I am so mad at myself for not strength training sooner

@slant Honestly the positive impact its had on my life outside aesthetics too is huge. I'm in my early 20s and moving around a lot, and being able to pick up heavy ass stuff and boxes without needed a man has been invaluable.
 
@wisdomtracker ISN’T IT FUN? My first “little win” was noticing how much lighter packs of water and my cat litter felt while carrying them up my 5 flights of stairs.

I’m so proud of you for being self sufficient and strong!! I’m so sure that helps in moving, which is stressful enough as is. May your moves be smooth and muscles be strong.
 
@slant 100% if anyone younger than me asks me for advice, it's always to start strength training in your 20s. Will make your life better on so many levels
 
@rg8_ I started off really simple with basic free weight exercises like hammer curls, bicep curls, raises, squats (with resistance bands or while holding weights), lunges, etc. I watched a lot of videos on correct form for them to make sure I was doing it right, and started slow with weights (3 pounds) to make sure I nailed the form before moving up in weight.

I started with videos like fitbymik’s “10 minute STANDING ARM WORKOUT with dumbbells” (I’m not yelling at you, the caps are hers, lol) to get an idea of different types of exercises, and sometimes throw on my own playlist and mix and match exercises depending on the day instead of following a video.

It can feel so weird and overwhelming, especially if you’re like me and don’t want to go to the gym and play with machines. I’d (unprofessionally, for the record) say start simple, start light, and just feel it out. You’ll learn to feel the right muscle groups firing. :)
 
@slant I love this for you! I started in early 2020 just before covid hit and built up a really good at home garage gym setup while I couldn't go to my gym. Because of life I've had some long breaks since but I've been really consistent for a couple of years now with a couple short breaks. I just turned 38 and I'm in the best shape I've ever been and it has helped my mental health more than pretty much anything else ever has. I also deal with body dysmorphia and while I still have bad runs with it I'm the most confident I've ever been in my body while I'm lifting. My kids all watch me doing it too and they've gotten into it and find it really fun and exciting and it makes me happy and hopeful that they can use it to enhance their lives and keep good healthy habits starting much sooner than I did ♡
 
@slant I dread all types of exercise and stick to the elliptical to justify not weight training… but this makes me want to lift. Thank you!
 
@slant Similar story to you. Started in August, and I feel SO GOOD! I'm only doing 3 days a week and 3 days of cardio, but I can already see baby gains and even though my weight has remained stable I can see my body composition starting to change. I enjoy my runs so much more now that I'm not forcing myself to do them almost every single day :'D
 
@slant Good for you! I want to start strength training, but I feel so lost on how to start. I’m worried I’m gonna go to the gym and do everything wrong. How’d you go about starting strength training?
 
@dawn16 I’m going to copy/paste a previous reply I wrote out, and add to it because I can’t shut up. :)

I started off really simple with basic free weight exercises like hammer curls, bicep curls, raises, squats (with resistance bands or while holding weights), lunges, etc. I watched a lot of videos on correct form for them to make sure I was doing it right, and started slow with weights (3 pounds) to make sure I nailed the form before moving up in weight.

I started with videos like fitbymik’s “10 minute STANDING ARM WORKOUT with dumbbells” (I’m not yelling at you, the caps are hers, lol) to get an idea of different types of exercises, and sometimes throw on my own playlist and mix and match exercises depending on the day instead of following a video.

It can feel so weird and overwhelming, especially if you’re like me and don’t want to go to the gym and play with machines. I’d (unprofessionally, for the record) say start simple, start light, and just feel it out. You’ll learn to feel the right muscle groups firing.

Maybe invest in one set of dumbbells and utilize YouTube videos to get your form down, then go to the gym and use the plethora of free weights they have once you feel confident in your stance and form? I really like free weights as opposed to machines, especially as a short human because sometimes I swear I canNOT fit in some of them properly, even when I adjust everything. That’s an added stressor I don’t need, so I still prefer free weights, kettlebells, the bars, etc.

Body weight stuff is also a good place to start, and I find it really empowering to know I can hold myself up and kindly throw myself around (safely).

I get that it’s scary, I totally do, but once you build that first step of confidence, you’ll be unstoppable. :)
 
@slant I just started with “Morning Meltdown 100” normally I hate strength training but if it really is 100 different workouts, I figure that is interesting enough to keep me motivated. Yes I know MLM’s are terrible but I have zero interest in selling to folks or buying their shakes!
 
@slant I had the opposite problem once I quit regular gymnastics training. I always did body weight based strength training as part of the regiment, but the cardio was sort of built in. I had to learn to schedule cardio. It has been a few months since my time as a gymnast wrapped up. The first couple, I had to learn to fit in cardio without the specific drive of competition to motivate me.
 
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