Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

[MaidOfStars]

We are a bit cut off in the designated forum so here's a shiny new thread to populate.

Hello to anyone that hasn't ventured over to The Weights Room but is lifting/resistance training.

[MaidOfStars]

I am a bit wobbly with the barbell but we used kettlebells today, which is far more stable (for me, anyway).

[Tomorrowisanewday]

That's funny, I'm the exact opposite. With a barbell or a weighted bag over my shoulders, I'm better, but give me kettlebells or dumbells, I'm like Bambi on ice!

[FindoGask]

thanks Just - will have a look!

Ugh, walking lunches. Nein danke.

Did my first sets of squats using new improved method this morning and they felt surprisingly good. I think I'm stronger coming out of the hole than I was - no need for bouncing at the bottom like before - and I'm finding it easier to activate my lats using the wider grip the coach showed me. I was squatting 70kg (not quite bodyweight) 5 x 3 - going to keep it light while I learn the new movement pattern.

[FindoGask]

walking lunges, not lunches! Though I like to sit down when I eat too.

[MaidOfStars]

Findo How far apart are your feet with the new technique?

[FindoGask]

It's not the widest stance I've seen for squatting, but my feet were shoulder width or a bit less - now now they're maybe 15cm each outside shoulder width (I have broad shoulders).

[MaidOfStars]

Oh, interesting. I've always squatted wide, and very outwards knees. I suspect there's fine tuning with different stances.

[JustGettingStarted]

Does anyone else drift into a rut of not really increasing weights?

I can really only accurately track things done with free weights... Cables vary because I travel and use different gyms and each machine will be different according to the placement of pullies. But I think I can slack when it comes to focusing on increasing the weight for bench press, etc.

It's hard to make the jump from 10kg to 12.5 (I'm talking about overhead press with dumbbells) but I think I have managed to make improvements. First I tried one or two reps at the higher weight, then did my sets at 10 kg. Today I did 2 sets of 6, then a set of 5, then a set with 10kg x 8 reps.

My goal is to get to 3 sets of 10 at 12.5kg... Once I've done that, I will start chipping away at 15kg.

I can't always increase weight, but I can try to increase volume, even if it's just one more rep on one of the sets.

[FindoGask]

Absolutely Just -sometimes they can last for months, but like you if I can't go heavier I usually work on volume or I vary the set and rep pattern around the weight I'm stuck on.

On the other hand, bench press is my fave lift but I've been loitering around my one rep max for maybe 10 months or so now. It's soul destroying. For me bench is the most psychological of all the lifts; if I'm not feeling strong on my first warm up set I find it really demoralising.

[MaidOfStars]

Just

This is why I have a trainer. I don't trust myself to push as hard as I could.

My increases follow the same pattern as you describe. On a push press (example):
Session 1: I'll lift 3 x 10 x 12 kg.
Session 2: I might manage 1 x 4 x 16 kg, then 2 x 8 x 12 kg, then bang out to burning fatigue on 8 kg.
Session 3: Maybe 1 x 8 x 16 kg, then deload as above.
Rinse and repeat once I can manage 3 x 10 x 16 kg.

Similar patterns for other lifts.

I have a very varied routine though, so my increases aren't systematic/tracked rigidly. My ability to get through a planned increase on push press will very much depend on whether I started the session with back or leg/arse exercises!

[JustGettingStarted]

Yes I find that the order of things affects everything else. For a while I focused on shoulder and did OHP first. Then back, then chest. Then shoulder accessories. I always finish upper body day with biceps and triceps isolations, because why not.

I have recently begun alternating chest or shoulders first. I don't expect to make great leaps forward on whatever comes second.

[Timmytoo]

Hi

I'd like to join. I'm a big fitness junkie. I'm going for the fitness look and nearly there. After a breakdown I had to stop training for three years due to CFS. I put on 13kg from meds but now made a full recover and have been back in training for 8 months now of which I e managed to lose Q10kg but have another 3kg to go. These are a bitch to lose.

My workout plan as follows:

I do The Grid without at Virgin gym Monday & Tuesday - this is great for endurance and shredding
Body pump on Wednesday
Thursday - Rest
Friday to Sunday - An hour spin class and 45 minutes heavy weight session where I do two muscle groups a day.

I take my whey protein after workouts and I'm on CLA and L-Carnitine which has an added bonus of helping with ADHD. These I use for fat burn and tone

I'm trying to get my six pack beach ready so I've gone The S diet route - no sugar or snacks on days not starting with an S

I've just started this S plan but have seen positive results.

I sabotage myself with alcohol (not much just a acoupke of glasses of wine and maybe a beer a week) and sweets although I'm hoping the S plan will help with that and I've cut alcohol down to one pint of beer a week and no wine as I get indigestion of it too.

[FindoGask]

Timmytoo I wouldn't call a couple of glasses of wine and 1 beer per week self-sabotage! Sounds like you're really focused and whatever you're doing is working for you.

I'm trying to lose a bit of weight too whilst maintaining strength, but going about it a bit differently - tracking calories on myfitnesspal and going easy on the malbec.

[MaidOfStars]

I'm currently doing an unplanned (and not very expertly planned) bulk.

I am doing so much running alongside weights/sports, that I was feeling wrecked. Had a few niggling injuries I couldn't shake off either (nothing that stopped me working out but little things I'd have expected to be gone within a week). My weights trickled to maintenance because I didn't feel strong.

I was down to 48.2kg at 5'4'', which is too low a BMI. And still eating only 1200 cals a day. Ramped that up to 1700, and put on a couple of kg in a month (and jolly good fun it was too). Thankfully, my clothes still fit...

Have a marathon in October, then plan to really hit new weights targets by March. Then cut excess fat for summer.

[FindoGask]

I'm trying to imagine eating just 1200 calories a day. MFP has put me on 1650 (plus exercise calories) and I'm losing a steady 2lb per week on that. Think my maintenance must be pretty high!

When I started lifting I didn't want to get into the whole bulking/cutting thing but sort of like you, when I look back that's exactly what I've been doing.

[FairlyConstantNameChanger]

Hello all, just dipping my toe in here if that's ok? I have had weight training recommended to me (super skinny, struggle to put on weight) but wouldn't have a clue what I was doing! I'm not even a member of a gym. Hope it's ok to ask in here but can I just join a gym and get started? Do they show you how to lift? Don't think I can afford a personal trainer.

[hazelnutlatte]

I definitely get stuck in a rut sometimes too, although I think it's mostly because I'm not very consistent with my training, and partly because I don't bother to track anything properly so I can't see the small changes. So I was getting annoyed with myself as I've been stuck on 25kg on bench press for ages until I thought about it properly and realised that I can do 7 reps now and was only able to manage 5 reps a month ago. So progress is happening, just very slowly!

[Lazyi]

Hi Fairly, I am sure that different people will have different advice, but here's what I would recommend... it's useful to have someone teach you the basics, e.g how to do a squat or deadlift. I am a member of pure gyms (great value for money) and they have some induction and some weights classes to get you started. PTs are often in the gym, and very happy to give ad hoc advice (otherwise they have to clean/ just stand about), so again, always worth chatting to someone. Otherwise, I would look on the internet for beginner weightlifting and see what that gets you. Best of luck!

[FairlyConstantNameChanger]

Thanks Lazyi . Pure gym seems fab but I want a nearby gym or I won't go! Only two choices really round here which is a local leisure centre or a new gym which seems very weights focused but seems very focused on weight loss and has no pool, cardio stuff etc. I will investigate both.

[FindoGask]

Have a look and see if there are any beginner weightlifting courses near you - these often work out very cheaply compared to personal training. I agree that 1:1 time with someone who knows their onions is important when starting out, but if that's not possible there's a lot of free online resources and support you can access.

Alternatively, if you're not fussed about weights but want to get stronger you could do a lot worse than getting yourself a copy of You Are Your Own Gym or similar. There's apps too. You could do circuits of bodyweight exercises at home and get hella strong that way: you just need to be able to motivate yourself to do it regularly, which some people find tricky in their cosy home environment.

[JustGettingStarted]

You'll likely find friendlier people at the no frills, weight-focused gym.

You can learn a fair amount from reading and watching YouTube videos. You can record yourself on your phone and see what your squat looks like (and you can post a video for a form check on reddit.com... The xxfitness subreddit is very friendly. There's an awesome xxfitness Facebook group, too.

If you stick to very light weights while you learn, you won't hurt yourself.

And it's OK to ask someone who looks like they know what they're doing to tell you if you're doing it right. They'll likely be thrilled to help.

[Mulch]

Marking

[FairlyConstantNameChanger]

Thank you! You are your own gym looks intriguing. I would do it at home I think. Really don't care about weights, just wanted to be less skinny so if I can do that at home that would be better!

[NC4now]

Well the bank holiday has put a right spanner in my works.
I shifted monday's PT session to Tuesday, which meant I shifted Tuesday's spin class to Wednesday.
Missed my rest day (Weds) and went straight from spin at 9 last night to legs day at 8 this morning.
I'll not do that again in a hurry 😂

[Mulch]

Whats everyone's training split look like? I'm working on increasing strength and struggle to do two days in a row so doing one day on one day off. Would like to increase frequency. Previously used creatine before lo but since I've had him I've not bothered with any supplements.