Looking for video recommendations for building muscle from home

[PerfectionistProcrastinator]

Can anyone recommend any YouTube videos for building muscle at home for women?

I’ve never been consistent with exercise. My fitness is probably the worst it’s ever been at the moment. I’ve always steered towards cardio in the past. But the last few years I read a lot about the benefit of doing weight training mostly.

Whenever I see someone with a body I admire, their secret is weight training.

I feel like I would really benefit from this. I don’t feel strong at all. I’m 36 and starting to get aches and pains from what I think is my muscle weaknesses.

I don’t have a gym membership, I’m not really a fan of gym environment and feel intimidated by the weight section anyway.

Can anybody recommend YouTube videos for building my muscles? I need something fairly gentle. I can’t do much as do 1 push up!

Try Greg Brooks (Brookes?) of Oxford on YouTube. He’s a kettlebell trainer who does a huge range of free videos, some female- specific. Lots of emphasis on warming up and working at your own level. He has a nice unassuming style and explains everything very clearly.
I would be careful with your pelvic floor though if using weights. I’ve been told by a women’s physio not to do swings.

@owlonabike - why have you been told not to do swings?

I agree Greg Brooks has some great stuff.

Just because the effort puts too much strain on my 61 yearold- hadtwochildren- working towardsbeingoverweightratherthanobese body. One or two recent pelvic floor issues so got checked out by physio. I expect you’d be fine but just thought I’d mention it. Sorry for any alarmism!

Thank you for the replies, I’ll check it out!

I'd agree with the Kettlebell guy mentioned previously - his instructions are really comprehensive and clear.
kettlebellsworkouts.com/kettlebell-exercises-for-women/

I'd also take a look at AthleanXX-for women on youtube. It's a bit intimidating seeing how strong these women are, but also inspiring.

I second AthleanXX-for women on youtube. The workouts are awesome. Athleanxx regular can have some cool videos as well about which muscles are engaged in which exercises and how the muscles and body is connected, etc. that I find really informative and helpful.

Thanks all. I have never tried kettlebells before but have been looking into it. I have tomorrow off work and I have found 2 x 8kg kettlebells under the stairs belonging to DP. I have read that this is a good weight to start with.

Excited to start tomorrow, thanks so much for everyone’s suggestions!

8kg is the recommended start weight for women, so you're spot on (assuming you're female). I'm nursing a shoulder injury so I'm wimping out with 4kg at the moment, but it's still a good workout.

I bought Greg's beginner's programme, which is fairly cheap (works out about £30 I think) for lifetime access, but it starts you off with proper techniques. I'd been doing kettle bells for a wee while, and realised quite quickly that my technique was crap, so I've retrained myself on form with his videos. My shoulder injury wasn't caused by the kettlebells, but a fall on the stairs (I forgot to let go of the bannister as I fell, silly me), but it really could have been, my form was so rotten.

Yes, I’m female.

I’m keen to get form correct. I watched a few clips last night on different moves which were very well explained. I had a go in front of a full length mirror without a kettlebell. Looked daft haha...but best to make sure I’m getting it right.

I like Jillian Michaels. She has a kettlebell video, Shred it with Weights, and one that uses heavier dumbbells, Lift and Shred.

It's actually recommended that you do the moves without weights to start off, just to get a feel for them. There's a lot of hip movement and hinging etc and it'll help you protect your back if you practice first.

Well, I tried my first short workout with a kettlebell and I’m feeling a little disappointed.

I find squatting really difficult. I think my form is correct but I am not strong enough. I probably did about 10 of them and I know that I will feel it tomorrow.

I stretched well before and after. I just feel frustrated that I can do so few and feel like my progress will be slow.

I’m very aware of trying to push myself too far too fast because in the past when I have done that I’ve not been able to walk properly for a good 3 - 4 days after and it has put me off altogether.

Is it normal to not be able to do many squats? I feel like they’re talked about as though they’re bog standard.

It's absolutely normal to find it hard! I managed five decent squats my first session, focusing on form. But you know what, after three sessions I was up to 10. Then within another week, I could do 30 without a problem. It's one of those situations where I felt the increase in strength really quickly. My first kettlebell session I was struggling with a 2kg weight. I was up to 4kg after three sessions, then onto 6kg for a couple of weeks and then up to 8kg. I deduced down to 4kg because I fell and hurt my shoulder but I'm moving back to 6kg today and expect to be on 8kg again in another couple of weeks.

Everyone who demonstrates squats makes it look easy. It's chuffing hard. Look at Greg's website - he shows how to build up to squats using proper form by using a towel, I think, wrapped round a fence post to help you keep your back in the correct position. Strength makes things easy, and strength builds up surprisingly quickly. You'll be working away feeling like you're struggling and then, boom, the next session you do you'll find it much easier and be looking to make it harder again.

I also find hormones play a part. There are times in my cycle when I just don't feel the same power and strength as normal. I just go with it. Even professional athletes have "off" days. I get really clumsy and tearful and super super critical of myself and then I look at the calender and think "oh ho, THAT's what's wrong!!".

Thanks Jam, that makes me feel a bit better.

My legs are feeling it, my arms feel no different at the moment, and my upper body strength is the worst.

I started out with the 4 minute beginners workout. A lot of it included squatting or moves which relied on my post tired from squatting legs! So I feel like I haven’t done much at all!

I definitely do need to build my strength. As I said in my first post, I think muscle weakness is contributing to various aches and pains.

Hormones could also be a contributing factor, I’m due on my period in about 3 days.

I will keep going. If nothing else I suppose a short kettlebell workout a few times a week is easier to motivate myself for rather than a long session of gruelling cardio.

Yes, squats are tough but they are worth working on. Make sure you do them in front of a mirror to keep to proper form and don't try to go down too low at first. Using no weight but putting a resistance band around your thighs increases the difficulty but also makes it easier to concentrate on not allowing your knees to cave in, which is a common problem.

Thanks Choc. I was in front of a full length mirror at the time but I’m wondering if I tried to go too low. I will keep that in mind for next time.

Oooh yes, a band round your knees is an excellent suggestion. My knees tended to collapse inwards, so I do sumo squats, where your knees and toes point outwards a little and your legs are further apart as a consequence. It may work slightly different muscles but it's all good work.

Update: today I can’t walk properly 😩.

I hope this gets easier, because now I won’t be able to try again for another few days!

Maybe a little short yoga to loosen you off? My sympathies, it always hits me like that too. Still, it shows you worked!

I’ve never done yoga. Also I started my period and am in a bit of pain so hopefully by the time it goes I’ll be back to normal.

I’ll make sure I’m not going too low next time. On the plus side it hasn’t put me off of continuing!

Yoga with Adrienne on Youtube is worth a look at if you do feel like adding a bit of it into your plan. She's got loads of beginners stuff. I was lucky and found an amazing local teacher for a year who got me started, but she moved away. Her replacement was crap - all I was doing was paying for HER to rent a room to do HER yoga practice in. She didn't look at us or correct/guide us once in an hour. She just said the post and went and did it. I was MAD. If I hadn't had my previous teacher, I'd not have known a think and I'd have probably hurt myself. I took great joy in telling her she was shite and that I'd not be back. Anyway, Adrienne's online classes are great. And free.

pose, not post.