Strength Training Club

[Trusylver]

@PLB had started a couple of activity specific clubs, which is a great idea, This thread is adding to that idea.

Healthy weight loss should not only include healthy diet changes but also increasing physical activity in the form of both cardio (Walking, Hiking, Cycling etc) and strength training.

Strength training does not have to be time in a gym but often is. Strength training can be as simple as body-weight exercises in the privacy of your own home.

This thread is to help each other with technique, ideas and motivation.

Join the Strength training club.

 

[PLB]

I like it! Thanks for starting this one! I'm in... I'm basically starting from scratch as my activity level has been all over the place. Was focused on getting on the spin bike at home and trying to do some basic bodyweight exercises. But now that it's getting warmer, I think I will leave the cardio for outdoors and focus on strength training at home for now and maybe rejoin the gym in the fall.

 

[myleanbaby]

I'm in! I just started CrossFit for the first time ever just three weeks ago! I love the social aspect of it and 100% know I work out harder in a group with a coach right next to me encouraging and correcting me than I would by myself. I have previously not worked out for about 6 years so every day is a PR for me lol... I love the way training makes me feel, even though as I'm doing it and for a few hours after I feel like I'm dying lol

 

[Trusylver]

My training has been patchy due to injury issues, however in addition to my normal times in the gym, next month will be the start of 2 days per week in the University gym for study.

 

[R H Clark]

I do mine at home. A killer stereo and some inspirational vids from YouTube playing on the big screen help get me going. I constantly talk to myself out loud which motivates me. I guess I'm my own drill sergeant.

 

[overlandflyer]

i've got a pair of these left over from a weight set that used to be in the family. what i have in weights, i can get them to 15, 12 or 5 lbs. is there a site you could recommend so i could get some use out of these properly?

 

[Trusylver]

i've got a pair of these left over from a weight set that used to be in the family. what i have in weights, i can get them to 15, 12 or 5 lbs. is there a site you could recommend so i could get some use out of these properly?

ExRx.net : Exercise Directory

For each muscle in the directory you will find a list if exercises to target that muscle categorised by equipment used including video of how to do the exercise correctly.

 

[overlandflyer]

ExRx.net : Exercise Directory

wow... fantastic site ... thanks!

 

[gabbylifts]

Hi all!

New to the forum but very interested in weight lifting and learning more about it! I have been doing a lot of research for a while on how to set up beginner routines and my ultimate goal is to work my way up strength wise and develop a power lifting practice. I've set up a beginning 6 week, 4 days per week, progressive overload routine that is light enough to start out with and practice good form while also still working on increasing the weight I can lift. I'm working in the 8-12 rep range upping my reps by 1 every session in the gym until I can get the top of my rep range and then increasing the weight by 5 to 10 lbs depending on the exercise and dropping the reps back down to 8 and working up again. Ultimately at the end of 6 weeks I would like to push myself and focus on strength set up a whole new routine and work in the 3 to 5 reps range for maximum strength gain. Admittedly I don't know a ton about power lifting so more research is definitely needed and any tips y'all might have for starting out would be greatly appreciated. Would this be a good place to post a sample of my routine to get feed back or is that best left to my personal diary?

 

[Cate]

This is the best spot I think. Tru is away for a few days more & I'm sure she will have a look when she gets home.

 

[Trusylver]

Hi all!

New to the forum but very interested in weight lifting and learning more about it! I have been doing a lot of research for a while on how to set up beginner routines and my ultimate goal is to work my way up strength wise and develop a power lifting practice. I've set up a beginning 6 week, 4 days per week, progressive overload routine that is light enough to start out with and practice good form while also still working on increasing the weight I can lift. I'm working in the 8-12 rep range upping my reps by 1 every session in the gym until I can get the top of my rep range and then increasing the weight by 5 to 10 lbs depending on the exercise and dropping the reps back down to 8 and working up again. Ultimately at the end of 6 weeks I would like to push myself and focus on strength set up a whole new routine and work in the 3 to 5 reps range for maximum strength gain. Admittedly I don't know a ton about power lifting so more research is definitely needed and any tips y'all might have for starting out would be greatly appreciated. Would this be a good place to post a sample of my routine to get feed back or is that best left to my personal diary?

Gabby, Welcome to the forum

how much existing lifting experience do you have ?

If you post your routine I can take a look at it.

 

[gabbylifts]

Gabby, Welcome to the forum

how much existing lifting experience do you have ?

Thank you! I am a beginner with minimal experience who has been reading a lot about a lot. I've been in and out of the gym for the last several years with various routines. Right now my routine is set up to hit full body but with lower or upper dominant 4 days a week and to get myself ready as best as possible to start lifting heavier. Here's what I'm doing so far:

Monday/Friday
My major movements on these days go up in weight with every set.
I am focusing on box squatting for now to work up strength at the bottom since that is where I am weakest. At my lowest weight I am able to just tap the box at the bottom without sitting fully. At my heavy end I am sitting for the majority of reps.
Box Squat 5x8
75 lbs - 110 lbs
Deadlift 5x5
105 lbs - 130 lbs
Leg press 5x9
200lbs
Incline push ups 4x10
Moderate level
Lat pull downs 4x10
60 lbs
Chest press 4x10
45lbs

Wednesday/Saturday
I know this is sort of a weird weekly split but I have class on the other days.
Kettlebell swings 4x20
20 lbs
Goblet squat 4x10
20 lbs
Hammer Curl 4x10
15 lbs
Dumbbell military press
15 lbs
Lateral raises 4x8
12 lbs
Tricep pull downs 4x8
40 lbs
Low Row 4x8
60lbs
Cardio
Uphill treadmill walking routine
Variation 6%-12% grade
30 minutes

I plan on doing this routine for about 6 weeks. Each time I am at the gym I add plus 1 rep to every exercise. When I hit 10/12 reps on any exercise the next time I am at the gym I add 5 to 10 lbs depending on what movement it is and drop the reps back down to 7/8 and repeat the process. What I've listed here is my week 1 and I am currently on week 3 so I've added reps to all movements and weight to some. My basic plan is to get my body more primed and used to lifting at all and then around 6/7 weeks I'll be doing a test day to see where my 1 rep max lays with thing like squatting and deadlifting and some select auxiliary movements and cut down my exercises to 4 primary movements per session with my main lift being my heaviest compound movement and the others supporting movements and doing 3 to 5 reps max. At that point I'd like to design another 6 week routine that is meant to add strength. Further out after this I would like to get back more into the hypertrophy rep range again but with all my lifts being stronger all around. But that's months away and I am trying not to get ahead of myself.

OK, that's it for now. Sorry if this is long and thanks for reading!

 

[Trusylver]

Thank you! I am a beginner with minimal experience who has been reading a lot about a lot.

As a beginner looking to start serious strength training or powerlifting, perfect form is the absolute key to everything and something that is difficult to help with online, at the gym you attend do you have access to coaches ? even if it is only one or two sessions it important at the beginning to get this right. I don't mean a personal trainer either, most personal trainers have very little knowledge or experience with this type of lifting.

My major movements on these days go up in weight with every set.

While climbing the ladder has its purpose it is not a benefit here.

4 days a week

4 day per week is great, but full body is not the best option for a 4 day training program. Full body is better suited to a 3 day program.

I am focusing on box squatting for now to work up strength at the bottom since that is where I am weakest. At my lowest weight I am able to just tap the box at the bottom without sitting fully. At my heavy end I am sitting for the majority of reps.

Box squats are great when working on achieving correct depth but they should almost always be a slightly longer time on the box than touch and go, sitting for a long time means you are probably loosing muscle tension which will not help you develop power out of the bottom of the squat.

Leg press 5x9

After a good squat session this is overkill, Squat works the quads hard, and extra quad work is not need, what is needed is a heavy emphasis on hamstring and glute work.

Chest press 4x10

Have you got a specific reason for choosing chest press instead of Bench Press ? You will not built the strength and stability in your smaller muscles using a chest press machine.

Hammer Curl 4x10

Have you got a specific reason for isolating the Brachioradialis ?

Lateral raises 4x8

You are already doing DB military press, again this is overkill

Tricep pull downs 4x8

While this is an ok exercise for general fitness, you need to be targeting the weaker medial and lateral heads of the tricep.

Cardio
Uphill treadmill walking routine
Variation 6%-12% grade
30 minutes

Cardio is best done on a separate day, aiming for HIIT rather than steady state.

This post is getting long but a couple more observations, There is a serious lack of hamstring and glute accessory exercises, there is also nothing to build up your traps. An important part of training that is also missing is exercises to maintain good shoulder health, specifically targeting the
Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus and Teres Minor, the Subscapularis generally gets enough activation during pressing movements.

others supporting movements and doing 3 to 5 reps max

Accessory movements should be equal or higher reps than the primary movement for the day and should be chosen to target weaknesses which are holding back progress on the primary lift and to work muscles which do not get worked by any of your major lifts to maintain healthy muscle balance and joint health.

Ending this post now as the Injection I just had is having an effect on my ability to think straight.

 

[gabbylifts]

As a beginner looking to start serious strength training or powerlifting, perfect form is the absolute key to everything and something that is difficult to help with online, at the gym you attend do you have access to coaches ? even if it is only one or two sessions it important at the beginning to get this right. I don't mean a personal trainer either, most personal trainers have very little knowledge or experience with this type of lifting.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to read and respond to what I wrote. Your comments have given me a lot to think about and I'm planning on restructuring my whole routine next week. I do have access to coaches at my gym and as soon and I have some $ I'll be booking a few sessions. I'll be back around in the future with updates. Thanks again and I really hope you feel better soon!

 

[myleanbaby]

Update for me (more in my diary), still LOVING CrossFit (probably more than I did when I posted at 3 weeks in) now at 6 weeks in! Because my overall fitness, strength, and endurance are still very low and basically started at nothing, I am still participating in beginners classes two days per week. These are actually really awesome because they spend most of the time going over the mechanics and proper form for each movement/exercise, and teach you how to scale down the workout of the day to the level that's challenging but possible for you to participate. Classes have been about 2-4 people each day (biggest so far has been 6 people) with 1-2 coaches, so it's very much like having a personal trainer as well as a training group to work with. I love that we do completely different movements, types of exercises, and sequences each day, but almost all of our work involves full body or major muscle group movements and training.

Because I haven't started taking "real" classes yet where you measure your results (time/weight/reps) and because we do different exercises each day, I can't really report on my specific progress like when you go to the gym and do reps/weight increase. What I can say is that I am really starting to notice the tone of my body increasing, and in a couple of places I am seeing real muscles that were not there (or at least couldn't be seen!) before, specifically my quads and my forearms... probably all those different forms of lifting squats

I'm also working on a couple of things at home based on some gaps in my strength I've found I struggle with at CrossFit, specifically jumping rope and pull up development. I've also been practicing yoga with YouTube videos just because I enjoy how it makes my body feel, and it's easy to do right in my living room with no equipment but a mat. Overall, I have to say I am really starting to see changes in my body from both weight loss (diet) and improved fitness and couldn't be happier about my progress!

 

[Trusylver]

I know this club does not get much activity, but as you all know, good form in the gym is super important, and despite the fact I don't particularly like online coaching (nothing compares to being hands on for correcting and identifying problems) but I know many have no access to a coach in person or otherwise, so I think that a good use of this thread would be not only for Q&A but feel free to post video of your lifts for form checks to weed out some of the most dangerous errors.

 

[kstadelh]

Hi! I do weightlifting as my main exercise. I read in "The New Evolution Diet" that it's the "fountain of youth." I have loved the way my figure improved even before losing weight. But now I am dieting AND weightlifting, I am very hopeful to be in the shape I have always wanted.

And a message to the ladies, weightlifting improves bone density by stressing your bones. Bone density is very important as you age, especially for women. So I frequently encourage my wife to lift, even though she is not overweight like me.

Personally why I prefer weight lifting is that I am not a very energetic person and I can lift weights while remaining relatively stationary.

 

[Trusylver]

 

[Trusylver]

And a message to the ladies, weightlifting improves bone density by stressing your bones. Bone density is very important as you age, especially for women. So I frequently encourage my wife to lift, even though she is not overweight like me.

Unfortunately the latest science shows that once density is lost, it is near impossible to regain, which makes it super important to start lifting before you loose bone density.

This effect shows up in female sports like gymnastics where the competitors lose or do not develop good bone density due to delaying the start of their cycle or interrupting it due to the intense training and severe dieting. These Athletes never catch up or regain bone density in later life. However those who go on to lift minimise further loss when their diet is no longer extreme.

 

[mojuzt]

previous post https://weight-loss.fitness.com/threads/advice-stuck.106580/

so it's been arround 5-6 months since i start working out again

right now im at 93 kilo ( formerly 114.6 losing 21 kilo ) and I intend to lower it till i hit 77 kilos ( welterweights) because I am planning to compete

right now the routine i have in my gym are
6 minutes jog (warm up )
10 lap sprint
6 minutes plyometric training ( pushups, jumpsquat, burpee, jumping jack, etc 15 second interval )
9 minutes shadow box ( 3 round of 3 minutes followed by 20 pushups and 20 situps between those round )
30-45 minutes technique learning
3 minutes hitting pad
3-9 minutes hitting punching bag ( depend on how many attendees)
and then sparring session ( 1-3 round depend if you can still continue)
^I do this in 90 minutes class session and starting last month I attend this class 2-3 times a day switching between boxing,mma,bjj, muay thai

here's the thing. I pretty much beaten up after the plyometric, my leg tense and weak during sprint ( if you guys have advice on this, it's like my leg giving up) and my remaining energy usually finished during padding.
so as of now either i sparring sloppily or I just skip it sometimes.

while I notice a slight increase on my stamina, I still feel my leg tighten during running/jogging ( will this go away ? ), I still ran out of breath during sprint lap
and my muscle gave up halfway during plyometric

I feel confident with the weight loss ( I can hit 3-5 kilo weight loss every month )

but the endurance seems the thing that I only improve a little.

will the complaint that i had gone once my weight goes down or is it something that I need to change on my training or diet ?

I wish to overcome those session with ease because I want to join the class where the fighter are trained ( and that one are way more intense) and I don't feel confident asking to join that when I still struggle with the current one I have