Beginner Female

Training Beginners
41

Starting strength is a great program. It’s what I use, although I’ve added to it over time.

I really think you’d be better off just eating clean than counting calories. It’s too easy to look at your calories for the day and see a deficit and say “cupcake, here I come!” I know first hand that kind of thinking is a problem for most women.

Men may be able to get away with that. Women cannot.

If your ultimate goal is to just get down to a healthy weight, then count away. If you want to be hot, then you need to make the lifestyle changes and the sooner the better. You’d be better served by cutting the fries, chips, cookies, and useless breads out of your diet than simply writing them down.

42

I wanted to introduce myself and let you know that we can be be each others motivation…I am new to this site also. I had signed up a while back, but never really did anything with it since. In the meantime, I have been working out. I have also made major changes in the reasons why I want to be in shape. I look forward to continuing this thread with you…

43

[quote]Belle Curvy wrote:
Good point about the new people. There does seem to be a lot of people in there that seem to be like me. I have been wearing my headphones and that is a life saver. You would think at my age I would be over that feeling you had in school about being the new kid and hoping people like you.[/quote]

Shoot, girl! It took me nine months to get up the guts to squat with the bar!!! You just need to educate yourself and you will quickly realize that 90+% of the people at the gym have no idea what they are doing.

It looks like you are getting great advice, and this thread and the responses have warmed my cold, cold heart.

I will x3 or whatever on keeping a food journal. When I first started eating right, I journaled everything, including water intake. Even though I eat basically the same thing every day now (and that works well for me), I still journal if I am trying to lose fat. You won’t remember what you ate Monday morning on Sunday night when you’re trying to figure out why your weight loss has stalled!

Also, re: string cheese…I love the stuff and can’t buy it because I will eat it constantly. But it certainly isn’t a bad thing, and remember, you start taking baby steps with your diet and exercise and soon enough, you’ll crave the gym and have no idea how you used to eat a donut for breakfast.

Also, I keep all my lifting numbers in a journal. This way I can make sure I’m always progressing.

44

[quote]MarvelGirl wrote:
Starting strength is a great program. It’s what I use, although I’ve added to it over time.

I really think you’d be better off just eating clean than counting calories. It’s too easy to look at your calories for the day and see a deficit and say “cupcake, here I come!” I know first hand that kind of thinking is a problem for most women.

Men may be able to get away with that. Women cannot.

If your ultimate goal is to just get down to a healthy weight, then count away. If you want to be hot, then you need to make the lifestyle changes and the sooner the better. You’d be better served by cutting the fries, chips, cookies, and useless breads out of your diet than simply writing them down.[/quote]

I did start a food log. As a fat woman, I constantly read about diet tips and that is one of them. I have been pretty good and consistent with keeping the food log. I haven’t really cheated since the cookie. I do have cream in my coffee but I have been counting those calories.

I have been eating A LOT of baby carrots.

You are right that once I get started eating the bad stuff it makes me want more of them.

45

[quote]gypsy_storm wrote:
I wanted to introduce myself and let you know that we can be be each others motivation…I am new to this site also. I had signed up a while back, but never really did anything with it since. In the meantime, I have been working out. I have also made major changes in the reasons why I want to be in shape. I look forward to continuing this thread with you…[/quote]

Hello Gypsy Storm!

Thanks for posting. I do feel like the new kid in class so it is nice to meet another new kid. Are you an old hat in the gym and just new to this site?

I didn’t get to working out until I had a good reason and that was just not to waste my opportunities and time anymore. I am an impatient woman.

Isabelle

46

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
Belle Curvy wrote:
Good point about the new people. There does seem to be a lot of people in there that seem to be like me. I have been wearing my headphones and that is a life saver. You would think at my age I would be over that feeling you had in school about being the new kid and hoping people like you.

Shoot, girl! It took me nine months to get up the guts to squat with the bar!!! You just need to educate yourself and you will quickly realize that 90+% of the people at the gym have no idea what they are doing.

It looks like you are getting great advice, and this thread and the responses have warmed my cold, cold heart.

I will x3 or whatever on keeping a food journal. When I first started eating right, I journaled everything, including water intake. Even though I eat basically the same thing every day now (and that works well for me), I still journal if I am trying to lose fat. You won’t remember what you ate Monday morning on Sunday night when you’re trying to figure out why your weight loss has stalled!

Also, re: string cheese…I love the stuff and can’t buy it because I will eat it constantly. But it certainly isn’t a bad thing, and remember, you start taking baby steps with your diet and exercise and soon enough, you’ll crave the gym and have no idea how you used to eat a donut for breakfast.

Also, I keep all my lifting numbers in a journal. This way I can make sure I’m always progressing.[/quote]

I don’t squat with the bar! It is hard to do just my bodyweight. I wobble and it is hard to get real low. I watched in the mirror and I get almost to my knees and I seem to stop then I pause and try to push lower and my balance disappears and I think someone is about to yell “Timber!!”, so I hurry up and stand up.

Do you have a bag or things on a cord to carry your stuff? My pants don’t have pockets so I am constantly picking up my water, my towel, my iPod, and my keys.

47

[quote]Belle Curvy wrote:

I don’t squat with the bar! It is hard to do just my bodyweight. I wobble and it is hard to get real low. I watched in the mirror and I get almost to my knees and I seem to stop then I pause and try to push lower and my balance disappears and I think someone is about to yell “Timber!!”, so I hurry up and stand up.

Do you have a bag or things on a cord to carry your stuff? My pants don’t have pockets so I am constantly picking up my water, my towel, my iPod, and my keys.
[/quote]

You might try holding onto a doorknob and squatting down to get used to the feeling and help with flexibility. Make sure you are stretching your hips and glutes, and get a foam roller! Take care of yourself now, not later!

I carry a large bag to the gym, but I have to bring powerlifting stuff with me in addition to the regular gym crap (big rubber bands, squat and DL suits/shirt, suit slippers or shirt bags, belt, chalk, knee and wrist wraps). Bring a bag, it’s no big deal. I got a great one from a conference I went to - too big for groceries, just perfect for lifting stuff. When I’m just doing cardio, I hook my key ring onto a little wristlet that is big enough for my ipod, and drink gym water.

48

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
Belle Curvy wrote:

I don’t squat with the bar! It is hard to do just my bodyweight. I wobble and it is hard to get real low. I watched in the mirror and I get almost to my knees and I seem to stop then I pause and try to push lower and my balance disappears and I think someone is about to yell “Timber!!”, so I hurry up and stand up.

Do you have a bag or things on a cord to carry your stuff? My pants don’t have pockets so I am constantly picking up my water, my towel, my iPod, and my keys.

You might try holding onto a doorknob and squatting down to get used to the feeling and help with flexibility. Make sure you are stretching your hips and glutes, and get a foam roller! Take care of yourself now, not later!

I carry a large bag to the gym, but I have to bring powerlifting stuff with me in addition to the regular gym crap (big rubber bands, squat and DL suits/shirt, suit slippers or shirt bags, belt, chalk, knee and wrist wraps). Bring a bag, it’s no big deal. I got a great one from a conference I went to - too big for groceries, just perfect for lifting stuff. When I’m just doing cardio, I hook my key ring onto a little wristlet that is big enough for my ipod, and drink gym water.[/quote]

How do you stretch your hips?

what do you use rubber bands for?

I have been icing my knee, my right one got big and puffy from actually being put to use, and I took an aspirin and I soaked in epsom salts. I was VERY sore yesterday. Still sore today, but not as bad.

49

Hey, I think its great your getting started and I can see that you are getting some good advice.
All I can say is try and keep it simple, make a plan and stick to it.

Try not to do everything at once, as others have said, three days a week lifting is plenty for you, if you are buzzing to do more do 2-3 cardio sessions a week or just walk as often as possible. Over time you will be able to handle more hard training, in the mean time use your extra motivation into preparing good food and keeping a log.

All the best, it is encouraging to see someone who didnt wait till the new year to get started :smiley:

50

[quote]Belle Curvy wrote:
pushmepullme wrote:
Belle Curvy wrote:

I don’t squat with the bar! It is hard to do just my bodyweight. I wobble and it is hard to get real low. I watched in the mirror and I get almost to my knees and I seem to stop then I pause and try to push lower and my balance disappears and I think someone is about to yell “Timber!!”, so I hurry up and stand up.

Do you have a bag or things on a cord to carry your stuff? My pants don’t have pockets so I am constantly picking up my water, my towel, my iPod, and my keys.

You might try holding onto a doorknob and squatting down to get used to the feeling and help with flexibility. Make sure you are stretching your hips and glutes, and get a foam roller! Take care of yourself now, not later!

I carry a large bag to the gym, but I have to bring powerlifting stuff with me in addition to the regular gym crap (big rubber bands, squat and DL suits/shirt, suit slippers or shirt bags, belt, chalk, knee and wrist wraps). Bring a bag, it’s no big deal. I got a great one from a conference I went to - too big for groceries, just perfect for lifting stuff. When I’m just doing cardio, I hook my key ring onto a little wristlet that is big enough for my ipod, and drink gym water.

How do you stretch your hips?

what do you use rubber bands for?

I have been icing my knee, my right one got big and puffy from actually being put to use, and I took an aspirin and I soaked in epsom salts. I was VERY sore yesterday. Still sore today, but not as bad.

[/quote]

How? Um, you just kinda do it? Here are a couple of helpful articles from this site:

I’m also a big fan of the “Neanderthal no More” series, since I am on a computer constantly.

Don’t worry about getting fancy right now. Just make it a habit to work out kinks and take care of your muscles. The technical knowledge will come with research and time. Remember, baby steps!

I use the bands for a variety of exercises. I stretch my shoulders with them, use them to assist for pullups and chinups, and use them for powerlifting-specific type exercises (to provide additional resistance or assistance at the top of a lift, generally).

51

[quote]Doyle wrote:
Hey, I think its great your getting started and I can see that you are getting some good advice.
All I can say is try and keep it simple, make a plan and stick to it.

Try not to do everything at once, as others have said, three days a week lifting is plenty for you, if you are buzzing to do more do 2-3 cardio sessions a week or just walk as often as possible. Over time you will be able to handle more hard training, in the mean time use your extra motivation into preparing good food and keeping a log.

All the best, it is encouraging to see someone who didnt wait till the new year to get started :D[/quote]

Doyle! Thank you!

I do feel as if I have a jump on things.

I promise I won’t turn this thread into a training log and try and save it just for my Beginner’s Questions.

52

[quote]Belle Curvy wrote:
Doyle wrote:
Hey, I think its great your getting started and I can see that you are getting some good advice.
All I can say is try and keep it simple, make a plan and stick to it.

Try not to do everything at once, as others have said, three days a week lifting is plenty for you, if you are buzzing to do more do 2-3 cardio sessions a week or just walk as often as possible. Over time you will be able to handle more hard training, in the mean time use your extra motivation into preparing good food and keeping a log.

All the best, it is encouraging to see someone who didnt wait till the new year to get started :smiley:

Doyle! Thank you!

I do feel as if I have a jump on things.

I promise I won’t turn this thread into a training log and try and save it just for my Beginner’s Questions.[/quote]

It’s refreshing to see a newbie (not that I’m a veteran) who is taking advice from people, instead of insulting everyone who doesn’t say “you’re amazing”.

53

[quote]chimera182 wrote:
It’s refreshing to see a newbie (not that I’m a veteran) who is taking advice from people, instead of insulting everyone who doesn’t say “you’re amazing”.
[/quote]

Probably because she is a woman.

54

Hi Isabelle,
Over the years, I have worked out, but nothing consistantly…I would work hard, then get bored…I want to get serious with my end results. I am one of the lucky ones, by way of being naturally in shape (I’m 5’7" and weigh around 115 pounds).

I dont have to work hard at it at all. It seems that I get to a certain point, then I dont hold myself accountable anymore. Right now I am working out in my home, which actually works for me. I need to learn when to eat and what to eat for the best results.

I changed my ideas of why I want to work out…no more thinking of being thin…but rather rethinking about building up my muscle and getting that “6 pack!”

Charlize…

55

Foam rolling is great if your muscles are tight, it is like having a sports massage but one that you do yourself and basically helps to losen things up.

You can read about it here:

If flexibility is a problem, you can do some rollling before your weights as part of your warm up.

A good warm up should include movements to get your joints and muscles moving. Check out Magnificent Mobility dvd:

http://ericcressey.com/mmreviews.html

For static stretches, it is best to do this stretching after exercise and work hard on things like your quads and hip flexors if they are a problem.

I have to go now, but I’ll try and find you a good article later.

56

[quote]Lift and Eat wrote:
Foam rolling is great if your muscles are tight, it is like having a sports massage but one that you do yourself and basically helps to losen things up.

You can read about it here:

If flexibility is a problem, you can do some rollling before your weights as part of your warm up.

A good warm up should include movements to get your joints and muscles moving. Check out Magnificent Mobility dvd:

http://ericcressey.com/mmreviews.html

For static stretches, it is best to do this stretching after exercise and work hard on things like your quads and hip flexors if they are a problem.

I have to go now, but I’ll try and find you a good article later.[/quote]

I am still sore and my right knee is puffy. I don’t have joint pain in my knee but it is a bit swollen.

I have been doing stretches as a warm up before my workouts but not afterwards. I do take a nice hot shower or a bath though, after my workouts.

I already take an aspirin a day because I have hit the magical 40yr mark and that is just a precaution for heart health.

I was told I need to stretch my hip flexors because I have a hard time opening up for my squat. I am compensating by setting my feet wider apart. Do you think the wide feet is a good idea?

Should I stretch afterwards also?

57

Love you avatar. Is it you?

58

[quote]Belle Curvy wrote:
I am still sore and my right knee is puffy. I don’t have joint pain in my knee but it is a bit swollen.

I have been doing stretches as a warm up before my workouts but not afterwards. I do take a nice hot shower or a bath though, after my workouts.

I already take an aspirin a day because I have hit the magical 40yr mark and that is just a precaution for heart health.

I was told I need to stretch my hip flexors because I have a hard time opening up for my squat. I am compensating by setting my feet wider apart. Do you think the wide feet is a good idea?

Should I stretch afterwards also?[/quote]

It’s best if you do something like the foam rolling and also some dynamic stuff to get your hips moving before your workout. Static strecthing is not a very effective way to warm up. There’s some good warm up mobility stuff for hips in this article:

Then save your static stretching til after your session. Static stretching done before is not as good as doing dynamic warm ups. Just start the dynamic warm ups slowly at your own pace and increase the range of movement and speed as you get better at them.

Then stretch after training (Hip flexors, glutes, quads, calves etc).

If you are sore after training then some ice applied for 20mins (or sitting in a cold bath if you’re game!) will help reduce the trauma in the muscles and aid recovery. You will then also feel less sore the next day.

If I have a particular sore spot, I usually wrap some ice in a damp tea towel and apply to the effected area for 20mins after training. This would be good for your knee.

Having your feet a little wider for the squat won’t hurt, but ultimately you will need to address the flexibility issues otherwise they will lead to other problems down the line.

There are some good exercises for helping teaching your body to squat in this article:

Remember you are just starting out, take things slowly and gradually work on the mobility/flexibility stuff alongside the strength work and it’ll all come good.

59

Your body should get more flexible simply by squatting more often, which is one of the reasons Rippetoe has you doing it 3 days a week in Starting Strength.

You get better at anything you do often.

60

http://www.figureathlete.com/readTopic.do?id=2399366

This is a thread on figure athlete where I was discussing how to train my female friend. It also includes a broomstick mobility routine that I created.

Women need to have a wider stance then men when squatting due to the difference in angles from pelvis to knee. This means that there needs to be more emphasis on the glutes, wide stance, sumo deadlifts,lunges etc. However I only found this out on FA.