Weightlifting questions

Mistraal1981

So, my google-fu has let me down. I am struggling to find answers to my very specific questions. I turn to MFP and their collective wiseness....

I lift heavy weights, typically compound lifts three times a week. (Full disclosure; I have lost my mojo a bit and have been avoiding the gym recently...And by recently I mean two months....Ok ok fine! Three months!!)

My goal isn't to see how heavy I can go (although it is an ego boost to increase the weight) oh no, my goal is much shallower. I want to have a body of those fitness models. (Buff bunny; Michelle Lewin; Sophie Thiel; any bodybuilding.com lady!).

Alright already, enough of the background stuff, what's the problem?? I hear you collectively ask. Well, all the sites I go to and programmes I look at encourage progressive overload. Great, no problem. I can do that, but I the increments I can increase by now have slowed dramatically (understandable) and I find I'm not really enjoying lifting as much anymore as it is always ridiculously hard (Am I being a wimp? Am I mentally sabotaging myself? Is it actually hard? Or am I just telling myself that so I can stay at the weight I'm on?). Jeez, moved on from waffle to self pity! Give with the question already!

Watching a wide range of videos of these fitness people I see that these women with amazing bodies are lifting less weight than me, which makes me wonder....Is that just for the camera so they can show good form, or is that their actual work weight? Can I get a body like theirs with lower weight? Do I need to be killing myself pushing for heavier and heavier or can I get the same result with lower (but still heavy) weight?

I must be clear at this point, I 100% know that diet will be responsible for revealing my hard work in the gym, but is a whole other epic novel question that I won't inflict on you right now.

Congrats on sticking with me this far! I look forward to any/all responses.

Sued0nim

Progressive overload does not have to mean going heavier and heavier

E.g. Increase your reps, superset, adapt exercises to add levels of difficulties for barbell squats you can box squat, jump squat, lunge at lower weights

If you're not enjoying change it up

Their is optimal progression but there is also commitment and just getting your *kitten* in the gym because you're enjoying it...I'd take the latter over the former any day

Sued0nim

Mistraal1981 wrote: »

have been avoiding the gym recently...And by recently I mean two months....Ok ok fine! Three months!!)

:huh:

Sued0nim

Sued0nim

sijomial

Some people have the motivation to push through with an exercise program they don't enjoy purely for the results but that's a rarity.
If you haven't been to the gym for three months then focus on enjoyment first - something of anything is better than doing nothing.
An optimal program is useless if you don't do it.

There's loads of routes to a better body and overload through increasing weight/strength is only one way.

But to get elite level results your training does have to be hard and dedicated. Perhaps you need to re-evaluate how much you truly "want"?
e.g. - I "want" a six pack but know I don't want it enough to diet down to very low body fat levels to get it. Be realistic and honest with yourself.

rainbowbow

I just want to tell you that if you think Buff bunny, Michelle Lewin, or Sophie Thiel got their body "naturally", you're in for a lot of disappointment. The first two have had pretty extensive plastic surgery and all three are undoubtedly taking PEDs.

I'm not telling you this to poo-poo all over your goals, i'm telling you this because you can put in years of work and never achieve as lean and full a physique as these ladies. I would say a solid year to a year and a half of hypertrophy work and then very very intensive cutting (i'm talking poverty macros) will get you a similar look.

You would probably do well to work with a coach who can atleast get you that lean (often referred to as "stage lean") once you've had enough time to put on some mass.

In any case, i can't stress enough to you how important it is to set attainable and realistic goals from the start.

Michael190lbs

I totally agree with the above "PED" I see so many people on them at my gym its really funny and Very sad to see someone look fantastic for a couple months then just go back what looks like worse shape than before they started lifting. I guess its a benefit to staying at the same gym for multiple years I see it all one day I made a comment to a steroid member that wasn't nice almost got me into a fight so now I just Laugh inside.. Crazy part is a lot of woman are using them too.. They won't live long that has been proven

SideSteel

Some of this has been said already but I'll reiterate what I think is important:

1) Focus on self improvement to the best of your ability. At the same time I would not compare yourself to others.

2) You NEED to find a way to enjoy exercise again. If you enjoy making progress then you need to be on a program designed to allow you to make progress AND to BE AWARE of that progress occurring.

3) Progressive overload isn't necessarily adding weight to bar HOWEVER your main compound lifts should be showing improvement over time and eventually you will be adding weight to the bar. But not necessarily every session or every week.

canadianlbs

Mistraal1981 wrote: »

the increments I can increase by now have slowed dramatically (understandable) and I find I'm not really enjoying lifting as much anymore as it is always ridiculously hard (Am I being a wimp? Am I mentally sabotaging myself? Is it actually hard? Or am I just telling myself that so I can stay at the weight I'm on?).

this sounds like the point where i stopped the linear 3x5 programme and went to wender 5/3/1 which is 'wave' formatting. happier bunny in every way. that whole thing of everything always being a fight does make you question whether you're just spinning your wheels.

about the body-look stuff, i don't know. i never was born to have a body like that <-- my 'excuse' for not having enough interest to try and find out. so now i'm just lifting and interested to see what will come of it. i think i'm morphing slowly and i'm not complaining about any of it, but i'm not after the same things you are.

fwiw, irl i've come across one 'bikini' aspirant who said she was doing up to 500 air squats per day, and another in the actual gym who was deadlifting stupid high weight with a waist like scarlett o'hara's on her.

Leadfoot_Lewis

Mistraal1981 wrote: »

My goal isn't to see how heavy I can go (although it is an ego boost to increase the weight) oh no, my goal is much shallower. I want to have a body of those fitness models. (Buff bunny; Michelle Lewin; Sophie Thiel; any bodybuilding.com lady!).

Track EVERYTHING you eat and find a good BODYBUILDING program, not Weider, Stronglifts, or Starting Strength, etc, as aesthetics are your goal, not strength. Just so I'm not misunderstood, I'm not saying not to lift heavy and/or do compound lifts, as I believe they should be part of any strength training. You really need a program that has a lot of *gasp* isolation work in it. I'd suggest a program like PHAT which is the best of both worlds.