If you could only do 5 resistance exercises

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  • 6ftamazon
    6ftamazon Posts: 340 Member
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    Squats
    Deadlift
    Clean and press
    Russian twists
    Barbell row
  • rebprest
    rebprest Posts: 149 Member
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    Curls only use a couple of relatively small muscles, so it's not really a good indicator of whether you can do the big lifts with a barbell. Even the bench press uses far more muscles than just the biceps.

    To be honest, the only way to stop fearing the bar (or yourself with the bar) is to suck it up and start doing it. Talk to some of the people who are lifting and see if they'll be willing to spot you and help you. Don't be ashamed to acknowledge that you're new and are starting with just the bar.

    You mentioned that you fear deadlifts, specifically. Why is that?

    Are you afraid of dropping it on your feet? Rest assured, if you drop it, your feet are safe if you're lifting anything more than the bar (which you should be able to do, because it's a full body lift). The plates raise the bar off the ground enough to keep it from going anywhere near.

    Are you afraid of doing it wrong? Look up deadlift form videos on YouTube, especially Mark Rippetoe's videos (for all lifts, really), and ask someone at the gym for help on form, or get a trainer (you don't have to use the ones at the gym, there are others that aren't associated with the gyms).

    Fear is usually just a reaction to the unknown. Knowledge is the cure. So find out why you're fearful, and learn about it.

    I'm mostly scared of dead lifts because I'm not sure I have proper form. I watched all kinds of videos as well as gym users, but I know the only way to learn to do it correctly is to start doing it. I'm really just not at the point where I'm comfortable trying that yet. I've heard a lot of horror stories about how you can mess up your back with improper form (either rounding or hyper extending). I wish I could afford a trainer of any kind but with my income and student loans, it would be fiscally irresponsible. I'm wary of asking random people at the gym for help because I have no way to really know if they are doing it right themselves. And finally, I recently found out that you aren't actually supposed to dead lift at my gym because of floor damage.

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