Getting my sister into weight training, need a bit of guidance

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Nicolasd

0
I'm helping my sister getting into weight training. She's doing a good amount of cardio (running and elliptic machines mostly) and has been for some time, but she never really did any weight training, basically a complete beginner.

I've been doing weight training for 15 years, and I'm getting her into a FBW routine.

There are however a few things I don't know how works for her, so I need some help:

1) She's still sore for 3-4 days after lifting. Should she wait until the soreness goes away before lifting again, or is it fine as long as she doesn't lift two days in a row? Is there any point to lifting while sore?

2) She's still into running. Both running and lifting is strenous and you should rest a day afterwards, but is there a problem with say her doing squats and deadlifts, and then running the next day? Or should she stick to the easier cardio machines?

3) She's slimming down at the moment. I've got her eating a good PWO meal, but on most if not all days she's in a calorie deficit. Is this a problem for someone like her starting with weight training?

Thanks in advance!
 
1. being sore isnt a problem if she can lift then its ok.

2.cardio on off days is ok,even running as long as its not HIIT every time.

3.being on a defecit isnt a problem if its fatloss she's after,but if she wants to build some muscle she needs to eat,although newbies to lifting have been shown to be able to do both for a while.
 
1. no the point of lifting isn't to get sore. If this is still week 2 of weight training its normal, but if she's been lifting a month and is sore after 3 days still, she is probably lifting too much volume, and/or not eating and sleeping enough to recover (your comment about a calorie deficit makes me think she's not recovering well)

2. separate days, should be fine (again, if she's sleeping 8 hours and eating right)

3. only a problem if it doesn't fit into her goals. as a noobie she'll gain muscle no matter what. I'd make sure she's not too far under her caloric needs, and make sure she's eating enough protein. Women don't need quit as much as men due to having less overall muscle mass...but women should still go for .8-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Especially when getting lean, since carbs are the 'easiest' source of energy for the body, lowering some carbs and having protein in their place just makes the body work harder to make energy from the protein, not to mention repairing muscle.

I would probably also have her go with heavier weights and lower reps in another month or two. For now, 8-12 reps is great but over time you want more weight, less reps, so the body will hold onto muscle while shedding body fat during a caloric deficit.
 
I concur with the above points. Cardio can actually aid in recovery from strength training if it's at a low intensity, and at a moderate intensity it shouldn't cause any problems provided adequate rest and nutrition is covered. High intensity cardio, be it HIIT or other methods, could pose a problem, but I'm getting the impression that she does long-distance running as oppose to sprints.
 
Thanks for the answers.

malkore: I'm already having her do both high and low reps, with the goal getting her down to 5. She can't do it on all exercises yet, some because a weight she can move, she can do more reps, others she needs to develop more control first.

goldfish: she does HIIT sometimes too. I don't know how often. Under what circumstances could it pose a problem? She is used to running and HIIT, so I'm thinking perhaps more along problems with recovery than injury risks.
 
HIIT would be problematic for recovery. Ever notice how the sprinters have big muscley thighs, unlike marathon runners?

That explosive speed is the same basic muscle fiber used for explosive weight training.
I think if she just plays it by ear she'll be ok. If she's sore, low intensity cardio. If not, warm-up and sprint hard.

my two cents.
 
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