Need some weight lifting advice.

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Replies

  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    for a new person, changing your workouts ever 6 - 8 weeks or so is sufficient. And I mean complete change, such as exercises, not just rep ranges. The longer you weight train the more frequent you should change up the workout to keep the body from adapting. For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks. I have 4 routines labelled: Hyperrtrophy A, Hypertrophy B, Strength A and Strength B.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Keep adding weight to induce the required stimulant, there is no need to go change to different exercises if they are working as you said.

    Progressive overload in good form and sufficient calories to build muscle that's all there is to it.

    This. Only change if you are not getting results or if you are getting bored.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    A strength training routine specifically targeted at athletic performance in a particular sport is vastly different from a strength/hypertrophy routine. By the same token, a person striving to improve their performance in basketball would do a significantly different workout from somebody trying to improve their performance in football - both of which would be different from a person looking to enhance their performance in baseball.
    For experienced athletes, sure; but from what I've read (and I'm far from an expert) something like 5x5 is likely to help people that don't already have a good foundation to work from, regardless of their position - stronger legs, core and arms is likely to help the footballer and basketballer I suspect.

    And to the echo the above - if you're still getting results from your work outs, seems to make sense to keep doing them.
  • jackaroo21
    jackaroo21 Posts: 127 Member
    Bump
  • tross0924
    tross0924 Posts: 909 Member
    Add one more vote to the stick with a proven program for as long as you can.

    And the reason you're sore after playing a sport even though you lift is because that sport uses different muscles. So you can spend hours and hours in the gym doing isolation training and trying to wear out those muscles to the point when you play that sport you're not sore. Your strength will suffer, but you can do it. Ooooooorrrrrr you can do what's giving you strength results and then play said sport a couple times a week, and let your body stress all those muscles on its own.
  • AlbionOakley
    AlbionOakley Posts: 169 Member
    just do starting strength, as written.
  • for a new person, changing your workouts ever 6 - 8 weeks or so is sufficient. And I mean complete change, such as exercises, not just rep ranges. The longer you weight train the more frequent you should change up the workout to keep the body from adapting. For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks. I have 4 routines labelled: Hyperrtrophy A, Hypertrophy B, Strength A and Strength B.

    This is exactly the opposite of the truth. The adaptation curve seen with noob lifters is approximately 72 hours whereas the adaptation curve with advanced lifters can be as long as 6 months. This means that the stronger you get, the more important it is to stick with a long-term program in order to see a training benefit from it. This is why noob lifters can squat 3 days a week on a progressive overload program but more advanced lifters will pound away at an advanced program like a block periodized westside barbell type program for months on end before seeing any results.

    To clarify, the adaptation curve is the relationship between strength and time; effected through your training. A program should cause you to accumulate fatigue over a period of time (during which you will become weaker) and then allow you to recover and supercompensate through adaptation to that fatigue. The stronger you are, the longer the period of time required for you to accumulate the level of fatigue necessary for you to supercompensate and become stronger once you have recovered. You can reference this is literature by Vladimir Zatsiorsky (in detail) or, Mark Rippetoe has some easier to understand text written on this subject in "Practical Programming".
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
    For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks.

    Do you even lift?
  • danimalkeys
    danimalkeys Posts: 982 Member
    For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks.

    Do you even lift?

    lol my thoughts exactly...
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    In my opinion you MUST change the routine. Must. Lets take a quick example:
    Have you ever been working out and felt you were doing good, then played a sport and felt absolutely sore?
    That happens because you use different muscles, in different ways.

    I would recommend you change your routine now and every 30 days. (also helps to keep boredom in check)

    This is the worst advice you could give to a lifter. To the OP, you need to pick a proven program that is well suited for beginners (Starting Strength, Stronglifts 5x5, Madcow's 5x5 or even 5/3/1 if you feel you're ready) and STICK WITH IT LONG ENOUGH FOR IT TO WORK! Only beginning lifters will achieve a training effect in 30 days. You need to stick with a program as long as you can before you swap.


    100% this.
  • bump
  • For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks.

    Do you even lift?

    Lol
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    For me I have to change mine every 3 weeks.

    Do you even lift?

    This is one of the few times that I have seen this phrase used, where it actually fits perfectly. Bravo! :bigsmile:
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    A strength training routine specifically targeted at athletic performance in a particular sport is vastly different from a strength/hypertrophy routine. By the same token, a person striving to improve their performance in basketball would do a significantly different workout from somebody trying to improve their performance in football - both of which would be different from a person looking to enhance their performance in baseball.
    For experienced athletes, sure; but from what I've read (and I'm far from an expert) something like 5x5 is likely to help people that don't already have a good foundation to work from, regardless of their position - stronger legs, core and arms is likely to help the footballer and basketballer I suspect.

    And to the echo the above - if you're still getting results from your work outs, seems to make sense to keep doing them.
    Absolutely it will - no doubt about that. The context of my statement was to the quote above it (in my post) where the poster rationalized frequent workout changes by asking if you've ever played a sport and felt sore afterward because you were using different muscles in different ways. Sure you will - but that doesn't mean you should switch up routines every two weeks. If you're training for a specific sport, train for a specific sport; if not, then use a solid beginner program, stick with it for a while and keep adding weight to the bar.
  • OP. Here is an article outlining block periodization. Regardless of your goals, you can implement the principles of block periodization into your training literally from the first time you touch a weight until you are too old to lift. It is a life long training program that evolves as you progress.

    http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/powerlifting-articles/a-practical-guide-for-implementing-block-periodization-for-powerlifting/

    Read this too:

    http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/block-periodization-for-powerlifting-revisited-and-revised/