Gentlemen, some advice sought.

staygoldeast

HI Nick,

I started doing New Rules of Lifting in May and absolutely love it.

The book gives you lots of workout plans that are easy to follow and will keep the variety going for months. The book is really easy to follow and if you are unsure of any lifts there's plenty of videos on youtube. Also it provides dieting and nutrition advice.

Good luck with whichever programme you choose.

Ta Smudger, much appreciated

chrishgt4

I agree with much of what is said above. New rules of lifting is a great book. Simplifies a lot of things. The routine plans it gives you can be a little difficult to initially get your head round but once you do it totally makes sense.

Stronglifts is a good one for beginners to easily follow.

5/3/1 is another good one.

Basically there are lots of varieties but what they all have in common is a focus on compound exercises and short simple routines.

The basics really are to focus on doing a weight that you can do between 8 and 12 reps of where you don't stop because you've hit a number of reps; you stop because you can't move it any more. Lifting to failure is the aim and you should make sure that failure occurs in the above rep range. Once you can do 12 reps, up the weight. You should be upping it on at least one exercise every new session, if only by a few lbs.

Coupounds such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, lunges, rows, chin ups, dips etc are all you need to initially focus on. Once you get more experienced you might decide your biceps aren't coming on in proportion to your other muscles so want to tailor your workout slightly to hit those a bit more, but initially keep it simple. The main movements and exercises are all covered in New Rules of Lifting.

If you are starting out, build up slowly. Do some lighter weights til you know your body and what it can handle and til you learn proper form. Too much weight is just as pointless as too little. If you aren't using proper form you might as well not do anything.

With reference to form - getting someone to check is always good, but I don't tend to trust anyone with that stuff but myself. I google and youtube a new exercise to death. You'll see different people using slightly different form, so I read as much as I can and think logically about who's technique I think is correct. Then I use a light weight and try the motion over and over looking in a mirror from different angles, and sensing when I can feel it targeting what it is meant to. Then when I'm comfortable I'll up the weight until I find the proper weight to hit my rep range.

Get a spotter. To be honest, when I started out the weights I was using didn't require a spotter. Even with bench press I could simply drop the bar on to my chest when I failed and roll it off of me. I couldn't do that any more. But, even if it's not a spotter, just someone around in case something goes wrong is always useful.

Get hench!

BerryH

*dons fake moustache*

I suffer from terrible PF, but Sorbothane sports insoles from Amazon did the trick for me. While you're healing, freeze a bottle of water and roll in under your foot for 15 minutes every day.

staygoldeast

I agree with much of what is said above. New rules of lifting is a great book. Simplifies a lot of things. The routine plans it gives you can be a little difficult to initially get your head round but once you do it totally makes sense.

Stronglifts is a good one for beginners to easily follow.

5/3/1 is another good one.

Basically there are lots of varieties but what they all have in common is a focus on compound exercises and short simple routines.

The basics really are to focus on doing a weight that you can do between 8 and 12 reps of where you don't stop because you've hit a number of reps; you stop because you can't move it any more. Lifting to failure is the aim and you should make sure that failure occurs in the above rep range. Once you can do 12 reps, up the weight. You should be upping it on at least one exercise every new session, if only by a few lbs.

Coupounds such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, lunges, rows, chin ups, dips etc are all you need to initially focus on. Once you get more experienced you might decide your biceps aren't coming on in proportion to your other muscles so want to tailor your workout slightly to hit those a bit more, but initially keep it simple. The main movements and exercises are all covered in New Rules of Lifting.

If you are starting out, build up slowly. Do some lighter weights til you know your body and what it can handle and til you learn proper form. Too much weight is just as pointless as too little. If you aren't using proper form you might as well not do anything.

With reference to form - getting someone to check is always good, but I don't tend to trust anyone with that stuff but myself. I google and youtube a new exercise to death. You'll see different people using slightly different form, so I read as much as I can and think logically about who's technique I think is correct. Then I use a light weight and try the motion over and over looking in a mirror from different angles, and sensing when I can feel it targeting what it is meant to. Then when I'm comfortable I'll up the weight until I find the proper weight to hit my rep range.

Get a spotter. To be honest, when I started out the weights I was using didn't require a spotter. Even with bench press I could simply drop the bar on to my chest when I failed and roll it off of me. I couldn't do that any more. But, even if it's not a spotter, just someone around in case something goes wrong is always useful.

Get hench!

Cheers fella, a lot of good advice in that reply, much appreciated

drgndancer

Firstly

Get yourself a good pair of insole(foot logic's) for the PF, that worked for me.

You could easily do resistance training at home, with no equipment whatsoever an dat no cost at all

Definitely going to try those Foot Logic's, anything to ease the PF, thanks for the heads up.

Also look at PowerSteps and Superfeet. PF is extremely correctable. I had it for a few months a couple years ago. Talked to a sports podiatrist (which I highly recommend doing if your insurance covers it). He recommended a month off from running entirely, a couple of months of light running to build back up, and insoles. I'm training or my first half marathon in two weeks, expect to finish in under two hours, and I haven't had any heel pain in over a year. I don't need to insoles all the time any more either... I wear them running, and in shoes that I plan to walk really long distances in, but no where near all the time.

The Doc can also prescribe custom insoles if your problem is particularly bad or odd, but mine said most people don't really need to spend the money (they're pricy even with insurance).

ETA: Oh yeah, someone mentioned NASIDs. Aspirin and such help, but if you can get a doc to prescribe a more powerful NASID it definitely helps with the pain while healing. I dunno what the UK regulates on these lines, you might even be able to get more powerful stuff without a prescription.

thebigcb

The reason I mention the above is the guy is new to it, has been doing walking and losing loads of weights. Baby steps is my way, less injures and not so hard that you can;t finish it, which would just turn you off it

Hence the "as many as you can in twenty seconds" instead of do 15 sit ups, 15 push ups.

Also most areas targetted so give you a "feel for it" type thing.

NOTE I am not a person trainer.

StevenHaley

search "insanity" on www.youku.com you will find it there. Dunno what costs would be but I bet someone will deliver to England if you order online.