lifting enough?

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jigfoot
jigfoot Posts: 39
in Fitness and Exercise
I have weights at home and I'm trying to do as many different exercises with them as possible without a bench but I'm worried I'm not lifting heavy enough.....20kg is all I can really do with most of the exercises, is that too little?

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  • GnosisGnosis
    GnosisGnosis Posts: 148
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    If 20kg is all you can do, then you're lifting enough. You can't just automatically start doing 60kg bench press, it's something most people have to work up to. Everybody starts off with a different level of beginner strength depending on alot of things including genetics, weight, and athletic history. "Lifting heavy" is totally subjective - For a 43kg girl putting up 60kg is ALOT, but it'd be way under par for a 80kg full grown man.
  • rick_po
    rick_po Posts: 449 Member
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    For strength training, the rule of thumb is to use a weight that you fail the lift after 5-8 reps. If you're just starting, it's okay to start lighter (even 20 reps is ok at first) while you practice good form. But add a little weight every workout until you're in the efficient strength building rep range of 5-8.

    Your muscles are not all the same strength, and some lifts use several different muscles, so you won't be using the same weight for every lift. 15kg might be too much for an overhead press, while 30kg might be easy on a deadlift. Get a log book so you can keep track of what weight you do with what lift, unless you have a way better memory than I do!
  • averytds
    averytds Posts: 64 Member
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    When I was starting, I struggled with even the empty bar on certain lifts. It's taken me 6 months, but I finally cracked 80lbs on my bench press. Start wherever you need to and progress up as you can.
  • jlclabo
    jlclabo Posts: 588 Member
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    as they said, heavy is relevant to the lifter.
    since you have no bench are you at least doing a floor press? its a good alternative and will help til you can get access to a bench. also if you have access to some scrap plywood you can take a piece about as wide as your shoulders, as long as your torso, and prop one end up on a slight angle, just a foot or so off the ground, and now you have a makeshift low incline bench....
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
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    For strength training, the rule of thumb is to use a weight that you fail the lift after 5-8 reps. If you're just starting, it's okay to start lighter (even 20 reps is ok at first) while you practice good form. But add a little weight every workout until you're in the efficient strength building rep range of 5-8.

    Your muscles are not all the same strength, and some lifts use several different muscles, so you won't be using the same weight for every lift. 15kg might be too much for an overhead press, while 30kg might be easy on a deadlift. Get a log book so you can keep track of what weight you do with what lift, unless you have a way better memory than I do!

    thank you, makes lots of sense :-D
  • jigfoot
    jigfoot Posts: 39
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    as they said, heavy is relevant to the lifter.
    since you have no bench are you at least doing a floor press? its a good alternative and will help til you can get access to a bench. also if you have access to some scrap plywood you can take a piece about as wide as your shoulders, as long as your torso, and prop one end up on a slight angle, just a foot or so off the ground, and now you have a makeshift low incline bench....


    sorry to sound like a loser but....floor press? :-/

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