Want to start strength training - absolute beginner

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Replies

  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    If you are only 20-30 pounds from your goal weight, then you shouldn't be aiming for 2 pounds per week. Set it to 1 pound per week. The reason is because you should be thinking about trying to preserve that muscle (lifting will help - and getting plenty of protein).

    And yes, you will certainly feel like you want to eat a cow once you start lifting.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    Hey Rob, what are your stats (height, weight & goal weight, age)?

    @stealthq: Hey man, I don't know I could be looking at the wrong link; I don't go to BB.Com often. Here's what I was looking at, http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843 . The author of the thread is "all pro".

    I feel like I am in an AOL chat room ;)

    I am 37, 5'10 started at 295, current weight is 215, goal weight is 185.

    If I'm hungry I eat.
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Now back on topic, at what point will I start to level off weights?

    When you run out of plates at the gym.

    Seriously, there is no need to ever do it on purpose. You will know when you hit a wall, then it is up to you to decide whether or not you want to take the effort to bust through it or just maintain that level of fitness.
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    shor0814 wrote: »

    You can start here:

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+rippetoe+squat

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+rippetoe+deadlift

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+rippetoe+bench+press

    https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=mark+rippetoe+bench+overhead+press

    You can worry about the power clean later after you build up your deadlift with proper form.

    Quoting this for reference.

    I have been doing my homework and going to do the 5X5. It does look intimidating to start but I am tired of the classes with no results.

    Good thread. Thanks OP for posting this thread. :)



  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Swanky, I thought it looked intimidating but after doing workout 1 & 2, it really isn't. Nobody even cares what you are doing at the gym so the pressure was all internal. I even watched the videos before each activity for a refresher
  • SwankyTomato
    SwankyTomato Posts: 442 Member
    edited January 2015
    What weight did you start at? I want to make sure I have proper form before adding weight.

    Jeannine in MO
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    SwankyTomato wrote: »
    What weight did you start at? I want to make sure I have proper form before adding weight.

    Jeannine in MO

    Just the bar, so 45lbs. The deadlifts and rows require a weight so 55 for the rows, 95 for deadlifts. Download the app and it'll tell you what to start with.
  • Sam_I_Am77
    Sam_I_Am77 Posts: 2,093 Member
    edited January 2015
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    Hey Rob, what are your stats (height, weight & goal weight, age)?

    @stealthq: Hey man, I don't know I could be looking at the wrong link; I don't go to BB.Com often. Here's what I was looking at, http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843 . The author of the thread is "all pro".

    I feel like I am in an AOL chat room ;)

    I am 37, 5'10 started at 295, current weight is 215, goal weight is 185.

    If I'm hungry I eat.

    If you track your calories strictly then your calories for 215lbs are 2,282, which is a lot more than 1400. Your goal weight is 185. In order to get to 185, you have to get to 200 first, so try and take your calorie cut gradually. Calories for...

    200lbs: 2,201
    190lbs: 2,147
    185lbs: 2,120
    *approximate of course*

    If you eat when you're hungry that could be one approach if it's working for you. If you want to get more structured about it then I would suggest the above ranges for you. One could argue that the above ranges could be 10% - 15% more than what is stated.
    Swanky, I thought it looked intimidating but after doing workout 1 & 2, it really isn't. Nobody even cares what you are doing at the gym so the pressure was all internal. I even watched the videos before each activity for a refresher

    That's great Rob!
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »
    Hey Rob, what are your stats (height, weight & goal weight, age)?

    @stealthq: Hey man, I don't know I could be looking at the wrong link; I don't go to BB.Com often. Here's what I was looking at, http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=4195843 . The author of the thread is "all pro".

    Yeah, that's the first version that was out - I think there are three or four updates at this point. You find them later in the thread after people used the routine for a bit and gave feedback.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Thanks for the info Sam, I'll keep it in mind
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    SwankyTomato wrote: »
    What weight did you start at? I want to make sure I have proper form before adding weight.

    Jeannine in MO

    Just the bar, so 45lbs. The deadlifts and rows require a weight so 55 for the rows, 95 for deadlifts. Download the app and it'll tell you what to start with.


    You could always do Romanian Deadlifts where you start from the lowest setting in the power rack and go down, but the purpose of the deadlift is to pick things up off the floor. Be careful lifting from the floor with anything on the bar that is smaller than a 45 lb plate. The smaller plates make you start in a lower position which puts more stress on the lower back which can cause injury. You may want to put a few plates or blocks under the bar to put it at the proper beginning height.
  • hmcbride68
    hmcbride68 Posts: 72 Member
    edited January 2015
    dave4d wrote: »
    Be careful lifting from the floor with anything on the bar that is smaller than a 45 lb plate. The smaller plates make you start in a lower position which puts more stress on the lower back which can cause injury. You may want to put a few plates or blocks under the bar to put it at the proper beginning height

    That is an excellent point

    It's impossible to predict when anyone will reach a plateau, but you'll know when it happens. Your progress stalls

    As far as calories go, once your DL and squat start getting anywhere near your body weight, it is almost guaranteed that you will need to consume more than 1,700 per day. As you lift more, your calorie requirements increase dramatically. That's where you have to really understand your goals. If it is to lose fat, then you will have to sacrifice some lifting progress to keep your food intake at a reasonable level to support fat loss. But, you should still see linear progression, which will demand an increase in calories

  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Yeah, it'll be a while til I get to my body weight in squats by yes when they get heavier, I know I'll need to eat more. Yesterday I ate way more than normal.
  • tomsarno
    tomsarno Posts: 105 Member
    Eating extremely low calories will definitely cause weight loss which is good if your goal is to move the scale needle down. I went a different approach when I dropped 100lbs. I ate a very slight deficit while lifting to build more muscle. As I added muscle I also added food (good clean food). Weight came off and I became stronger.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    tomsarno wrote: »
    Eating extremely low calories will definitely cause weight loss which is good if your goal is to move the scale needle down. I went a different approach when I dropped 100lbs. I ate a very slight deficit while lifting to build more muscle. As I added muscle I also added food (good clean food). Weight came off and I became stronger.

    How long did it take you to lose 100? I'm curious what your before and after was if you don't mind.
  • zipa78
    zipa78 Posts: 354 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Nobody even cares what you are doing at the gym so the pressure was all internal.

    This is so true. If only people would realize this. The only thing I've ever seen anyone comment on was dangerously bad for and for wearing a ring while deadlifting, which has great potential to wreck the ring, scratch the bar and rip the finger the ring is on.
  • tomsarno
    tomsarno Posts: 105 Member
    edited January 2015
    About 19months to drop 90lbs. I then dropped 10 more in 4 weeks and my bench and squat dropped alot and I looked flat. I went back up 8 in two weeks and am now trying to drop slower. If you look at my pics the one with the red shirt was when I was eating more and still loosing. The one in the orange shirt I was eating less calories and you can see muscle was flat looking. I will see is I can get an updated photo tonight to show what I look like now
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    zipa78 wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Nobody even cares what you are doing at the gym so the pressure was all internal.

    This is so true. If only people would realize this. The only thing I've ever seen anyone comment on was dangerously bad for and for wearing a ring while deadlifting, which has great potential to wreck the ring, scratch the bar and rip the finger the ring is on.
    I think it was my third session rock climbing? I had a huge lecture from two guys complete with pictures, anatomical descriptions, and a demonstration of how easy it is to glove your finger thanks to a wedding ring.

    I don't wear it anymore, eff that.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Can't seem to see photos from my phone, I'll check when I get to a computer
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Robbnva wrote: »
    Can't seem to see photos from my phone, I'll check when I get to a computer
    Oh, regarding what weights do you get to before it levels off?

    Depends.

    I started at 275, got into lifting at 245, right now around 230? Once I started legitimately training my lifting, in 9 months I went from:
    Bench: 145 -> 255
    Squat: 155 -> 325
    Deadlift: 300 -> 505

    I'm still getting growth too, so it's a matter of what you already have built up, so to speak, and where your genetics can take you.
  • tomsarno
    tomsarno Posts: 105 Member
    dbmata wrote: »
    ]
    I think it was my third session rock climbing? I had a huge lecture from two guys complete with pictures, anatomical descriptions, and a demonstration of how easy it is to glove your finger thanks to a wedding ring.

    I don't wear it anymore, eff that.
    When my wife asks why I don't wear my wedding ring I will show her this. Maybe she won't swing the frying pan so hard.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    tomsarno wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    ]
    I think it was my third session rock climbing? I had a huge lecture from two guys complete with pictures, anatomical descriptions, and a demonstration of how easy it is to glove your finger thanks to a wedding ring.

    I don't wear it anymore, eff that.
    When my wife asks why I don't wear my wedding ring I will show her this. Maybe she won't swing the frying pan so hard.

    Lol
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    I'm so excited to lift tomorrow, who have I become lol
  • rebprest
    rebprest Posts: 149 Member
    As a beginner who tried just watching Youtube videos and reading endless books about strength training, I would recommend working with a personal trainer for at least a short period of time. It can be really difficult to tell if you have correct form when you have no experience, and having someone who you can be reasonably confident knows what they are doing to fix it is wonderful. Also, it can difficult to sort out the people who know what they are doing in videos. That's what has been working for me, anyway.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    tomsarno wrote: »
    dbmata wrote: »
    ]
    I think it was my third session rock climbing? I had a huge lecture from two guys complete with pictures, anatomical descriptions, and a demonstration of how easy it is to glove your finger thanks to a wedding ring.

    I don't wear it anymore, eff that.
    When my wife asks why I don't wear my wedding ring I will show her this. Maybe she won't swing the frying pan so hard.
    If she gets curious, show her pictures. Ask her how foreplay goes then.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    rebprest wrote: »
    As a beginner who tried just watching Youtube videos and reading endless books about strength training, I would recommend working with a personal trainer for at least a short period of time. It can be really difficult to tell if you have correct form when you have no experience, and having someone who you can be reasonably confident knows what they are doing to fix it is wonderful. Also, it can difficult to sort out the people who know what they are doing in videos. That's what has been working for me, anyway.
    I went to one at my gym and his routine for me was the following cycle

    Ropes (30 seconds)
    KBS (21/15/9)
    Trx row - same
    Flex squat - same

    Then finish with hiit on a spin bike, 20 high intensity, 20 low intensity.

    I hated the workout
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    I'd hate that workout too.
  • razeak
    razeak Posts: 12 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    Robbnva wrote: »
    so since June I have basically done nothing but cardio, couch to 5k 3 days a week and walking on the other days. I am down almost 80lbs and think I want to start doing weights to help tighten my skin and also to build a little muscle/tone up but I have no idea what I am doing. The last time I did any sort of weight lifting was over 10 years ago and i just used the machines but I didn't really know what I was doing. I basically want a 3 day a week routine, I am not even as concerned about my lower body as much as I am my abs/chest/arms. Any ideas? Thanks in advance

    Step 1: Change that mindset. No, this isn't the stereotypical "never skip leg day" statement. It's that, if you want a balanced physique, you'll want to be concerned about lower body.

    Step 2: Buy the book "Starting Strength," by Mark Rippetoe. Read it. Twice.

    Step 3: Pick any of the programs Jo (except Strong Curves. A guy doing Strong Curves?) just mentioned and do it. DO IT THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN - DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE IT.

    This. Also, hitting those legs will really help burn those calories and make upper body lifts on your feet more stable. Everything benefits from legs.
  • Robbnva
    Robbnva Posts: 590 Member
    Does anyone do the assistance exercises at all?
  • dave4d
    dave4d Posts: 1,155 Member
    rebprest wrote: »
    As a beginner who tried just watching Youtube videos and reading endless books about strength training, I would recommend working with a personal trainer for at least a short period of time. It can be really difficult to tell if you have correct form when you have no experience, and having someone who you can be reasonably confident knows what they are doing to fix it is wonderful. Also, it can difficult to sort out the people who know what they are doing in videos. That's what has been working for me, anyway.

    I was doing some work in the power rack one day and I saw one of the gym trainers workingwith a lady in the squat rack next to me teaching her Romanian dead lifts. Her back was rounding as she did her lifts. He made no attempt to correct her form.

    A good trainer can be worth their weight in gold, but most of the gym trainers that I've watched working with people were worthless.

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