I workout to the firm. I don't know if you have seen it or not but I do the classic series vol 1, vol 2, vol 4 with running afterwards, cardiosculpt, sometimes bodysculpt, and a few others when I'm in the mood. I don't "weight train" but I do pause the video and do extra reps when on the toning section. I need help with how much weight I need to lift to get bigger and stronger. I have a tiny bone frame. In the firm, they use light dumbbells with aerobics to get toned but when I do extra reps I go to failure. I just don't know how much weight I should be lifting. Like squats, I can only life about 50 pounds doing 3 sets before my knees give out on my own. When doing the firm and extra reps, I have already done squats with a 20 pounds on each shoulder (40 pounds total) and then either keep going until my muscles burn or add 5 pounds to each shoulder and go till my muscles burn for 2 more sets.

I like the firm because it give me cardio and weight training at the same time but am tired of pausing the video to get extra reps is. I want to get bigger so I don't look so pathetic but get way to board if I do weight training on my own. I just say, "okay , that's enough, I'm tired." I need help. Everything I've been reading says I need to increase my weight but the firm moves to fast for me to do that. Also, everyone seems to squat like 200 pounds or something and I feel pathetic. Am I just not working out correctly or not. Also, I feel if I don't train everyday, my muscles are going to bug me all day because I get this tingly sensation saying "work me, work me." My workouts are getting longer and longer as I try to get the burn of working out. Sometimes I pause for extra sets, sometimes I pause for extra cardo by running in place. I'm just so confused about working out.

One more question. What is failure. Is failure just a burning, warm sensation, shaky muscles, or what? When doing leg presses with a bench, I can't even do 3 sets of 16 with a 40 pounds but can do more reps with lighter weights. It's not that my muscles are burning or shaking but I just can't get it up there because i'm not strong enough. Is it more important to feel the burn or go until you can't any more or to get shaky? Other times, I just feel a tightness. I'm so confused. How much weight should women be using? I see TV and magazines saying 5 to 10 pounds on each shoulder don't lunges and squats but then when I read these boards, people are lifting much much heavier. I want to be bigger and muscular, not tiny and bony like I am now. Don't get me wrong, I have great muscle tone. I am 120 pounds and have 9% body fat. I just need help with lifting please!!!

i'm not familiar with the firm but a simple idea for weights is to use progressive resistance. say you're doing 50lbs for 3 sets of 10. for your next workout, you can add like 5lbs and go 3X10. then so on and so forth.

there will come a time when you wont get 10 reps on all 3 sets. congratulations, you have just overloaded your muscles; progressively. at this point you stay with that weight until you can get 10 reps on all 3 sets before you increase the weight again.

failure is when you cant lift or control the weight. what you're describing is "the burn" or the accumulation of latic acid in the muscle.

hope this helps in some way.

But how much weight should I be going for? Is the build up of lactic acid going to increase muscle size or just maintain? Do I really need to go for complete failure for the rest of my life?

Ditch the firm. Try Cathe Friedrich. She's THE best. Her Slow and Heavy series might be just what you are look for. She has a gigantic library of weight and cardio workouts, and online previewing. See www.cathe.com. You might try the pyramid workouts too.

I've tried cathe and don't really like her too much. She is such high impact on her step and the moves are complicated. I also don't like pyramid lower body. It is slow and boring.

that's pretty surprising. I suggested her work because you said the firm was going too fast for you to add on weight. slow training i think is quite useful, especially if you are trying to get bigger and stronger. If you got bored, maybe you weren't working to your capacity. It does also require more mental focus than other kinds of training. I can tell you it's really like a different workout when you push yourself harder. I used to go no further than 40# for leg work, and now I up to 60#. I think I can go heavier if my DH would spot me. It really changes everything.

For more bells and whistles, her circuit training stuff is great too. Bootcamp might be good for you as there is no step work. Just a suggestion. If you don't like her, what can I say? I am totally into complexity and intensity. My personal schtick is that workouts that are complicated and high impact are a challenge and always give me something to work for. I tried firm before I found Cathe, and blech! I couldn't stand it. Likewise, if I caught on to a workout too fast, that would quickly lead to boredom for me.

I'm also trying out P90x this week; it's a 12-workout series from BeachBody that emphasizes weight work in training blocks designed for muscle confusion. www.p90x.com. It looks good to me, but I haven't done enough at this point to say it's worth a try.