DaveRCF

Sir, I salute you. Not always easy for guys to talk openly about these things but I bet a few men or women will have a lightbulb moment when they read your post.

The best thing to do is start out with low weights but keep adding a bit every time you squat, say 5-10 pounds. You will be training your muscles that you use and learning correct form. The more you do the lifts, the easier it will be to do them with higher weight. You may or may not get sore, it depends on the person and…

I started in April, but admitedly I haven't been able to stick with 3X per week so although I am still on a linear progression, it has come in fits and starts. One thing I would note is that it really pays to start off with just the bar and really focus on form. Video yourself. Read about the correct lifting techniques…

Sorry, what's wrong with being obsessed? In all seriousness, you have made awesome progress despite your busy schedule. Good on ya. Maybe just share your workout stuff with people who understand/care.

The best way to approach is with "baby steps". Maybe a smile followed by a hi, how are ya, followed by a can you spot me. Not all on the same day I would add! Unfortunately though, lots of us are on time constraints and tend to be pretty focused on what we are doing. The best time is when a guy is resting between sets.…

Skinny doesn't necessarily equal fit and as a fitness instructor, you KNOW that! Notwithstanding the course instructor's blockheadedness (how unprofessional), you should draw strength from the negative comments. Suck it up, buttercup! :wink:

Your frustration is understandable but your progress up until now is fantastic! You are obviously doing a lot of things right. Have faith in your efforts and stay positive and try not to overcome your disappointment by eating. It's a vicious circle. Congrats on your progress so far! It's a marathon, not a race.

All that is needed to be said on form has been said. Lots of knowledge on MFP! Maybe to help with your form this cue could be helpful. Rippetoe (well-regarded strength coach) suggests that you visualize a chain attached to your butt that is pulling up vertically. That might help you with your weight distribution issue. It…

Still in a novice progression but I like the vibe of this thread so here are the current stats: Male, 49, 6'2", 170lbs Bench: 125 lbs 5X5 OHP: 85 lbs 5X5 Squat: 160 lbs 5X5 Barbell Row: 115 lbs 5X5 Deadlift: 215 lbs 1X5 Very impressed with some of the 1RM stats being put up here!

At the risk of sounding a bit prudish, I think that there needs to be a bit of thought when adding any friend on MFP. There are lots of fit, buff good-looking folks that are proud of what they've accomplished and rightfully want to show off their success with somewhat revealing photos. More often than not, if I look at the…

This is an interesting one because the very nature of the exercise precludes most of us from lifting too heavy. Sorrry this has happened to you; I for one can't really figure out how that would cause the pain where you say it is. Over to the more experienced lifters out there.

Do you know which lift caused the injury? Bench press perhaps? You have to be careful with shoulders. If you give a bit more info, I am sure there are people here who can give you some guidance.

And to add a bit of financial perspective, Lululemon is now twice the size of JC Penney based on market capitalization (LULU is a publicly-traded company). Zoe loves her Lulu's.

Maybe just steer clear of some of the forums. For example, this forum, Motivation and Support, is 99% of the time just that. It seems like you will find what you are looking for here without going to some of the other, more argumentative forums. In my opinion, there is a lot of useful information available on MFP but…

Keep posting this stuff ninerbuff. Your comments and advice are consistently among the best on MFP. Methinks you hit a nerve!

Never been on a cruise and not planning on going on one either. Much prefer active vacations where you can eat tons of great food but because you're active you come back from your holiday the same weight and energized, not depressed. All-inclusives appeal to the glutton in us all. Hence I avoid. Kind of like if you don't…

As a Canadian I've never understood the importance Americans place on university sports. On first meeting, Americans are just as likely to ask what school you went to instead of where you are from. Weird. A person's identity shouldn't be so tied to the school(s) they went to. Where I am going with this is that the root…

Looks like you are aiming to reduce your body weight by about ten percent. If you hit your goal, pullups will be quite a bit easier if you follow the advice given in the thread.

As you progress to more challenging weights 5 lbs can be challenging on OHP. You will see lots of advice to microload with large washers so you can go up by 2lbs per workout. Or, you were just having an off-day. How much time between sets? When I am hitting the wall, I go the full three minutes. It really helps.

Yah, you are right. Brain fart. I was thinking chins were going to work biceps more than pullups but it is wrong for me to say pullups are a tricep exercise.

Great question. I think the big thing is that you need to have the rest of your life pretty well sorted to tackle the sort of weight loss program you are on. For many, gaining weight isn't just about a sedentary lifestyle and bad food choices. Rather, people are trying to compensate for something else in their lives that…

The weird thing is that pullups are really a tricep, not bicep exercise. Are you sure the pain was from pullups or were you maybe doing something else that could have caused it? I would just lay off of anything other than cardio and the situation will probably correct itself before Sunday. No biggee.

It's a joke. I'm actually a skinny guy hoping to add some muscle.

As a guy I have to squeeze into the tiny corner of the store that sells men's clothing. BUT, I have never been dissatisfied with a single piece of clothing from the store. I'm the guy who cruises the clearance rack and buys the bright orange workout shorts for 50-70% off. Great quality and I don't really care that I look…

I need to revise my original pick, OP. Turns out it is squats. For the second time I have tweaked my quad trying for a new PR. No problems with my body holding up with the other lifts.

Tweaked my right quad again trying a new squat PR. Other lifts going great, but even with reduced volume I am have quad. Issues. Being a skinny biker I thought this would be the the least of my problems.

Bench in the power rack with the pins set correctly. You may wish to do this just for your working set or last warmup and working set so you aren't monopolizing the rack.

I am actually shooting for 13% but that may be unrealistic because I am at my goal weight and don't think I can build the necessary muscle, lose the fat and maintain weight. I am probably around 17% right now.

I also think we are kidding ourselves if we don't think age has anything to do with the ability to recover from a workout. It is actually surprising that you were sore when you were younger but not now. I think it would be the other way around, at least from my own experience. What are you doing differently today from when…

I'm not so sure I agree that soreness doesn't mean anything. If he keeps adding weight and keeps pushing himself with new PRs on a regular basis, I'd be surprised if he wasn't sore every once in a while. My suspicion is that the lifting is only engaging small muscle groups. If he's doing the compound lifts, he should be…