Fitness advice

[ChangingWeight]

I’m in my 20s and 5’3. I started Mounjaro a year ago and my BMI is now back to being 20. I also started going to the gym for the first time and attending Pilates classes 2-3 times a week too. However my body looked much nicer when I was this weight before - I just walked back then and never trained! I just seem to have stubborn fat in my upper arms/thighs/torso now.

I’ve been to the gym for 6 months now, still feel like a beginner and like I don’t know I’m doing. I do train to fatigue and ache whenever I complete strength training but I’m not sure if I’m doing something wrong - I don’t really see much of a difference in my body from strength training.

For example yesterday I did 5 machine sets each of chest press, shoulder press, leg press, adductor and abductor. Reps between 10-20. Upper body weights between 5-10kg (I can’t handle heavier). Lower body weights between 30-40kg. That’s pretty much the same weight I was doing 6 months ago on those machines. Any advice & pointers are appreciated.

I know very little, but are you consuming enough protein? You might need to up your calories and protein to allow muscle to grow.

can you book a couple of sessions with a pt to look at your diet and routines?

You need carbs and protein to see gains and progress with strength training. Protein helps your muscles repair and grow, and carbs give you the energy to train and recover. You need both for progress. Also how often are you training in the gym? It would need to be a 3 to 5 times a week to see progress.

If you lifting 20 reps there’s an argument that your weights are far too light. Does your gym have free weights? Look up Staci’s story at Nerd Fitness or the book Strong Curves for inspiration and guidance.

Lifting twice a week is sufficient if you follow a progressive full body programme.

Your weights are too light as you're doing too many reps. You should be doing about 8 reps a set for strength. The last rep should be so hard you can't do another rep.
I'm a powerlifter so know all about this.

Agree with the above, sorry must have skimmed over how many reps you were doing. 8 to 10 at most with those last couple feeling like you can't manage anymore. If you can do more than that then the weight isn't heavy enough. Plus carbs and protein 🤪

@FurForksSake I can’t really afford a PT just yet. In my area I think it will set me back around £320 a month. I’m hoping to move house in 6 months so can’t really justify the expense right now.

@Willowy2 ahh that’s something I forgot to mention. I’m super sore today so I’ll likely spend a couple of days recovering which makes going to the gym more regularly difficult. I go twice a week alongside reformer Pilates classes 2-3 times. The Pilates doesn’t tire me out, but the strength training does, to the point if I went to the gym today I wouldn’t be able to lift much.

Your probably tired because of those reps! 😁 Up the weights and reduce the reps. I use a really good app called MyFitCoach it's not free but it's upped my game in the gym immensely since May when I started using it. In May I was using x2 7.5kg for RDLs, today I was using x2 14kg.

Yes, my gym has free weights. I just lack the confidence to use them to be honest with you. At my gym, large groups of guys hog those areas and I feel slightly intimidated trying to figure it out with a crowd! I’m sure they won’t care, but I just feel more confident solo on machines?

You’re probably right though. On the machines, the weights tend to jump up in 7kg increments and I weigh 52kg. I find myself comfortably able to do 20 reps at one weight but unable to do like 5 reps on the next weight hence why I try to increase the reps if I can’t increase the weight.

Thank you for this.

That’s certainly completely different to what I have been doing! I explained a bit above as to why etc. I think the machines I have been using might jump up in higher increments then I can comfortably manage given my relatively low body weight.

Haha thanks for this you have opened my eyes on this. I will check this app out now! Congrats on your progress too!

I use machines too, I don't always use free weights. If you can only do 5, then do 5! As you've noticed quantity is not better than quality. Is there not the little 2.5kg slider that you can push in foe the weights machines? Meaning you can go up by 2.5kg rather than the full next step? I would also reccomend to take creatine to assist with muscle recovery, it's also been a game changer for me, especially as fibromyalgia sufferer who used to get really bad DOMS setting me back days at a time each week.

Try following along to Caroline Girven on YouTube. She has lots of different programmes to follow and are free. I started her videos during COVID and saw good results. She now has an app for £10 per month.
Hope this helps

I just lack the confidence to use them to be honest with you. At my gym, large groups of guys hog those areas and I feel slightly intimidated trying to figure it out with a crowd!

I think I understand. I felt the same when I started back in the late 2000s. I would say the gym is completely different nowadays with lots of young women lifting heavy, so it might be worth visiting alternative gyms to see if the mix is different? Anyway, back then there was only one other woman I ever saw in the free weights an to ask all my questions (like, where can I stretch and cool down). I think I started with Stronglifts 5x5, a little notebook and earphones.

Join a lift class
I have seen great changes in my body since I started lifting

If you can't manage 8, do 4 and push yourself to 5. There's no point in doing 20, that will just tire you out without much gain (as you've found).

There should be a small extra weight you can add to the stack, it might be tucked into the equipment or just left lying around on the floor? At my gym it's red. You can slot it onto the top.

Well done on your weight loss and for consistency with fitness - you’ve done the hardest things

as a couple of people have said lifting progressively heavier weights is the key and prioritise lifting heavy vs lifting quantity.

I train 2-3 times per week. I do a mix of squats, deadlifts, overheard press, bench and bent over rows. That’s it. I do 5 sets of 5. I increase the weight every other week - even if only by 0.25 kilos. You can buy tiny weight plates from Amazon (0.25 and 0.5 as not all gyms have them)

I use this free app which has a set counter and timer and has ‘how to’ videos. https://stronglifts.com/stronglifts-5x5/

it’s worth having 2 sessions with a PT but ask them not for a program but to teach you how to do these 5 lifts

good luck! X