Newbie Gains? Baloney?

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  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    I am rather confused by this thread. Get under a bar and make large pieces of metal move up and down. Keep using bigger pieces of metal. When you are using the biggest piece of metal, add more pieces of metal. Eat, sleep. Get strong. Who gives a flying **** about anything else?

    Some of us are scientifically minded and enjoy knowing the theory behind it.
  • monjacq1964
    monjacq1964 Posts: 291 Member
    I've heard about "newbie gains" but I'm skeptical. I think it's likely just because the person's body is fresh and the weights are challenging to them. We have a tendency (some people) over time to slack and not increase weights enough. Also, cycling (periodizing) workouts and taking occasional week or breaks can help reset the body.

    I was a fairly serious lifter in high school (9 years ago). Then I sorta stopped. But I kept doing a little light to moderate lifting every once in a while, like once a week. I lost a lot of muscle over time of course, because the intensity wasn't enough and my diet wasn't what it should have been to keep muscle mass. Recently I started lifting more regularly. I've been doing light weights for a few months, and I am switching to moderate/heavy lifting for a while now to build some serious mass and definition.

    Apparently I'm not a newbie and am not elligible for newbie gains now??? Sounds stupid to me. So here's the question: Would I have been better off to not have done any weight lifting at all over that period of years so I could be a newbie again and get newbie gains this time around? Did I defeat my future gains by doing low intensity lifting sporadically over a period of years?

    Can't believe I'm asking this question!! My gut feeling says no! Newbie gains are just baloney, right?


    thanks. now i want some baloney.
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    I've heard about "newbie gains" but I'm skeptical. I think it's likely just because the person's body is fresh and the weights are challenging to them. We have a tendency (some people) over time to slack and not increase weights enough. Also, cycling (periodizing) workouts and taking occasional week or breaks can help reset the body.

    I was a fairly serious lifter in high school (9 years ago). Then I sorta stopped. But I kept doing a little light to moderate lifting every once in a while, like once a week. I lost a lot of muscle over time of course, because the intensity wasn't enough and my diet wasn't what it should have been to keep muscle mass. Recently I started lifting more regularly. I've been doing light weights for a few months, and I am switching to moderate/heavy lifting for a while now to build some serious mass and definition.

    Apparently I'm not a newbie and am not elligible for newbie gains now??? Sounds stupid to me. So here's the question: Would I have been better off to not have done any weight lifting at all over that period of years so I could be a newbie again and get newbie gains this time around? Did I defeat my future gains by doing low intensity lifting sporadically over a period of years?

    Can't believe I'm asking this question!! My gut feeling says no! Newbie gains are just baloney, right?


    thanks. now i want some baloney.

    hey, it's Balogna! And I hate the stuff, personally.
  • 55in13
    55in13 Posts: 1,091 Member
    When I said I got "newb gains" at a deficit, what I meant was that I got my pecs and shoulders looking much more defined. I have just about gotten rid of the "skinny fat" look and I did not have to gain and cut to do it. I think a lot of people, myself included, get the idea from discussions here that they cannot get toned up while dieting. If you are going for "ripped", then you have to go to a lot more trouble with your diet and the exercise. But I think the term "noob gains" sounds like it is nothing of substance when for many of us, it is the very thing we are striving for.
  • timbrom
    timbrom Posts: 303 Member
    I am rather confused by this thread. Get under a bar and make large pieces of metal move up and down. Keep using bigger pieces of metal. When you are using the biggest piece of metal, add more pieces of metal. Eat, sleep. Get strong. Who gives a flying **** about anything else?

    Some of us are scientifically minded and enjoy knowing the theory behind it.

    Then you're looking in the wrong place. Have you read Practical Programming for Strength Training, by Mark Rippetoe and Ron Kilgore? It's an excellent resource and goes very in-depth into the precise mechanics of getting stronger, at every stage from a complete newbie to professional athletes.

    My comment wasn't meant to say ignore the theory. This thread seems to be devolving into a semantic argument, and arguing semantics on the internet makes me angry, which makes me want to go move large pieces of metal up and down, which is actually productive.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    Not baloney and I definitely experienced them and definitely noticed the difference when they started to wear off 6-8 months in.

    However, I don't see how the possibility of experiencing or not experiencing newbie gains would change one lick of what you do. Either way you have to work for it.
  • DrMAvDPhD
    DrMAvDPhD Posts: 2,097 Member
    What is your end goal from lifting? Have you tried compound lifts at all?

    Goals: hypertrophy, strength, endurance, and a bit of definition. In that order.

    Compounds: I currently do bench press and shoulder press with bars. I'm adding squats and deadlifts too.
    Any compounds I'm still missing?

    Row
  • mustgetmuscles1
    mustgetmuscles1 Posts: 3,346 Member
    Interesting article related to this topic.

    http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/whats-my-genetic-muscular-potential.html
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    When I said I got "newb gains" at a deficit, what I meant was that I got my pecs and shoulders looking much more defined. I have just about gotten rid of the "skinny fat" look and I did not have to gain and cut to do it. I think a lot of people, myself included, get the idea from discussions here that they cannot get toned up while dieting. If you are going for "ripped", then you have to go to a lot more trouble with your diet and the exercise. But I think the term "noob gains" sounds like it is nothing of substance when for many of us, it is the very thing we are striving for.

    I'm already at that point. :-)
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    I am rather confused by this thread. Get under a bar and make large pieces of metal move up and down. Keep using bigger pieces of metal. When you are using the biggest piece of metal, add more pieces of metal. Eat, sleep. Get strong. Who gives a flying **** about anything else?

    Some of us are scientifically minded and enjoy knowing the theory behind it.

    Then you're looking in the wrong place. Have you read Practical Programming for Strength Training, by Mark Rippetoe and Ron Kilgore? It's an excellent resource and goes very in-depth into the precise mechanics of getting stronger, at every stage from a complete newbie to professional athletes.

    I have not. But thanks for the recommendation!
  • Fithealthyforlife
    Fithealthyforlife Posts: 866 Member
    What is your end goal from lifting? Have you tried compound lifts at all?

    Goals: hypertrophy, strength, endurance, and a bit of definition. In that order.

    Compounds: I currently do bench press and shoulder press with bars. I'm adding squats and deadlifts too.
    Any compounds I'm still missing?

    Row

    Of course. I didn't mean that's all I do!
    But I like pulley machines for that instead of barbells. I have tight trapezius muscles (working on fixing that) and barbell rows cause me headaches because of that.
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
    works when I do it. What browser are you using?

    I just switched browsers and it works now. Thanks for the tip.

    Now, this graph is reassuring! I'm curious how it was constructed, though.

    ...how "experienced" is the red-line trainee? (How much time do they have under their belt?)

    After working our 1 to 3 times a week with mostly light weights for several months now, I feel like I'm just at the verge of being able to generate hypertrophic changes now that I'm switching to heavier weights for a phase. I can tell because my muscles seem a bit firmer and the blood supply is better. That's usually the first stage of entering hypertrophy, in my experience. (Also, my connective tissues seem a lot stronger now).

    this graph was for demonstration purposes only to help understand the relative gains. It's based on real life situation only in that I'm a trainer and know from training newbies et all that this is the type of progress you will see. I'm sure there's actual studies out there with actual graphs, but I don't have any time currently to find them. Maybe this weekend if you still want to know.
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