Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

Common I keep my callouses (but dont let them get too big or they'll rip off- make sure they feel fairly flat). Chalk helps albeit more for movements where your hands are moving (like kipping pull ups) than when they're static. I use leather wrist straps for DL because otherwise my grip strength becomes the limiting factor. Alternatively, hook grip and mixed grip provide extra security on the bar vs. a clean grip. I also think that trainers have become anti gloves for no real reason so why not try them? - they're pretty cheap.

I've just accepted i get calluses. My PT wasn't keen on chalk, and thought i wouldn't get on with gloves. Which i wouldn't have.

They're almost like a badge of honour now😂

How do people stop their hands from hurting/ripping to shreds when deadlifting? I've just started and the bar is really sore on my hands, trainer has suggested chalk will help with grip but is very against gloves?

Yeah- some advice is 1g per lb but I think that’s excessive unless you’re like a pro bodybuilder or Crossfitter.

Johnny that is so useful thank you. 1g per kg seems a bit more manageable than some of the estimates I have seen (I am losing weight very slowly and getting more muscly at the moment). I'd be fine using them occasionally when I am rushing around so will try that brand. Thank you!

Protein shakes are one of those things I generally avoid discussing because they’re so polarising ( which is kind of ridiculous). I find they help and as I’m not a huge fan of meat/fish/eggs (I eat them but in an ideal world I’d get all my protein from cheese and pulses) they help me get close to 1g per kg bodyweight per day. However you do have to read the labels as the nutritional content varies so much and once you get into ‘restaurant/cafe’ shakes they can be massive calorie bombs ( plus they use cheap protein powder). I find My Protein to be a good brand so long as you don’t mind sweeteners. Mixes well with water and tastes nice.

Thanks that’s really helpful. So far my “running” is 20 mins slowly on a treadmill and I doubt I will ever get beyond 5k so it sounds like I don’t need to worry?. Trying to cut down on hit rather than weights to do it too. Early days (so not a runner). Have never tried protein shakes

I've kind of made peace with it

Basically, doing a lot of running and a lot of lifting means that you'll never optimise either (because you're asking your body to adapt in two conflicting ways) but as I'm not going to get any olympic medals in either and enjoy both I've accepted the compromise. My concession is that I have said that I am no longer racing any distance over 30k.

Eating a high protein diet helps prevent muscle atrophy to an extent in most people (i have a protein shake after every run) but when I was running a lot (60k a week of trail) I was failing to maintain muscle despite also lifting 3 x a week and eating a lot of protein.

Also, eating enough carbs so that your body uses glycogen as energy during runs and doesnt start trying to "waste off this annyoing heavy muscle" helps a bit.

Johnny, how do you find combining running with weight training? (just tentatively starting on a treadmill - I also do HIT and circuits but nothing steady state). Do you eat differently for example?

Upper body with PT today. DB benchpress -4-6reps. A bit annoyed with myself as I went for 45lb DBs but probably could have pushed up to 50lbs. I just find it hard to strike the balance between not tough enough and "fail". On the plus side my dips felt stronger and I managed 100 push ups in 12 mins (i know that sounds a bit pathetic but try it- you start to fail really quickly).

I feel like I need to structure my strength training a bit more now that i'm back running so that I have 3 really hard and worthwhile sessions and less faffing around doing a bit of this and a bit of that. Then that leaves me 3/4 days to do other stuff.

Thanks, will look at the pump sets then. Yes, a massive garage with a home gym would be amazing.

Problem with home set ups is that you're very limited with bars unless you have a rack because you cant (e.g.) do a squat unless you can clean that weight up from the floor to get into the starting position, and what you can clean is typically much less than you can squat, especially if you also need to get it overhead into a back squat position. Also you need a bench to do bench press. So basically, to do 2 of the 3 power lifts, you need a lot of kit.

Finally, the bar is completely different- pump bar is much shorter and weighs about 3-5kg. It won't take a lot of weight. If you want to do something at home and already enjoy pump, I'd just buy a pump set (I think Argos do one) and leave the heavy lifts for the gym.

I dream of living somewhere with a massive garage where I can get a complete home gym. I'm on a FB forum with mostly US participants and they all get to work out in their basement or garage.

Can anyone recommend some weights/barbell set up for doing Pump at home? I’m a bit confused because some reviews have said that some sets won’t take standard weights. I’m thinking I need one that does so if in the future I want more weights then I need to be able to buy some extra ones which fit.

it's OK to have a mild crush on your PT isn't it?

Well you're the second poster to say that in the space of a week, so if it's not ok at least you have company .

then the most horrific sprint thing

Yeah I was doing 30 secs max rate on bike (around 125rpm for me atm) with 15 secs recovery. Repeat 5 times

Almost vomited

My PT points out the bin to vomit into. I do like him it's OK to have a mild crush on your PT isn't it?

Yes, deadlift is a hinge from the hips and break the knees only enough to get the bar to the floor comfortably. Think about sending your hips back, and keeping your shins straight. Look up/down is controversial- if you're prone to overextension, better to tuck your chin. If not, look up give you better leverage (i know this as i read the whole of a massive 101 comment argument on FB about this in the week )

If you're on Insta there's a great account called Active Fitness Boston which have some greally helpful technique and progression videos and some good tips on cues. KB swings are also good DL training as also a hip hinge.

I did DL with my PT today too. 4x 6reps at 90% 1 rep max, so 95kg. It was heavy. I used the straps all 4 sets, having learned from last week that my forearms will blow up if I don't.

Also had to do stiff legged Romanians and KB rows, max supinated pull ups and then the most horrific sprint thing which is

3 sets of: 10 secs max assault bike, then 50 secs max burpees. 2 min rest.

Worst thing: the DILF at our gym was watching so I had to not look lame.

Almost vomited.

Hammies not my pyjamas

At the moment, I do 40kg as my standard multi-rep deadlift weight. My personal best so far is 75kg but only one rep.

Whereas at my most recent PT session I was doing alternating sets of 10 deadlifts (40kg) and 20 leg presses at 50kg. Five times.

Just manageable although quads felt a bit wobbly on the 5th set. Deadlifts felt like my rest break except on the final set

I really like deadlifts! It’s a different technique from Pump though. I’m always told I squat too low in pump, and that I don’t hinge enough in training. My PT was getting me to really flex my back and consciously engage jammies and glutes .

Bend knees
Hinge
Grip
Look up
Shoulders back
Lift using hamstrings

Done some deadlifting in the gym this morning. Was nice and quiet so plucked courage up and asked one of the gym staff as was still nervous about taking the bar off the rack.....even though it turned out to be simple. He gave me a whole deadlift tutorial as he said I need to squat much lower than the sort of hinge at your hips deadlifting in BodyPump. But I got the hang of it quick and did quite a few reps at 30kg inc bar. He said I can easy go up to 40 kg next time so will do that.

That’s fab, thanks. Am so glad you said the bar weighs 20kg as otherwise I’d have stuck a load of weights on and wondered why I couldn’t pick it up. I think there’s a smith machine as well so will ask someone to show me that today.

I’m not sure if bench pressing would be possible as wouldn’t I need a spotter?

It depends. There are a few options. Some gyms have what is called a Smith machine which you can use for bench press which has a safety catch inbuilt. It's not entirely a "free weight" because the machine restricts the bar path, but it's not far off. Ask an instructor to demonstrate how the safety catch works.

Alternatively, some standard racks have safety bars which you can set at a height so that if you can't get the bar up, you can drop it onto the bars and it doesnt crush you. It can be annoying as if you dont arch much to meet the bar, the bar can clip the safety bars during your reps, but I guess it's better than death

Failing that, Dumbbell benchpresses are very effective as (1) it sorts out any strength imbalances between your arms and (2) it's less stable so it's harder work than a bar at the same weight. If you fail the rep you can just bail the DBs sideways.

I don’t know how to start with the dead lifts. I mean I know the technique from body pump but I’m not sure how to put the weights on the bar in the gym.

Get the bar and put it on the floor. A standard bar is 20kg although some gyms have a "ladies' bar" which is 15kg, is narrower and shorter. If you have small hands or you are short, a 15kg bar may work better for grip and stability, but you can load a 15kg bar to same total weight as a 20kg bar so it really is a matter of preference. Once it's on the floor, get the plates and load onto the bar, heaviest first, so if you need a 10kg, a 5kg and a 2.5kg to make the desired weight, put them on in that order. When calcing the weight make sure you remember to add the bar weight. When the plates are loaded, get a collar to secure the weights on either side. Some people dont use collars for deadlifts. I use them for everything as I think it's a good habit but up to you. Best bet is to find a weight you can do for 10 reps with good form, get used to that and then work from there.

Also, a Bodypump deadlift is actually a Romanian deadlift. A full deadlift starts on the floor and is returned to the floor for each rep, with the bar tracking close to your shins.

HTH

I am joining in this thread.
I started going to the gym from 1-st of May and just trying to use different machines with a hope to build my strength over time.

Someone recommended this program for beginners
stronglifts.com/5x5/
and I will see if I can book some PT sessions for me to learn how to do them properly.

I have a few questions please.

I do body pump quite a bit and also free weights at the gym. Free weights is mainly dumbbell exercises. Leg press, assisted pull ups.

I’m interested in doing bench press and dead lifts in the free weights area but don’t know how to start. I’m not sure if bench pressing would be possible as wouldn’t I need a spotter? I don’t have a gym buddy.

I don’t know how to start with the dead lifts. I mean I know the technique from body pump but I’m not sure how to put the weights on the bar in the gym.

Ah ok, thanks that's helpful! Obviously the larger the baby grows (if I get past 8/12 weeks) I'll adjust the weights accordingly and perhaps switch cardio to steady walking rather than running at a high incline.

Hi rainbow. The issue is that there's very little evidence about the risks of exercise in pregnancy. Most people probably play it safer than they need to because they don't want to feel that what they did contributed to a miscarriage.

General consensus is that you shouldn't allow your HR to get crazy high, so steady state cardio is better than HIIT. Actually, lower reps, higher weight is possibly better than high rep because there's a point where high rep becomes cardio/ aerobic. Training accessory movements is probably also safer than compound movements as those get your heart rate up more.