Weight training tips
BlackPantherChick123
Posts: 425 Member
For months I had the same routine but changed it up every now and then but still use the same machines or weights and increase them every so often. I do full body 3x a week and I do 3 sets of 15 each exercise and I counted about 24-25 workouts total. Is this considered too much? I been weightlifting since January so I'm still pretty new to it and not quite sure if I'm doing it right to reach my goals. I do find myself exhausted, sometimes dreading to go to the gym to do this same routine, even if I increase the weights or feel a little confident to go, but still lack motivation recently. What's a good routine and best workouts to stick too? I mostly do dumbbells for arms and 2 for legs, I also use leg machines, small bars on the cables, pull down bars, and straps for legs. I'm looking to get stronger, to continue to build muscle and lose body fat (I'm stuck between 24.1-.2% and want to get to 20% over time, and my muscle mass is 30.7% at 142-143 lbs) I do diet and watch what I eat and also do 45 mins of cardio a day. I would like to improve my physique but I feel like I've plateau and not exactly sure what to do. I'm normally at the gym 1-1.5 hours and it is exhausting. Am I just doing the wrong type of weight training workouts? I haven't really done any barbell type of workouts since I don't have a partner to spot me. I would like to find something to stick to that will help me in the long run rather than relying on so many small workouts that I do all the time. Sometimes it takes me months to go up in weight since it's mostly resistance training. If there are some tips I can learn from and ideas when it comes to building muscle to help me lose fat, please let me know. I apologize if this post is all over the place.
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So are you following a program at all, or just making it up? I would strongly suggest following a structured program, like Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength, Thinner Leaner Stronger, etc. You can start a barbell strength program without a spotter. The point is that you start with a weight that you can comfortably/easily complete all sets without a spotter, and increase gradually over time. When you begin a proper lifting routine, you might want to back off the cardio a bit, just to give your body time to acclimate to the new routine. Lifting takes a bit more recovery than your cardio. You might want to do only alternate days of lifting and cardio when you are just beginning.5
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I say I do make up my own workouts....no specific plan, I guess I felt that the more I do, the better results but I think I'm kidding myself...0
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I would like to start a certain program that would help me, but I don't know where to start. I don't want to have to pay for a plan.0
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Check out this thread for a list of lifting programs. Some are free, some you have to pay for and some are books.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
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There is so many lol. To make it simple, what do anyone suggest for a 3x a week full body strength training split?0
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Look at starting strength, either of the 5x5, and AllPro.
The first ones are weight progression the last a rep before weight progression.
You may find starting with one of the dumbbell routines for a couple of months more comfortable.
Choose something that works for you now, you can progress to another programme when you are ready.
Cheers, h.1 -
Even if I don't start a specific weight lifting program, is there a way where I can make a mix of different full body workouts and do different ones for the 3 days a week? Hopefully that made sense. I do so many in one day and the 5x5 is probably something I should start doing but I don't have a partner for spotting but would like use them and add in other workouts. I done so many different workouts, I'm just still a beginner in deciding how to make a good schedule that won't stress me out. I do try to focus more on my legs but I need a balance of everything to improve my physique.0
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3 x a week full body is a good amount but your reps are quite high. If you can do 15 then it's time to go up in weight. Ideally, you aim for 8 - 12 reps, 3 - 4 sets. The last 2 reps should be a bit of a struggle but not impossible.
You can do a full body work out with a mere 5-6 exercises, as things like deadlifts and bench press (daunting at first) work a huge amount of muscle groups.
I'd suggest asking a trainer to make you a program with variety if you feel overwhelmed and bored doing the same thing every time
They'll also be able to show you the correct form for free weights and lifting.
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Yeah, I could. Doing a total of 25 different workouts is very exhausting and I guess the reason why I'm not seeing much progress is because of that. I can handle a lot of different workouts but I do need to tone it down a bit and try something different.0
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Stronglifts 5x5 is a 3x week full body workout and available online free. You do not need a spotter. You use weights that you are able to complete all sets without help. If you feel the need for a spotter, your weights are too heavy.
Right now you are feeling overwhelmed and not seeing progress because you are not following a plan long enough and focused enough to make progress.6 -
25 different workouts might be excessive so try to focus more on quality of each circuit vs quantity. I always do supersets or giant sets anytime I lift weights so I say keep doing your full body workouts. I do full body workouts 5 days a week and just vary my workouts depending how sore I am. Have you ever tried rest or pause reps? They will add a new twist to your workouts. At the bottom of each rep pause and count to two or three then explode back up with the weight. Another thing to try are drop sets. If you have access to machines they are the easiest to complete with minimal rest. On your last set rep until failure then immediately drop the weight by 10-20% then rep until failure with NO rest. Keep completing the drops until failure until you can only complete one or two reps. I like to pick one or two muscles a week to this. You will see great increases in strength and endurance by adding these. There isn't a one size fits all diet or workout so I say try as many as you can until you find one that you like and can stick with. Best of luck!!
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I was never put on a plan when I started lifting to be honest. The trainer at my gym only showed me the basics of using weights and then added on 2 more times. The main workouts that included chest presses, deadlifts, and squats (also including the leg press machines) he suggested a spotter but I always thought you could also do it alone but he never showed me how.0
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BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »I was never put on a plan when I started lifting to be honest. The trainer at my gym only showed me the basics of using weights and then added on 2 more times. The main workouts that included chest presses, deadlifts, and squats (also including the leg press machines) he suggested a spotter but I always thought you could also do it alone but he never showed me how.
Unfortunately that sounds like a typical personal trainer which makes it difficult for someone who is first starting out. When I used to go to a gym I took my wife in and paid for a full week of sessions and diet plan for my wife and the trainer actually pushed my wife away from the gym. I am not saying that all PT's are bad but its been my experience and a lot of my friends experience that they aren't worth the money. Here is the first program that I followed when I started lifting in 2012. I am a HUGE fan of Kris because he gives you a diet plan, supplements, and a video tutorial for every workout. He lays everything out for you so there is no guessing. When I completed this 12 week program I lost 30 pounds and had incredible gains in strength and endurance. My little sister got into fitness a year ago and I sent this to her and she LOVED it. She has really turned her life around and is a total gym rat now so don't be fooled that its just for men.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtrltr-uIvw
Here is his website which has supplements, workouts and clothing.
https://www.kagedmuscle.com/
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I bought a book on strength training. It's not perfect; the dumbbell progressions top at 12lbs for most exercises, but I've been extrapolating from there on my own. What IS good about it is
1) Multiple exercises for each muscle/muscle group arranged by difficulty
2) Tiered progressions to get started
3) 3 sample full-body workouts at the back of the book for you to progress through at your own pace
4) 4 weights-and-cardio interval workouts
5) Alerts to common form errors to watch out for and common contraindications (example: "Don't do this one if you have low back issues").
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BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »I was never put on a plan when I started lifting to be honest. The trainer at my gym only showed me the basics of using weights and then added on 2 more times. The main workouts that included chest presses, deadlifts, and squats (also including the leg press machines) he suggested a spotter but I always thought you could also do it alone but he never showed me how.
I'd say he would be saying use a spotter so that if anything happened, the gym or himself wouldn't be liable. I've never used a spotter.0 -
How effective is the 5x5? When is it alright to add in individual workouts like leg presses, lateral pulls, dumbbell/cable bar workouts? Can you use curl bars for these workouts?0
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Basically, is it possible to do 5x5 workouts and add in other workouts and make your own routine for a 3 day split? If so, how many total workouts to do a day?0
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BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »Basically, is it possible to do 5x5 workouts and add in other workouts and make your own routine for a 3 day split? If so, how many total workouts to do a day?
Yes, you can customize the 'basic. One thing u never hear discussed- this '5x5' and similar aren't used because they're "best", they are beginner material. Idea is that 5 reps can be done by the beginner without losing good form. And they DO work - when you're new almost anything will.
Having said that, I wouldn't worry about a hundred different exercises. Work the larger muscles: legs (including butt), chest, shoulders, back. You'll find that if you're doing bench and overhead presses, your triceps WILL get worked - unless you're body building, no need to add more exercises. Even body builders are trained to get a good 'base' of strength and stability before adding this 'isolation' exercises.
At 6 months in, you "could" do 4 days per week, but I wouldn't go above that. And 3 may be better depending on your work out. Remember you don't get stronger in the lift, you get stronger while healing from the lift. More is not necessarily better. I've seen SO many people with tears, ruptures, and repetitive motion injuries from OVER training ( shoulders most common).
So, you could do that '5x5' thing, or something else, but I wouldn't recommend BOTH. You seem to like being active - good - but I would suggest the 'in between' days you leave the weights alone and do something for "active recovery" and flexibility: walking, simming, bike riding, etc...
That was a LOT of words 😳 so I'll say that I am not an athletic trainer. But my brother is.
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BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »Basically, is it possible to do 5x5 workouts and add in other workouts and make your own routine for a 3 day split? If so, how many total workouts to do a day?
The problem is you're already trying to change a program without even trying it. It's a full body 3 day/week workout. If you're adamant about a split, find a different program. There are other programs that add in more accessory work. 5x5 is mainly a strength routine. And yes, it does work.3 -
If I do add more exercises, how many per muscle group and then I change it up for the other 2 days I go?0
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I think you are trying to do way too much. You're not going to be making more progress by adding in a bunch of additional exercises in. I'd stick with one of those routines. SL and starting strength are already full body routines. They are complete as is, no need to add more to them. If you follow a proven routine you will see progress. If you make up your own thing then you might, or you might not.4
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I love the 5x5 plan.
I have been doing it on and off for a year and with the life vs gym commitment and deload weeks and time away from it to focus on running.....it will be a while before I am ready to progress from it.
It will keep you moving and increasing your weights for a minimum of 12 weeks I think, so well worth seeing if you can fit the 5x5 plan into your routine before planning to add things on top.
(I have noticed some really awesome calf and arm definition from it as well)2 -
BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »If I do add more exercises, how many per muscle group and then I change it up for the other 2 days I go?
Why do you feel the need to add more exercises to programs that are already designed as full body routines? You have already admitted that you feel like your current routine may be overkill, so why not try a program as it is designed, give it some time, and then evaluate your results?7 -
BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »If I do add more exercises, how many per muscle group and then I change it up for the other 2 days I go?
Every plan on that list is well established to provide the most efficient results for their purpose...you follow the plan...you don't add to it, etc.
I'm personally not partial to SL 5x5...not that it's a bad program, but it's geared towards optimal strength on the primary compound movements. It's great if you want to get really strong in a fairly linear fashion.
I'm more about aesthetics and all round fitness and athletic development. My trainer puts my plan together for me. When my wife started working out with me she did Starting Strength which is similar to 5x5 but it's a 3x5 format. She was very bored and didn't really understand what or why she was doing what she was doing.
She went out and bought New Rules of Lifting for Women which is a lifting program that is geared more towards overall fitness than pure strength gains and while it utilized compound movements, it also introduced other movements and variations of compound movements. The book itself was a good read for her in helping her understand the world of weight lifting and what and why she was doing the things she was doing.
The program itself is pretty good but gets a bit convoluted at the end IMO. She then went on to run several cycles of Strong Curves and had good aesthetic results. She currently works with a trainer now.
More is not always better...these programs are designed to get you the most efficient results. Your goals would determine which program is the most appropriate for you.3 -
BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »If I do add more exercises, how many per muscle group and then I change it up for the other 2 days I go?
My understanding is that 5x5 targets all muscle groups as it's based on compound movements like a squat and deadlift. These movements are absolute muscle blasters, they hit large groups of muscles that's why they're so effective and popular. You don't need to add in more exercises.0 -
BlackPantherChick123 wrote: »If I do add more exercises, how many per muscle group and then I change it up for the other 2 days I go?
If you're doing a well-designed program, you don't add more exercises and you don't change it up. You do the program exactly the way it's written. It was written that way for a reason. You can substitute similar exercises if there are limitations that prohibit you from doing one of the prescribed movements, but you don't add, take away, change rep schemes, etc. Volume, intensity, frequency and recovery were all (presumably) taken into consideration when designing the routine - if you don't like the programming, it would be better to find another routine which suits you better, rather than butchering the program.
If you read anything about Starting Strength, one of Mark Rippetoe's frequent replies to people when they ask questions or complain of lack of results is "YNDTP". It stands for 'You're Not Doing The Program'.3 -
Strong Curves is a good program if you like variety. The training has more emphasis on glutes and abs. Stronglifts can help you build strength fast with 5 compound lifts. Both programs will help with building muscle but Strong Curves may be best for physique.
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