Starting weights: How to lift and how much to lift...

Anaris2014

I've recently decided to switch from using the gym for cardio (for weight loss*) to supplementing cardio with weights. I've been lifting 2-4 times a week (depending on time and health) for about 5 weeks based on a plan that one of the trainer's at the gym set out for me (3 separate workout that I am supposed to cycle through).

Obviously when I started I kind of 'guessed' at the rights weights based on "I can do my reps with this, but I don't think I could do reps with the next weight up". A month or so on, I have been steadily increasing the weight in some areas (chest press, lat pull down and some of leg exercises) but have made virtually no progress in other weights (such as lateral raises).

I suppose I have two questions:
(1) I've decided to go with machines rather than free weights simply because I don't know enough about form, or my own strength to be comfortable with the free weights. Will that cause trouble if I want to switch to free weights at a later time? ETA: Another reason I am avoiding free weights is that I go to gym alone, I don't expect that to change, and I don't want to have to worry about asking for help with an embarrassingly light weight if I'm going to drop it on my throat.


(2) How regularly should I adjust the weights that I am lifting. I have read a few things that say I should stick with a weight for 2-3 weeks before increasing. I appreciate that in the first few sessions I had to increase as I got a better feeling about the limits of my current strength, but not that I know where I am at, should I keep increasing as I feel that I can lift more, or should I stick with a weight for a few cycles before increasing? Currently I'll increase in between sets (i.e if I am doing 4 sets of 10 reps, I'll do do the first and second set at one weight and, if it's feeling good, go up by one increment on the machine for the last two sets. Then the next time I'll do all 4 sets at the higher weight).

* without success, but that's another story. No amount of lifting or running will undo my bad food habits on a bad day. I'm trying to train myself to have only one bad day a week. Sadly, I'm better at running and playing sport than putting down the chocolate bars.

itsbasschick

i used to use machines and got great results. you can switch back and forth any time, but switching back to free weights may require you drop your weight just a little as the stabilizer muscles may not get a workout using machines. still, i liked 'em.

i used to increase the weight for each set. as far as overall increases, increase the weight when you are able to. there's no real time involved as everyone's body, diet and approach is different.

you might consider making sure you have some chocolate daily so you don't have to white knuckle it, which leads to binges. and i eat double chocolate chunk quest bars (the new ones are milder, so i heat them and that brings out more chocolatey taste), sometimes with fat free, sugar free ice cream or a fudgecicle on top as a protein meal sometimes. that way, dinner IS desert, i get chocolate and protein, and that fits in my calorie goals.

BillMcKay1

Many people feel machines are inferior as the machine is taking care of all the balance and minute adjustments your own muscles do when using free weights. Free weights allow you to move in 3 dimensions as you do in daily life and engage surrounding muscles to balance the weight rather than isolate specific muscles.

The drawback to free weights vs a machine is there is greater chance of strain or injury when improper form is used.

That only "trouble" starting on machines is if you transition to free weights, you are most likely going to try and lift at the same level as on a machine, without the weeks or months of progression and learning proper form and balance of the weights.

There are simple but very effective programs out there for novice lifters that are very easy to grasp and start with. StrongLifts 5x5 or Starting Strength are two of the most popular. Proper form for the lifts are all over youtube and both start with an empty olympic bar and linear progression of adding weight to keep you increasing your strength.

I have to say I'm surprised you consulted with a certified trainer and they gave you a lifting routine without taking the time to assess and set your start point on the weights and give you an idea on linear progression as you move forward.

daweasel

so long as you're practicing proper technique, you can move up to the heavier weight as soon as you are able. During the beginning phases of a training program your body adapts relatively quickly, so you should see some quick improvements. To continue to improve you need to be challenging your body, so using the heaviest weight you can lift with correct form(!!!!!!) is the best way to do this.

As others have mentioned, exclusively using machines can be seen as an advantage or a disadvantage because they control the motion more. I also workout alone, and my strategy here is to do as much as I feel comfortable with using free weights or cable machines and use machines for things I'm not comfortable doing without a spotter or to help me bridge a gap when one weight is too easy but the next is too heavy (eg dumbbell chest press, the next weight up means I have to add 2.5kg to each arm and I can't but the current is too easy) and I don't want to drop it on my face.

Things like squats and lunges are great exercises, and the sort of thing that you could add to the end of your workout without weights (or the lightest you can find) just to focus on technique then look at adding them in with weights once your confident you've got that down.

As far as progressing with some but not others, part of this will be that some muscle groups are larger than others, and it will also depend on where the exercise falls in your routine. You might find if it's the first exercise you can lift more, but if it's the last you're struggling with the "normal" amount you'd lift. I've been rehabbing a shoulder injury since February, and while it's a lot more stable, I have made very, very limited progress with the amount of weight I can use for some of the exercises (rotator cuff, side raises, etc) but significant progress with others which use bigger muscles.

If the trainer has set out a program for you, you should be able to speak to them and ask them to check your form. If you're having a program review after X weeks you could also say you'd like to try using more free weights and ask them to make sure you can do the exercises correctly. As much as it might seem intimidating, I promise they aren't going to look at you and be like "wow what a moron, doesn't know how to squat". They want to make sure you're doing it right and doing it safely. They're more likely to look at the idiot who's doing it wrong but thinks he knows what he's doing and roll their eyes.

Anaris2014

BillMcKay1 wrote: »

I have to say I'm surprised you consulted with a certified trainer and they gave you a lifting routine without taking the time to assess and set your start point on the weights and give you an idea on linear progression as you move forward.

To be fair to the trainer, the trainer did talk to me and set original weights based on the work I had been doing (none), and ensuring that I got comfortable with the weights and movements, before pushing for increase in strength. He also suggested the increments that I have been doing (both sets and reps) and yes, I could go and ask him for more information and for (and likely will). However I quite like this community and wanted to bounce the ideas around here. I really do appreciate the responses.

The trainer indicated a preference for machines (and I really don't have a preference either way) I do have a few exercises that are with the cable machines, and I enjoy the difference between those and the fixed machines. This makes me think that I should aim to include more free weights when I ask him to develop my next plan (they recommend going back every month and having a reassessment and changing up the plan, however since I had an injury (to my foot, unrelated to the weights) and then was out of training for 2 weeks with a health problem, I'm delaying that reassessment).

Squats was actually one of the reasons I raised this. Due to a foot injury I've not been doing squats at all, but I hope to add them to the next stage of the program - and the question becomes free weights or machine. I'm a bit worried about form for squats (last thing I want is a back injury). Lunges are a love hate relationship - like the chest press I don't mind the actual exercise, but I always know it's going to hurt the next day

I also want him to develop a core program that doesn't include plank. I hate planking, I know I do it wrong, I know I use my back more than I should and no matter how much I try (with help from a number of trainers) I just don't get it right - too many bad habits that come back once I am not being supervised.

BillMcKay1

Anaris2014 wrote: »

BillMcKay1 wrote: »

Squats was actually one of the reasons I raised this. Due to a foot injury I've not been doing squats at all, but I hope to add them to the next stage of the program - and the question becomes free weights or machine. I'm a bit worried about form for squats (last thing I want is a back injury). Lunges are a love hate relationship - like the chest press I don't mind the actual exercise, but I always know it's going to hurt the next day

I also want him to develop a core program that doesn't include plank. I hate planking, I know I do it wrong, I know I use my back more than I should and no matter how much I try (with help from a number of trainers) I just don't get it right - too many bad habits that come back once I am not being supervised.

I'm a bit of a squat fanatic. Every weight training program I have had success with included squats and lots of them. Smith machines, which are the big squat machines are much more likely to injure you than free weights. It is IMO super important to use free weights on squats as there are so many muscle groups involved in the the motion, quads, hamstrings,calves, abs, glutes. It works your whole core. Doing it with a machine doing all the balancing of the weight and locking you into a set path hampers the unified development of all those muscles.

As long as your gym has a proper power rack with safety bars I highly recommend using free weights. Given your foot injury, once you feel you can start again start with an empty olympic bar. There are lots of great videos online that show the proper form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnV7vEi7Sz8

Do 5 sets of 5 reps. Focus on form more than weight. When you feel like you have your form down, add 5 lbs to the bar every time you hit the gym and do squats.

If the idea of using the olympic bar for your squats worries you, there are also kettlebell squats. Can be done with a kettlebell or even a normal dumbbell. I would recommend this over using the smith machine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT6TuJlifto

justincooper405

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/matt88.htm

Bodybuilding.com was so helpful for me. Great videos, great beginner programs. Great information.

And agreed with above, squats and leg work outs have giving me the best results. At my gym there are a handful of fellow lifters that are missing thier potential because they skip leg day.

chocolate_owl

To add on about squats: it's not a bad idea to stick with dumbbell/kettlebell squats for as long as you can before getting under an Oly bar. Get solid form and develop strength, particularly with your glutes and abs. The bar on your back puts pressure on your spine and can cause pelvic tilt, which in turn causes back pain. That can be averted by strengthening your weaker muscles first.

BillMcKay1

justincooper405 wrote: »

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/matt88.htm

Bodybuilding.com was so helpful for me. Great videos, great beginner programs. Great information.

And agreed with above, squats and leg work outs have giving me the best results. At my gym there are a handful of fellow lifters that are missing thier potential because they skip leg day.

Every day is leg day!!! Even after I moved past SL 5x5 I continued to squat every gym session.

justincooper405

Every day is leg day!!! Even after I moved past SL 5x5 I continued to squat every gym session. [/quote]

That's a lot of leg days .... like 365 leg days a year

BillMcKay1

justincooper405 wrote: »

Every day is leg day!!! Even after I moved past SL 5x5 I continued to squat every gym session.

That's a lot of leg days .... like 365 leg days a year
[/quote]

LOL well every gym day is leg day!