Pre-Resistance Training

I need some suggestions from some of the thinkers on this board…

I’ve been an avid follower of fitness/training news and a lurker on this board for years now. I’ve finally decided to get off my butt and get in gear.

I’ve already made drastic changes to my diet and can tell a noticeable difference to my energy and mental clarity! I’ve also researched many of the training programs out there.

BUT, for someone like me (weak, unconditioned, horrible cardiovascular shape) I feel that it wouldn’t be the most productive thing to do to jump into a resistance training program. I think that it makes logical sense that I should get “in-shape” first and that the best way to do that would be a simple workout, such as with push-ups, bodyweight squats, and light free weights, and a cardio program. Maybe do this for a month before I start hitting the weights.

What do you guys think? If I do go this route, should I do the simple total body routine every day, every other day, a couple times a week? And just do as much cardio as I can until I’m at an acceptable level?

ANY thoughts would be appreciated.

You can’t benifit from weight training yet? Says who? So what if one set leaves you out of breadth for several minutes? You will improve in time. Look at Chad Waterbury’s Next Big 3. It is a 2 day a week program. If you need a longer rest interval, use it, but keep it as close to the recommended time as possible. Also look into doing some sort of cardio on off days, like Chad’s Gpp Asap program. Or you can alternate walking intervals with jogging intervals. As you get in better shape shorten the walking time and inrease the jogging/running times.

You get better by doing, not by making excuses why you can’t. Will your progress be as fast as if you started out in better shape? Probably not. But so fucking what? You are still making progress, which is more than you are doing now. Now go work out. Which is what I need to go do.

I was in the same situation you are in last year. I started Book of Muscle by Ian King and the beginning program of that book was developed for people just like you. It was mostly conditioning with weights…high reps and sets without rest.

Look into that and it might actually give you all that you could want to know about muscle building.

Do a search for the beginners blast off program. That could be helpful as well.

You don’t need to “get in shape” before “getting in shape.” You can lift weights as a beginner and benefit tremendously.

As others mentioned, get into a good training program for beginner’s like the blast-off program or Ian King’s program in Book of Muscle. Stick with 2-4 sets of 8-12 reps (some higher reps are okay too). Find someone to teach you proper form on the basic lifts.

Thanks guys. I just figured that since I can get a damned good workout from just push-ups and stuff now, and be sore from it for 2 days, that I should stick with it for a while. But I’ll take your advice and jump into a program. I am ready to hit it full force, but want to make sure that I’m doing whatever will give me the best progress.

Maybe I’ll post some pics of me now, and update them every now and then, so you guys can see progress from a complete beginner to a T-Man over the years.