Hi guys, I'm new here and I'm not sure if I should post this here or in the training log but it's about my weight-lifting routine that I came up with. I want to make sure I start off on the right track. I haven't been consistently weight-training or doing cardio either and it's been 3-4 weeks since I weight-trained(went on vacation and got sick for a week after).
Please critique my weight-lifting routine and see if it's good routine or if I need to make adjustments(too much work on one body part and not enough on another part, etc.).
I'm 5'6", 30 year old female, currently weighing in at 130.5. I would love to get down to 124 and look tone and lean. I'm medium built as well.
Here's my routine(all exercises will done for 3 sets of 8-10 reps):
BACK:
Seated Back Extension
One-Arm Dumbbell Row
CHEST:
Seated Chest Press
Dumbbell Bench Press
SHOULDERS:
Seated Shoulder Press
Front Deltoid Raise
LEGS:
Squat using a Barbell
Horizontal Calf Raise
Hip Abductor Machines
If you are a newbie to lifting, I would recommend that you go with a program designed by a professional. JMO ...
I'm sort of newbie and would love to be trained by a personal trainer and have a program designed by a professional but I can't afford it. Is there a way to get a program designed specifically for me without having to pay anything?
Oh, okay, sorry about the misunderstanding. I thought about getting the New Rules for Lifting for Women, hearing great reviews from other message boards. I'll have to check that Testosterone Nation link. Thanks so much!
welcome, have a look at the FAQs for programs. Take some time and post your goals, experience, stats etc, and then perhaps some people may be able to make better/more specific suggestions.
Cheers
Peter
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Peter
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welcome, have a look at the FAQs for programs. Take some time and post your goals, experience, stats etc, and then perhaps some people may be able to make better/more specific suggestions.
Oh, okay, sorry about the misunderstanding. I thought about getting the New Rules for Lifting for Women, hearing great reviews from other message boards. I'll have to check that Testosterone Nation link. Thanks so much!
I have the original NROL and have done all the programs from it and have used what I learned from those programs to make my own, etc... Best $20 (if it was even that much) I ever spent.
It's the go to book I recommend to people who are trying to get fit. It's an easy read and is full of information. BTW, I'm not in any way associated with it, just a satisfied customer
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I've used NROL as well and it really is the best $20 I've spent (studying for the CSCS exam helped me understand the workout routines fully instead of just following them). While it is a great book, I have to say that the exercise programs are not for true beginners.
Compound lifts such as the squat and deadlift are really complex and you need a GOOD trainer to correct form to prevent injuries from occuring or feeding into dysfunctions, and ensure proper results. The book does give pretty good explanations on form, but a good trainer will help cut down the learning curve for these exercises. People do videotape their form for suggestions from the forum I assume, so that's another option.
You can hurt yourself doing pretty much anything. There's a bigger ROM with the squat and deadlift than most other lifts but there's no reason to assume that, that's more dangerous than a lunge\dip\curls\pretty much anything on a ball. Bad form is bad form.
NROL4W is perfectly fine. Especially considering that he average person using it isn't going to be using enough weight to hurt themselves anyway. *duck*
I actually disagree with that statement. Squats and DL's involve a good deal of spinal stabilization during their movements and it becomes more important as a person begins to add more weight to their lifts. Even if you're lifting with lighter weights, it's still important to keep a proper form (which is why you need a competent person to critique your form).
I workout in a commerical gym, so I typically see all the horrors that many of you probably witnessed in the gym. A very common one is deadlifting with a rounded back. I saw a guy lift 405 with a rounded back and after each lift....he would rub his lower back (probably stressed it). He probably felt like pulling 135 was too easy with his bad form and kept adding weight over time. We can pretty much predict that this person will have some back problems eventually.
Bad form is bad form. You're no more likely to hurt yourself on a squat or deadlift than you are on any other lift. A person is in danger when they exceed the stress threshold of the tissue. It doesn't matter if that tissue is in the back, bicep, shoulder, or spine.
Yea I agree that bad form is bad form and you'll be prone to injury regardless. I'm speaking from a Physical Therapy standpoint, back injuries vs extermity injuries are just different in regards to how people react to them. That's why lower back injury prevention is key in work environments.
Form break down is because of ego, not because the movement needs coaching.
That is true in some cases that people are just trying to be macho and lift a weight that compromises their form, but if a person has crappy form to begin with....well, that's a different thing.
Little kids are very proficient in squatting....it's actually a milestone in their development (squat and play). It's rare to see the average adult squat like that tho (usually heels are coming off the floor, not even reaching parallel, poor glute activation). There are times when form is due to weight and other times it is due to poor movement.
People have a hard time squatting because 1) most people aren't active in the first place and 2) the prevailing wisdom is that squatting deep wrecks your knees.
Combine that with serious ego problems and it's no wonder people think it's a tricky exercise.
I've hardly got the best ankles and hips around, and I can sink a full squat without a problem. It didn't take long to get proficient at it, either.
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very few people shoot their hips at the right time, look up enough, throw their elbows forward, spread the floor with their feet, take air in their stomach, squeeze the bar, sit back, go deep enough, the list goes on.
If you want a mediocre squat, yeah, you can get away with winging it, but youll never get very far.
It's really about the quality of your workout instead of quantity (i.e. body builder routines). I don't remember the workout routines in that book, but I assume they're total body workouts for high reps. I'm pretty sure that those 5 exercises cover most of the functional movements you should train.
very few people shoot their hips at the right time, look up enough, throw their elbows forward, spread the floor with their feet, take air in their stomach, squeeze the bar, sit back, go deep enough, the list goes on.
If you want a mediocre squat, yeah, you can get away with winging it, but youll never get very far.
That's why I've developed a lot of respect for people that can do heavy compound lifts clean. It's easier to wing it with lighter weights and develop bad habits, but you pay for it as you lift progressively heavier.
Weight-Lifting Routine
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