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Original poster

How do you do 'weights'?

54 replies

desikated · 19/10/2023 08:09

Seen on various threads people talking about doing weights as exercise.

OUTSIDE of a gym setting (I'm not joining one for various reasons - cost and location primarily)
....

How do you weights?
Any recommendations for videos / routines?

Context:
I have some dumbbells and a kettlebell. So I do have some stuff to do it with.

Whenever I have done weight lifting (based on sets and reps I've found online) - it always seems to be quite quick / doesn't raise my heart rate. Is that the way it is or am I doing it wrong?!
Is it something I need to spend lots of time doing or can it be short and sweet but regular?

HELP!

OP posts:
Supercat100 · 19/10/2023 08:10

Sounds like you are doing it wrong! Weights should be tough and raise your heart rate. How much do your kettlebell and dumbbells weigh?

PaminaMozart · 19/10/2023 08:12

Caroline Girvan - look her up😎

Boopear · 19/10/2023 08:13

Caroline Girvan on YouTube is a good start - recommend her Iron series. She does lift v heavy though so suggest you just start with what you have and buy heavier if/when you feel it is too easy.

Sorrytomoan · 19/10/2023 08:13

I've bought a little book by Courtney Black. It's called the pocket PT. I'd never heard of her before but it's great.
There's a 28 day plan with weights and other exercises. Shows you warms up and cool downs. It's the sort of book I'd wanted for ages.

I love it cos it shows you clearly what to do each day. Was only fiver on amazon.

Graciebobcat · 19/10/2023 08:14

I think it's better to go to a gym and have someone show you initially or book a few PT sessions if you are a complete beginner.

aswarmofmidges · 19/10/2023 08:17

It can be quick but only if your weights are heavy
And heavy is a personal thing
You should work towards exhaustion- lots of reps with light weights or shorter session with heavier weights

Chocoholicchops · 19/10/2023 08:20

Another vote for Caroline Girvan. My body is transformed.

lightinthebox · 19/10/2023 08:24

I know you say you don’t want to join a gym, but a couple of dumb bells and a kettlebell won’t do much.

Reps should be slow and controlled, a PT is essential for showing form and technique.

The gym is great for a variety of weights for progression otherwise you’re very limited at home.

ReadyForPumpkins · 19/10/2023 08:27

I do body pump at home. However, I think you need someone to show you how to lift safely. Even with body pump, which is low weights and high reps, you can injure yourself.

I had done weights in the gym in my 20s and did body pump classes in gyms until I had DC2.

Merrymouse · 19/10/2023 08:29

What are your goals? Maintaining bone density or something more specific?

There are plenty of YouTube videos that will advise you on using lighter weights.

Permanentlyunimpressed · 19/10/2023 08:33

A couple of dumbbells and a kettle bell changed my entire body shape! I do 6 X 30 min workouts a week, plus some yoga/stretching for flexibility.
Highly recommended Bodyfit by Amy on youtube, she has a huge selection of workouts for all levels and she is the least annoying online instructor I've came across!
I do hitt with weights and pilates with weights. Even just bodyweight exercises can make a huge difference. You don't need to lift heavy or join a gym to see changes. My workout is done quicker than I could get to a gym and back.

wincarwoo · 19/10/2023 08:35

Sydney Cummings is good. And there is Lift with Cee too.

TemporarilyshyAF · 19/10/2023 08:42

Yep Caroline Girvan is fantastic. Her technique is good too, I've seen a lot online actually doing quite dangerous things at least to be recommending to beginners at home. Her weights are pretty heavy, half is generally respectable to work at. She has 15 min sessions that are a great place to start for kettlebells and dumbbells. I use yoga for Adrienne to stretch thoroughly after. Take longer breaks if needed.

Bubbles254 · 19/10/2023 09:06

I am not sure raising heart rate is the best measure of success for weights. I like many others on here do Caroline Girvan iron programme at home - 5 days a week 30 minutes a day. My heart rate barely increases but I am getting lots of muscle growth!

I think some of her other programmes though have more cardio alongside weights (which is why I avoid them!)

Bubbles254 · 19/10/2023 09:09

Just checked my fitbit, my heart rate went up from a resting of 55 to 105 during my weights session this morning. However it was around the same level the hour before when I was rushing around the house getting children ready for school.

blobby10 · 19/10/2023 09:13

I rarely see people who have done 'just' a weights routine walk out of the gym sweaty! Except me and thats only because a) I sweat a lot and b) also intersperse sets with something to get my heart rate up. Some of the guys joke with me as I'm doing plank jacks or mountain climbers between my bench press sets instead of just sitting on my phone or staring into space Grin

If you want your heart rate to increase try doing a tabata workout - start using body weight for squats/lunges/press ups etc then introduce your dumb bells and kettle bells. There are also lots of exercises which work more than one set of muscles at a time eg clean and jerk which can be done with barbell or dumbbell or kettlebell!

Original poster
desikated · 19/10/2023 13:28

Thank you all. I do get why a gym / PT could be good but I don't have the money and previous experiences have been that both try to upsell subscriptions / ongoing stuff and I'm dreadfully unassertive and would end up signing up and NO.

Re the heart rate- I do a fair amount of running (like 6-7 times a week - so often twice a day). The HR bit makes me feel like I've achieved something. Weirdly I feel a bit obsessed by my farming recognising my activity as exercise and with weights it just doesn't.

However, I'm at that age (nearing 40). My body strength esp core and upper strength is not great so I know I should invest some time in it.

Other very annoying thing is I have a very large inicisional hernia just below my rib cage (from emergency open abdominal surgery - long story ). So, I have been advised to avoid planks / full body press ups due to pressure it places on the hernia opening.

But thanks for the recommendations. I especially like NON ANNOYING YouTube fitness instructors. I don't want a narrative about how it's good for me or blah blah. Just tel me what to do and be quiet. And stop looking so amazing and pretty 🤣

OP posts:
ReadyForPumpkins · 19/10/2023 13:37

@desikated I'm nearing 50s. Other than bodypump, I also do body balance, which is a hybrid yoga, tai chi and pilates workout. So definitely look at that type of exercise for core strength and flexibility.

It's hard to tell what you find annoying. I think a lot of them do talk exercise philosophy, how it makes you look good or feel good.

PaminaMozart · 19/10/2023 16:08

a lot of them do talk exercise philosophy, how it makes you look good or feel good.

You get none of that with Caroline Girvan! Which is another reason why I love her.

Her workouts are SO professional and she really knows her stuff. Thorough explanations and demonstrations during the introduction, but after that there is no talk at all. Just previews of the next exercise during the 20-30 seconds rest in between.

The music isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I turn down the volume and listen to Radio 3 or Woman's Hour... 😎

speak2me · 19/10/2023 16:19

Another one for Caroline Girvan! I'm currently doing her Iron Series, alongside my usual running and pilates.
She also does some 15min Dumbbell workouts. I don't lift anything near as heavy as her though!
Should also say I think she does 5 workouts a week, I usually only do 3 or maybe two depending on what other exercise I've done!

2023shady · 19/10/2023 17:29

I use the peloton app (have the bike so it made sense to do the weights classes too)

Anjelika · 20/10/2023 16:07

Another Caroline Girvan fan here too. Although there are are loads of her programmes on YouTube (and like PP, I'd also recommend the Iron one) there is a proper beginner's programme on her App (the App is called CGX). It's 6 weeks long and the App is not free but you can get a 2 week free trial so might be worth doing that. I think she talks more during that programme but I'd be surprised if it was irritating. It would let you learn all her basic moves anyway and make sure your form is correct.

Deliadidit · 20/10/2023 16:19

Anjelika · 20/10/2023 16:07

Another Caroline Girvan fan here too. Although there are are loads of her programmes on YouTube (and like PP, I'd also recommend the Iron one) there is a proper beginner's programme on her App (the App is called CGX). It's 6 weeks long and the App is not free but you can get a 2 week free trial so might be worth doing that. I think she talks more during that programme but I'd be surprised if it was irritating. It would let you learn all her basic moves anyway and make sure your form is correct.

And Heather Robertson worth a try too OP and all free on YouTube.

fearfuloffluff · 20/10/2023 16:25

I've been doing a weights course for women at a local gym, we're all plump and mainly 40+

10min cardio warm up (cd be marching on the spot, star jumps etc at home)
3 sets of 3-4 exercises so eg:
Squats with kettlebell x 15
Some kind of crunch exercise in floor x 30
Weight machine x 30
Do all that three times

Then another couple of sets mixing cardio and weights

Stretches at the end

Sometimes it's more like 45 seconds of one exercise like plank or step ups, again three sets

You can do resistance exercise just using your own body weight eg squats, step ups, crunch

FeverBeam · 20/10/2023 16:30

How do you make sure you've got the correct form when doing youtube workouts with Caroline Girvan etc? Do you watch yourself in a mirror to begin with?