Support From a Long Time Weight Lifter

Mbierschbach

I've lifted weight since having a K Mart set of concrete filled plastic weights in the basement. I graduated to steel plates, then a college gym, and several gyms ranging from small-town packed gyms, to corporate bodybuilding gyms and even the YMCA. My wife has gotten motivated on her own to lose weight and has made tremendous progress losing 30 lbs on her own counting calories (on, gasp...a different website). She finally stalled and continues to drop her daily calories trying to jumpstart it. I have convinced her she'll never be happy continually lowering her calories and it's not sustainable. She hardly excercises - and knows it's a necessity for progress. I have convinced her to try Strong Lifts 5x5 as she has admitted to being unhappy with her flabby arms, legs, and knows the best she could attain is "skinny fat" at her current pace. I took her to the gym to teach her proper form on these few exercises and give her some pointers.

Here's where my backstory turns into motivation for you new or returning lifters. I have over 20 years experience at reading books, magazines, websites, watching videos, and watching other people train in my arsenal. I've tried countless different exercises. I know when I'm isolating my lats properly because I know what my lat feels like. I know what it feels like to strain my back in a deadlift and how never to do it again. I know which different angles work which parts of my delts.

You don't. I can imagine that's daunting. I watched the frustration in my wife's face as she constantly worried about "doing it wrong". Listen, it takes time. Go do anything else you don't do regularly and see how well you do it. Hell, my golf game is borderline terrible, but I keep working at it. Form is form, whether it's dance, golf, baseball, or weight training. Keep at it. Don't give up because you're worried about form. Go light - THAT'S where you build form. Nothing's worse that learning poor form and using it the rest of your life. Ever see a 10 year golf "veteran" swing a club like a baseball bat? It's laughable and there's no reteaching them.

Watch videos...lots of them. Youtube is free. Video yourself if you have a training parter or are willing to try it at home to check your own form. The internet and smart phones are amazing tricks I didn't have when I was reading the Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding or Muscle and Fitness. Better yet, find someone you trust is "doing it right" and let them teach you. REALLY LET THEM TEACH you. Don't get discouraged. You didn't give up on Algebra after two weeks because you "didn't get it". That's because you weren't allowed. Don't allow yourself to give up on yourself.

For the record - my wife's form was very sound and required minimal instruction. Yours is probably the same. A little "don't drop that shoulder"..."the bar goes lower, not there"...."stick out your butt, keep your back straight, not rounded" and you're probably there too. Don't be so hard on yourselves.