Hi.
I just started exercising this week. I'm doing thirty minutes of cardio a day and then a little weight lifting at night. I'm starting out with 15 pound weights and I'm doing about fifty bicep curls per arm, 10-20 squats, 10-20 lunges, etc. I'm really pleased with my cardio so far, but I just wanted to know if the weights part is on track. I'm starting off slowly so as not to get burned out. :jester:

Are you working out at home or a gym? What are your long term and short term goals?

Long term, I want to lose about 40-50 lbs- short term, five lbs. at a time. I don't even think of the big numbers; I'm just focusing on losing five lbs, then five more, etc, etc. I'm working out at home. I weigh 240 right now, and I'm eating about 1800 calories a day, with a variety of fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc. I do thirty minutes on my elliptical machine and I plan to add more time and intensity as the years progress. As of right now, just those thirty minutes are a killer!!

Doing the lunges and squats with just bodyweight should be fine, but you're going to want to have a more strenuous upper body workout. If you can do 50 reps, you're not really doing much good as far as working the muscle. Ideally, you should have a weight (or resistance) that you're only able to to 12-15 reps at the most and do 3 or 4 sets per muscle group. Working *all*the major muscle groups is also very important. Presses or pushups, rows or pullups, as well as hitting biceps, triceps and shoulders. I know weights can be expensive ane take up a lot of room, so if more weights aren't an option, you might invest in a couple resistance bands (very inexpensive, take up almost no space). Just make it a little more well rounded and stay consistent and you'll be golden. :)

Golden... I like the sound of that!

Thanks for the tips and advice. I'm actually enjoying the weights. I worked out for about thirty minutes tonight, pushed myself until I quite literally couldn't do it anymore; I was tired and sweaty, but I had a blast!

with the weightlifting, you should do a pyramid. example with dumbbells

bench press first set 60 in each hand for 10 reps
next set 65 in each hand for 8 or 10
last set 70 in each hand for 6-10 (if you can do 8 or 10 on the thrid set its time to move up.)

You should also divid you days up. Monday do pull exercises (standing rows, lat pull downs, curls, shrugs,)

Wednesday do legs (squats, hamstring curls, dead lifts, leg press, calf raises)

Friday do push exercises (bench press, military press, tricep kick backs, dips)

Cardio do everyday on non weight days work towards an hour and add in some core exercises (crunches, pushups, bridges, etc..)

Been doing this for the last two years lost over 100 lbs and gained lots of muscle mass