14 yr old and mom need good basic workout

[mouse1]

Hi,

My 14 yr old son kenny and I (39 yr old mom) are planning on starting to work out tonight, as a matter of fact. We are aiming for 3 times a week doing a weightlifting circuit to build muscle and tone.
we joined a gym but they aren't really interested in helping unless you buy a set of personal training and we can't afford that. I have read a lot and seached the net and know a lot of the basics but my main problem is knowing which exercises are best.

It seems like there a several for each muscle group and I don't want to overdo it for him or me but I haven't found a place that gives a basic workout without too many suggestions or overkill.

If anyone can point me in the right direction, I would appreicate it. I did try to use the search feature but still didn't come up with what I am looking for.

He does tennis so his cardio is pretty much taken care of and I walk/jog dogs 2 times a day.

thanks for your time,
Mouse1

[.V.]

I personally don't care for doing a 3 day split. Working the whole body by lifting 3 days a week. I prefer to do one body part each day (except on chest day, then I do chest and abs together). However if for some reason you can only get to the gym 3 days a week, here's an idea.

Day 1.....Legs/Abs
Day 2.....Chest/Back
Day 3.....Shoulders/Arms

Make sure to take a full day off of lifting between workouts - for example lift on monday, wedensday, friday. Take a week between workouts for the same body part - for example monday is legs and abs each week. Do cardio on tuesday and thursday. If you want to do cardio on the same days that you lift - you should probably take about 8 or more hours between lifting and cardio. Since you are just starting out it really doesn't matter which one you do first. Some people say lift in the AM, others say lift in the PM.

Now first step - go here: http://www.discussfitness.com/forums...ad.php?t=14460 and check out all the different exercises.

Second step - pick a couple for each body part that you can do and stick with. Do them on the correct day.

For example on leg/ab day do squat, stiff legged deadlifts, and calf raises. For abs do Crunches and cable crunches. When the crunches get too easy, add weight. Oh, I almost forgot - do your ab work in 2 sets of 8 to 10 reps.

For chest/back day - do bench press, dumbell bench press, Conventional deadlift, bent over rows, and pullups (or lat pull downs).

For shoulder/arm day - do military press, bent over lateral raises, BB curls, skull crushers, concentration curls, and tricep pressdowns from the lat tower.

These are only examples - find ones that you can do.

I prefer to do warmup and acclimation (getting the muscles warmed up and supplied with blood and nutrients followed by getting used to the heavier weights) - then do my heavy sets. Yes - heavy. Heavy is a relative term. Heavy for you is not going to be heavy for me. Heavy for me isn't going to be heavy for others here.

After getting warmed up and ready to lift - do 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps for each exercise you have chosen for that day. If you can't do 4 clean repetitions of an exercise without cheating, it is too heavy. When doing 6 reps at your chosen weight is too easy, increase the weight enough that you are dropping back down to 4 reps.

Some people will disagree with me on this and have you start doing 8-10 reps, 6-8 reps, 10-12 reps. It really doesn't matter which you choose, just choose one and stick to it. I don't have the time to waste doing 12 reps for 3 sets in my gym so I do the lower rep/higher weight range. That gives me better results in a shorter time.

Don't worry mom, you aren't going to turn into the incredible hulk by lifting weights and even by lifting heavy. You are female and don't have the hormones for it - if you do heavy weights and cardio, you will just end up looking toned and muscular. If you find you are getting too muscular (darn near impossible) then you can back off a little.

If you are interested in following a 5 day split go here: http://www.ast-ss.com/max-ot/max-ot_intro.asp

Read the whole thing, and do the 5 day routine that they give you. It is really nice and result producing.

Best of luck finding what works for you and getting the results you want. It can be done by anyone with the desire and dedication to be consistant and stick to it.

Hope this is helpful for you.

[mouse1]

Welch,

thanks for the info. I will incorporate it into the schedule that i am trying to make. I do appreciate you taking the time to respond.

We are pretty excited about making some positive changes!

thanks,
Mouse

[.V.]

Great - making the decision and getting started is the most important part. After that, sticking to it is.

I sat on my butt doing nothing for years, getting worse and worse. I got started several times but had no clue what I was doing and kept getting hurt and having to quit. Getting started again was always the hard part.

Hope you find something you can enjoy and keep doing. After that and you are making some progress, having a good time - there is tons of help here to find ways to make it even better, more effective, better diet/nutrition. You won't believe the difference you can make in your body and health if you will just stay with it.

Good luck.

[carcajou]

I don't advocate the chest and back on the same day nor the arms and shoulders on the same day...the chest and triceps should be done on the same day (say day 2) and the back and biceps should be done on the same day (let's say day 3)...with the chest exercises performed before the tricep exercises and on day three the back exercises done before the bicep exercises. It is done that way because working the large muscles will 'warm up' the small muscles without burning them out. Chest and back together is too intense to do on the same day in most cases. Also arms and shoulders on the same day is just too much arm work on one day. Abs can be thrown in any and all days. So...

Day 1.....Legs/shoulders
Day 2.....Chest/Triceps
Day 3.....Back/Biceps
*abs every day*...you don't have to 'kill' the abs every day just do some...

[pseudonym]

mouse1: congrats on making the decision to take up a 'fit' lifestyle, I look forward to reading about your progress (maybe think about starting a journal in the 'journals' section). Welch has it all pretty much covered, I would just encourage you not to overthink it (a'la carajou's response - all valid points but at the beginning stage really nothing you need be too concerned about).

carcajou: no dis on your ideas mate, they are fair but for someone who has never lifted before do you really think the order of their split matters ? I honestly do not think it does, that sort of thing comes later when you've got all the exercises squared away and know what ones do what to your body and how much you like it.

my $.02

[threenorns]

and don't do abs every day. they're a muscle like any other muscle - once or twice a week at the most.

this is the nature of the game: everybody has a system that works for them. me, i'm 38F and i follow a powerlifting routine. i am getting more muscular, but that's because that's what i want.

just make sure you choose properly heavy weights - don't go very light or you will likely end up irritating your joints, which really sucks.

[.V.]

Actually, carcajou's points are pretty valid. There are so many options. I just presented one super simple one. He presented another. Both work. They will have to do some experimenting to see what will work best for them. When I first started getting some results, I was doing Legs/Back, Chest/Shoulders, Arms/Abs three days on, one rest day, repeat. It worked, but it really kicked my butt. Legs/Back on the same day? That was too tough - and I was doing it the heavy weight/low volume way. So basically, if others want to reccomend splits to them, they try each for a couple of weeks and see what they like best - then that would give them a feel for what will work best for their bodies. But pseudonym is right, don't make it complicated, don't think too much, keep it simple. Find a split you can live with, find a few exercises you can live with - and stick to it. Then once you have a couple months experience - re-evaluate and make changes. You can actually get into some very complicated workout/diet routines. But, that would just work against you at the beginning.

[mouse1]

Hi All,

I did go and work out last night, almost didn't, was in a very bad mood and Kenny wanted to go and in-line skate with friends instead. So, I went and he went with friends (hey, exercise is exercise).

It took me 30 minutes and I felt like I was working pretty hard. I can feel a little soreness but not much today so I know that I didn't overwork, probably didn't work hard enough but it was a start. I will continue.

thanks so much for all your advice, it made a difference - I made it to the gym!!

thanks,
Mouse

[.V.]

Originally Posted by mouse1

...I made it to the gym!!

Great. Now make it back.:

[carcajou]

Originally Posted by pseudonym

carcajou: no dis on your ideas mate,

None taken.

Originally Posted by pseudonym

they are fair but for someone who has never lifted before do you really think the order of their split matters ? I honestly do not think it does,

I think it matters even more for beginners...this is when overtraining and injuries are MOST common...not to mention the discouragement of what starting in resistance training can do to someone ie."do I want to be sore for 3 days in a row again?" In fact, I would typically recommend 3 days per week full body basic routines for beginners because splits are a 'refinement' of sorts and only really required by moderate to advanced lifters.

Originally Posted by pseudonym

that sort of thing comes later when you've got all the exercises squared away and know what ones do what to your body and how much you like it.

I see what you are saying here but even basic routines can benefit immensely from some 'rules of thumb'...rather like not doing your bicep curls before your lat pulldowns due to the pre-exhaustion of the smaller muscle group not allowing the larger muscle group to get the proper work...see what I'm saying?

[carcajou]

Originally Posted by mouse1

Hi All,

I did go and work out last night, almost didn't, was in a very bad mood and...So, I went...

You have already stumbled upon a great lesson...sometimes things aren't going that well...go to your workout anyway...why?
#1 sticking with your routine will help with your 'bad moods'
#2 working out will help you sleep better
#3 it will help you think clearer
#4 it will help your self-esteem consciously or subconsciously
After you are more experienced with it you may find that you will consciously call off a workout but that will be because you will get to know your body etter and what it (you) require(s).

[carcajou]

Originally Posted by threenorns

and don't do abs every day. they're a muscle like any other muscle - once or twice a week at the most.

Yes...I have to admit that I am wrong on this one...this is better than every day...maybe 'every other day' after you get to the intermediate level...

[mouse1]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

Great. Now make it back.:

That made me laugh but it also really made me think. That is so true, it is so hard to start something but even harder to continue it. I am planning to go tomorrow, just cardio today but I do have the focus right now.

I am also using fit day and tracking everything so I am off to a good start.

I will report back in!!

thank you all,
Micki

[pseudonym]

Originally Posted by carcajou

I think it matters even more for beginners...this is when overtraining and injuries are MOST common...not to mention the discouragement of what starting in resistance training can do to someone ie."do I want to be sore for 3 days in a row again?" ...

hmmm yeah I can totally see your point there, I guess my thinking was more in a direction that says a beignner might not be training hard enough to overtrain themselves - I can totally appreciate this as flawed though - Just speaking from my own beginning experience of lifting when I thought if I had trouble lifting the weight I was doing it wrong

Originally Posted by carcajou

I see what you are saying here but even basic routines can benefit immensely from some 'rules of thumb'...rather like not doing your bicep curls before your lat pulldowns due to the pre-exhaustion of the smaller muscle group not allowing the larger muscle group to get the proper work...see what I'm saying?

Yeah I dig your perspective and I actually think you're right, I am just a little reticent to get to into this sort of thing with a rank newbie who, even if they exhaust the small group first, will probably still make gains (hell I'da made gains just looking at the weights in my first few weeks ).

Originally Posted by carcajou

In fact, I would typically recommend 3 days per week full body basic routines for beginners because splits are a 'refinement' of sorts and only really required by moderate to advanced lifters.

I totally agree with this, though I would say a M/W/F Squat/Bench/Deadlift split (full body once a week style). Just big compound movements learning correct form for the first month or two and I rekon most any newb will gain like anything and set themselves up for a much longer and more successful lifting life (again speaking from my own experience here - everyone's different - but once I started lifting predominantly compound, squatting particularly, my gains went through the roof).

Mouse1: fantastic effort on getting into the gym, stick at it and you'll start seeing the changes you want (and eventually you'll probably reach a place where it feels strange not to be in the gym when you know you should - not guilt style, you'll likely genuinely miss it ).