Help and suggestions with weights!

If you are just starting with weights I suggest using the machines and do circuit training. Ask the trainers or floor staff at your gym for a demo. They will show what machines to use for the muscle groups you want to work. They can also show you how to use them properly. Do this for a few weeks then move on to the free weights. Again, when you are ready, ask the trainers for guidance. That's why they are there.

Ahhhh....Strong Lifts... I love this program because I think it's perfect for someone who is new to lifting to really see some good results. I have been lifting for 5 years now and every so often I will do a strength cycle based completely on the 5x5 protocol and always see a gain of some sort.

I just finished a SL cycle at the end of December and I checked my PR's over the last couple weeks.

Stats Before:
HT: 5'8''
WT: 191#

My PR prior to starting:
BS: 175#
SP: 105#
DL: 275#
BP: 130#
PC: 145# (I don't really like barbell rows so I only do them for the first 2 weeks then I switch to Power Cleans, if you are unfamiliar with this exercise, I reccommend sticking with the rows)

Stats After:

HT: 5'8''
WT: 168#

My PR after:
BS: 245#
SP: 140#
DL: 325#
BP: 165#
PC: 180#

Please keep in mind that I have been lifting for a while, doing this program you will see gains though your first cycle might not get you to these numbers. Don't fret...your new strong body is always a work in progress!!

That being said, I think 5x5 is a great way to get into lifting, especially for women as it emphasies form and technique for the basic "big 5" lifts. You will gain strength, you will gain muscle, you will lose fat and you will feel like you are eating like a horse! However you will be using every single calorie that you put in your body and continue burning long after you have left the gym. The best advice I can give you is go on the strong lifts website, check out the videos on form, look up videos by Mark Rippetoe or Mike Burgener or Louie Simmons or Christine Beauchamp (little powerhouse female lifter) and LEARN the proper form first. They also have a super easy to use spreadsheet you can type in your start date and starting weights and they will calculate everything for you, how much you are supposed to add each workout and what to do if you plateau (meaning you can't complete the entire 5 sets of 5 at a given weight).

www.stronglifts.com

The website isn't flashy, it's just straight forward advice on lifting and how to eat to fuel the lifting. Don't let it fool you though there is tons of good information on there, especially in the community and on peoples training logs. I could spend hours there just reading about people's training. They have a pretty good following of women as well which is great for beginning female lifters. They are super nice and the support for newby lifters is amazing, just make sure you are prepared to listen to the advice the more seasoned lifters give, I'd say about 95% of them know exactly what they are talking about! You can also post videos of your form when you are first getting started (and as you continue the program, get into heavier weights) so the experienced lifters can give feedback on your lifts.

If you are still not sure you are lifting properly, you can also post form videos on Mike Burgener's or Mark Rippetoe's website and they/and their cohorts will provide ample feedback! If you are a lifter in California, Coach Burgener has a standing open invite for anyone and everyone who wants to learn to lift to stop into his gym and get some pointers!!! Man I wish I lived in CA!

Some quick pointers...

Squats- ALWAYS below parallel, best to start with high bar as low bar might be uncomfortable for new lifters and please for the love of cookies DONT USE THE SMITH MACHINE!!! It is one of the most UNNATURAL movements you can do with your body, when I see people using it I just want to cringe at what they are doing to their knees! Also you will create a gross muscle imbalance as the Smith Machine only strengthens (albeit not as much as free barbell) your major muscle groups while ignoring completely the supporting muscles. You will find that your lifts will dramatically decline if you have been Smithing it for a while then switch to loaded barbell.

Press- Please no bend in the knees to help the weight up... it's a shoulder press not a push press.

Deadlift- for the love of your vertebre, make sure you learn how to BREATHE properly before you attempt any big weight, look up valsalva breathing and learn the proper stance. Please don't make this lift complicated...it's one of the most simple and functional lifts you will be exposed to (we all pick up things off the floor right). You will put more weight on this lift faster than any of the other ones because it truely is a whole body lift (FYI it used to be called the Body Lift before it was called the Dead Lift, some random info for you). It taxes the most muscles and puts the greatest strain on your neuromuscular system so that's why even the stronglifts calls for only 1X5 of the DL instead of 5X5.

Bench- Yes there is a right way to Bench, watch videos by the people above, not some random dude on You Tube...chances are they are doing it wrong.

Barbell Row- core tight, core tight, core tight, oh and did i mention, core tight! Please don't be that person who is rounding your back (upper or lower) just so you can pull up that extra 5#, trust me, keep core tight and back rigid...you'll thank me later.

Power Clean- again I will stress not to attempt this movement unless you are familiar with it, or have exposure to olympic lifting. The goal of the 5x5 is to get stronger not hurt yourself.

Lifting in general- please learn the abbreviations for the lifts and the different forms of each one and what muscles they use:
For example:
Squat (SQ) The squat always means the Back Squat unless otherwise noted by the addition of "Front" or "Overhead" infront of the word Squat. For the 5x5 you will be back squatting (unless you want to front squat, in which case learn how to do it properly and only do it as an accessory movement on non 5X5 days). There is also the high bar and the low bar squat, which indicates the position of the bar on your back. Most people are more comfortable with High bar, which requires strict ab engagement during the entire lift. Low bar takes a little more practice, elbow and shoulder flexibility and stance adjustment (at least for me, it might be easier for you), but allows you to essentially shorten the distance the weight moves by having it lower on your back. Having it lower on your back you are able to move more weight in a (some would say) efficient manner. Do research on both ways and try them both...you might find one is more comfortable for you.

As you can see there are alot of nuances to just one simple lift....LEARN YOUR LIFTS!!!

SP- Shoulder Press (Also known as simply Press)
DL- Deadlift
BP-Bench Press
BR- Barbell Row
PC- Power Clean

The best way to get started is to research first, spend some time lurking on the strong lifts boards, catalyst athletics has great lifting resources and if possible go to a gym that has a coach that is trained to TEACH power/olympic lifts, just because a trainer "does" the lifts doesn't make them qualified to TEACH the lifts to an inexperienced or new lifter.

Start slow, learn the way your body feels when you have correct form and how it feels when you are doing something incorrectly. YOU WILL BE SORE, you need to rest on off days after about week 4 or 5 but can still do something like rowing or light calisthenics. You will eat more food than you ever thought possible, yet if you choose the right kinds of food, your body will transform. Your waist will thin out, you will get an *kitten*, thick legs and a strong back...good luck finding jeans ( Can you say GAP)

Most important of all...STICK WITH THE PROGRAM...do it as is, start low...the empty bar might feel to light so you might be tempted to pile on more weight... DONT DO IT! There is an app on the iphone that will track your SL workouts...when I do a cycle I always start with an empty bar because even though I know I can do more, it allows me time to reinforce the correct movements and build to a greater max load.

If anyone has any questions about the program, please ask, I will do what I can to help get you started. I am by no means an expert, but I can try to answer alot of the questions beginners ask ( I was there once too)! Good Luck and get strong!!