weight training with light free weights

[ms_122]

Hello,

This is my first week ever rowing on the Concept 2 or otherwise, and it's great. I used to swim and use the Nautilus machines at a local gym, but switched to rowing secondary to time constraints. I have a set of free weights 1-10 lb at home and would like to add some weight training to my routine. Does anyone have suggestions? Should I row everyday or alternate rowing with weights? Any routines specifically for moderately out of shape middle-aged women would help.

I also have my eleven year-old daughter rowing so any suggestions for her would be great too.

Thanks,

Mary

[ToddMR]

I use the rower in all of my weight training days as warmup and cool-down, and have not seen significant problems in my weight training or in my recovery from heavy weight training.

The advice I would give anyone in your situation is to concentrate on whole-body movements as you introduce weighted exercises.

If I were in your situation, I'd learn to squat first and foremost, and do so without weights. The twohundredsquats.com program might be a nice complement to rowing.

Once you have good form in your non-weighted squat, start adding weights.

[Steelhead]

I use the rower in all of my weight training days as warmup and cool-down, and have not seen significant problems in my weight training or in my recovery from heavy weight training.

The advice I would give anyone in your situation is to concentrate on whole-body movements as you introduce weighted exercises.

If I were in your situation, I'd learn to squat first and foremost, and do so without weights. The twohundredsquats.com program might be a nice complement to rowing.

Once you have good form in your non-weighted squat, start adding weights.

Just be sure to build up slowly to the 200 squats with no weights.

[johnlvs2run]

I have a set of free weights 1-10 lb at home and would like to add some weight training to my routine. Does anyone have suggestions? Should I row everyday or alternate rowing with weights?

Weights can be good exercise, depending on how they are done. I use them periodically but not often, though more often might be better. There are so many great ways to exercise.

One way that I like is to do repeat repetitions for five minutes, either seeing how many repetitions I can do, or else doing the repetitions slowly, with maybe 20 repetitions in five minutes. Examples of this are as follows:

5:00 doing pullups on a rollerboard that I made
65 to 110 repetitions, depending on the angle of the board

5:00 pullovers combined with body raises laying on my back
on the edge of the bed - 20 reps with 5# hand weights

5:00 overhead press - 20 reps done slowly (15s each) with 5# h.w.

various floor exercises, turning over, going round on hands etc - 10:00
various leg stretches, sun salutations - 10:00

5:00 of deadlifts with 5# hand weights
10:00 of woodchopper exercise - this really works the gluts!

I am not in favor of having children row, as I feel this would affect their muscular development and bone structure, unless intending them to be primarily rowers the rest of their lives. I think running is a much better exercise for children, or similar sports like soccer (though soccer can be rather brutal). Dancing (for exercise) is probably a good life long exercise too.