Ok, I am at 250 pounds, down from 310 last year this time.
I need to start some kind of workout routine.
In the past I have gotten up in the mornings and taken a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood.
I am going to start doing that again.

Now I would also like to start some weight training.
I got a workout bench and weights, and now I need some advice on how to use it.
What routines should I be doing?
Does anyone have any good links?
I found this workout form the John Stone fitness forums, but it may be a little too much for more overweight people:
http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/...ead.php?t=19229

Could anyone help me out?
Otherwise I am going to try that routine and see what happens.

Thanks!

There should be plenty of how-to books in the library, if you need more information.

Mostly--start low, and increase slowly enough that you don't get hurt or so sore that you quit working out; in the early stages until you learn how your body responds, more reps is generally better than more weight.

Alternate body parts if you work out every day; don't worry if you're working out less than every day.

But do increase the weights.

My own little story--met a significantly overweight GF at the gym once and watched her lift. She was on the tiniest weight possible on the machines. I suggested she increase it some. She said, "Oh, but that hurts!!" (and believe me, it was NOT a lot of increase!!) and I thought, "well, if that's your attitude, no wonder you're not getting anywhere!" It DOES take work...

Good luck.

Zeppo, cs_carver is right. If you don't want to buy a book or two (the latest one I bought was "Men's Health Home Workout Bible"), I'm sure your library will have plenty. Actually, cs_carver is right about it all, start light but do stress yourself.

A quick story of mine, my parents were visiting me a few years ago, I'd only been into lifting for about a year or so, and I came out of my little home gym sweating and breathing heavy. Well, my mother who travels with hear one, two and three pound dumbbells couldn't believe my condition and said, "do you always sweat like that? I never sweat or breath heavy". I had to inform her that if she isn't stressing her body, what she is doing is better than doing nothing, but not by very much.

It is hard work, but it most definitely pays off. Plus, you may fall in love with it, the way I did.

I know everyone is going to rip my head off but why don't you go for it?

Have you seen "The Biggest loser"? I see 400lbs people running stadiums,running up mountains,sprinting ,jogging and lifting weights..lots of weights.

I know they have an "expert" trainer(yeah right) and all had a doctors clearance,but these people are working out hard and intensely from the get go.

I still think the thought of having an "aerobic" base before one should lift or partake in an intense routine is nonsense.

So do not kill yourself from the get go so you lose interest,get injured or can't recover. But if your health is ok, then I do not see why

Sorry...

can't work out hard from the beginning.

Gostrydr, it sounds like Zeppo has never lifted weights before, and you are 100% right, he must avoid as you said losing interest, hurting himself. Personally, I've learned almost everything about weight training through books (hence some of my injuries ), but if Zeppo were to get a "good" book, that can really get him started on the right track, I mean one like I mentioned above.

Zeppo, that book will tell you just how to get started, with good hard workouts, but also help you to avoid the bad stuff that Gstrydr mentioned.

And don't be like me; follow their instructions, and good luck.

JohnC12,
You are absolutely right in regards to learing form and excercises and such.

I'm actually talking about intensity..I feel if you have no health problems,injuries etc, then you should try and push yourself out of the starting blocks.

Now obviously a beginner shouldn't try and do 20 sets per bodypart or try and squat 400lbs or bench 300.

But they should try and make each of thee workout count, with lots of effort and intensity...for their level

Yes Gostrydr, I hear you, and agree.

Do it up Zeppo, and anyone else reading this.

Thanks for all the advice.
And I am going for it.
I started this week.

Monday I did a 10 minute walk to get warmed up, stretched some, then did the arms workout from the link:

Day 1:
Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
1) DB bench press
2) incline DB bench press (same as above with 30 deg incline)
3) seated DB shoulder press
4) lateral raises
5) shrugs
6) tricep bar pushdown
7) bench dips (no weight though)

Tuesday I went for a 30 minute walk.

Wednesday I did a 10 minute walk, stretches, then the back exercises.
Day 2:
Back, biceps
1) assisted pull-ups
2) Cable row
3) back extensions
4) seated DB curls
5) incline seated DB curls
6) regular pullups

Thursday I plan on a 30 minute walk, then Friday do the leg and ab exercises.

Plus I have been reading a lot more.
Thanks!

Agreed there's a caveat in the post. And I'm not exactly saying that an "aerobic base" is going to make much of a difference. What I have come to understand is that getting older is a bitch (agreed, it beats the alternative). After I turned 40, I found myself getting an ultrasound for a suspected blood clot on what turned out to be a severe muscle pull (unbelievable to me that a mere muscle pull could hurt that bad). Now I'm 48 and getting back into activity after being out for surgery and it's even worse.

What used to be "an intense workout" from which I could recover readily and return to exercising in a day has become completely debilitating. Saturday's five-hour hooping left me completely flat and taking every pain pill I had in the house, short of the oxycodone. No signal I could observe in the "during" that would have led me to expect the after-effects.

Don't know how old any of the other contributors are in this thread. If the OP is over 40, then definitely, discretion is advised in the early stages. Continuity is the single most important factor in the success of an exercise program, IMO, and that can be disrupted by too intense a workout before one has learned one's current-age signals about what is "enough."

good luck.

Great start Zeppo, you want to put the main emphasis on the bigger muscles: butt, quads, chest and back, with a big emphasis on the lower body. Building the bigger muscles will move along your weight loss all that much faster, by increasing your metabolism, if you haven't read that yet I'm sure you will.

Keep up the great work.