Is this a good weightlifting routine?
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DeeMoray
Posts: 16 Member
I haven't lifted weights in forever but I want to get back into it. I'm wondering if this would be a good plan to start? I would eventually like to switch over to more free weights and less machines, but machines are a less intimidating way for me to start back up.
I just want to make sure I'm not leaving out any important muscles or working things out unevenly??? lol
I don't know how many reps/sets and what weights I will use because I haven't lifted weights in forever and I know I'm weaker than I used to be. But here's a list of the exercises I would do:
Seated Barbell Military Press
Barbell Bench Press
Seated Cable Row
Lat Pulldown
Leg Press
Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine
Leg Extensions
Seated Leg Curl
Machine Ab Crunch
and maybe some additional ab workouts like the bicycle and/or reverse crunches?
I just want to make sure I'm not leaving out any important muscles or working things out unevenly??? lol
I don't know how many reps/sets and what weights I will use because I haven't lifted weights in forever and I know I'm weaker than I used to be. But here's a list of the exercises I would do:
Seated Barbell Military Press
Barbell Bench Press
Seated Cable Row
Lat Pulldown
Leg Press
Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine
Leg Extensions
Seated Leg Curl
Machine Ab Crunch
and maybe some additional ab workouts like the bicycle and/or reverse crunches?
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Replies
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Why not just restart with a good structured progressive overload beginners program?
-stronglifts 5x5
- ICF 5x5
- New rules of lifting
- Starting strength
- Strong curves
It has weights and reps spelled out for. Is well balanced for your entire body.
Doing machines won't help you overcome yout intimidation.... Just go for it!0 -
I like the sound of the stronglifts 5x5 program but I gotta see if my planet fitness location will let me get away with deadlifting or not. i wonder if they won't notice if i just use dumbbells? also is it bad to do squats with a smith machine?0
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I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
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PF isn't the best gym for SL just because they often lack the equipment needed and there are a few posts and the issues created with using things like the smith machine. There are some db versions of programs that can be found online with a quick search, but depends on how high up the ones go at your location as to how effective it will be over time.
And usually with 5x5, I'm pretty sure they recommend starting at a lighter weight to work on form. Not to just go with the heaviest possible. Most who take a decent amount of time off de-load from what they were at before because you don't want to just jump right in at a very heavy set. Though it also depends on the lifters overall goals, much of which relies on nutrition along with the fitness regime in order to reach the results.0 -
That's fine. You don't need to read a book go gef back into lifting. Work really hard at that routine, be consistent and don't fxck off workouts, and wrote down what you lift so you can look back next time and try to get more reps or add more weight. Don't bother doing squats with dumbbells or a smith machine. Same with deadlifts. You could do lunges, barbell hack squats or leg presses with feet low on the foot plate for quads, and SLDLs and leg presses with feet high on the foot plate for hamstrings, in addition to leg extensions and curls.0
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Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm actually a female so I really don't need anything where I'm working my way up to insanely heavy weights. I just know I need to be lifting heavier weights than what most girls do. So my plan is good to start if I'm not looking to get ripped right? I just want to consistently be reaching heavier weights (no matter how long that takes) and hopefully get some muscle definition in the long run.0
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I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
SL does not start heavy. Just the bar, or even less if the person doing it is unable to complete the exercise with just the bar. The progressions are not excessive allowing for the very adaptation needed. In other words, SL only gets heavy as the person is able to handle it. No idea why you think differently. It is a beginners program that insists on starting with low weight and allowing for the beginner to work on good form before the weight used becomes an issue.0 -
I would ditch these ones from your programme:
Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine
Leg Extensions
Seated Leg Curl
Machine Ab Crunch
and spend more time and effort on these:
Seated Barbell Military Press
Barbell Bench Press
Seated Cable Row
Lat Pulldown
Leg Press
and have more time for cardio and ab workouts.0 -
rileysowner wrote: »I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
SL does not start heavy. Just the bar, or even less if the person doing it is unable to complete the exercise with just the bar. The progressions are not excessive allowing for the very adaptation needed. In other words, SL only gets heavy as the person is able to handle it. No idea why you think differently. It is a beginners program that insists on starting with low weight and allowing for the beginner to work on good form before the weight used becomes an issue.
Yeah exactly, the program starts off light so unless you have some major mobility issues you should be fine. When choosing your starting weight always err on the side of light, progress slowly, and you'll be fine. SL doesn't become heavy until several cycles in and your body will adapt appropriately as you slowly progress. I would agree with KrisFit if you said you were previously untrained and jumping into a program requiring you to work at 85%+ of your training max.0 -
Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
SL does not start heavy. Just the bar, or even less if the person doing it is unable to complete the exercise with just the bar. The progressions are not excessive allowing for the very adaptation needed. In other words, SL only gets heavy as the person is able to handle it. No idea why you think differently. It is a beginners program that insists on starting with low weight and allowing for the beginner to work on good form before the weight used becomes an issue.
Yeah exactly, the program starts off light so unless you have some major mobility issues you should be fine. When choosing your starting weight always err on the side of light, progress slowly, and you'll be fine. SL doesn't become heavy until several cycles in and your body will adapt appropriately as you slowly progress. I would agree with KrisFit if you said you were previously untrained and jumping into a program requiring you to work at 85%+ of your training max.
This. But I will say even if a beginner who is completely untrained started a program with 85% or more of their max, it would still effect the joints. It would not return results, but that is because of a lack of progression not because of damage. Beginners, and in particular untrained people, don't know their maxes in the lifts and their maxes would be .... like beginners. 85% of 55kg would be 46kg (101lbs), it is not enough weight to hurt a generally healthy person, using proper form. The fear of injury or belief that you have to perform some kind of pre-program before you can start lifting weights and gaining strength is a deterrent for some to start and has been proven unfounded by science over and over again.
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I'm sorry....what? "Get away with deadlifting?" Are they insane? You know what? Take two 30lb dumbbells and deadlift with them. See what they say. That's just crazy!!!I like the sound of the stronglifts 5x5 program but I gotta see if my planet fitness location will let me get away with deadlifting or not. i wonder if they won't notice if i just use dumbbells? also is it bad to do squats with a smith machine?
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I like the sound of the stronglifts 5x5 program but I gotta see if my planet fitness location will let me get away with deadlifting or not. i wonder if they won't notice if i just use dumbbells? also is it bad to do squats with a smith machine?
Does your PF have a power rack? I have heard a few have them now, but not many. I wouldn't recommend squatting on a smith machine to anybody, the fixed linear path will make you have to push on the bar in a way not natural for your body mechanics.
I highly recommend StrongLifts (and adding pull up or assisted pull-ups into the program every other workout). You will start with just an empty bar on everything, so you will be able to get confident with the movements. The reason compound exercises are superior to machines, besides building strength much quicker, is that you are practicing movements that you will commonly ask your body to do outside the gym, effectively building "muscle memory" for those movements just learning how to write or throw a ball. If you practice picking heavy stuff off the floor, you get better at picking heavy stuff off the floor. Practice pulling yourself up, you get better at pulling stuff up.
Planet Fitness will likely not let you perform many of these lifts (which is insanity considering you PAY to be there), but if they have a olympic barbell and a rack, I would give it a spin before you go off and cancel your membership. If they are jerks about it, I would find something like an Anytime or something similar if you need a cheap gym with legit weight equipment.0 -
Thanks for the tips everyone! I'm actually a female so I really don't need anything where I'm working my way up to insanely heavy weights. I just know I need to be lifting heavier weights than what most girls do. So my plan is good to start if I'm not looking to get ripped right? I just want to consistently be reaching heavier weights (no matter how long that takes) and hopefully get some muscle definition in the long run.
Lifting heavy won't necessarily cause you to look ripped. The look has more to do with your overall muscle base and having a low enough body fat to show them. There are groups for women lifting weights including a general lifting one, new rules of lifting for women and a stronglifts for women group. Many of us lift heavy for us but it's not super insane, though one person's insane is different than another person's. Gaining strength, adding muscle and seeing definition are different situations that vary based on nutrition along with the training.
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I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
I started with SL 5x5 after a long hiatus..it's fine.
I did it for a year and it works great...0 -
Sam_I_Am77 wrote: »rileysowner wrote: »I personally wouldnt start with a heavy program like 5x5's.. your joints, ligaments and tendons will not appreciate you blasting them with heavy weight after a long layoff.. I would recommend a program that starts in the 12-15 rep range to achieve hypertrophy and build some muscle and joint endurance.. at least 6 weeks of training hard in this rep range before doing a 6 week strength program.. just my opinion, good luck on whatever you choose to do though!!
SL does not start heavy. Just the bar, or even less if the person doing it is unable to complete the exercise with just the bar. The progressions are not excessive allowing for the very adaptation needed. In other words, SL only gets heavy as the person is able to handle it. No idea why you think differently. It is a beginners program that insists on starting with low weight and allowing for the beginner to work on good form before the weight used becomes an issue.
Yeah exactly, the program starts off light so unless you have some major mobility issues you should be fine. When choosing your starting weight always err on the side of light, progress slowly, and you'll be fine. SL doesn't become heavy until several cycles in and your body will adapt appropriately as you slowly progress. I would agree with KrisFit if you said you were previously untrained and jumping into a program requiring you to work at 85%+ of your training max.
This. But I will say even if a beginner who is completely untrained started a program with 85% or more of their max, it would still effect the joints. It would not return results, but that is because of a lack of progression not because of damage. Beginners, and in particular untrained people, don't know their maxes in the lifts and their maxes would be .... like beginners. 85% of 55kg would be 46kg (101lbs), it is not enough weight to hurt a generally healthy person, using proper form. The fear of injury or belief that you have to perform some kind of pre-program before you can start lifting weights and gaining strength is a deterrent for some to start and has been proven unfounded by science over and over again.
Here's the thing, if you take somebody that is previously un-trained and they have no idea how to properly do a movement outside of a YouTube video, having somebody do a maximal load without knowing how to properly execute a movement is going to teach them poor form. 85% of one's training max is relative to the individual. No a 100lb squat is nothing to me but it could be heavy for the individual that can barely get 120lbs up for 1-rep. What is heavy is relative to the individual. Trying to learn how to squat with an 85%+ load is ridiculous to expect of anybody.
I don't know about pre-programs but an optimal program should be designed for an individual's needs. Again using a previously untrained individual / no training experience as an example, a trainer / coach with a background in NASM or NSCA will conduct an evaluation to determine where their client is and also get an understanding of their prior experience. Regardless of where they're at in development they'll get placed into a strength-training program but it may not include squats & deadlifts right of the gate, perhaps after 4 to 8 weeks it definitely could and should at some point. Keeping the previously untrained person in-mind they are likely out-of-shape and as many do, suffer from a lack of gluteal, hamstring, and maybe even psoas (hip flexors) development. The glutes and hips are key components of the eccentric and concentric portion of the squat. If those muscles are underdeveloped you'll play hell to get your client to properly perform a squat. Sure they could cheat it and rely on their quads to do everything but that doesn't teach the person how to squat well and opens the door for knee health issues. As a result, the client may need to spend a few weeks doing things like Step-Ups, Lunges, Hip Thrusts, Core work, etc., to help improve that musculature. That's why NASM has different phases of their OPT model; I'm not sure how the NSCA manages their training phases but I know they evaluate their clients and train accordingly.
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It's hilarious to see people disagree so much without paying attention to the facts of the subject. Nobody that is just starting a weight training program should jump into complex compound multi joint movements.. Unless!!!! They have a coach, experienced partner or a trainer!! So you people on here trying to discredit someone instead of trying to help the person in need should reassess why they are on these threads. This isn't a contest, it's a community for support in fitness and nutrition goals0
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Am I the only one who doesn't care for seated military press? Personally I love the core stability work it adds by doing it straight overhead. (assuming your form is good and you don't end up with a first class ticket to snap city.)0
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hamlet1222 wrote: »I would ditch these ones from your programme:
Calf Press on the Leg Press Machine
Leg Extensions
Seated Leg Curl
Machine Ab Crunch
and spend more time and effort on these:
Seated Barbell Military Press
Barbell Bench Press
Seated Cable Row
Lat Pulldown
Leg Press
and have more time for cardio and ab workouts.
Would you say those leg machines are unnecessary because the Leg Press works those muscles as well?
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I'm sorry....what? "Get away with deadlifting?" Are they insane? You know what? Take two 30lb dumbbells and deadlift with them. See what they say. That's just crazy!!!I like the sound of the stronglifts 5x5 program but I gotta see if my planet fitness location will let me get away with deadlifting or not. i wonder if they won't notice if i just use dumbbells? also is it bad to do squats with a smith machine?
I think it's crazy too.
It just sucks because my gym is literally <5 minutes away from my house, and the next closest one would be so much farther away and more expensive it's hard to justify switching.
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_Bropollo_ wrote: »I like the sound of the stronglifts 5x5 program but I gotta see if my planet fitness location will let me get away with deadlifting or not. i wonder if they won't notice if i just use dumbbells? also is it bad to do squats with a smith machine?
Does your PF have a power rack? I have heard a few have them now, but not many. I wouldn't recommend squatting on a smith machine to anybody, the fixed linear path will make you have to push on the bar in a way not natural for your body mechanics.
I highly recommend StrongLifts (and adding pull up or assisted pull-ups into the program every other workout). You will start with just an empty bar on everything, so you will be able to get confident with the movements. The reason compound exercises are superior to machines, besides building strength much quicker, is that you are practicing movements that you will commonly ask your body to do outside the gym, effectively building "muscle memory" for those movements just learning how to write or throw a ball. If you practice picking heavy stuff off the floor, you get better at picking heavy stuff off the floor. Practice pulling yourself up, you get better at pulling stuff up.
Planet Fitness will likely not let you perform many of these lifts (which is insanity considering you PAY to be there), but if they have a olympic barbell and a rack, I would give it a spin before you go off and cancel your membership. If they are jerks about it, I would find something like an Anytime or something similar if you need a cheap gym with legit weight equipment.
No they don't have a power rack.
I'm always so torn between machines & free weights. I know free weights are better in the long run if you want what I call "practical strength". lol But I also get afraid of injuring myself due to performing other lifts incorrectly. I have a bad back and haven't had anyone critique my form since high school. I also can't afford a personal trainer at the moment.
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