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Does Anyone Here Lift Weights?


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ive always been into running and never lifting. but recently joined a gym and have been doing some lifting not looking to get cut at all just wanna see what i can do.

 

is there any apps to keep track of certain exercises and track reps and weight? 

 

 

***found an app on my ipod called "strong" you can create routines and add exercises and track reps and weight. seems simple enough and does what i want. 

Going to give that app a try later. I usually just use the notepad function on the phone but that seems better. I'm the same, I usually just run but i've been getting more and more into lifting lately, just interested in what kind of gains might come.

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  • 4 months later...

Sorry for the bump! Just wondering if there are many people here who lift for strength (low reps) as opposed to size?

I've found that lifting for strength works far better for me than anything else. Plus, it's nice to see those lifts constantly going up week on week, even if its only by say 2.5kg per lift.

I used to be the sort to lift for size but ultimately I didn't get very far even after a few years and a solid diet. I don't think being an ectomorph helped, I'm 6ft 2", around 72kg, and 12% BF, and found that I just ended up being a skinny fat guy and not putting on any muscle.

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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/14jbF_aGplRLIWdLQefrTGvqgJo1fu6CL3nJPrdOwiXOemhebWr5nGc2TXUduxOr-FFp2GFHTOHgylJVXCiwm7VTtk-aBBIMO5sj-8aLEYwjk3_2c_boR7frqQ

 

And this -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_hypertrophy#Myofibrillar_vs._sarcoplasmic_hypertrophy

 

It's tough to give feedback because there aren't specific numbers attached to your feedback. The 5x5 programs that are frequently suggested for beginner and intermediate weightlifters are designed to be a balance between lifting for strength and size.

 

Your height and weight suggest a smaller build. If you are adding 2.5kg per lift, that is great progress and keep it up. It's not going to last forever, though. An olympic lifter might go through a training progression over a month just to hopefully add that much onto their lifts. The further you get, the harder further progress becomes.

 

If you want to get bigger and not just stronger, you should be doing sets of 5-10. What do you eat and what workout program do you follow? Those are FAR more likely to impact your bodyfat percentage than whether you do sets of 3 or 10.

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Sorry for the bump! Just wondering if there are many people here who lift for strength (low reps) as opposed to size?

I've found that lifting for strength works far better for me than anything else. Plus, it's nice to see those lifts constantly going up week on week, even if its only by say 2.5kg per lift.

I used to be the sort to lift for size but ultimately I didn't get very far even after a few years and a solid diet. I don't think being an ectomorph helped, I'm 6ft 2", around 72kg, and 12% BF, and found that I just ended up being a skinny fat guy and not putting on any muscle.

 

I'm a big fan of 5/3/1 for strength, and you have the added flexibility to add some higher rep stuff after hitting your main lifts. There are multiple templates out there - Boring But Big is simple and works great, but getting in the calories and sleeping is a must.

 

You should also check out leangains - it could be the answer you're looking for to put on lean size, and the

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OK, so here's my situation.

 

I am 6'6 ~207 pounds, 31 years old.

 

I have been an avid weightlifter since junior high.  Through college I lifted mostly to improve athletic performance (basketball) and weighed as much as 230 LBs.  After college, I adjusted my diet, leaned out to my current weight and began lifting obsessively.  I lost a little bit of strength when I cut weight but gained definition.  In the past two years I have drastically cut back on the amount of meat I eat and completely cut out dairy, which meant no more whey.

 

Currently I supplement with a vegan pea based protein powder (~ 40 grams/day) a BCAA mix (~12K msg/day), fish oil and glucosamine.  I work out for at least an hour a day in the morning on a fast except for the BCAAs.  I take 3/4 of my protein shake immediately after lifting and then 1/4 around 3 PM.

 

My weekly routine is: Chest Monday, Arms Tuesday, Back Wednesday, Cardio and Legs Thursday, Shoulders on Friday.

 

My problem is I have noticed a very steady drop in strength over the past few years.  I no longer make gains and have trouble even maintaining my current load of:

Bench: 225 x 4-8 reps (varies wildly)

Deadlift: 330 x 2 reps

Squat: 300 x 5 reps

 

I am very confident that I have proper form: I've grown up in a powerlifting family and every few years pay for some personal training upkeep.  I keep up on the science and make sure to vary my routines.  Standard rep range is 6-10 reps but one week out of four I will completely change everything and either go very heavy or light.  I don't incorporate rest weeks regularly into my schedule but when I come back from vacation I never see a bump.

 

Any suggestions about how I can get back on track and keep improving?  Could it be as simple that I maxed out my frame at this weight?  Even so I think I'm too young to see any degradation.

 

Thanks,

 

Jesse 

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OK, so here's my situation.

 

I am 6'6 ~207 pounds, 31 years old.

 

I have been an avid weightlifter since junior high.  Through college I lifted mostly to improve athletic performance (basketball) and weighed as much as 230 LBs.  After college, I adjusted my diet, leaned out to my current weight and began lifting obsessively.  I lost a little bit of strength when I cut weight but gained definition.  In the past two years I have drastically cut back on the amount of meat I eat and completely cut out dairy, which meant no more whey.

 

Currently I supplement with a vegan pea based protein powder (~ 40 grams/day) a BCAA mix (~12K msg/day), fish oil and glucosamine.  I work out for at least an hour a day in the morning on a fast except for the BCAAs.  I take 3/4 of my protein shake immediately after lifting and then 1/4 around 3 PM.

 

My weekly routine is: Chest Monday, Arms Tuesday, Back Wednesday, Cardio and Legs Thursday, Shoulders on Friday.

 

My problem is I have noticed a very steady drop in strength over the past few years.  I no longer make gains and have trouble even maintaining my current load of:

Bench: 225 x 4-8 reps (varies wildly)

Deadlift: 330 x 2 reps

Squat: 300 x 5 reps

 

I am very confident that I have proper form: I've grown up in a powerlifting family and every few years pay for some personal training upkeep.  I keep up on the science and make sure to vary my routines.  Standard rep range is 6-10 reps but one week out of four I will completely change everything and either go very heavy or light.  I don't incorporate rest weeks regularly into my schedule but when I come back from vacation I never see a bump.

 

Any suggestions about how I can get back on track and keep improving?  Could it be as simple that I maxed out my frame at this weight?  Even so I think I'm too young to see any degradation.

 

Thanks,

 

Jesse 

 

How long have you been running that 5-day split? My first thought is to ditch the bodybuilding split and try a strength routine, i.e. 5/3/1. Cut back the volume, focus on increasing strength in the BP/Squat/DL/OHP, and get plenty of rest.

 

What's your diet like? Eating at maintenance?

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Yeah a heavy program like that is interesting and close to what I do now.  I structure my days (except arms) around the four main exercises and typically stick to 3 - 5 reps in four sets with at least two minutes of rest, then I do 4  - 5 other ancillary exercises at the higher rep range for 4 sets with 30 seconds - 1 minute of rest between sets.  

 

I think I'll try this with flat bench though to see how it goes, right now I do 6-8 reps, 9-10 reps, 10-12 reps for three working sets with the weight decreasing.  I had good results with it at first but clearly it isn't working anymore.

 

I eat 5 times a day, very clean (no processed foods, limited refined sugars, bad fats and sodium) except for some treats on the weekends.  It's been tough to keep my protein intake up after cutting out 75% of the meat I used to eat.  That could be part of it too.

 

BY rest are you referring to between sets or at night?  I have a three year old so one is easier than the other (haha).  Think I should cut back on the number of exercises I do each day?

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

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You seem to know what you are doing so this is going to be more of a collection of random thoughts than a single piece of advice.

 

- Our athletic peak is usually considered to be around 25-27. Not saying you can't continue to gain at 31, but you are on the start of the downward slide and it's going to be harder than before.

 

- Why no whey protein? If you occasionally eat meat, I'm assuming it is for health and not moral reasons. The problem with the new wave of "dairy is evil" nutritional advice is that they assume that the person's goal is to live longer, not get bigger in most cases. If you want to live as long as possible, the best body type you can have is that of an olympic run (thin and lean). The smaller the body, the less work on the circulatory system, the smaller the risk of cancer, and a bunch of other things. It's really a great idea (my personal opinion) for people in their late 30s and 40s to give up on strength training (or significantly scale back) and reduce their body mass. It's all about a personal preference on body type, though.

 

That said, milk is nature's fuel for body growth and a pea is a lot farther away genetically from a human than a chicken. Without quantifying the effect, it's costing you something.

 

- Should be shooting for at least a gram or so per kg of lean body weight. I understand that protein shake isn't the only source of protein in your diet. Still this is the minimum -- if going for strength gains, you want a protein surplus, not for it to be the limiting factor. You are a big dude. If you are going to stick with the pea protein, at a minimum double the intake.

 

- You don't call out creatine. It's harmless and right up there with omega 3s and protein in terms of importance and proven effectiveness.

 

- You gotta have a rest week occasionally. You shouldn't expect to see bigger lifts coming off a rest week. New muscle needs to be continued to be stressed and strengthened like the muscle fibers you've been working for years.

 

- It's possible that you could be low on muscle glycogen if not eating enough carbs.

 

- You could see a doc and have your testesterone and other levels checked (not saying you need this, but it doesn't really hurt anything to check).

 

All of that said, your numbers are really good. Assuming your 1 rep maxes are about 30% higher than those numbers (ballpark standard), you can push around 2x your bodyweight. That puts you well above the average joe and into gym rat territory. You probably aren't going to hit that elite level of 2.5x bodyweight again at your age. All of the above are just suggestions to keep the tail-off long and slow.

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Yeah a heavy program like that is interesting and close to what I do now.  I structure my days (except arms) around the four main exercises and typically stick to 3 - 5 reps in four sets with at least two minutes of rest, then I do 4  - 5 other ancillary exercises at the higher rep range for 4 sets with 30 seconds - 1 minute of rest between sets.  

 

I think I'll try this with flat bench though to see how it goes, right now I do 6-8 reps, 9-10 reps, 10-12 reps for three working sets with the weight decreasing.  I had good results with it at first but clearly it isn't working anymore.

 

I eat 5 times a day, very clean (no processed foods, limited refined sugars, bad fats and sodium) except for some treats on the weekends.  It's been tough to keep my protein intake up after cutting out 75% of the meat I used to eat.  That could be part of it too.

 

BY rest are you referring to between sets or at night?  I have a three year old so one is easier than the other (haha).  Think I should cut back on the number of exercises I do each day?

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

I would personally cut back on the volume, yes. I've had excellent strength gains with the 5/3/1 BBB template  - do the 5x10 sets on opposite days so you're hitting those muscles 2x week. For example, 5/3/1 bench followed up with 5x10 OHP. Keep the assistance minimal...you want your focus to be on those core lifts. I like to mix in chins/pull ups between my 5/3/1 warm up sets. Assistance varies (rows, close grip bench, face pulls, etc). On DL/Squat days my assistance consists of ab work and/or chins/pull ups.

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Thanks for the sounding board.  I don't have access to any other gym nerds in my day to day life so this was really helpful.

 

I agree about the pea protein, not ideal and the taste is brutal.  I got off milk because it was wreaking havoc with my skin but I really miss my ON Whey.  I did creatine in college for awhile but found it left me kind of puffy from the water weight I retained, maybe I'll give it a shot again.

 

I'll go super heavy next month and see how that feels.  Maybe I have to face facts about my age and body type, long limbs aren't ideal for lifting.

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Thanks for the sounding board.  I don't have access to any other gym nerds in my day to day life so this was really helpful.

 

I agree about the pea protein, not ideal and the taste is brutal.  I got off milk because it was wreaking havoc with my skin but I really miss my ON Whey.  I did creatine in college for awhile but found it left me kind of puffy from the water weight I retained, maybe I'll give it a shot again.

 

I'll go super heavy next month and see how that feels.  Maybe I have to face facts about my age and body type, long limbs aren't ideal for lifting.

What does your daily food intake look like, i know you said you've drastically cut back on meat, so what has this been replaced with? 

I'm currently doing a modified 5/3/1/deload, and am eating like a horse to stick around 180lb at around 5'7" at 40 years old and keep making gains. Am just thinking that the 5/3/1 may be hard to work without the good protein from meat and dairy. Also, good to do a deload week, i wish i'd implemented this in my youth, as i'm certain it would have saved me a couple of trips to physio's over the years.

You mention going "super heavy" next month, would it not be better to figure out what you want to do (train for size,strength,etc), find a workout plan to suit, get your 1rm's this month and start a fresh next month and take it from there, that way you can track your progression and see if what you're doing is working? BTW 31 is nothing age wise, even at 40 i don't feel i'm too far off what i was around 30, defo need more rest now though, i'm ready for my bed around 8pm nowadays...haha

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I've replaced the meat with frankly a lot of beans.  I don't have very many options.

 

I'm pretty clear on what I want to accomplish.  I'm OK with the definition I have attained, what I want to do is claw back some of the strength I've lost this year.  I've stuck to a bodybuilding style rep range most of my life.  I know where my maxes are, I've been doing this for a long time.  Super heavy for me is a powerlifting style 5-5-3 rep range which I started this week, I'll let you guys know in 6 weeks or so how it went.

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  • 3 months later...

I've grown to really like that Stronglifts app. It's nothing you couldn't do with pencil, paper, and a watch but the timer, the fixed workout, recognizing missed reps and suggesting what to do, recognizing that if you took a week off you should dial it back a little and not try and pick up right where you left off, etc.. It really takes the thinking out of it and lets you just focus on adding a little weight each workout and fighting through that last set.

 

I do think the ramp-up period is a little too long. I think I put in a 5 rep max of 275 (or something in that range) and it starts you doing a 5x5 at 120. I understand the importance of starting lighter and working slowly up to new personal bests but the ramp-up is just too long. It feels like a waste of time to start that low. I wouldn't fault anyone for skipping some initial workouts (starting at something like 150 and going from there). It's still starting light and leaving room to grow, which is the important principle.

 

The other thing I find is that I just can't stick to the M/W/F routine. My legs still haven't recovered after 2 days from a heavy lift and I need an extra day or two. 

 

But other than those tweaks, doing well with it. Hit 270x5x5 today. Kinda tempted to go for a 1 rep max because I've never crossed 300 lbs but eff it, I'll get there in a month or so.

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I'm currently doing the Stronglifts Madcow program. I just finished week 7 and I feel like I'm pretty much maxed out for my lifts right now and there's no way I could make it to week 12. I have a friend who does Strongman stuff and he said that although you start a bit lower for the weights and work your way up, it doesn't start low enough and the volume is way too much. I have been liking going to the gym only 3 times a week though.

 

After the 7th week my lifts are:

Squat - 305 x 5

Bench - 255 x 5

Row - 190 x 5

Press - 135 x 5

Deadlift - 360 x 5

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Man I really miss lifting. I've been having to put the workouts on hold - I have a power rack in my garage with an Olympic bar and 145kg of weights, but it's not properly heated in there and this time of year is just FAR too cold, even with a plug in heater. Lifting with an ice cold bar when it's 2 degrees is not fun. Hopefully another couple of weeks and I can get back on it.

Enjoyed stronglifts etc but I do feel like with the lifts being very specific that I need to change it up to something with a bit more variety again. Something with different planes and ranges of movement.

Anyone got any workout plans they've enjoyed? Feeling a bit skinny right now, I'm not big by any means but having put lifting on hold and also losing a bit of Xmas fat I feel like I need to start adding some size again.

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I'm currently doing the Stronglifts Madcow program. I just finished week 7 and I feel like I'm pretty much maxed out for my lifts right now and there's no way I could make it to week 12. I have a friend who does Strongman stuff and he said that although you start a bit lower for the weights and work your way up, it doesn't start low enough and the volume is way too much. I have been liking going to the gym only 3 times a week though.

 

After the 7th week my lifts are:

Squat - 305 x 5

Bench - 255 x 5

Row - 190 x 5

Press - 135 x 5

Deadlift - 360 x 5

 

Failure is part of the game (this is what the stronglifts app tells you when you miss a set).

 

I've thought about messing around with microplates but haven't bought them yet. 5 pound increments seems to work well enough for me on the squat, deadlift, bench but hitting a personal record on the overhead press and then trying to add 5 pounds the next week just seems like I'm pretty guaranteed to fail. It's only 2% increase or so on the heavy lifts but it's twice as much relative weight on the smaller lifts.

 

When I'm not sure if I'm going to make it I take an extra minute in between sets (4 minute rest instead of 3). There have been a few times I thought I was done and made it through just toughening up and focusing. If I KNOW I'm not going to make it, I reduce it down to sets of 3. The reduced volume definitely helps to aid recovery and put me in a better spot next week to try again. So far I haven't missed 2 times in a row with this approach. 

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Man I really miss lifting. I've been having to put the workouts on hold - I have a power rack in my garage with an Olympic bar and 145kg of weights, but it's not properly heated in there and this time of year is just FAR too cold, even with a plug in heater. Lifting with an ice cold bar when it's 2 degrees is not fun. Hopefully another couple of weeks and I can get back on it.

Enjoyed stronglifts etc but I do feel like with the lifts being very specific that I need to change it up to something with a bit more variety again. Something with different planes and ranges of movement.

Anyone got any workout plans they've enjoyed? Feeling a bit skinny right now, I'm not big by any means but having put lifting on hold and also losing a bit of Xmas fat I feel like I need to start adding some size again.

 

Literally no space to bring it inside? Do you have a friend or family member who lives close and would let you use their basement? Can you buy a 3 month gym membership? Lifting in negative temps sounds like a good way to injure yourself. Taking the winter off is definitely not the answer either. 

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Literally no space to bring it inside? Do you have a friend or family member who lives close and would let you use their basement? Can you buy a 3 month gym membership? Lifting in negative temps sounds like a good way to injure yourself. Taking the winter off is definitely not the answer either.

Unfortunately I don't have anywhere I can move it to. Me and my wife moved to the area 2 years ago and have no friends or family nearby either. There is a local gym, but 12 month membership only, and I would begrudge paying for a whole year just to get a couple of months!

Last winter I only really had to drop about 6 weeks. Not the best but certainly could be worse. Thankfully British winters are nowhere near as cold as those in northern USA or Canada, hopefully only another 2 weeks and I'll be back on it.

I've been giving some Yoga a try, as I can do that indoors no problem, though it's not the usual stuff. A friend gave me a copy of DDP Yoga, which has been interesting, and is aimed more at guys (with none of the spiritual stuff). At worst its helping with a bit of flexibility (lets be honest, most of us neglect this!), and balance, and it's keeping me a little active until I can get back to some weights.

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  • 1 year later...

Massive Bump but i feel there was a lot of info here that ill look through.....

 

Started getting Massive in gym and weights and have been progressively lifting heavier and heavier as the months go on

 

I generally have a couple of holidays a year and set goals to reach before those holidays......many revolving around Snowboarding and some hot weather vacations.

 

Im back trying a 5/6 day split with Legs, Chest, Shoulders, Back, Arms

 

What are some splits people here are running?

 

Hows everyone from the start of thread going? Still lifting/gyming and progress?

Edited by piky0032
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I've been at a boot camp/crossfit style gym for the past year. We predominately use kettlebells to lift/train with, however when it's deadlift time I go for the bar. My goal is to deadlift 305 by the end of the year, I'm currently at  215. 

Also other goals for the year include kettlebell strict uni press 62 lbs, and squat 124 lbs. Currently, I'm at a 44 lb pres and 88 lbs squat.

KB swings, It'd be rad to also get to the point where I swing 2 x 62 lb KBs, Right now, my max is one 88 lbs KB. 

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I've been doing Crossfit for about a year, our gyms focus' pretty heavily on olympic style weightlifting.

My biggest PRs are

Backsquat - 407

Deadlift - 435

Anything off the rack or with legs I can go pretty heavy with, anything from the ground involving a clean or snatch i'm around the 200lb area.

 

Edited by ianmonsta
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My main goals currently are to increase my Back Squats, Bench and Incline Dumbell Bench Press......

 

At the moment my Squat session is.....

2 Sets of 10 Reps at 60kgs/132lbs

2 Sets of 8 Reps at 80kgs/176lbs

3 Sets of 5 Reps at 100kgs/220lbs

1 Set of 5 Reps at 110kgs/242lbs

1 Set of 5 Reps at 115kgs/253lbs

 

Bench Press Session gets up to 80kgs (as of today) 

 

Incline DB Bench Gets up to 60kgs (30kgs DBs) 

 

Ive been running the same routine for the last 2 months and am looking at expanding/changing up what exercises im doing......Currently weight about 90kgs....up to 94 some weeks

 

Anyone got a good run down of what they would do on there days?

 

- Leg

- Chest

- Shoulder

- Back

- Arms 

 

Always looking for tips or new routines to keep my interest

Edited by piky0032
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  • 2 months later...

Joined a crossfit gym. Still think it's a bit of a ripoff (I could do everything I do there in my basement with equipment I already have) but I've reached the point in my life where fitness (and motivation for fitness) are more valuable than money. It gets me moving and breaks up the monotony of a 5x5 workout. At 30, less worried about 1RM  and focusing more on cardiovascular health.

 

Biggest trouble for me has been flexibility. I haven't touched my toes in probably 15 years. I'm getting close. Still have a lot of issues with wrist, lat, hip tightness that I'm working through over time. It just hadn't been a problem before given the way I lifted.

 

I can post the workouts here if people want (not going to do all the warmups, stretches, etc...Just the WOD). Today was:

25 cleans (95#)

25 wall balls (20#)

100m sprint

4m for the workout (start doing cleans again after you get through it once)

 

4m rest

 

Same but 20 reps

 

4m rest

 

Same but 15 reps

 

Scale down for women or up if you are in really awesome shape.

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