I am not entirely new, but sort of. I did Curves, which got too easy. Then I did free weights with things like the 30 day Shred, No More trouble zones, Kathy Smith workouts ect.
But I am now working out 2 days a week at a gym, and was looking for some routine ideas. I wanted to workout on the machines, but read that is bad? But I was going to do those for about a month and then try some free weights...why is that wrong?
I've been doing free weights since last summer when I quit Curves. So the machines would be totally new...something my body never did before! So I figured that would be good?
Plus, I don't think I got much stronger with the free weights...like I am extremely weak in the shoulders. Lateral raises and military press I can just do 5 pounds...so I figured if I use the machines I will strengthen my muscles in a different way, right?
So...I am just looking for advice or ideas...

We have a couple stickys that may help you
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...e-weights.html
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/weig...-machines.html

And I thought we had another one that included some of our favorite links but I'd highly recommend reading over http://www.stumptuous.com

So basically, machines are isolation devices which means that they don't allow your bodies to move in a natural way and can even promote injury. With free weights, you tend to use a lot more muscles, especially stabilization muscles and reduce your risk of injury as long as you are using the correct amount of weight.

Now if you aren't progressing with free weights, then I'd recommend switching up your workout.

I started initially doing machines myself but really I wish someone had told me that free weights were the way to go way back then.

Thanks...
But I am not going to do machines, forever. I was just going to try them, do them for maybe a month while watching people using the free weights...then when I am more comfortable at the gym, do the free weights.
Then what routine or machines would you use?

Plus, I am sore so doesn't that mean that I might be working muscles that I wasn't working before?

Changing up your routine every 6 weeks is a good idea. Alternating between machines, free weights, resistance bands, your own body weight, partner work, etc are all good ways to do that. Neither one is better or worse for building overall strength. The advantage to free weights are that they also require you to balance while you use them and that they often help prevent symmetry problems (one side stronger than the other). Users also have a tendency to use a greater range of motion with them than with machines. The machines, though, offer an easier way to switch between weight levels, a more targeted range of motion, are sometimes easier for beginners to understand and give a visual way to evaluate workout progress (I've done those 5 machines for my upper body, etc.)

Honestly, when I design a workout, I try to incorporate as many types of resistance as I can. For example, for someone wanting to build strength (not necessarily endurance) in their shoulders, I might design the following routine (w/o knowing you I can't say that this specifically for you.)

1) Warm up 10 mins on elliptical or other cardio machine that uses your arms
2) Lg muscle groups 1st
Ball pushups 10 reps, 3 sets (the more advanced you are, the further out you can extend your body from the ball anywhere from hugging it against your chest to under your shins), stretch gently between sets waiting approx 30 to 45 seconds
3) Grab a pair of dumbbells - 5lbs maybe and a 5 to 10lb weight plate.
Alternate lateral raises with dumbbells and front raises with weight plate.
Front raises follow the sequence - down, look through the hole in the weight plate and raise so just over your head, look through the hole and down
Do 1 set of laterals, 10 reps, flow straight into front raises 10 reps, stretch and rest 30 to 45 seconds and repeat 3 times
4) Rear delt flys on the cables, 10 reps and 3 sets, light weight
You'll need both sides of the cable with the normal handles on - weight coming from the bottom
Lean over, holding your back straight and abdominals and glutes squeezed, fly out with cable. You should feel these in your real shoulder (I always called them tank tops raises because it's that area of fat that hangs over when you wear a tank top).
5) Power Move
Get a 5lb weighted medicine ball and a partner or a basketball (or other small ball) and a clear section of wall
Throw the ball quickly and firmly to the wall or partner in a chest pass form 10 times, 3 reps
6) Final Fatigue - try those ball pushups again, doing one set as many as you can. You shouldn't be able to do many at this point. If you can do 10, you should raise the weight next workout.

This is a simple structured workout, there are infinitely more things to do with the weights to make it more or less advanced depending on your individual goals. But, the concept is the same. A note on weight - the first set should be relatively easy, the second set should really get a burn going and the third set should require quite a bit of focus and concentration to finish. If your weight doesn't do that, then you need to adjust it.

I just read back through and noticed I didn't have any machines on this one. I guess for upper body, my own preference is free weights and I tend to use machines more for lower body work. That's just me. Nothing scientific there.

Dagny,

I'd definitely recommend looking over that stumptuous.com link, there are a lot of routines there from beginner to advanced.

Another option would be to look at a book that will give you a routine, The New Rules of Lifting for Women and Body for Life both are really good books with weight lifting routines.

What if...I did these: the only machines in this routine would be the leg press, lat pull down, and tricep machine...is that better? oh and the rowing machine...
Warm-up/stretch
Abs- plank, crunch,
Legs-front squat, leg press...
Chest/back-push-ups,lat pull down, chest fly/press?, row machine,
Shoulders: lateral raises/front raises, overhead or military press?
Tris-dips, tricep machine? tricep pull down
Bis-bicep curls/hammer curls...(I don't like the bicep machine anyhow, we didn't get along yesterday!)
Cardio
Cool down & stretches

Are you trying to find a workout you do every day? How often are you planning on doing the strength training?

Again, I'm going to point you to stumptuous

Here is an example full body beginner workout:
http://www.stumptuous.com/workout-1
It is meant to be done every other day.

Or this one which is a lower/upper body split, meant for upper body twice week and lower body twice/week
http://www.stumptuous.com/workout-2

I would really avoid doing a chest fly machine as I really think the potential for injury is high there. It is easy enough to do a chest fly with dumbbells on a bench or a ball. Pushups are awesome and lat pull downs can be good but be sure the bar goes in front of you rather than behind you.

I personally like a more upper body/lower body split rather than a full body workout. It does help give your muscles more of a break plus it gives you a shorter workout.

I also wouldn't recommend doing abs at the beginning of your workout, I think I'd do it at the end.

Exercises that will give you more bang for your buck really are squats/lunges for the legs and pushups/pullups for the upper body. Now most beginning women (and even many experienced) can't do pullups. The lat pull down machines can be a substitute but if you happen to have an assisted pullup machine, I'd recommend that more than the lat pull down machine.

Triceps, biceps, shoulders are really supplementary as they are smaller muscle groups worked for the most part in your other exercises such as pushups/pullups. For shoulders especially, I'd recommend not using any machines because again the potential for injury is high.

Thanks. I did read some articles from that site you suggested.
This workout would be only done 2 days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) because I can only go to the gym those days. So, splitting workouts will not help me...on Satuday or sunday I was going to do another strength workout, at home, using dumbbells and a dvd like the 30 day shred.
I can't do a pull-up and we don't have the assisted machine
But thanks for the advice that the shoulders & chest machines are dangerous...I think I will stick to free weights for those.
I was only doing triceps because I hate the back of my arms (they are flabby) so I figured those machines might help firm them up...
A body builder suggested doing abs first because those muscles are fresh and if you do abs at the end of the workout, you are more tired and are more likely to cheat...
P.S.: I can & do squats, but I don't do lunges often...I am not good at them and end up holding onto the chair at home to keep my balance...

Interesting discussion. Let me add a few random thoughts - take them as you like.

1. Another reason I avoid machines is that I'm short, and many of them don't fit me. I do use the cable setup - which isn't actually a one-exercise only machine - to do lat pulldowns and a few other things. I also use the leg press machine - the one where you lay almost on your back - to warm up my knees. I do a lot of repeititions with low weight, and just for a warm-up so my knees are more flexible (they're my big problem area). I can then do squats and lunges more easily.

2. Lunges not only work your lower body, they help you develop better balance, which is a good thing. I don't know how old you are, but balance is a big factor in injuries as you get older. You can do them holding on to something, or have your hand ready to steady you on something, even that aid will help with balance.

3. Pull-ups and tricep dips are better than using a tricep machine. You can do the dips starting on the floor and move up to a step, and then 2 steps and then a bench. You can also learn to do pull-ups by doing "negatives" where you lower yourself from the high point (you'll have to climb up on a bench or get some help to get up there)

I agree that you should do you abs at the end of your workout.

yea, the lunge is a test of balance for me! I tend to hold onto a chair, and that is the only way I can do them. I am only 23 and my balance already is horrible!

What do you typically use as a step, at the gym? Assuming that they do not have steps available?

Hmmm, my gym has lots of steps, most in the aerobics room, though there are a few scattered around too. YOu could use the bottom step of a staircase. There are lots of balance exercises you can do, and most are easy and really not part of a workout,but things you can do throughout the day. One is just to go up and down stairs without holding on to a railing/bannister, and not looking down.

One thing I'd add based on what WaterRat said is that cables are preferred over static machines, again so that the risk of injury is less due to your body not being forced into an unnatural position.

In most gyms I've been in, there have been multiple machines where cables are at various levels depending on the type of exercises to be used there. There should be a place where you could do your lat pulldowns, tricep kickbacks and rows using cables. They may not be as obvious as the machines built specifically for these purposes as the cable systems are more multifunctional.

To give you a better idea of what I'm talking about, this site shows a picture of someone doing the exercises.
Lat pulldown:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...tPulldown.html

Seated row:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...SeatedRow.html

Triceps:
http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/...BPushdown.html

Overall, exrx.net has hundreds of weight exercises shown and described although it may be confusing at first for some:
http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html

I don't mean to hi-jack this thread. I actually clicked on it, because I'm looking for the same type of information.

I was about to order The New Rules of Lifting for Women and The Women's Health Big Book of Exercises. They both have pictures and detailed instructions which can be helpful to newbies like us who have no idea what people mean when they use lifting jargon (I have no idea what a tricep dip is! ).

Anywho... for some of you ladies who lift, are you totally self-taught? Do you just watch the videos and go at it? Did you work with a trainer? Just curious.

Oh, and I'm not knocking the internet links, I just like having everything in one place in the books so I can take them to the gym if I need to.

Dagny- I'm 25! Maybe we can learn together!

Again... sorry if I hi-jacked.

beaka,

I was a member of Bally's from 2001 until well last year although I haven't been in a couple years. I initially worked out with a personal trainer and even afterwards, I'd watch the personal trainers as they worked with other clients.

The last few years though, things have been mostly self taught through websites, books and what not. I think it was invaluable at first to work with a personal trainer, especially a strong woman who was totally into fitness and weight lifting. Last year, I was also working with a sports physical therapist who helped me with some things.