Anyone else lift weights?

@PhoneLock I've got one of those too! Its a brilliant motivational tool for me but yes, very competitive. We have one chap at our gym who is consistently top of the leader board because he's an amateur time triallist so cycling hundreds of miles a week around the world. Makes me feel very inadequate as in a good month I get maybe 4000 MEP's whilst hes on 10-12000!

Does anyone use a fitness tracker while strength training?

I wear a myZone belt. It works with a phone app and also automatically adds your results to the leader board in the gym, plus anyone else with the app that you choose to share it with.

It can get quite competitive towards the end of the month.

Don't neglect active and passive hangs. I'm also working up to monkey bars but no exercise will make me taller than 5'2".

I want to be able to hang for a whole minute.
AthleanX has a whole range of progress exercises that will help you work up to a pull up.

I went to the gym today and my trainer was there working out himself. The fear of being judged meant I did half my routine and then left to finish at home instead 🤦‍♀️

I was fine with the teenagers in there last week. And I'm fine (ish) when I've got an actual session with him. I don't know. What an idiot I am!

I think maybe it's related to him being very young? It's a weird dynamic (for me)

Does anyone use a fitness tracker while strength training? I use Google Fit and while it does a great job tracking reps and guessing what I’m doing, I’m always surprised by how very, very low a calorie burn estimate I get for strength sessions.

Yay @GodwinsRulebook!

I'm getting almost competent at press ups - two years ago I couldn't do one.Now I can do 10 hand release press ups in one go. With imperfect form but I'm getting there. Full arm planks are easy - it's the lowering down that's hard!

@MsMartini - crikey! Well done.

@GodwinsRulebook - I'm in the same boat. 2020 WILL be the year I get one. Those underarm muscles are tricksy little things. I've not pulled one but got horribly sore once. Hope it's better now. I was set back last year by tendonitis in my right elbow caused (I suspect) by trying to do too many pull ups! I've also recently done one of those DNA health things which told me that my natural ability to build strength is lower than average, which would explain why it is taking me so long to achieve the pull up (and press up, which I also can't quite do yet). Just keep at it. You will be over the moon on that day when you discover that you can do one at last.

Ouch! Is it better now?

Pull-ups are such hard work....I had a shoulder injury and the rehab for that included a lot of negatives and holds, which all helped too. And doing band-assisted ones and lat pull downs as often as possible, even if not time for many.

Wow! - I've been working on pull ups for 2 years - haven't got them yet. I don't think I train consistently enough on the prep exercises, and then just as I was getting strong, I pulled a muscle in my underarm. Who ever thought you could pull a muscle there?! And I suspect my age is against me (60). While I've been moderately physically active my whole life (mostly dance & gym aerobics & step) it's only in the last 2 years, working weekly with a trainer, that I've focused on this sort of stuff.

Big breakthrough today - I managed 20 pull-ups in one session, albeit i sets of 3 then 2 then 1 as I fatigued and with quite long rests. I seemed to have been stuck for months and then sudden leap forward - so take heart everyone else working on these!

I have a chin up bar - if you have that then TRX, gym rings and creative use of rubber resistance bands are possible.
I also have kettlebells but they live outside.

Currently starting with gym rings - the false grip sucks but it is amazing how much energy you burn just holding dips and hangs!

Thanks Godwin

Mother try using an assist of about half your weight and see how you go.

I don't use a machine for pull ups but a quick google brings up some how-to videos.

I was looking at the assisted pull up machine today. How do you work out what weight to use as counter balance? (I'm not really a machine user so I'm clueless)

I found that I lacked motivation to exercise at home on my own. I exercise a lot but I can easily find an excuse not to. I like to be pushed right to the limit by a trainer.

That, plus the social aspect of the gym keeps me going. I also like the good natured competition with other members.

So jealous Phonelock
I'd love a home gym. I baggsied the spare room for that purpose but DH is being stubborn and not shifting his stuff..

I do like going to the gym for classes etc but I'd happily do my weights alone.

As said previously, I do resistance training twice a week. However, I saw real results when I undertook beginning powerlifting. I came about it while on Tinder- the best thing that has come out of it thus far! That's another story lol...
Can I suggest Sydney Cummings on YouTube for fantastic Strength Training videos. She is literally a godsend for me.

@Fedupandpoor, mmmm. Have you lifted weights before? If not, I'd be a bit wary of starting on your own at home.
Have a look at something like this?www.nerdfitness.com/blog/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

We have a home gym. A big multi-gym machine, an air rower, squat rack and loads of free weights. All bought for peanuts secondhand on eBay.

The irony is that I never use them. I prefer training with other people at a commercial gym

I really want to get into this! I do yoga and run a few times a week (because they're free!) what's the cheapest way I could start lifting weights at home? I had a look at free weights online and they cost a fortune!

@Photosymphysis, yep. Don't worry, it takes a few (many for me!) goes to learn a new lift and it is great you are getting PT so he can make sure your form is safe and you can progress.

No, that's not right. I didn't bring it back down behind my head. Just concentrating on moving my head out of the way etc.

@MsMartini, er, lifting it up and putting it back down again /facetious

I think he said Romanian dead lifts? I've only done it the once and can't really remember. I need to see him again I think. Oh, and barbell row. And one shoulder press type thing: lifting it above my head then down onto my shoulders, then up and over and back down in front.

I am new to this!