Weight Lifting Anxiety

JamesyPaylor

I've recently started to add weight lifting into my gym routine as I'm looking to lose weight and improve my fitness. It has been suggested that I start with squat rack, deadlifts and bench press, however these exercises fill me with anxiety, I can quite easily do them with a friend as you are less self-conscious and there is someone there to grab the weight if anything goes wrong. Are these exercises essential, or will I get by just fine doing what I'm comfortable with.

Currently, I'm splitting my workout into three days, as I go to the gym daily and alternate with cardio.

Workout 1
Bench Press (Dumbbell)
Bent Over One Arm Row (Dumbbell)
Front Raise (Dumbbell)
Lat Pulldown (Cable)
Skullcrusher (Dumbbell)
Lunge (Dumbbell)

Workout 2
Bench Press (Dumbbell)
Bent Over One Arm Row (Dumbbell)
Arnold Press (Dumbbell)
Lat Pulldown (Cable)
Bicep Curl (Cable)
Leg Extension (Machine)

Workout 3
Bench Press (Dumbbell)
Seated Row (Machine)
Arnold Press (Dumbbell)
Pull Up (Assisted)
Bicep Curl (Dumbbell)
Leg Press (Machine)

Usually aiming for 4 sets of 12 reps.

metaphysicalstudio

There is much to know when weightlifting and it can feel overwhelming and perhaps make one feel self conscious when just beginning. The gym, too, can bring feelings of anxiety. Speak well of yourself to yourself when you're there! Lift yourself up. You can do hard things. Be kind to yourself. Take each day in the gym as a new experience. Maybe you'll feel strong, maybe not. Be open and give yourself space to feel what today is like. If you need to adjust, adjust. Weightlifting is like all other human journeys. It can be uncertain, scary, overwhelming, or uplifting. It's ok to ride that wave

MaltedTea

Squats, deads and presses involve some fundamental movement.

Will you perish if you don't do them? No.

Yet your quality of life (mobility, stability, grip strength, cognition, etc) will improve because of exercises like these which make your body push, pull, hinge, lift, lunge, twist and squat (MFPers: did I forget any of the "functional movements?" 🤔)

Your body can also benefit from accessory exercises but I don't have the knowledge to say whether it's helpful to pursue them exclusive of the fundamental exercises.

If your concern is form, then perhaps check if your gym has a trainer you can leverage for some of your sessions (especially as you ramp up your weight). Either that or see if you're allowed bringing your own trainer with you to the gym.

ninerbuff

Are they necessary? No. Will they improve your fitness? They should if you perform them correctly and consistently. Also you SHOULD ALWAYS do legs first in your routine. The largest muscles require the most energy and doing them at the end of any routine will usually mean you have less energy and the effectiveness of the exercise gets reduced.
I have ALL my clients do legs first, then back, chest, shoulders, arms, abs in that order if full body training.

A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I2k4

Resembles my 50 year history of workouts with DBs and cable machines (after four years of undergrad with coach Ted Newland at UC Irvine and the luxury of a relaxed if impecunious academic lifestyle thereafter). Big barbell lifts require coached skill and would be inadvisable without - everything listed in the OP looks well-rounded "full body" and should be done manageably with a gradual build up - an experienced trainer or a video-coached program if there's no previous coaching would be advisable, to get form right and be able to think and plan coherently about rep ranges, sets, and tempo - knowing you're doing it right is anxiety-reducing as well as common sensible. (My "anxiety" would be about too many days a week without rest breaks, and the internally competing metabolic demands of intense resistance and intense endurance / cardio. The larger question is sustainability of the regime over time.)

cwolfman13

My only qualm would be the leg extension. I'm not a big fan other than for rehab purposes with light weight. You might be better served doing step ups or something. Too much weight on a leg extension can be hard on the knees. Leg wise, I'd also add in some posterior work like Romanian Deadlifts which you can do with a barbell or do single leg RDLs with dumbbells or kettlebells.

Most of what you have in there is some variation of the basic compound movements...but you're missing you're lower posterior. I would add that in there as one of your 6 primary lifts and have your bicep and tri work being a 7th supplemental lift as they're getting worked with the other stuff you're doing as well.

SnifterPug

You don't have much lower body stuff in there.

If you're worried about needing a spotter, there really isn't much that can go wrong with a deadlift. Even if you have to drop it, it's not from a great height and it's not going to squash you. You get a lot of bang for your buck with a deadlift and you can video yourself to check form. But no exercise is the be all and end all.

Squats are good, but can carry more risk. If you wanted to try squats with a bar then you can always squat to a box or bench if you are worried about failing at depth. That said, there are loads of other squat variations. Make sure your form is good with bodyweight squats and then maybe move to goblet squats with a dumbbell. I would recommend you try to incorporate some form of squatting.

I don't bench press. Maybe my PT will program it at some point but at the moment I get plenty of work from push ups, dumbbell presses etc. If you wanted to try a bench press but don't have a spotter there's always the Smith machine, I suppose.

All of that said, you want to enjoy your exercise. If something fills you with anxiety you are likely to over-think it. If I over-think, something usually goes wrong. It's good to push at your boundaries, but only you know what is a sensible push and what is way too far.

gentle_sir_hulk

This is quite a long/complex program.

I suggest you start with bodyweight only or light weights, in front of a mirror if you can, so you get the form right and it feels comfortable. Watching good YouTube videos by professional physio therapists also helps, so would a good personal trainer.

Once you are comfortable with the form, you can slowly increase weight.

I think most people as they start out go way too heavy or try to do too much in a short time.

I know that doing light weights might feel strange if everyone around you is lifting heavy - but it's best to ignore that.

And if you get tired, stop (or reduce weight) - don't let the form suffer and don't risk injury. Injuries can happen easily with bad form.

I agree with another comment on lower body. Your lower body exercises will provide stability to your entire posture (not just the size of your quads).

nay0m3

@JamesyPaylor One of the most incredible benefits of challenging yourself to grow by weight lifting is that your mind and confidence are challenged and grow as well!

If you add in deadlifts, I would suggest trying a hex or trap bar if you have access to one. The deadlift was a tough movement for me to learn personally and I feel much more comfortable with a hex DL.

As you gain comfort with your dumbbell routine, it would be awesome to add in work with a barbell as well.

There are SO many lower body moves you can incorporate. Happy to help if you want more help!

Believe in yourself! Know that you are on a journey and it is a physical and mental one and it will help you in all areas of life!

Chieflrg

1. I'm happy to hear you are adding resistance training into your life. This is a very smart move on your part for many important benefits are to be had.
2. Do you need to do perform the squat, bench, & deadlift specifically? Nope, not unless your goal is to compete in those lifts. These three lifts are utilized so much because they are very simple to load & deliver the a desired dosage of stimulus to every muscle needed within proper programming.

I can assure you as a coach/trainer as well as a athlete for over 40 years, that we use a wide variety of lifts to elicit both desired hypertrophy and strength responses. I wouldn't necessarily avoid them either as they are just as safe as any other lift. I have had amazing success teaching people via in person as well as online those three lifts specifically and the key is putting the correct weight on the barbell and let allow them to practice over time with subtle adjustments within well written programming.

Your program you listed is okay to start with though I feel that you would be better off performing a Bulgarian split squat, step ups, lunges, or nordic hamstring curls instead of leg extensions on day 2. I would also be a bit leery of so much volume to start as it just isn't needed since you are novel to lifting.

Chieflrg

rabatin1 wrote: »

This is quite a long/complex program.

I suggest you start with bodyweight only or light weights, in front of a mirror if you can, so you get the form right and it feels comfortable. Watching good YouTube videos by professional physio therapists also helps, so would a good personal trainer.

Once you are comfortable with the form, you can slowly increase weight.

I think most people as they start out go way too heavy or try to do too much in a short time.

I know that doing light weights might feel strange if everyone around you is lifting heavy - but it's best to ignore that.

And if you get tired, stop (or reduce weight) - don't let the form suffer and don't risk injury. Injuries can happen easily with bad form.

I agree with another comment on lower body. Your lower body exercises will provide stability to your entire posture (not just the size of your quads).

Evidence shows injury risk increases from poor load management not "form".

A movement by itself is not dangerous & telling a person if their "form" is off they can be injured easily is a nocebo effect and harmful inself.

Your suggestion to use appropriate weight and volume is correct and good advice and follows proper load management.

Retroguy2000

Congrats on starting the journey.

That's a solid list you've made to begin with, although as the guy in WW would say, it can be better.

- Make sure your form is good, especially on exercises like the dumbbell press and the one armed bent over row. Knowing your form is solid will go a long way to helping with anxiety.
- Do legs first, as someone else said, and isolation like curls last (if at all...).
- If you fear squats for now for any reason, no problem, don't worry about it. I suggest you try goblet squats with a dumbbell, and ditch the leg extension. It'll be far less weight, and no risk if you need to drop the weight.
- If you only have time for one shoulder raise (other than the Arnold) I'd choose lateral raises over front raises. The front delt is getting work with all those presses anyway.
- I'd suggest a Pendlay barbell or EZ-bar row for your back exercise. Again, make sure your form is good. You can do supinated or pronated.
- Instead of flat bench three times a week, try incline bench at 30-45 degrees with supine grip for your db press at least one of those times. It'll hit the upper chest more. You'll need lower weight than your regular benching.
- If you can do 12 reps on the final set with ease you aren't working it hard enough.