eversmj

The gap is okay.

I felt the same way when I started but ended up loving it so much that now my wife and daughter also train. The monthly tuition is about the same as a car payment so we found things we could cut back on or sacrifice. It's been more than worth it. You get in shape, you make some cool new friends, and you learn to be calm in…

I get what you're saying, and I agree in principle. But let's be honest, lifting weights is a pretty mundane activity for the most part. And I don't know that "fun" is a word I'd use for the last rep of a heavy PR squat set. The kind where you think you may die and you have no idea how you're going to get out of the hole.…

You sort of hit on exactly why so few people achieve results and sustained progress. Those things are boring, and more than that they get damn difficult. But they're also the most effective for building muscle and changing your body. If all these at home workout videos and fad programs were effective everyone would be…

I just started using a pair of the Adipowers. Definitely worth it.

This is a pretty good point. If your goal is to be able to see your abs and have definition then you need to diet down and lose body fat. If you want a strong, functional core that will make you a better performing human being then get in the weight room.

Dedicated ab training every day is probably overkill. It depends on what else you're doing. My weight training is power and oly lifts and I do Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Those are all demanding on your core strength. I only need to add a few weighted ab sets per week and I'm pretty much toast.

This is very good advice. Looking up kills your hip drive. With racks flush against the wall it can hard to find a good spot to look at. One cue I like is pretending there is a tennis ball between the top of your chest and your chin. Use your chin to hold it to your chest. That should get your head in more neutral…

That's complicated and full of junk exercises. Do a full body workout using 3 quality movements (squat, deadlift, overhead press, bench press, barbell row, etc) twice or three times a week. Add some type of cardio you enjoy on the other days. Simple and definitely something you can finish in 30 minutes.

Oh man that's the worst. I remember having to do that. A real joint killer. I was so happy when my new gym had full size bumper plates from 10lb to 45lbs.

Haha, I think that's a pretty universal mentality for guys and we've all been there on one lift or another.

True, but if you miss you probably just fail to get the rack position. Drop the bar and step back. Let the gym owner yell even though you're using bumper plates and that's what the damn things are for.... sorry, got off track. :) If you miss on a squat and maybe things really went haywire and somehow you got your weight on…

Good idea. Bad idea. This is the only time if your fitness journey that you'll be able to make linear, session to session progress. Once you're stronger and are forced to use more complicated programs to squeeze out even a little improvement, you'll long for the days when you added weight to the bar every single workout.…

While I wouldn't argue against seeking out coaching on the power clean, I don't think it's necessary to avoid them wholesale unless you have hands-on coaching. Very few people have access to a gym with a trainer that can show you the correct execution of lifts like these. If you have access to a qualified coach, definitely…

In Rip's books Starting Strength and Practical Programming the program starts with Squats, alternating OH Press and Bench, Deadlifts, and alternating chins/pull ups. But you are correct in that he includes Power Cleans later in the novice program, after a few of the lifts have stalled and been restarted via deload. But for…

There are no cleans in the initial Starting Strength program, at least as laid out by Rippetoe. But you're right, having a newbie do a program specifically designed for newbies is pretty stupid.

Are you sure SL 5x5 is the right program for you at this time? You seem like you might be a novice and 5 sets across for 5 reps using compound lifts is pretty big chunk of volume, especially if you're trying to increase weight every workout. Something like Starting Strength (very similar to SL5x5, basically 3x5) might get…

Not sure if there's a school near you but consider Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. If you don't mind bare feet and some sweat, it is a terrific workout and most academies have a nice, tight-knit team. Meatheads and egos tend not to last very long in BJJ so you're usually just left with the good folks. We have several girls, my wife…

For activities that aren't step based at all, I take it off and manually enter the activity into Fitbit.

Cardiovascular endurance is the least persistent type of fitness, ie it's the first to go during a layoff. But yeah, if you feel fine I'd work back to your normal workload without much delay.

Selecting the standing variation of exercises will help core and stability. Turkish Get Ups are a good movement as well.

Sounds like an overuse injury and possibly the beginning of a tendonitis bout. I have it chronically in my right elbow, probably because I've had my UCL torn twice (yay, jiu-jitsu) and occasionally in my left elbow. I'd be inclined to not ignore or train through the symptoms you're describing.

Sounds like someone had the right idea but mangled the details. Definitely do cardio. But weight training will help you preserve muscle mass, which is a good thing.

It doesn't get more basic than walking. Start there. Walk a little faster and/or farther each day.

Unless the soreness is so debilitating that it inhibits your ability to exercise safely, go ahead and push through it. Over time soreness will become less and less of an issue.

In the beginning, when you're not using a lot of weight, a schedule of every other day is usually enough to let you recover. Mild soreness will happen for a while, just work through it. As you get more adapted to the workload it won't be an issue.

You're blasting your shoulders and triceps, which are relatively small muscle groups. I'd consider adding at least one day for rest and recovery. Maybe also think about going to a full body workout 3x a week and concentrate more on the major lifts, at least for a few weeks. Those little muscle groups (bis, tris, etc) will…

My wife often does "dance parties" for our kids, ages five and two. It's basically them just running around wild to music. Yesterday I helped my wife do some dumbbell lifts in the living room while our daughter mimicked us using her stuffed dragon toy as weight. Admittedly, this would be a bad idea with a toddler. I think…

Sounds annoying, but he's just background noise. Do your thing. And look on the bright side, at least he's not one of those guys who comes up to you mid-set with some awesome advice like "Hey bro, did you know squatting is bad for your knees?"

Great attitude. Being successful at something that's difficult has positive impact on all areas of your life.