Strength & Weight Training

[LittleLei]

Hey all, wanted to see if there were other folks on here who are interested in or currently strength/weight training. I am starting this thread with the purpose to discuss programs, exercises, sets, form, supplements, gear, challenges, advice, recommendations etc. Just a place to talk about maintaining muscle or building it and getting stronger

 

[IsabelaHarlow]

Well, someone needs to kick things off on this thread so I'll start!

I think that everyone needs to know the basics of being in shape and of weight training so I'll put some stuff from my experience below:
- Consistency is key to staying fit, so it's better to go to the gym 2-3 times a week consistently than going to the gym 6 days in a row once a month.
- Smaller weights doesn't mean you're weak, it means that your ego isn't fragile and that you are there for you, not to impress anyone else with how much you can lift
- Control the movements you do and the weights that you lift, because time under tension is essential, and if you don't control it, you aren't keeping the muscles under tension.
- Drink a lot of water, because you need to be hydrated.
- Eat healthy, because you can lift weights like a pro but if your diet is bad, you won't see the results you want.
- Be patient, because change comes in time, not over the course of a couple of weeks or even a couple of months. IT TAKES TIME.

Hope this helps.

 

[LauraSP-CMD]

Yessss!!! Love this initiative, count me in !! The good things must be shared

 

[LittleLei]

I have been weight training since February and still learning a lot of things. It wasn't until I got a proper program that things started to make sense and click. Here are some things I learned.

-More is not always better, I used to do way more exercises than I needed to in a day and wrap it up with a cardio session. I am seeing results sticking to the same 4-5 moves for the last 5 weeks with progressive overload and doing cardio on active recovery days (mix of low-high impact, but mostly low)

-Eat more

-Getting adequate sleep is just as important as training (muscle is built on rest days and during sleep!)

-Soreness and sweat is not an indication of how well you trained

Shannon Collins (thegymnurse) has been one of my favorite people to follow. Her program and app rolled out last month. Her program gave me a schedule I needed. The program along with eating in maintenance+, progressive overloading each week, getting at least 8 hrs or sleep a night, taking rest days, and eating enough protein, helped me shed 2.3 lbs of fat and build 1.6 lbs of muscle from April-May (I do a monthly body comp scan).

 

[Deleted member 45270]

Wow, I didn't know this thread existed! I started lifting weights for the first time ever in February. My lower body is undertrained due to pain in my hips + legs, so I can't progress in that yet until docs figure out what's up, but recently I did two reps of 35kg/77lbs bench press. I was SO EXCITED

I knew I would start cutting when I hit it, but I was worried about how much strength I'd lose by cutting.. I'm over 3lbs down in 2 weeks and it's going surprisingly well, I can still keep my bench press lifts reps/sets at the 30kg-32.5kg range. I was worried for nothing! I know it'll come someday soon but for now I'm riding the waves of confidence from feeling stronger than ever. I'm so happy to have discovered a new passion in life, and can't wait to start training my legs so that I can begin a PPL routine. Lifting weights 3x/weekly is just limiting my source of happiness, I want to go 5x/weekly I can't wait!

edit: woooo february crew reporting in

 

[LittleLei]

I knew I would start cutting when I hit it, but I was worried about how much strength I'd lose by cutting.. I'm over 3lbs down in 2 weeks and it's going surprisingly well, I can still keep my bench press lifts reps/sets at the 30kg-32.5kg range. I was worried for nothing! I know it'll come someday soon but for now I'm riding the waves of confidence from feeling stronger than ever. I'm so happy to have discovered a new passion in life, and can't wait to start training my legs so that I can begin a PPL routine. Lifting weights 3x/weekly is just limiting my source of happiness, I want to go 5x/weekly I can't wait!

This is also my concern at the moment. I will be entering a cut in June, just one month to start because I just want to get in and out. I am not sure how much I will enjoy it because I love looking forward to overloading and eating! Any suggestions or tips for cutting and preserving as much muscle as possible? I know that with fat loss there is going to be minimal muscle loss if done correctly. I am worried that I will not be able to lift the weights I am currently since food=fuel. Diet is the big key here and since I have been eating calorie dense food, switching back over to high volume is kind of scary.

 

[Deleted member 45270]

@LittleLei (I'm not a trainer, I'm only 3 months into this, this is advice from a newbie just fyi)

On this cut, the biggest problem for me has been figuring out how much I need to eat before I lift. I've tried lifting while fasting, and it's been horrible. Had to fight just to get through half my reps. I'm still undecided as to whether or not a big meal or a small meal before the gym works better, but both (especially the big meal) gives me the energy I need to keep up my reps.

Don't stress it in your first week, if it's anything like what I've experienced myself + heard others go through, you're not going to experience changes in the gym. My only problem is being more tired and grumpy outside of the gym If you're feeling weak on the bar, definitely make sure you have safeties, since you might have to lose one rep here and there while cutting. I just add in another set when this happens.

I've not found good info for female weight lifters, but for men, I've repeatedly seen an average of a 10-20lbs loss in things like bench presses and squats when they're done with their cut, scroll down to the comments of this thread for example, some people even hit PRs while cutting! I hope that gives some perspective. I can report back when I'm done with mine.

I've heard one fitness youtuber say that if you lose a lot of strength after cutting, maybe you didn't have as much muscle as you think to begin with, which has really stuck with me. I think it was athlean x, but unfortunately I can't find the vid he said it in. Either way don't be afraid, a little muscle loss sacrifice is nothing when you're going to hit 1RPMs you've never thought possible in the bulk afterwards.

 

[LittleLei]

@KMH thank you for the input and linked threads Being tired and more grumpy is definitely what I am expecting and preparing for lol. There are going be more short cuts sprinkled in the future as long as I am weight training so I better get used to getting into uncomfortable territory.

Well done on the bench press gains, as for lower body and legs could you do any mobility work without pain of course in the mean time while you are awaiting results from doctor? I notice a huge difference in performance if I don't do mobility moves. They don't require any weights. Mobility is great for keeping the body fluid

On another note, don't ego lift guys. Take it from me who is still in recovery from deadlift injury. This is the second time I have caused the same injury in my low back that prevented me from doing lower body work with weights for at least 3 weeks, literally taking months to feel like it was fully healed. Circling back to my previous post before this, MORE ISN'T ALWAYS BETTER

 

[inertvolcano]

I've been training for a year and a half, developing the foundational strength I need to start powerlifting (I was in really bad physical condition.) I just graduated to actual powerlifting this week! It's very exciting. I work out twice a week with a trainer, and other days I focus on nutrition and cardio (I walk for about 2 hours daily.)

 

[Dan Epstein]

You'd be surprised with what can be done with just your body weight, or just two dumbbells and a bench. I'm also a sucker for resistance bands. The best trick is not related to equipment or a gym, but very simple, always have a workout plan. The body can be a weight, a Kettle Bell too, or a dumbbell, it's the mindset that matters. I found myself in my 40's at home with quarantine, pushing more limits than in the early 2000s in a gym.

 

[THE MOLLIE MARIE]

Kettlebells! I've been working with mine on and off for a while now, but I am very much a beginner. Mostly I just do the same few things I like. Swing, shoulder press, bent row, side bend. I try new stuff out sometimes, but those are constants. I feel sooo powerful after doing a set of swings! That might be my favorite exercise ever. Hits a lot of areas, feels great to do.

 

[Dan Epstein]

Kettlebells! I've been working with mine on and off for a while now, but I am very much a beginner. Mostly I just do the same few things I like. Swing, shoulder press, bent row, side bend. I try new stuff out sometimes, but those are constants. I feel sooo powerful after doing a set of swings! That might be my favorite exercise ever. Hits a lot of areas, feels great to do.

This is where my Russian part takes place. Look for Pavel, there's very good stuff along the bullshit :

 

[THE MOLLIE MARIE]

This is where my Russian part takes place. Look for Pavel, there's very good stuff along the bullshit :

Oh yeah, when I first started learning about kbs, his name was popping up everywhere! Simple and Sinister is like, the go-to recommendation. The man would destroy me for my form though...

 

[Deleted member 45270]

I'm currently slacking on my cut due to increased exercise (and less discipline with food). I picked up jogging as well as 30 min - 1 hour almost daily walks as a minor focus to my overall health.

A week ago I was 6.8lbs down, but I've been overeating since then and am back up a pound. I'm fine with that, in fact my relationship with food is healthier than ever. When I overeat now, I don't feel down - I get excited about using that extra energy to lift harder in the gym, and feeling positive knowing my body is benefitting from the extra protein To officially end the cut, I'd like to get to 170lbs (21lbs from now), am aiming for a slow and steady 1lb/week loss.

I will be entering a cut in June, just one month to start because I just want to get in and out.

Just wanted to update: my bench press lifts are feeling progressively harder and I haven't been able to do my usual 5 reps per set for 32.5kg, it would consistently fall to 3-4 reps instead (without safeties so I didn't push myself).

It screwed with me mentally ngl, because unlike when I was bulking, I feel weaker; I thought I couldn't lift more weight, so I didn't bother setting up safeties. Despite having finished my sets, today I set up safeties in the squat rack and bench pressed 2x3 35kgs at a much better form than my last 35kg attempt. After some searching, apparently it's common to stall on bench press during a cut. But for a month to have gone by and for me to still be at 35kg, I know I've not pushed myself hard enough. Don't make the same mistake as me! Going forward + in future cuts I will be making sure to push myself on bench press using safeties at least once a week regardless of how insecure I'm feeling in my lifts.

However my dumbell curls have increased in weight and reps. A month ago I couldn't do 8 reps of 8kg, now I can do 2x8! I'm now focusing on getting to 8 reps of 9kg, am currently on 5. So I did get even stronger in one area

 

[Dan Epstein]

There's actually a way to reach a great effect by reducing the weight and increasing reps, or reducing waiting times between sets. There's even a way to emulate the weight and bar movements with a band. My favorite resistance band is the Dopamineo that my friends from the MMA circle introduced me to. They have very short and on point plans, and these worked very well for me during the lock-down periods. Other than that, my favorite online thought leader is Jeff Cavalier. His Youtube channel has lots of actual valuable content, and not just amateur ranting.
In other words @KMH , don't count the reps, do the reps that count I wouldn't try to replicate what I did when I was 21, and there's absolutely no need to. There are effective training plans for every stage of age and metabolism we're in.

 

[inertvolcano]

I've been making progress with my powerlifting, and it feels so good. A year and a half ago I thought my knees were ruined and I would struggle to climb stairs the rest of my life. Now I'm doing squats and have great form and flexibility. I am totally in love with powerlifting, and it has been really healing physically and mentally. Like I think of myself as a positive person, but then I didn't realize all the mental limitations and self doubts I was placing on myself until I had to confront them and smash through them to continue training and making progress.

 

[Dan Epstein]

I've been making progress with my powerlifting, and it feels so good. A year and a half ago I thought my knees were ruined and I would struggle to climb stairs the rest of my life. Now I'm doing squats and have great form and flexibility. I am totally in love with powerlifting, and it has been really healing physically and mentally. Like I think of myself as a positive person, but then I didn't realize all the mental limitations and self doubts I was placing on myself until I had to confront them and smash through them to continue training and making progress.

Deadlifts are functional in so many ways, and you don't even need a gym to do them. A pair of dumbells will do the trick as well.

 

[inertvolcano]

Hope everyone else's training is going well!

Today I transitioned to fewer reps, more sets, more weights=more volume. Just in general doing bigger lifts. I'm a little worried because my trainer has warned me I'm going to be in agony until I get used to it.

On top of that I still walk daily, and I'm trying to stay on top of my nutrition. Hitting my protein macros is very hard. I feel like my diet is nothing but chicken breasts and protein shakes.

 

[LittleLei]

Got to do arnold presses with 20 lb DBs today , currently shoulder pressing 50 lbs, but arnolds are new to me. Going to try 22.5's next week!

 

[Dan Epstein]

I just started to combine mobility drills and so far the results on strength are surprising. Never thought I’d do burpees again, let alone do them with a pair of dumbbells!

 

[inertvolcano]

So I've adapted to my new lifting routine. My trainer had warned me that I would feel terrible due to the increased volume, and she was right but in a way I totally wasn't expecting. I wasn't that sore but for a couple weeks after the change it was like I would have the flu the next day. Feeling kind of feverish, low appetite, tired and wanting to sleep all the time. I'm mostly over that now.

Apart from that I'm losing fat but gaining muscle. There's a net weight loss and I definitely look a lot skinner but there's only about a 10 lbs. difference on the scale because of the muscle mass I'm gaining. That's fine by me though as long as I'm getting stronger, and I am. I realized recently that I could describe myself as "in shape" for the first time in over a decade.

 

[sahi]

I'm so happy someone started a thread like this. I started going to one of those members only gyms in May & am really enjoying using all the different weight machines. The problem I'm having though is I feel progress is kinda slow as far as muscle build is concerned. I'm hoping that'll improve now that summer is over, because during summer I didn't go as consistently as I'd have liked due to going on various trips. That & I'm a night owl so I sometimes wake up late which makes going to the gym difficult at times.
Also I wanted to ask if anyone here takes any supplements like protein shakes or bars? I have a bar before each session, but initially wasn't sure the best time to have it until I saw on a site that research was done on people who had protein before & after a session & found similar changes in both groups.

 

[inertvolcano]

From what my trainer has told me, it's best to have a protein shake or bar within an hour of working out (before or after.) But don't eat more than 30g in an hour. Otherwise it's too much for your body to process and the excess is lost.

 

[Deleted member 45270]

As of 24th August, I'm down 23.6lbs (don't have access to scales any more, but I have likely gained about 4lbs since then, so I'm guessing my bodyweight is more like 19lbs down).

Between my last post in June to August, my bench press stalled at 37.5kgs, and I had to go down to 35kgs to perform the reps safely/without safeties because it felt very, very hard, even at 35kgs, and even failed at 35kg twice.
With dumbbells, the heaviest I could do a 1x2 10kg curl, then it went down to 1x1 10kg.

It has been a struggle for me to ""go down"" to 35kg, and I left the gym feeling weak and pathetic every time - despite the fact that I have relatively gotten stronger. I didn't know I had lost 23lbs, it was a huge, surreal shock to see the scales after a month of not checking. I truly thought I was getting weaker. Objectively I understand it, but psychologically it still messes with me, I don't feel like I could maintain nor progress with my lifts, so I deep down believe I'm weaker.


Unfortunately I haven't been to the gym in a month. I got a bad cold, and felt too bad to go back when it cleared. I feel less emotionally stable without my lifts, it truly was my therapy. It's hard to get back into the habit again. Not sure where my lifts will be.

 

[LittleLei]

Unfortunately I haven't been to the gym in a month. I got a bad cold, and felt too bad to go back when it cleared. I feel less emotionally stable without my lifts, it truly was my therapy. It's hard to get back into the habit again. Not sure where my lifts will be.

Just read this affirmation from author Michelle C Cloark and thought it fit well for your message

Give yourself credit for all the days you showed up, give yourself grace for all the days you couldn't



I have to remind myself there are going to be bad gym days. There are going to be days where my body says nope not today, lower the weight and try again next time. Our bodies can do incredible things. Lowering the weight to perfect form or slowing down tempo are also forms of progressing. It's not always about sticking to the same weight or adding more. I've been humbled by this very recently.

I'm so happy someone started a thread like this. I started going to one of those members only gyms in May & am really enjoying using all the different weight machines. The problem I'm having though is I feel progress is kinda slow as far as muscle build is concerned. I'm hoping that'll improve now that summer is over, because during summer I didn't go as consistently as I'd have liked due to going on various trips. That & I'm a night owl so I sometimes wake up late which makes going to the gym difficult at times.
Also I wanted to ask if anyone here takes any supplements like protein shakes or bars? I have a bar before each session, but initially wasn't sure the best time to have it until I saw on a site that research was done on people who had protein before & after a session & found similar changes in both groups.

IMO, slow progress is correct progress. It's sustainable and less likely for injury. All the people who have muscle naturally and visibly will all tell you it's taken years to get to where they are.

I think for the average person, we don't need to really worry about timed consumption of food before and after. I know there are studies, it's more important to get the core ideas of nutrition, adequate protein, rest and progressive overload down before getting more technical with timed food. A little bit of carbs and a little bit of protein whatever you like to have before workouts to give you some energy. If you get to the point where you feel like muscle isn't being built, I can guarantee you the reason is not going to be because you didn't have protein x amount of mins before and after.

 

[LittleLei]

Exactly last month I was shoulder pressing with 25 lb DB 3x15, today I used 27.5 lb for 3x15, got into badass mode Also Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill has been getting me so pumped for whatever set I'm doing when it comes on my playlist.

 

[LittleLei]

Currently recovering, which means it's deloading time, funny how those two always go hand in hand for me. Deloading weeks are always humbling to me because I have to set aside my ego and hone in on form and mind-muscle connection with lower weights. But deloads are important and I really do love them. Back in maintenance woo hoo can't wait to get all this extra food in for better lifts.

 

[zippypinhead]

I just rejoined a health club yesterday, after three years living in the middle of nowhere. My job running a warehouse gave me enough strength training on the daily, but now I don't know if I want to go back to warehouse work. So, I'm excited to get back to some kettle bell routines to mix up with cardio. Love me some swing countdowns.

 

[zippypinhead]

Check-in a couple months after joining the health club:

I now have defined calf muscles, even when I'm just sitting around.

That is all.

 

[Dan Epstein]

Got my plyo box and gymnastic rings. Been doing calisthenics for a month now and feel stronger. Pretty soon I’m going back to doing full pull ups. Nothing is more badass than a pull-up!