Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Weight Training? -

I am happy that i have lost 14lbs in two weeks and now want to start the weight training part of my weight loss program. I have a marcy mwm 900 home gym and was wondering if anyone knew of a good beginners work out? Is it better to do more reps of a lower weight or less reps of a higher weight? Is there any particular order in which to work the body?

Obviously there are many different ways to go about starting a weight training program. You will get many different opinions too. A lot of what is stated in the sugestions that you have already heard are correct. The main thing that you will want to make sure of is that it is enjoyable to you. Of course it is a lot of work but a good weight training program can be very satisfying. Especially when you are able to maintain your weight loss. Choosing a weight training program really comes down to what you want to accomplish and what you can stick to. One reference that I often direct people to is EXRX.net. It is a great website with a wealth of reliable information that is contributed by certified trainers and nutritionists. Best of all it is a free resource. Definitely check it out.Here is a link to the begginers page: http://exrx.net/Beginning.htmlPS.Be careful with those crash diets.

Start out doing all body parts at lower weight and higher reps(call it phase 1) 3 times a week. Once you ve done that for a few weeks, you can split your workouts into upper and lower body, 2x a week each (phase 2). Then once you have done that for a while, you can break it down further like this:Monday - Chest and TricepsTuesday - Quads and AbsWednesday - offThursday - Shoulders, Back and BicepsFriday - Hamstrings and CalvesSaturday - OffSunday - OffThis way you never workout more than 2 days in a row and give your body time to rest. All the while you can move towards a higher weight/lower reps workout.Also, make sure you change your workout structure every 4 weeks or so to keep your body guessing.

Less reps of a higher weight builds muscle mass and strength quicker, while lower weights and more reps tones your muscles. Many people tend to disagree on how one should split the workout, but you really should try to do exercises that work out more than one muscle, like a chest-press or a row. I d also suggest that you switch off between the more and less reps every other time you work out.

The order doesn t matter. You will lose weight much better by diet than by exercise. More weight and fewer repetitions is better for building muscle. For losing weight, many, many repetitions at low weight might burn a lot more calories.I ve seen people sit on the couch and lift little weights. That s not weight lifting. No pain, no gain.About one person in ten gets almost no benefit from exercise. It s genetic and you can t change your ancestors.

First Let me just say that is seriously amazing that you lost 14 pounds in two weeks. Secondly don t do more reps with light weight always go for the heavier and less reps. Obviously within reason but basically if you can do more than ten its too light. People are going to tell you alot of BS about using light weights, well it doesn t work.