Hello, I had baby number 2, 9 months ago. I am 50 pounds overweight. I have really never really seriously used weigts or a extended amount of time because I am afraid I would get bigger I am only 5foot 3 inches. I am currently ony doing cardio 30 minutes. I have one of Cathe's video's Maxium strength. I think it's to hard for me right now. can you suggest where to begin what video would be a good beginner for me and what weight(pounds)? Can anyone tell me the how strength training improved there lives and bodies> Thanks CindyB.
lose weight
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FitnessGoddess
Cathlete
Actually, Cindy, MIS is probably one of the better weight tapes to start out with. Cathe gives excellent form pointers. You would want to start with the lightest weight possible, a set of 3 lb dumbbells will run you about $5 at WalMart. As for leg work, just use your body resistance until you feel you can add weight. Let your body "talk" to you. You will know when you can go heavier or when you've gone too heavy.
As for "getting bigger" because of weights, you really don't have much to be worried about. Women are not genetically made to get big like men. Muscle will actually help you to lose weight.
Hope I've helped a little. Good luck & let us know how you do.
As for "getting bigger" because of weights, you really don't have much to be worried about. Women are not genetically made to get big like men. Muscle will actually help you to lose weight.
Hope I've helped a little. Good luck & let us know how you do.
I'd like to add just one thing to Fitness Goddess' excellent advice. You might want to consider holding onto a broom handle or an empty barbell to steady yourself and help you get back up when you first start doing lunges. I know when I was first starting, a simple lunge with only my body weight was just too much for me. (I can do them holding 70 pounds, now!!!) You CAN begin weight work with Cathe, though. You just have to start really, really light, do only as much as you can, and keep adding and improving.
Shari
Shari
P.S. You asked how weight training improved my life/body. I forgot to answer that part. I don't know where to begin. It gave me my life BACK! At 30 years old, I felt like I was just waiting to die. I weighed almost 300 pounds. I was tired all the time. I took something like 10 or 12 pills a day for high blood pressure, diabetes, hypothyroidism, depression--you name it, I took a pill for it. I barely had enough energy to work and take care of my family, let alone have fun.
I'm almost completely off medication, now. My diabetes is completely under control with just diet and exercise. I can wear shoes again! I wore Birkenstock sandals, winter and summer, for four years because my feet hurt too much to wear regular shoes. I can buy clothes in regular stores and actually enjoy it instead of buying the biggest tent I can find (size 24-26). In fact, I didn't enjoy doing anything because everything was so exhausting, and I didn't want to go anywhere because I was afraid I'd see someone I know or someone would make fun of "the fat lady." Now I'm strong, healthy, and infinitely happier. Weights/exercise and eating right really can change your life completely.
Shari
I'm almost completely off medication, now. My diabetes is completely under control with just diet and exercise. I can wear shoes again! I wore Birkenstock sandals, winter and summer, for four years because my feet hurt too much to wear regular shoes. I can buy clothes in regular stores and actually enjoy it instead of buying the biggest tent I can find (size 24-26). In fact, I didn't enjoy doing anything because everything was so exhausting, and I didn't want to go anywhere because I was afraid I'd see someone I know or someone would make fun of "the fat lady." Now I'm strong, healthy, and infinitely happier. Weights/exercise and eating right really can change your life completely.
Shari
I use MIS and it has helped me with losing part of the 17 lbs I've lost. I wasn't afraid of getting big, I just wanted to lose weight, and this workout video has helped me alot .... just try it, it took me a while to be able to do most of it, I still can't do the push-ups like they do, I have to do the modified ones lol, one of these days I will get there. :7 I just want to encourage you to at least try it and then if its too much come back to it later. Bless you .. Rhonda :7
dorothyrd
Cathlete
Since you have two children and one is 9 months old, you might want to break this video down because it is long. Do lower body the first day, upper body the next, rest from weights the third. Then repeat, so your whole body gets worked twice in a week. This will also give you some time to do the cardio if you want. MIS is a great video, but is somewhat long and for a busy Mom, can be difficult to fit in. Other people recommending starting out light is a very good idea. Don't feel bad about cutting down on some of the sets or reps either. That is a good way to ease into it also.
I am only an inch taller than you, and I love the way muscle looks on me. When I first starting lifting 20 years ago, I dropped a dress size without dropping weight. Recently I went on Weight Watchers, dropped 37 pounds, in 6 months. Sizewise I fit into 6's and 8's and am 140. I believe that having the muscle from my years of weight lifting has helped. I also have injuries in my shoulders from softball. By building the muscle in my shoulders, I keep them stable and pain free. Taking care of children is hard work, and you need to be strong to keep up with them. Mine are 15 and 10, and I do feel I can keep up with them. Think about when you age, all the literature tells women to lift weights to keep their bones strong. Start when you are young, and you do not have to worry about being frail when you are older!! Cardio takes care of your heart and some muscle. Weight lifting takes care of your muscle and bones. Doing both is the whole package.
I am only an inch taller than you, and I love the way muscle looks on me. When I first starting lifting 20 years ago, I dropped a dress size without dropping weight. Recently I went on Weight Watchers, dropped 37 pounds, in 6 months. Sizewise I fit into 6's and 8's and am 140. I believe that having the muscle from my years of weight lifting has helped. I also have injuries in my shoulders from softball. By building the muscle in my shoulders, I keep them stable and pain free. Taking care of children is hard work, and you need to be strong to keep up with them. Mine are 15 and 10, and I do feel I can keep up with them. Think about when you age, all the literature tells women to lift weights to keep their bones strong. Start when you are young, and you do not have to worry about being frail when you are older!! Cardio takes care of your heart and some muscle. Weight lifting takes care of your muscle and bones. Doing both is the whole package.
honeybunch1
Cathlete
Take a good look at Cathe - do you call her "big?" Not hardly! I've said this a zillion times, but I will repeat it for your benefit....before lifting weights very seriously, I wore a size 10. Now after lifting weights and doing Cathe cardio primarily, I am working my way into a 4. I wear some 6's and some 4's, depending on the cut and the brand.
YOU WILL NOT GET BIG WITH WEIGHTS!!!!!! YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY WITH WEIGHTS!!!!!!!!! When are women going to get it?!
When you are very overweight you are "big." Weights will make you more compact.
Please excuse my irritation - I just get tired of gals fearing that they will get huge with weight training.
Just Do It!
YOU WILL NOT GET BIG WITH WEIGHTS!!!!!! YOU WILL NOT GET BULKY WITH WEIGHTS!!!!!!!!! When are women going to get it?!
When you are very overweight you are "big." Weights will make you more compact.
Please excuse my irritation - I just get tired of gals fearing that they will get huge with weight training.
Just Do It!
You have to realize she is probably new to Cathe's forums and maybe even fitness itself, so more than likely her first time asking. I know you did not mean this in a mean way, and your results are amazing, but I also hope she doesn't run from the forums or fear asking more questions. I know I probably ask questions that have been asked a thousand times over, but I always get great advice here because everyone here is pretty educated with their experiences with Cathe and fitness in general. It's great to learn from others trials and errors.
Kim
Kim
munchkin928
Cathlete
Hi Cindy,
You've gotten lots of encouraging responses here, but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents as a fellow beginner. I have been working out with Cathe for a while, but I keep being on again, off again, so I haven't made as much progress as some of these ladies.
I think MIS is a really great beginner's weights video as long as you ignore how much Cathe says she lifts! For the longest time I got a really nice burn from using 3 lb weights on all exercises (no weights on the legs). I am just now getting to where I use 5 lbs on the first couple of exercises before dropping back to the 3's. My goal is to work up to being able to use 8 lbs on everything. However, when I reach that goal I know that all the ladies on this board will see that as just as big of an accomplishment as someone else increasing to 20's! I honestly think MIS is the best video I have to give form pointers and just flat out increase strength.
If you want to combine your cardio and weights (which will give you fast results at first), you could try Karen Voight's Your Personal Best video... it's sort of a circuit workout where you alternate cardio and weight sections. Alos, in Cathe's Wedding video, she is much less imposing, since she's using 5 lb weights herself. Finally, many people, myself included have gotten good results from the FIRM (they do a lot of AWT training, where you weights and cardio are closely intertwined... watch your form!).
I strongly believe that weight training is changing my body, although I'm in the middle of the transformation right now. I am starting to feel muscles underneath my laters of 'goosh' and I'm happy thinking forward to being strong and muscular (like a lot of the ladies on this board), and being a size 4 or whatever with enough meat on my bones that I can actually live a full live - eat heartily, lift my own groceries, rearrange my own furniture, play sports, etc. I especially still want to be able to do some of those things when I am in my 70s, so I really want to increse my base of strength.
Hope some of that relates to you a little! Plase don't be afraid to ask more questions... there are beginner's around here too!
Amanda
You've gotten lots of encouraging responses here, but I wanted to throw in my 2 cents as a fellow beginner. I have been working out with Cathe for a while, but I keep being on again, off again, so I haven't made as much progress as some of these ladies.
I think MIS is a really great beginner's weights video as long as you ignore how much Cathe says she lifts!
For the longest time I got a really nice burn from using 3 lb weights on all exercises (no weights on the legs). I am just now getting to where I use 5 lbs on the first couple of exercises before dropping back to the 3's. My goal is to work up to being able to use 8 lbs on everything. However, when I reach that goal I know that all the ladies on this board will see that as just as big of an accomplishment as someone else increasing to 20's! I honestly think MIS is the best video I have to give form pointers and just flat out increase strength.If you want to combine your cardio and weights (which will give you fast results at first), you could try Karen Voight's Your Personal Best video... it's sort of a circuit workout where you alternate cardio and weight sections. Alos, in Cathe's Wedding video, she is much less imposing, since she's using 5 lb weights herself. Finally, many people, myself included have gotten good results from the FIRM (they do a lot of AWT training, where you weights and cardio are closely intertwined... watch your form!).
I strongly believe that weight training is changing my body, although I'm in the middle of the transformation right now. I am starting to feel muscles underneath my laters of 'goosh' and I'm happy thinking forward to being strong and muscular (like a lot of the ladies on this board), and being a size 4 or whatever with enough meat on my bones that I can actually live a full live - eat heartily, lift my own groceries, rearrange my own furniture, play sports, etc. I especially still want to be able to do some of those things when I am in my 70s, so I really want to increse my base of strength.
Hope some of that relates to you a little! Plase don't be afraid to ask more questions... there are beginner's around here too!
Amanda
helene1
Cathlete
>Take a good look at Cathe - do you call her "big?" Not
>hardly! I've said this a zillion times, but I will repeat it
>for your benefit....before lifting weights very seriously, I
>wore a size 10. Now after lifting weights and doing Cathe
>cardio primarily, I am working my way into a 4. I wear some
>6's and some 4's, depending on the cut and the brand.
>
>Just Do It!
Hi could you tell me how many days a week you train and what is your routine? Also, how many calories a day to you eat.
I am a size 10 and want to get down 1 or 2 sizes. Need your advice.
Thanks
>hardly! I've said this a zillion times, but I will repeat it
>for your benefit....before lifting weights very seriously, I
>wore a size 10. Now after lifting weights and doing Cathe
>cardio primarily, I am working my way into a 4. I wear some
>6's and some 4's, depending on the cut and the brand.
>
>Just Do It!
Hi could you tell me how many days a week you train and what is your routine? Also, how many calories a day to you eat.
I am a size 10 and want to get down 1 or 2 sizes. Need your advice.
Thanks
I like Cathe's upper body weight workouts for beginners but her lower body workouts can be a real challenge if you've never done squats or lunges before. Body weight exercises are really tough in the beginning. That goes for push-ups too.
Don't try and keep up with Cathe. Use weights as light as you need to for the upper body. For the lower body, you may want to do one set of 10 or even as few as five of the major lower body movements such as squats and lunges carrying no extra weight. This is great because you only have to buy a few dumbells in the beginning. Go at your own pace and don't be afraid to hang onto something for balance if you need to.
You'll be surprised at how fast your strength will increase. Your body will become more compact if you don't eat more. Be careful of this because weight work can make you hungry at times. Good luck and I'm sure you'll do just fine.
Don't try and keep up with Cathe. Use weights as light as you need to for the upper body. For the lower body, you may want to do one set of 10 or even as few as five of the major lower body movements such as squats and lunges carrying no extra weight. This is great because you only have to buy a few dumbells in the beginning. Go at your own pace and don't be afraid to hang onto something for balance if you need to.
You'll be surprised at how fast your strength will increase. Your body will become more compact if you don't eat more. Be careful of this because weight work can make you hungry at times. Good luck and I'm sure you'll do just fine.