Hi

I have just started getting back into exercising, and am really keen to introduce weight training to my routine. I have in the past (as a student) done quite serious lifting and loved both doing it and the results I got. It was great to see the guys faces in the bar when I flexed my biceps and beat them in an arm wrestle! I did bulk up quite a lot, but personally I'm OK with that.

Anyway, my problem is that I am now married with 3 children and a full time job, which doesn't leave me too much room for exercise. I have been running with a friend on Sunday mornings, and just started doing netball on a Monday night. My husband works on Thursday nights so I can't go out then. I would also like to start another class during the week, probably either rock climbing or Pilates. But I can see myself trying to do something every night at this rate and that would mean spending no time with dh and / burning out.

So I was wondering if it would be any use doing weights only once a week, say on a Saturday afternoon. Or would it not be possible to acheive results this way? Could I do something at home during the week to keep it up? I don't have any equipment or room to buy any.

Please help - I'm going round in circles trying to come up with a good schedule!

Once a week can work, if you pick the right exercises.

What worked for me this school year: squats, deadlifts, back extensions, dips, chinups, bench presses, rows, pulldowns, overhead presses, ab work.

Also, another thing may help your poundage progression; try to find (or even make) very small weights to attach to whatever weight equipment you use. I find that 5 lbs or even 2.5 lbs/ week is too large an increment to sustain over the long term.

At home, you could try pushups, crunches, situps, side bends (need dumbbells or other weight for the last 2 at least).

It's all about getting your "bang for the buck". The most effective exercises in general are the ones where you move the greatest weight over the longest distance for the most reps while maintaining good form. The exercises that I listed near the top meet the preceding criteria. Any substitutes that allow you to lift lotsa weight over a large distance for many reps will work, as long as your exercise equipment doesn't unnaturally constrain your range of motion ::cough:: Smith Machine ::cough::

To be fair, I think the Smith machine would be fine for very short-range movements, such as shrugs, but be wary of doing presses, squats, or deadlifts using the Smith machine. YMMV

Do a search on Slow Burn by Fred Hahn. I'm having excellent results following his program. I strength train twice a week, for about 20 minutes. I had been doing 'normal' strength training for the 18 months previous with good results also, but needed to switch things up a bit.

Last month I dropped 1 & 1/2 inches on my hips. I can't say it was 100% from the slow burn method, but it confirmed my belief that the slow burn method does work.

His book also outlines how to set up a routine at home so that might be an option for you.

Slow Burn is fabulous. I started out doing 20 minutes twice a week - and did it for months, until I started building some real muscle. Then I had to switch to once a week (the book says you'll 'know when' and it's absolutely right!) because it started to take that long for my muscles to fully repair. Doing it weekly has really increased my ability to increase weight faster.

Try it - you'll love it!

Lisa

I have looked into slow burn and it does look interesting. My reservation is that it seems to be a bodybuilding technique for bulking up very quickly. Now before you say women can't bulk up, I seem to be an exception to that. Last time I weight trained seriously I got very bulky, especially my arms, to the point I couldn't fit in most standard sized shirts, and this was on 3 sets of 12-15 reps. Whilst I might want to get there again eventually I suppose, super bulking is not really my aim at the moment.

I think I will start out by using the free weights at the gym - say 3 sets of 5-8 reps, which should build muscle quite fast, and keeping it up during the week with body weight exercises at home (pressups, crunches, lunges etc). I have been doing just these body weight exercises twice at home in the last week, and already I can feel a difference in fimness and tone, and my weightloss has speeded up.

Thanks again for all the replies!

for Club FitYummyMummy devised by Holly Rigsby. I have done this and had great results.

Thanks Angel40, that looks very interesting, and the results certainly look impressive!

It actually looks very similar to the program I currently have (but am not using very consistently) - the Momentum weightloss system by Jonathan Roche. Interval cardio training combined with strength training. Except the momentum one only uses body weight exercises (which I have been doing) and the yummymummy one seems to have the option to progress to weights - dumbells etc and have more variety of workouts. So I may well look into that when what I'm doing starts to get boring/easy. Actually that has reminded me that I have been somewhat neglecting the interval workouts - must get back to them!

Thanks again!

I do Power-of-10; the diet plan isn't so hot but the exercises are.

For great advice and information on weight training, you can't beat stumptuous.com. Check out her workout ideas in her training section