I'm going to be training my sister this summer for her wedding at the end of september. She's a very pretty girl, and she should look great with losing 5-6 pounds of fat and maybe putting on a similar amount of muscle. A la Jessica Biel. Not truly muscular, but that's not what she wants

Anyhow, my question is about free weights and the big gunner lifts. I'm sure most of you probably do them now. But when you first started out did you launch straight into squats, deadlifts, benchpress, etc...? My sister has had some experience lifting in the past but isn't currently and hasn't regularly on a schedule for extended periods. As far as I know, she's also only done machines. Maybe some dumbell work. So, how would you recommend starting her off. Ok to launch right into squats and deadlifts? Or start with machine stuff and some dumbell work on certain exercises and ease into it? (when I was helping my girlfriend workout, we stuck to machines. That was what she wanted to do)thanks!

I'm going to be training my sister this summer for her wedding at the end of september. She's a very pretty girl, and she should look great with losing 5-6 pounds of fat and maybe putting on a similar amount of muscle. A la Jessica Biel. Not truly muscular, but that's not what she wants

Anyhow, my question is about free weights and the big gunner lifts. I'm sure most of you probably do them now. But when you first started out did you launch straight into squats, deadlifts, benchpress, etc...? My sister has had some experience lifting in the past but isn't currently and hasn't regularly on a schedule for extended periods. As far as I know, she's also only done machines. Maybe some dumbell work. So, how would you recommend starting her off. Ok to launch right into squats and deadlifts? Or start with machine stuff and some dumbell work on certain exercises and ease into it? (when I was helping my girlfriend workout, we stuck to machines. That was what she wanted to do)thanks!

launch her right out there into the same excercises you do.. just start her out light and progressivly add weight... you don't want her so sore she can't move but in my opinion free weights are just sooooo much better than machines. :db: :flex: Start her with just the bar (45 lbs) for squats and see how she does.. if it's way too easy (which it probably will be) add weight for the next set, then more for the third set... keep the weight low and the reps high (12 or so) for the first couple of weeks to break her muscles in, and then start to increase the weight ;)

why don't you have her join the site too? just a suggestion.. this place has helped me a lot ;) sometimes siblings don't always believe everything the other one say's, so this site would help to support what your telling her :tucool:

But when you first started out did you launch straight into squats, deadlifts, benchpress, etc...? My sister has had some experience lifting in the past but isn't currently and hasn't regularly on a schedule for extended periods. As far as I know, she's also only done machines. Maybe some dumbell work. So, how would you recommend starting her off. Ok to launch right into squats and deadlifts? Or start with machine stuff and some dumbell work on certain exercises and ease into it? (when I was helping my girlfriend workout, we stuck to machines. That was what she wanted to do)thanks!

I never made decent progress til I started doing the two top dog lifts (squat and deads).

My wife is a machine junky and she's made minimal progress - I wouldn't blame the machines though. I've seen lots of women tone down nicely on machines alone. She just really needs to ensure her focus and intensity is there on the machines. (and you'll have her doing a solid routine)

Tell her nothing will firm up her bottom like a squat - she'll be dying to do them. :D

launch her right out there into the same excercises you do.. just start her out light and progressivly add weight... you don't want her so sore she can't move but in my opinion free weights are just sooooo much better than machines. :db: :flex: Start her with just the bar (45 lbs) for squats and see how she does.. if it's way too easy (which it probably will be) add weight for the next set, then more for the third set... keep the weight low and the reps high (12 or so) for the first couple of weeks to break her muscles in, and then start to increase the weight ;)

why don't you have her join the site too? just a suggestion.. this place has helped me a lot ;) sometimes siblings don't always believe everything the other one say's, so this site would help to support what your telling her :tucool:

Thanks for the input Vatech and Chameleon. I agree that free weights are best. I do think there is a proper place for machines and do incorporate some Hammer Strength, cable work, and nautilus work into my own workout. But there's no substitute for free weights! I will just ease her in as Chameleon suggested. How would this work with HIT do you think? She's very busy-first year as a lawyer at a big firm, moving into a new place, wedding stuff, etc... So I had planned to take her through 3 full-body HIT workouts per week. I guess on some exercises we can go to failure right away while on others such as squats, keep the weights a little lower and work on form until she gets it down. Does that sound good to you guys? I will suggest that she join the forum, Chamelon. She won't be able to be active on the forums the way I am. I have plenty of time-essentially 1 real class as a 2nd semester college senior. And I have wireless internet. So, I just head out to the pool with my computer, ipod, magazines and chill out. there right now hehe. But she can still look in the little free time she has to get nutrition info and post with any questions. anyhow, thanks. let me know when you get a chance what you think about starting her with HIT or if you have an alternative suggestion for 3 workouts per week.

Thanks for the input Vatech and Chameleon. I agree that free weights are best. I do think there is a proper place for machines and do incorporate some Hammer Strength, cable work, and nautilus work into my own workout. But there's no substitute for free weights! I will just ease her in as Chameleon suggested. How would this work with HIT do you think? She's very busy-first year as a lawyer at a big firm, moving into a new place, wedding stuff, etc... So I had planned to take her through 3 full-body HIT workouts per week. I guess on some exercises we can go to failure right away while on others such as squats, keep the weights a little lower and work on form until she gets it down. Does that sound good to you guys? I will suggest that she join the forum, Chamelon. She won't be able to be active on the forums the way I am. I have plenty of time-essentially 1 real class as a 2nd semester college senior. And I have wireless internet. So, I just head out to the pool with my computer, ipod, magazines and chill out. there right now hehe. But she can still look in the little free time she has to get nutrition info and post with any questions. anyhow, thanks. let me know when you get a chance what you think about starting her with HIT or if you have an alternative suggestion for 3 workouts per week.

A full body circuit would probably be good for her at the beginning but then I’d move her to a 3 or 4 day split… I like my 4 day split

Legs (quads/hams/calfs)
Back / chest
Cardio only
Bi’s / tri’s
Shoulders / abs & low back
Cardio only

I wouldn’t have her go to failure on any movement until at least the second week… let her ease into this… it would be bad for her to not be able to lift her arms after the first workout because you had her going to failure already… I would have her going to failure after the first week or two.. but on all moves.. not just some of them ;)

A full body circuit would probably be good for her at the beginning but then I’d move her to a 3 or 4 day split… I like my 4 day split

Legs (quads/hams/calfs)
Back / chest
Cardio only
Bi’s / tri’s
Shoulders / abs & low back
Cardio only

I wouldn’t have her go to failure on any movement until at least the second week… let her ease into this… it would be bad for her to not be able to lift her arms after the first workout because you had her going to failure already… I would have her going to failure after the first week or two.. but on all moves.. not just some of them ;)

Thanks for the continued input. I'm liking my split routine as well. (Yours is obviously working for you :) ) I'm making some really good gains (pics to come soon), but I do think that full-body is a good way to start. I'm glad you agree. I'll start her with the full-body and avoid failure for the first week. And then move into it. I've got about 2 weeks till we're both in Phila. so I can continue to think about the specifics. Thanks again!