making the switch to free weights/dumbells

stines72

hey everyone.. so i usually use the machines for weights @ the gym but i wanna make the switch to free weights/dumbells. i have no experience with this apart from mandatory weight training in HS for cross country.. do you have any advice for me? im mainly just looking to do curls/chest presses/ shoulder presses/ triceps/ etc (arm stuff) not quite ready for legs yet unless you think i should just get that started now rather than later

im basically at my goal weight but still have fat to cut and need to tone up my upper body. seems im not really getting sore from doing the machines anymore even though i upped the lbs by a lot so im just thinking maybe the machines dont allow me to have proper form since im short

any advice for me? (im lookin at youtube vids/howto's at the moment)

edit: i think i should add im pretty nervous about it

amateurdude

Being sore isn't a very good measure of a workout tbh. Most people do stop getting doms after a while. Basically, end of the day, just keep good form and you've nothing to worry about, but I wouldn't completely disregard machines by the way. Plenty of good uses out of them.

Weezoh

Since i'm a dumbell newbie I'll just say that you should expect to not be using the same amount of weight as you were on the machines. It's quite a different animal. I think I heard somewhere to start by cutting your weight down for similar exercises by 40% to start and work up as you feel it.

stines72

Being sore isn't a very good measure of a workout tbh. Most people do stop getting doms after a while. Basically, end of the day, just keep good form and you've nothing to worry about, but I wouldn't completely disregard machines by the way. Plenty of good uses out of them.

yes i have heard that as well.. but mentally i just cant shake the feeling that im not getting anything done. i think i will definitely keep doing a couple of the machines in conjunction with the free weights

Since i'm a dumbell newbie I'll just say that you should expect to not be using the same amount of weight as you were on the machines. It's quite a different animal. I think I heard somewhere to start by cutting your weight down for similar exercises by 40% to start and work up as you feel it.

interesting.. i will keep that in mind. it does make sense bc the weight machines seem almost like... elastic if that makes sense

DopeItUp

Definitely cut the weight way down. Your stabilizer muscles will need to be built up to support the weights and you risk injury by trying to do too much. Start with maybe 50% of what you were doing and go slow.

sjohnny

Don't put off doing leg/lower body stuff. That's where the biggest muscles in your body are. Focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups. They will usually also hit your core pretty well. Squats, deadlifts, rows, bench press, overhead press. You could do nothing but those and have a really good program.

Look at Stronglifts, Starting Strength and/or New Rules of Lifting. I have no first hand knowledge of New Rules but hear lots of good about it. I've done Stronglifts and read a good part of Starting Strength and they are both very good beginner full body programs.

DopeItUp

Don't put off doing leg/lower body stuff. That's where the biggest muscles in your body are. Focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups. They will usually also hit your core pretty well. Squats, deadlifts, rows, bench press, overhead press. You could do nothing but those and have a really good program.

Look at Stronglifts, Starting Strength and/or New Rules of Lifting. I have no first hand knowledge of New Rules but hear lots of good about it. I've done Stronglifts and read a good part of Starting Strength and they are both very good beginner full body programs.

Listen to this man too, he is wise.

sjohnny

Don't put off doing leg/lower body stuff. That's where the biggest muscles in your body are. Focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups. They will usually also hit your core pretty well. Squats, deadlifts, rows, bench press, overhead press. You could do nothing but those and have a really good program.

Look at Stronglifts, Starting Strength and/or New Rules of Lifting. I have no first hand knowledge of New Rules but hear lots of good about it. I've done Stronglifts and read a good part of Starting Strength and they are both very good beginner full body programs.

Listen to this man too, he is wise.

It says it on the interwebs so it must be true.

stines72

thank you so much everyone.