Stupid question, huh?

[KatCali85]

Stupid question, huh? But where do I start? I want to tone up and add some muscle, but I've never really stuck with resistance training.

And what about diet? I fear red meat and fat.

Help!

[BendtheBar]

Welcome to the forum. Good to see one of my Twitter-ites migrate here.

Do you have access to a gym? ...or free weights?

[KatCali85]

I live one block away from a 24 Fitness and plan on getting a membership if I can get motivated enough to try this.

[BendtheBar]

Here's what I would like for you to do...

Spend a week "playing." Go into the gym and play with the free weights, but don't use heavy weights. get the feel of the movements.

Try doing bench presses, squats, deadlifts, barbell rows, dips, pullups, stiff leg deadlifts, overhead presses, bicep curls, tricep pushdowns, etc.

Also, seek out some proper form training videos on Youtube.

Hit the gym 3 times in a week and play with these exercises on each day. Again, your goal isn't to work out hard...it's to learn.

After you've done that, let us know

Also, no need to go red meat crazy. We'll figure out diet after you get a membership. It doesn't look like you need much improvement. Your figure looks very good as is. Let's see if we can add some muscle to your frame.

What are your muscle mass goals?

[KatCali85]

Originally Posted by MuscleandBrawn

What are your muscle mass goals?

I don't really know. I wouldn't mind looking more buff. I really don't have much muscle. How much muscle would be good for me to add?

BTW, I will be getting a gym membership on Monday, and will do what you suggested. Thanks so much!

[Sambo]

Unless you do steriods, a woman can work their tail off an not get "too big". Get what I mean. Eat right and hit it hard and you'll look great with no problem of being bulky!

[Livingitup48]

Originally Posted by Sambo

Unless you do steriods, a woman can work their tail off an not get "too big". Get what I mean. Eat right and hit it hard and you'll look great with no problem of being bulky!

Sambo is right Kat. I have been lifting weights for 12 years and think I've only put on 10 pounds of muscle. I look very fit and toned, not bragging, but the last 5 years it's been hard to add any muscle. I lift for the exercise and enjoyment.

Muscle and Brawn gave you some great advice. I spent a year trying to make changes to my body with machines. I lost weight, but never got toned. Is that bad grammar, lol?

[KatCali85]

It was an "ok" day today. I purchased my membership, and was able to try some of the exercises. I wanted to get on the bench press, but the men were swarming lol, so I couldn't.

I tried dumb bell rows and squats. Dips and pullups were too difficult.

[KatCali85]

Second day at the gym today. I actually got to try out the bench press!!! I also tried tricep pushdowns, rows, and more squats.

I'm glad MAB recommend I do this. It makes it so much easier to play around with the exercises without feeling pressure to work out yet.

[nighttrain]

stay with it Kat, you will thank yourself in the long run.... you could try doing pull ups and dips on the nautlas(sp) machine. im sure your gym has one.... you just set the platform at a weight that allows you to do pullups with some help from the machine... good place to start and as you get better you lose the added weight and thus the help goes away.