Please help an absolute beginner at restricted gym!

hcass

hey!

I have just started at my Uni gym and am focusing on strength training. I am a 30 yr old female. I have never done a strength training prog before but after loads of research I see that free weights seems to be the way to go - problem is my gym is very machine based. SO I am wondering if machines are of any benefit really. At the moment I am doing 3 reps of 10 on each machine at the heaviest weight I can manage. I also do dumbell bicep curls 5kilos 3 reps of ten. And lunges with 5 kilo dumbells 3 reps of ten. There is no ab machine or captains chair on the gym so I have bought an ab roller and ab crunch trainer too and am doing that at home. I go at least 3 times a week but usually 4. I am kinda following Primal fitness so instead of chronic cardio I am walking for about 1-2 hours a day, 5 days a week. So my question is - Is this enough, will this make any difference or do I need to do more strength training? Are the machines useless? Thanks - any advice would be great.

Inspector Coptoor

You could use the dumbbells for a huge number of exercises OP.

DB bench presss
DB SHoulder press
DB Rows
DB Squats, or DB Goblet Squats
You could use the DB while doing Russian Twists for obliques or you could use one of them in two hands for resistance when doing regular sit ups.
Also look up Planks, side planks, v ups, leg raises.

There is an awful lot you can do as a beginner with relatively light Dumbells

How big are the DBs in the gym?
You mentioned 5kg DBs but are there many bigger than that?

It'd be no harm to stick to the machines for a little while.
DO what you;re doing for 4-6 weeks, let your body adapt to your new regime and start researching these exercises, then add them in to replace the machines.

Hanley

Liam Henners257 wrote: »

You could use the dumbbells for a huge number of exercises OP.

DB bench presss
DB SHoulder press
DB Rows
DB Squats, or DB Goblet Squats
You could use the DB while doing Russian Twists for obliques or you could use one of them in two hands for resistance when doing regular sit ups.
Also look up Planks, side planks, v ups, leg raises.

There is an awful lot you can do as a beginner with relatively light Dumbells

How big are the DBs in the gym?
You mentioned 5kg DBs but are there many bigger than that?

It'd be no harm to stick to the machines for a little while.
DO what you;re doing for 4-6 weeks, let your body adapt to your new regime and start researching these exercises, then add them in to replace the machines.

THat's some good solid pragmatic advice - kudos!

hcass

There are heavier ones yes - goes up quite high - can't remember the heaviest. But there is no bench, just free weights and some mats and then loads of machines and cardio equipment.

Thanks for the advice.

Inspector Coptoor

hcass wrote: »

There are heavier ones yes - goes up quite high - can't remember the heaviest. But there is no bench, just free weights and some mats and then loads of machines and cardio equipment.

Thanks for the advice.

Ok,

then look up standing DB military press and single arm DB Push Press as a main shoulder exercise,
DB Floor Press (do these on a mat) and push ups as a main chest/triceps exercise.
Goblet squats and DB Romanian Deadlifts for legs
Lat Pull down or assisted pull ups, seated rows, DB rows for back

Your tactic of picking the heaviest weight you can manage for 3 sets of 10 is quite a good one but I'd tweak it slightly so you're workouts dont look the same every week for weeks on end.

Take the goblet squat for example, you might start off doing 3 sets of 10 with 8kg.
when you've worked that up to 3 sets of 12, then go up to 10kg for 3 sets of 8 and try to get that up to 3 sets of 12 before going up to 12kg and repeat.
The point is that you dont have to stick religiously to 3 sets of 10, as long as your in the range of ~8-15, you're fine for what Im assuming you're trying to get out of this.

any other questions, fire away.

hcass

Thanks again!

Just one other question - can you recommend a protein drink/powder as a supplement? One that doesn't taste completely revolting but is not ful of crap that is bad for me either. Thanks a million!

Kevin Duffy

What's your current diet like and what makes you think you need to supplement it? What weight are you? I'm guessing from the weights you mention in your OP that your bodyweight is low enough that you could probably achieve your protein requirements quite easily with a careful diet, without supplements.

hcass

I weigh 10st 10 lbs and I'm 5' 7"

I eat maybe eggs for breakfast and a cup of coffee with a drop of milk.

Then maybe a salad or soup for lunch with an apple.

Dinner is usually meat or fish with loads of veg - maybe some potatoes the odd day.

I eat dried figs or prunes sometimes for snacks.

Not sure if I'm getting enough protein...

Kevin Duffy

hcass wrote: »

I weigh 10st 10 lbs and I'm 5' 7"

I eat maybe eggs for breakfast and a cup of coffee with a drop of milk.

Then maybe a salad or soup for lunch with an apple.

Dinner is usually meat or fish with loads of veg - maybe some potatoes the odd day.

I eat dried figs or prunes sometimes for snacks.

Not sure if I'm getting enough protein...

You can sing that Your goal of "strength training" is a little vague, but taking it at face value and based on your weight, you need about 110 to 150 grammes of protein per day. Depending on your portion sizes and a few other variables, it looks like you're getting maybe 40 to 70 at the moment. If you got your training right, you'd still be wasting the effort by not eating right. Have a look at the sticky on diet in the H&F forum, there's some good advice on how to work out your calorie needs for your goals and how they should be made up. I'd say get your diet right and you're not likely to need supplements, though they might be the final piece of the jigsaw for you when you do the maths.

Good luck with the training.

hatful

Can anyone suggest exercises for with barbells as well?

Inspector Coptoor

hatful wrote: »

Can anyone suggest exercises for with barbells as well?

Deadlift, Bench Press, Military Press, Squat, Romanian Deadlifts, Stiff Legged Deadlifts, Barbell Lunges, Barbell Push Press.