Weight Training for Beginners

[Reaper_13]

So I'm thinking ahead for this winter and I'm going to get a gym membership. My question is, for someone who hasn't done any weight training in lets say 9 years, how do you get back into it? How do you know where to start and knowing what reps to do for how many sets? I'm really excited to get back into this but I'm totally not sure where to start. I'd love to have a trainer but the nearest gym with a trainer is 2 hours away. Any suggestions?

[USAF-Larry]

Glad to see that you are stepping up your fitness journey, @Reaper_13.  Most gyms today, even ones without a "fitness trainer" have staff that can help you assess your current level of fitness and make recommendations on how to gradually improve it. Check your local gyms and ask questions - they're usually more than happy to help get you started.  The other option, of course, is to look for a local Fitness Trainer - they tend to advertise on the gym bulletin boards.

The key, though, is take is slow and steady. Don't try to do everything at once, or increase activity too much too fast - that will likely result in injury and slowing down your progress.  Best of luck!

[betpchem]

I'm no expert, but here's my advice for what it's worth. I would say use the weights that you can lift, but aren't too easy for you. You want it to be difficult, but not impossible. I do 15 reps and 3 sets. That seems to work for me. Over time I slowly increase the weight. Make sure you have someone show you the machines so that you are using them correctly. There must be someone like that at your gym, even if there isn't a trainer.

Good luck and keep us posted!

[Reaper_13]

See I live around small towns and the gyms are just kind of you pay a monthly fee to a committy member and they give you a key. There aren't any trainers or workers that stay there. I might see if I can find someone to go with though, having a spotter is always a good thing incase something happens.

So it 15 reps in 3 sets just the norm? how do you figure out what weight to use? And how do you make sure you're using the right form?

[SunsetRunner]

Take rest days to, to allow your precious body to recover.

When not feeling up to exercise, or your body feels sore, take more rest instead (if not able to work out), to prevent longer term injury, your body knows the best.

The more natural foods we eat overall, give the body the nutritients it requires and speed up healing, increase the immune system.. and possible satisfied on less calories overall.

Calories matter, the food quality matters to (the nutritients it provides to your precious body).

When hungry eat what you like when possible, to possible eat less overall to, knowing when eating only desire to have your favourite meal in the moment, though if eating something else instead first, going to have what originally desired anyway (even if not hungry anymore)..

Have Fun

[JohnRi · Accepted solution]

First I would grab the app mytraining in the Apple app store.  Assuming you have a iPhone.  Not sure if there is a Windows version.

Mytraining is free, and let's you set up routines for Abs, Back, Legs, etc.  You can create a routine, specify reps, and weight size.  As you get stronger, you can increase your reps, and then weight sizes.  It has videos of the exercises, so you can see the correct form. 

I've only been lifting for about 9 weeks now.  I started doing 10 reps, 3 sets.  I choose weights that were challenging to me, that I could do 30 reps total.  With the last set being harder.  If all 3 sets were easy, the next time I tried a higher weight until I found the point where it was too heavy to do 30 sets.  It's pretty obvious sometimes.  As in, I can do this 10 lbs curl, but that 15 lbs is too hard. 

Then once I felt the 10 lbs curl getting easier, then I increased the reps to 12.  Sometime I did 11, then 12...  Once that got easy, then I increased it to 15. Once that got easy, then I went back to 10, but with a heavier weight. 

Go slow, you don't want to hurt yourself.  Muscle gain for women is 1/2 to 1 lbs at most a month.  So it takes a long time.  Be patient.

[A_Lurker]

What type of equipment in the local gym?  I work out at home (which limits some moves) but I use free weights instead of machines.  I own all of the following:

New Rules of Lifting for Women

New Rules of Lifting for Men

Power Training

I followed the first through completely, the second mostly, and got into the third before an illness (not an injury) sidelined me.  I'm back at it myself and will likely work my way through all of them again.  At that point I'll likely just pick and choose and build my own routines.