Quote:
Originally Posted by unpretty
Wow that's a huge difference. So are you saying I should do weights instead of cardio or a combo of both? Should I lose some more weight first before I start weights? You're right about me having no muscle mass, I'm piss weak. How heavy should I start?
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It's really up to you. I think a bit of both weights & cardio would suit you fine (I didn't really do any cardio). No, don't lose more weight before you start training. Remember that lean mass burns more calories than fat so the sooner you build muscle, the faster you will lose. You could stay at 135 for 2 years and look completely different than now with resistance training.
I will recommend "New Rules of Lifting for Women" to you (a book), it's a great guide for women who are new to strength training and have some fears in the gym. Once you progress, you may want to look into Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength (barbell training). I also recommend getting a few sessions with a trainer to help you break your fear of free weights (which I saw in the WT section).
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I really don't recommend going into the gym and just doing 'whatever' you think, like a few curls of this, a few squats of that. If you don't know how to weigh train effectively then you won't get anywhere near the results that you could get if you did a professional routine.
"Heavy is relative" - generally people start out lifting #lbs that they can lift for 8-15ish reps (sometimes 4-6, sometimes 15-20, but 8-12 or 12-15 is about average for a beginner). So if you can't lift 5lbs for more than 12 reps, that's a good weight. If you can do it 25 reps, then it's too light and time to up the weight.
You may find that 5-10lbs is as much as you can do, and that's fine. I started lifting 75lb deadlifts, now up to 200lbs. As you can see, 'heavy' changes over time!
I didn't get to my current figure by doing anything but lifting hard heavy weights. Fear will hold you back. Wanting to lose more weight before training will only hold you back. This is of course, very common for women starting - I know I wasted a few years with the same mindset when I could have rapidly progressed instead. Good luck!!!
just to clarify, when you say "12-15 lbs is about average for a beginner" do you mean 12-15 per dumbbell or in total?
I used to hate my arms and now I love them (and I'm only halfway to goal!). The workout I use is, no joke, from Cosmo magazine. I also lift weights at the gym but the Cosmo workout was something I could do easily in my room. I can't find an online copy of the exact workout, but it was something like this one. 
