What did you wish you knew back when you first started lifting?

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  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
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    CJ_Holmes wrote: »
    The importance of rest, recovery, and mobility! Now I know but I still struggle w/ implementation.

    This^^

    The importance of listening to your body and giving it a break when it needs it. Getting enough sleep. I need about 9hrs now. And I really, really wish someone had told me to work on mobility from day one because I'm paying the price now with reduced range of motion.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 514 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    what macros were.

    what actual beginner programs were.

    and how long it takes to really change your body.

    lifting haphazardly for years meant I lost a lot on gains. unfortunately.
    Muscle_for_Fitness wrote: »
    catherinestanford wrote: »
    How important nutrition is. I've been working out for nearly two years and have only just stopped being in denial about the fact that I need to track my macros if I want to improve (my lifts and aesthetics have plateaued for MONTHS following the initial 'newb gains'.)

    Also, consistency. It's no good to work out like a madman 6 days one week and then only once the next. Find a routine/frequency that you can realistically stick with on a long-term basis.

    That...it takes time, be in it for the long haul.
    Rusty740 wrote: »
    I wish I'd starting lifting at the same time as I started losing weight. Would have been nice to keep most of that muscle I'm trying to get back now :)

    All of the above especially what @Rusty740 said
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    1) Getting fat whilst "bulking" is not optimal
    2) 99% of supplements aren't worth buying or taking
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
    edited June 2017
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    I wish I had used my "golden years" of training (17 - 23'ish) better to build a better and stronger baseline.
    But at the time it didn't fit my priorities (drink, women, motorbike racing, work....)

    Same perspective as @Chieflrg - I started lifting in the 70's. Good info was incredibly hard to come by and you just copied what you saw, some good, some bad.
    Which makes it so sad in this age of readily accessible information that so many are clueless and train so badly/ineffectively...
    The time it took? The program that worked best for you? Was it easier or harder than expected?
    Could be flippant and say four decades but when I started growth and progress came quickly, when I trained I trained hard and progressed faster than my peers.
    My program back then was pick up heavy stuff (mostly too heavy and probably with bad form) and put it down again, then go for a pint.
    It's always hard in a way - if it's easy you probably aren't training hard enough. I'm ridiculously self-competitive so struggle with the concept of easy.
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
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    That diet is everything and that you don't need to press overhead for great delts.
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,483 Member
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    I wish I had known all the lift heavy posts I read when I first started reading the forums meant- 'lift what is heavy for you.'

    I always thought one had to start at about 100lbs and being so light that seemed an impossible weight to move.

    The day the light bulb went off was the day I started reading and finding a programme that suited me.

    Cheers, h.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    stanmann571 wrote: »
    20 years ago, when I started lifting, I wish I'd listened to the folks who advocated for the big 3...

    20+ years ago, when I got my first gym membership, I wish I knew someone that advocated the Big 3.
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 514 Member
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    tattygun wrote: »
    That diet is everything and that you don't need to press overhead for great delts.

    Since I no longer press overhead on the advice of my physio, what exercises do you do to get great delts @tattygun ?
  • tattygun
    tattygun Posts: 447 Member
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    @jdscrubs32 For front delts I use front raises, both under and overhand grip. I also do plate raise too. Side laterals...standing, single handed, seated, with dumbbells, small plates or cables (try starting the raise from behind your back with cables, really seams to increase the contraction).

    Rear delts you have so much choice...imo avoid the rear delt machine, you get a better contraction in the delt using other methods. The main thing with rear delts is a strong mind muscle connection, most exercises also only require a very short range of motion as you can quickly lose tension in the target muscle. One tip is to do your exercise single handed and actually use your other hand to feel the contraction on the muscle. You'll know when your range of motion is too big as you'll feel the muscle lose tension. Anyway rear delt exercises...bent over flys are the obvious one, again keep ROM short, they're almost like a shrug when done properly. Another is to stand with 2 light dumbbells in your hand and shrug them up and backwards at a 45 degree angle, again you'll move them no more than a few inch but get it right and they'll burn. One of my favourites is short pulls on the cables with a single grip. Set the cable so it's at waist height, grab the handle, use moderate weight, place your free hand on the delt to be worked and perform short pulls keeping constant tension on the delt.

    Nearly all my delt exercises are 15-20 reps simply because you need light weight or you start using other muscles than the target muscle. On rear delts I see so many that are simply bypassing the delt and inadvertently they end up training upper back.

    Check out Chestrockwell (mrstackingplates) on YouTube for videos on those rear delt pulls. Iirc he uses a straight bar but you'll get the idea. I prefer single as I find it easier to create that string mind muscle connection that way.

    Oh and I wouldn't expect you to perform all those exercises in one session. Pick one front and side delt exercise and 2 rear delt exercises. I say two for rear delts because 90% of ppl I see are seriously lacking there!

    Hope that helps.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
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    I started lifting a really long time ago, so I didn't know a whole lot and there wasn't many places to go for info.
    Beginners shouldn't do bro splits
    Do more weighted carries
    Do more conditioning
    More posterior chain work(deadlifts)
  • WilloVR
    WilloVR Posts: 8 Member
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    I would have built my circle of friends to include more fitness oriented peeps, serious barely any of my close friends lift
  • richardgavel
    richardgavel Posts: 1,001 Member
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    Simple, I wish I believed the consequences of NOT lifting while losing weight, mainly the amount of lean body mass lost, and how slow it is to get back.
  • bbell1985
    bbell1985 Posts: 4,572 Member
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    Actually, I wish I understood the importance of a perfect posterior tilt while hip thrusting. I'm paying for it now. I also wish I had switched up my deadlift grip earlier from mixed to hook, or had been doing all of my warm up sets double over hand.

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