How do you start weight lifting at home?
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Anonymous
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I'm approaching 40 and think I need to branch out from jogging for exercise but I'm a little uncertain how to get started weight training. I've been doing body weight exercises but it's not enough.
Needs: something I can do at home in a small space (not going to get a bench or any large equipment). Something that isn't a full program requiring an hour a day time commitment or professional trainer in a gym. How do you start small? Are there specific videos or websites you recommend for a beginner? Thanks. |
Anonymous
| A lot of health insurance plans provide subscription based fitness video programs at a reduced cost. I'd enroll in an online fitness service that has some weight bearing classes. |
Anonymous
| Because of the cost of equipment and potential for injury I think some basic trainer sessions to start would be a better idea. |
Anonymous
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One kettle bell of appropriate weight can do a lot. Also resistance bands can be used for a lot of exercises as well.
Depending on your starting point, a 10, 20, or 30 lb kettle bell can be used for squats, deadlifts, rows, overhead press. Don’t get anything too elaborate or gimmicky. For the bands, if you have a good place to attach them (like some kind of stable pole or column) - they can do a lot of rows, face pulls, fly press. Just by themself you can do pull aparts and delt raises. Just a few ideas |
Anonymous
| I have a pullup bar and a set of adjustable dumbbells and those are sufficient to get a pretty good workout. But if you adjust, bodyweight exercises can be as challenging as you want. For example, if pushups are too easy, try clapping pushings, then one arm pushups, then handstand pushups against a wall, unsupported handstand pushups, then if you're a world-class athlete, clapping handstand pushups. |
Anonymous
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I started with a set of 5, 10, and 15lb dumbbells. There are so many exercises you can do with that. I just had trouble keeping up the motivation after 6 months of it. The best part was I could just do it for 3-5 minutes at a time and didn't need to work around a 30-60 minute formal workout each day. It really started to make a difference at 3-4 months. I need to get back to it so thanks for the reminder, OP.
Find the exercises you like and do those until you're bored and look up some more. Ask friends how they lift. I used stairs and chairs and couches and a bench at home for certain things. It's easy! If you need a place to start, my favorites are: Upper body: Arnolds -Bicep curls -push ups -lateral raises -rows -dumbell fly lower body: -any and all squats my knees can take (I often just restrict the range of motion until there's no pain) -calf raises -deadlifts core: -planks -bear crawls -around the worlds you really need to only pick 2-3 for upper and lower body and I only did one core each workout. I did it 2-3x week. Enjoy! |
Anonymous
Agree. Or at least classes at a gym with attentive instructors who will correct your form and give advice. I resisted for so long. I am NOT a "gym person." Except now I sort of am. I figured I could do everything on my own but I was doing a few things really wrong and putting my joints at risk. It's been really good for me to work with an instructor. Now I feel I could be safe at home but find the classes fun enough that I kept my membership |
Anonymous
| get some free weights and sign up for peloton strength. I recommend joining the hardcore on the floor group on facebook or instagram - she puts together a daily calendar for strength training (free) pulling from the peloton classes. takes all the guesswork out of what parts of the body to work each day. |
Anonymous
| It’s expensive (very) but Tonal is amazing |
Anonymous
I agree with this advice. I am part of a gym that lifts together with a coach. I have been doing it for 8 years and the coaches still adjust my form etc when I lift. I think this has prevented injuries. |
Anonymous
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It sounds ridiculous but I started by using chairs, stools, pots and bookbags, milk gallon, bags of rock salt, rice, watermelons and laundry detergent -just household items as weights.
I found that more effective than dumbbells. |
Anonymous
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Peloton guide and an investment in some weights (3/5/8/10/12/15) you can skip some if you want I think 5/10/15 would be fine really but as you progress you'll want to add more (IMO)
And a yoga mat. |
Anonymous
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Fitness blender. All of their trainers do a great job of addressing form in every workout.
Get dumbbells: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15 is perfect to start. You can add higher weights later. Really, I love this site and have been using it since covid. And I love the privacy and hygiene of working out at home. |
Anonymous
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What are your goals specifically? To lose weight? Build cardio and some strength? Add muscle? Just maintain strength and mobility? Just look better? At 40 years old...if you lifted hard, you could get very strong and muscular if you wanted to. But regardless of what you are trying to do, there are 5-6 main lifts to focus on. 1. Squats/Lunges 2. Dead Lift/Hip Hinge 3. Chest Press (or Bench Press) 4. Over Head Press (Shoulder Press) 5. Row 6. Overhead Pull/Chin Ups/Pull Ups. So lots of people are suggesting 5/10/15 lb dumbbells, but we really have no idea how strong you currently are. I would almost think that 10s, 20s, and 30s would be best but maybe 40s instead of 10s depending how strong you are now. As one of the posters said above there are so many variations to these exercises so I'll just give basics But...I highly recommend a portable bench. Hard to do chest presses without a bench and you can use it for so many things. They do not take up much space. Cost about around $150. And personally, I wouldn't get multiple dumbbells. The $$$ starts adding up. I have a set of Bowflex adjustable DBs that go up to 52.5 pounds and are really everything you could need. Cost is about $350 though. But for $500 you can buy a set of adjustable dumbbells, a portable bench, a yoga mat, and resistance bands. And you will be set for years. If you don't want to spend an hour working out, I would suggest doing something like 3 days a week. M, W, F. Create two workouts Workout A and Workout B. And then just alternate the workouts each time you lift. Workout A can be..
Warm Up A. Squat/Lunge 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps...look up goblet squat or split squats. great exercise for beginners. B. Chest Press 3 or 4 set of 8 or 10 reps C. Row 3 or 4 sets of 8 or 10 reps. Feel free to super set B and C meaning...do B, rest, do C, rest, do B, rest, do C, rest, do B, rest, do C. But your rests aren't as long as normal since the movemnets are opposites and the muscles are resting while you do the other exercise. D. Add any exercise you like....maybe bicep curls E. Do some core...planks, etc. Workout B Warm Up A. Single Leg Dead Lifts 3 or 4 sets of 8 ro 10 reps B. Pull Ups/Chin Ups (oh, you can get one of those bars that goes over a door way for $25. I have one. They work great. Do as many as you can. Getting resistance bands can assist you in do these but you can just jump up and lower yourself down as slow as you can as a rep. C. Overhead Press (Shoulder press) 3 or 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps. Again, you can super sets B and C as they are opposite movements and saves time. D. Do any exercise you like doing...maybe tricep extensions or calf raises. E. Some Core These workouts should take you less than 40 minutes each. All these exercises can easily be found on YouTube for free. They are all foundational exercises. Also, you said you've done body weight exercises and they aren't enough. What exercises did you do? |
Anonymous
| Peloton strength classes for sure and buy 5 and 10 pound weights to start. |