A few tips for folks new to lifting
recoiljpr
Posts: 292
Writing down your weights and reps are vital. You need to have a scoreboard to allow yourself to know when to move up in weights or reps. If you do the same amount of weights the entire challenge, you will be cheating yourself. You need to be able to add weight as time goes on in order to signal the true build of the muscles.
A good example is to pick a starting weight for an exercise that you think will be hard, but doable. Then, try to do 3 sets of 10 or 4 sets of 8,. Your goal is that by the last set you are really struggling with the last 2 or 3 reps. If you completely fail on the last 1 or so, that's great! That gives you a solid idea of what your starting weight will be. Then, keep doing the reps for the times until you can do all of the reps without failure (may take weeks). Once there, move up to a higher weight and start everything all over again.
Once you get more comfortable with weight lifting, you can the vary your reps and speed. Nothing burns more then doing a curl or a bench suuuuppper slow!!! You can also vary your number of reps and the amount of weight to get bigger gains. But, I would stay clear of 3 X 5 until you are comfortable with your technique.
And the last tip (but the most important) is technique, technique, technique. I see a lot of guys trying to be tough and using sloppy technique with weights that are too heavy for them. They think it's helping, but in fact it's slowing down their gains. For example, alternating dumbell curls I so often see guys swaying with the lift, basically moving their hips and upper body all around to "swing" the weight up into the curl. In the end, they are using momentum to lift the weight and not raw muscle strength. If you stand stock still and don't move your body an inch you are doing 2 huge things for yourself. The first is you are engaging your core muscles to keep your body from moving. Secondly, you are lifting the entire weight without momentum so you are getting 100% out of that workout.
Please don't hestiate to ask all of us here any questions you may have. There ARE no stupid questions!! :-)
A good example is to pick a starting weight for an exercise that you think will be hard, but doable. Then, try to do 3 sets of 10 or 4 sets of 8,. Your goal is that by the last set you are really struggling with the last 2 or 3 reps. If you completely fail on the last 1 or so, that's great! That gives you a solid idea of what your starting weight will be. Then, keep doing the reps for the times until you can do all of the reps without failure (may take weeks). Once there, move up to a higher weight and start everything all over again.
Once you get more comfortable with weight lifting, you can the vary your reps and speed. Nothing burns more then doing a curl or a bench suuuuppper slow!!! You can also vary your number of reps and the amount of weight to get bigger gains. But, I would stay clear of 3 X 5 until you are comfortable with your technique.
And the last tip (but the most important) is technique, technique, technique. I see a lot of guys trying to be tough and using sloppy technique with weights that are too heavy for them. They think it's helping, but in fact it's slowing down their gains. For example, alternating dumbell curls I so often see guys swaying with the lift, basically moving their hips and upper body all around to "swing" the weight up into the curl. In the end, they are using momentum to lift the weight and not raw muscle strength. If you stand stock still and don't move your body an inch you are doing 2 huge things for yourself. The first is you are engaging your core muscles to keep your body from moving. Secondly, you are lifting the entire weight without momentum so you are getting 100% out of that workout.
Please don't hestiate to ask all of us here any questions you may have. There ARE no stupid questions!! :-)
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Replies
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Thanks for the tips... Enjoyed reading0
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thank you for all of your information. i am a novice at this and appreciate your information and knowledge. i am currently focusing on my triceps, biceps and shoulders.0
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