Weights for a complete beginner

stickybean

I have been working our over the last year, partially for weight loss, partially to tone up. I spin 2-3 times a week and do some jogging.

I would love to try weights, but am to nervous at the gym as I have NEVER even gone into the weight section and have no idea were to start.

My friend said he will give me his older weights (set of 6 dumbbells) so I can make a start at home. Could anyone recommend a link, video, exercises for a complete beginner?

Thank you!

penzo

what gender and size are you? what are your goals?

assuming it's male and you are wanting to bulk up, i'd say just use the heaviest or second heaviest of the weights your friend gives you (probably 5kg) and focus on form and getting the excercises right.

here's a link with the main ones http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/top-10/index.html

If focusing on loosing weight was your main thing before, you will probably have to edit your diet a good bit, start eating a lot more protein, particularly after gym sessions.

Pac1Man

stickybean wrote: »

I have been working our over the last year, partially for weight loss, partially to tone up. I spin 2-3 times a week and do some jogging.

I would love to try weights, but am to nervous at the gym as I have NEVER even gone into the weight section and have no idea were to start.

My friend said he will give me his older weights (set of 6 dumbbells) so I can make a start at home. Could anyone recommend a link, video, exercises for a complete beginner?

Thank you!

If you are only starting, I would recommend building a strong base first before focussing on weights.

Press-ups are very underrated. Set yourself an overall target of 100 press-ups (not all at once!). Try completing twenty, rest for 30-40 seconds and try another 20. Do this 5 times until you reach 100. When you find yourself struggling, drop to your knees and finish the set. A set of 20 might be difficult at the start but just complete as much as you can to begin with.

Other great all round strength exercises are pull-ups (if you have access to a pull-up bar). Extremely difficult to begin with but you will see results.

stickybean

penzo wrote: »

what gender and size are you? what are your goals?

assuming it's male and you are wanting to bulk up, i'd say just use the heaviest or second heaviest of the weights your friend gives you (probably 5kg) and focus on form and getting the excercises right.

here's a link with the main ones http://www.dumbbell-exercises.com/top-10/index.html

If focusing on loosing weight was your main thing before, you will probably have to edit your diet a good bit, start eating a lot more protein, particularly after gym sessions.

I am 11 stone, female, 5'5 height.

My initial goal was to get a to a healthy weight, I'm about 16lbs of my ideal weight, but I would like to tone up. Particularly my upper body.

I'm losing around 1.5lbs a week, but feel like I am getting a bit saggy (from the weight loss ) - I have lost 2stone so far

stickybean

Also many thanks for the link, I got the weights this morning and as silly as it sounds I wasn't sure what to do with them.

Can I ask one more question please, there are 10 exercises there, would I be aiming to do them all in one session? And about how many of each? Sorry I am a complete novice.

tmc86

Also many thanks for the link, I got the weights this morning and as silly as it sounds I wasn't sure what to do with them.

First off there's nothing silly about that! you did what most people wouldn't and that is ask questions about how best to use them and what you should be doing!

YouTube is your friend here - there are hundreds of videos for home workouts with Dubmbells

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=at+home+female+dumbell+workout&oq=at+home+female+dumbell+workout&gs_l=youtube.3...7813.8500.0.8594.7.7.0.0.0.0.78.329.7.7.0...0.0...1ac.1.sN0NaZqiorw

Watch some of these so that you can learn how to correctly perform the exercises and so that you don'y injure yourself.

Take your time and spend a few sessions getting comfortable with them or finding which exercises that you most enjoy and feel the best fit for you. Start with the lightest dumbbell and see how you handle it for each excersise,then if you feel comortable enough you can move onto the next heavier weight and so forth.


Best of luck!