Want to start strength training - absolute beginner

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Replies

  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    I use chopsticks. Fat fingers, good for dating, bad for touch typing.

    I only just got this joke.

    Cheeky.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    EWJLang wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    I use chopsticks. Fat fingers, good for dating, bad for touch typing.

    I only just got this joke.

    Cheeky.

    heyo.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    I know I'm only one day in but if I like this and flow the program, is it dumb to get my own rack/eq for home? It'll cost a bunch but I could end my gym membership
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Hey OP, I saw you mention something about your calorie intake on another thread. Are you at maintenance now?
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    No, still about 20 to 30lbs away, though not sure how the weight lifting will affect things
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    edited January 2015
    Robbnva wrote: »
    No, still about 20 to 30lbs away, though not sure how the weight lifting will affect things

    So...I think you said you were eating 1200 calories, or am I remembering wrong? I thought I saw somewhere where you responded to me when I told a female she should eat more, but I can't find it.
  • hmcbride68
    hmcbride68 Posts: 72 Member
    Nothing dumb at all about getting a power rack and training at home. If I had the bucks, I'd do it. Waiting for goofballs curling in the squat rack to finish their cheat sets gets old when you're pumped and ready to go
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    arditarose wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    No, still about 20 to 30lbs away, though not sure how the weight lifting will affect things

    So...I think you said you were eating 1200 calories, or am I remembering wrong? I thought I saw somewhere where you responded to me when I told a female she should eat more, but I can't find it.

    My daily goal for 2lbs a week is 1400, with exercise I net less than that though. May not be the popular opinion but its worked for me. No stalls and only 1 very minor gain thanksgiving week.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    hmcbride68 wrote: »
    Nothing dumb at all about getting a power rack and training at home. If I had the bucks, I'd do it. Waiting for goofballs curling in the squat rack to finish their cheat sets gets old when you're pumped and ready to go

    Yeah a cheap setup is still gonna cost me about 600+ maybe I should start a kick starter lol
  • Th3Ph03n1x
    Th3Ph03n1x Posts: 275 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    I know I'm only one day in but if I like this and flow the program, is it dumb to get my own rack/eq for home? It'll cost a bunch but I could end my gym membership

    If I had a gym membership I'd use it and make sure I would stick to the program before buying equipment.

    Of course I don 't and I feel a home gym is more doable with my schedule than paying for a membership and driving to/from the gym so I'm doing almost the complete opposite of what I advise. :dizzy_face:


    Either way not dumb.... you can always sell it if it doesn't work out.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    OK deadlifts are no joke, I'm sure my form is all wrong also. The overhead and squats were fine
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    arditarose wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    No, still about 20 to 30lbs away, though not sure how the weight lifting will affect things

    So...I think you said you were eating 1200 calories, or am I remembering wrong? I thought I saw somewhere where you responded to me when I told a female she should eat more, but I can't find it.

    My daily goal for 2lbs a week is 1400, with exercise I net less than that though. May not be the popular opinion but its worked for me. No stalls and only 1 very minor gain thanksgiving week.

    Wow, that is an incredible calorie deficit Rob. Who prescribed that for you? I know that doctors will take incredibly obese patients and put them on 1200 calorie diets but that's a different animal altogether, unless you fall into that category. Losing weight in an extreme fashion may work at first but for long-term success there's a lot of evidence to say that you're likely to gain that weight back. I would recommend doing some reading about TDEE and calorie deficits and then take a look at your nutrition plan again. Congrats on being able to get rid of some other vices of yours!

  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    The 1400 is what MyFitnessPal tells me to eat, I took the rest from people I know who had weight loss surgery plus my own meetings with a bariatric nutritionist, I considered getting wls myself and was enrolled in my insurance program where I had to meet with a nutritionist. She suggested I eat between 1200 to 1500 calories and not really worry about eating back exercise calories,but I find if I go under 1k I don't lose. I'm not at all worried about weight regain cause I've already been there done that. I lost 110 before and over 14 years gained it all back. The difference is I've completely changed my lifestyle. I get exercise almost every day, stopped eating junk, drink tons of water. None of that I did when I lost weight the first time (was sick and on long term antibiotics that killed my appetite so I never learned to eat healthy). I make smart decisions now and track everything. Like I said I realize this plan isn't for everyone but its worked for me, I see my doctors regularly and my vitals and everything are perfect. I was even asked if I was an athlete lol.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Oh, I quit the program 3 months in cause I was doing so well without it. Had I stuck with it and not done so well on my own, my surgery would have been next month. I'm now 30lbs from my goal weight...
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    The All-Pro isn't horrible but I think the progression is backwards. Why would you start heavier with a beginner? Calf Raises? The Squat actually activates the Calves pretty well on the concentric, they're kind of unnecessary unless there's a deficiency that needs to be corrected through strengthening.

    I would start with Starting Strength, StrongLifts, or even 5/3/1 (the dreaded slow plate adding).

    Are you sure you're looking at All Pro's current beginner routine?

    When I ran it, it started with 90% of your tested 10-rep max, or the bar if you wanted to ease into it. The point of the first day being heavy is that presumably you're the most rested on that day. Valid point? I have no idea.

    It also didn't have calf raises recommended. It starts with squat, bench, bent-over row as the required main three. After a cycle or two, it's recommended to add a couple of accessory lifts but they weren't required. The top recommended lifts when I ran it were overhead press, stiff-legged deadlift, upright row so those were what I did and added in hip thrusts.

    As I said, I ran that program. I liked it for my short bulk, it seemed to work well. But it wore me out more than Starting Strength for sure. Since I've picked up running, I don't think it would be the best pick to mix with that.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    The 1400 is what MyFitnessPal tells me to eat, I took the rest from people I know who had weight loss surgery plus my own meetings with a bariatric nutritionist, I considered getting wls myself and was enrolled in my insurance program where I had to meet with a nutritionist. She suggested I eat between 1200 to 1500 calories and not really worry about eating back exercise calories,but I find if I go under 1k I don't lose. I'm not at all worried about weight regain cause I've already been there done that. I lost 110 before and over 14 years gained it all back. The difference is I've completely changed my lifestyle. I get exercise almost every day, stopped eating junk, drink tons of water. None of that I did when I lost weight the first time (was sick and on long term antibiotics that killed my appetite so I never learned to eat healthy). I make smart decisions now and track everything. Like I said I realize this plan isn't for everyone but its worked for me, I see my doctors regularly and my vitals and everything are perfect. I was even asked if I was an athlete lol.

    Yeah, MFP is bunk for setting calorie goals.

    Better tools out there to avail yourself of.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Yeah I'm sure but what I'm doing works and I'm not starving or miserable.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Yeah I'm sure but what I'm doing works and I'm not starving or miserable.

    Define works. I can tell you, you won't be properly fueling or repairing from decent lifting sessions at that level of intake unless you live on your bed 24x7.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Yeah I'm sure but what I'm doing works and I'm not starving or miserable.

    not for nothing- but I eat more than you to lose weight.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    edited January 2015
    What works is losing weight which is what my goal is. I sit at a desk all day so my requirements are lower than someone who's running around on their feet all day. My doctor has no issues with my intake, so that's all that matters to me.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Yeah I'm sure but what I'm doing works and I'm not starving or miserable.

    not for nothing- but I eat more than you to lose weight.

    Congrats on your weight loss.

    Now back on topic, at what point will I start to level off weights? I don't care about lifting 300+ lbs
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    a) When you can't progress.

    b) When you like how you look and like how strong you are.

    c) virtually never. You might find you like it.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Thanks
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    What works is losing weight which is what my goal is. I sit at a desk all day so my requirements are lower than someone who's running around on their feet all day. My doctor has no issues with my intake, so that's all that matters to me.

    I work an 8 hour job at a desk- I'm 5'8" and I'm a woman.
    - I only lift 3 times a week- and I do no cardio.

    Seriously 1400 is NOT ENOUGH FOOD for a grown *kitten* man.

    plain and simple.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    You are right, which is why on days I exercise I eat between 1700 to 2k calories a day...
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    I'm sure my diary is open to all I believe, I eat and am satisfied for being a grown *kitten* man. I'm not sure what I'll do when I get to my goal cause eating more calories seem impossible for me, unless I eat more junk or start eating out (no thanks)
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    edited January 2015
    And yes- as you have to eat more food- if you can't eat more via chicken and buckets of broccoli- yes you'll need to resort to higher calorie- less filling options .. i.e. "junk".

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    Sorry, OP. I had to bring up the calories, especially since you seemed so excited and serious about lifting. I eat more than that to lose weight, and I'm a 5'4" woman. If you're lifting, you'll want to eat more. Perhaps try and see. When I lift I feel like I could eat a house, and my 1680 calories a day are difficult to keep.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    edited January 2015
    Well today is day 2, and I'm making a point to eat more than normal, so I do realize on heavy exercise days I eat more, but I've always done that. I'll probably eat 2k calories today, but my net will still be around 1,400. I've had 1300 already and haven't had dinner yet, or my evening treat.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    Hey Rob, what are your stats (height, weight & goal weight, age)?

    @stealthq: Hey man, I don't know I could be looking at the wrong link; I don't go to BB.Com often. Here's what I was looking at, http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843 . The author of the thread is "all pro".
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