I started weight lifting about 6 months ago but quit because I was burnt out due to a 6 month stint doing elliptical 6 times a week. Plus, the holidays did not make it easy to keep a routine and the diet went out the window. I have made a new years resolution to start back up and this week I finally got on it! Mr. Awesome Boyfriend took my advice and checked out Elliott Hulse’s blog on YouTube. We found an weight lifting program called Stronglifts 5×5 or Starting Strength 5×5 (minor difference). It consists of a Monday, Wednesday, Friday routine. There are two routines that alternate each day.
Routine 1: Squat, Bench Press, Bent Over Row.
Routine 2: Squat, Overhead Press, and Deadlift.
Yes, I did say squat twice that is the program. Before anyone starts lifting weights I wanted to give you some beginner tips:
1: Do YOUR RESEARCH! Check out how to lift properly. Injury is a huge factor especially when you start to lift really heavy. Proper stretching is key to injury prevention. Also, learn how to do each lift with proper form. That will prevent injury AND help lift more weight in the long run.
2: Start with LOW weight! Don’t be macho and leave your ego at the door. By starting off with low weight you will be able to master proper form which will allow you to lift more in the future.
3: Eat to lift! A low calorie diet of veggies and oatmeal will NOT help you lift. Think like a caveman… more meat! Now, that doesn’t mean eat more fried chicken and burgers. Again, do your research, and you will find that most body builders use protein powders. They also eat a sh@! ton of eggs and chicken. I have found that a diet called Paleo or Primal works great for lifting weights. Basically, you eliminate all processed foods. No breads, pasta, grains… yes I know it is hard but if you want to lift you won’t miss these after a week. Anything a caveman can eat is the rule of thumb. Now, of course you can cook your meat. Make sure you get enough to eat. If you are hungry eat protein.
Here is a basic day (when I lift) of what I eat:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/Lindsayboulay?date=2014-01-15
This diet is mostly protein and you need that for building muscle. Females… you will NOT look like she-hulk if you start lifting weights. If anything you will look like a model. Google it if you think I’m crazy, here are a few for you to look through.
I Started Day 1:
Squat: 30lbs
Bench: 30lbs
Row: 40lbs
Day 2:
Squat 45lbs
Press:30lbs
Deadlift: 55lbs
Every time you add 5 pounds until it is too much and you can’t finish a set of 5. I am getting 1 1/4 weights to help. You will notice a weird jump in weight on squats because my gym has no 35 lb bar and the 40 lb bar was in use by someone. So I used the Olympic Bar (45 Lb) and went slow on the negative and used assistance on the way up. I will use this again on Friday and by Monday I should be doing all 5×5 with the Olympic Bar by myself.
The best picture I found during my research!
– girl in pigtails
Girl in Pigtails 