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Beginner strength trainer here who just increased the weight of her dumbbells. (midwest.social)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Hello y'all. I am taking a break in the midst of my workout and thought to write this post. I recently increased the weight of the two dumbbells I'm using, so now both of them are 6kg.

I definitely notice the difference from 5kg each, and even though I can't finish all of my workouts because of exhaustion, I don't want to beat myself up too much over it. I'm getting stronger each time I workout, and eventually I'll be able to finish them all fully.

Anyway, I've been strength training for a few weeks now and I notice a difference. Maybe it's delusion or wishful thinking, but I like my body better now, I feel stronger and more energetic. I've been thinking about picking up boxing as well, and my dad just ordered one of those big boxing sacs that you punch (like you see frustrated husbands doing in shows), so that's fun.

Y'all got any exercise stories to share or advice for beginners like myself? Any other women in here who strength train? Would be fun to hear from y'all, no matter who you are. (: Cheers!

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago (3 children)

I would like to start weight training at home and have no idea where to begin. Do you have a particular routine? Do you have any advice?

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 months ago

Keep in mind I'm also a beginner, so I'm sure there are people here with better advice than mine. But I would say, start out light with a weight you know you'll be able to handle. Gradually work your way up to heavier weights, heavy enough to keep you sweaty but not so heavy that you can barely lift them at all.

I have made up a simple routine, where I do different exercises every second day to keep the variation. I start out with squats (both with and without a dumbbell), train my biceps and triceps, throw in reverse crunches in every session, and usually I end my routine with hip thrusts or goblet squats. I made this routine up on my own, aka I don't pay for any subscription or something like that. Definitely research what exercises stimulate the body in the best way, but I can say with some certainty that squats never hurt.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

Dumbbells and a bench/couch you can beat up go a loooong way. The "adjustable" dumbbell weights with the plates can be a big cost/space saver, too.

Otherwise, start slow and easy and slowly build up a routine you like. Learn new exercises when you can, and slowly flesh out your routine so it's whole-body over the cycle.

Personally, I do pushers one day, pullers the next day, leg day, and core/cardio day, then repeat ad. infinitum. It's mostly broken up so that only one "side" of a movement gets sore at a time. Makes going through the day to day stuff a lot easier when at least some muscles for any given normal motion aren't sore! (although nothing makes a sore core less sucky to deal with!)

Also stretching is way easier/less painful when only one side is ornery if you overdid something.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

A lot of that depends on you, your goals and your available equipment.. someone interested in strength training with barbells / powerlifting might gravitate towards 5/3/1. Strong curves is a program directed towards ladies and uses dumbbells, bands, etc. Check out the boostcamp app, it has a lot of free programs to choose from, with workout tracking and explanations of each lift

It's generally agreed that following an established program is definitely better than almost any DIY solution. You don't want to be spinning your wheels, you want to be getting the best bang for your buck and making progress