Gym Rats: Get In Here
- Thread starter ChrisRac
- Start date
You really need a personal trainer that doesn't suck. Unfortunately good ones are very very hard to find
I'll post a few videos shortly to help get you thinking about things correctly
Step #1, and the most important of them all: forget about how much weight you're lifting, focus on how the contraction feels in the muscle you're trying to work
I'll post a few videos shortly to help get you thinking about things correctly
Step #1, and the most important of them all: forget about how much weight you're lifting, focus on how the contraction feels in the muscle you're trying to work
I like the routine detailed out here:
https://www.exercise.com/workout-plans/mens-beginner-workout-plan#!
https://www.exercise.com/workout-plans/mens-beginner-workout-plan#!
First question: Are you having people spot you?
Machine work can be great for what you want (weightloss) without much risk, but if you're going to be using free weights, start light and work into it.
If you can do the weight 15+ times in a single set, its probably too light.
General rule of thumb:
Rep range 3-5 for strength
Rep range 8-12 for size
But as it was stated before, everyone is a little different. Just test the waters and make sure you're on the edge of your comfort zone.
Machine work can be great for what you want (weightloss) without much risk, but if you're going to be using free weights, start light and work into it.
If you can do the weight 15+ times in a single set, its probably too light.
General rule of thumb:
Rep range 3-5 for strength
Rep range 8-12 for size
But as it was stated before, everyone is a little different. Just test the waters and make sure you're on the edge of your comfort zone.
Ive used the stronglifts 5x5 routine a few times and have had much success with it everytime. Also got noobs on it with me a few times and they made fantastic gains in power and strength.
Look it up on youtube, its very simple. 5 exercises total, make sure to read the PDF as well..you can find it online floating around somewhere.
To give you an idea, I'm 5'4" medium build and I was squatting 275lbs when doing this routine. In my early 30's.
Look it up on youtube, its very simple. 5 exercises total, make sure to read the PDF as well..you can find it online floating around somewhere.
To give you an idea, I'm 5'4" medium build and I was squatting 275lbs when doing this routine. In my early 30's.
You're going to find thirty different people that are going to give you thirty different routines. There's so much noise out there that it's nearly impossible for anyone to separate the truth from the non-sense.
I think the one biggest thing I could tell you would be to have proper form. There's no shortage of people with crap form. It is exponentially better to push less weight in a controlled manner, in a reasonable speed, making sure to get proper range without throwing the weight around. We've all seen the guy doing preacher curls who looks like he's trying to throw the dumbbells over his back and who's elbows are moving back and forth 12 inches with each rep. Don't be him.
Second to that, determine how many days a week you're going to go, find a split that works for those days and stick with that split. Continuity is the name of the game for not losing motivation. At least it is with me. If I go on a Monday I know I'm doing back, biceps and forearms. If I go on a Friday I'm doing chest, triceps and shoulders. I'm never going in blindly and figuring out what I'm going to do as I'm walking in.
That's it. Beyond that people will swear by certain splits or they'll swear by certain repetition/ set combos. Some are right and some are wrong. All I know is that going to the gym and doing 3 sets of 10 reps or 6 sets of 6 reps is better than not going to the gym and doing 0 sets of 0 reps. In other word: all the competing information might seem daunting and discouraging but a regular gym regimen will get you 90% of the way there.
I think the one biggest thing I could tell you would be to have proper form. There's no shortage of people with crap form. It is exponentially better to push less weight in a controlled manner, in a reasonable speed, making sure to get proper range without throwing the weight around. We've all seen the guy doing preacher curls who looks like he's trying to throw the dumbbells over his back and who's elbows are moving back and forth 12 inches with each rep. Don't be him.
Second to that, determine how many days a week you're going to go, find a split that works for those days and stick with that split. Continuity is the name of the game for not losing motivation. At least it is with me. If I go on a Monday I know I'm doing back, biceps and forearms. If I go on a Friday I'm doing chest, triceps and shoulders. I'm never going in blindly and figuring out what I'm going to do as I'm walking in.
That's it. Beyond that people will swear by certain splits or they'll swear by certain repetition/ set combos. Some are right and some are wrong. All I know is that going to the gym and doing 3 sets of 10 reps or 6 sets of 6 reps is better than not going to the gym and doing 0 sets of 0 reps. In other word: all the competing information might seem daunting and discouraging but a regular gym regimen will get you 90% of the way there.
I will do the 5x5 couple times a year for a month each time just to switch it up.
When I would previously go to the gym, my biggest problem was not being prepared and going at it blindly like you mentioned. But now that I have the routine, I'm just going to wing it with the weight weight (sounds funny) and just do whatever is comfortable.
[MENTION=10771]wlorton[/MENTION] - no spotters. Mostly machine work and not free weights.
Thanks for the advice guys... I appreciate it.
You can do dumbbells rather than barbells with no spotter safely, I almost always do my bench and incline with db's since I lift without a spotter, and the db press hits the stabilization muscles way harder, and is harder in general, I prefer free weights over machines but I use a couple machines, a preacher curl machine, a machine for doing fly's and reverse fly's that's about it right now, I've been doing a lot of pull ups and mostly Olympic lifts for a couple months now
Not a current muscle guy or anything, but, I can give you a few things of feedback I've learned over the years. I need to get my fat ass back in shape, but, too lazy to be honest.
Machines - avoid them. They do the work for you. Your gains will be very minimal and it will take much much longer to see any positive results.
Start small with more reps using free weights. Isometric workouts are great to build muscle in areas that are not grown through traditional methods.
Most important thing. Your diet. Do not follow some marketed diet plan. Eat healthy, spend some time doing some research on good foods that are either organic or natural. Smaller portions, no snacks.
Form is extremely important. It doesn't matter if you're strong. Start off too high, you'll burn your body out faster. Start with a comfortable weight and listen to your body.
Cardio will help, but, running is pointless. You are only damaging your joints to be honest. Go biking, swimming, do yoga. As long as you get your heart rate up and sustain it for periods of time, you're getting good cardio. I will say, cardio should not be your main focus.
Machines - avoid them. They do the work for you. Your gains will be very minimal and it will take much much longer to see any positive results.
Start small with more reps using free weights. Isometric workouts are great to build muscle in areas that are not grown through traditional methods.
Most important thing. Your diet. Do not follow some marketed diet plan. Eat healthy, spend some time doing some research on good foods that are either organic or natural. Smaller portions, no snacks.
Form is extremely important. It doesn't matter if you're strong. Start off too high, you'll burn your body out faster. Start with a comfortable weight and listen to your body.
Cardio will help, but, running is pointless. You are only damaging your joints to be honest. Go biking, swimming, do yoga. As long as you get your heart rate up and sustain it for periods of time, you're getting good cardio. I will say, cardio should not be your main focus.
as previously mentioned, focus on low weight and proper form to start off. once you are certain that you have proper form, then start worrying about the weights. my advice, record yourself doing the lifts and playback afterwards. in your head, you may think you have the correct form, but when you look back at the video, it will tell a different story. or get a good partner that isn't afraid to call you out on bad form.
Diet and sleep are key. After that supplementation, and workout intensity. Get your mind ready for what needs to be done before walking in the gym. If you don't have a basic plan of what numbers you'd like to accomplish you will have a basic workout and not break down muscle fascia as well as you could've.
I'm no pro but here's some recent hardware to back my fitness knowledge. If anyone has questions feel free to ask away. Here to help!
I'm no pro but here's some recent hardware to back my fitness knowledge. If anyone has questions feel free to ask away. Here to help!
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