an App /YouTube?

[soulrunner]

Depends what you want to achieve tbh. If you're not using heavy weights (10kg DB +) or looking at highly dynamic movements like cleans/ floor to overheads, then you can get quite a lot of info from Youtube and insta and then video yourself to check form.

At those weights, main benefit of a PT is form consistency. A lot of people train "sub optimally" but that doesn't necessarily mean it's dangerous. e.g. loads of people flare their elbow out during rows or hunch during dips- it's not going to kill you, you're just not isolating the targeting muscle group as effectively as you might.

If you want to lift heavy (which means different things to different people but for sake of argument say squat/ deadlift body weight) it's worth getting a couple of sessions to check form and critically see if you need to do some one legged stuff to even you up before you start building weight. A lot of people squat unevenly and it's not great for your back.

[ChocOrCheese]

Check out the Girls Gone Strong website for plenty of instructional videos and good cueing.

[pontiouspilates]

Thank you both for the great advice. I know a PT personally, I think I might book 4 sessions with her to get my form right and to get a routine going.