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Some tips for those thinking about starting or improving weight lifting...
THE BASICS:
1. Compound exercises (squats, deadlifts, overhead shoulder presses, bench presses, and rows) work multiple muscle groups and will benefit you the most BY FAR.
2. Watch videos online to understand the form and technique of each before attempting them.
3. Be sure to track your progress so you can see your improvements.
4. Don't get gym "A.D.D." - pick a few simple exercises and master them instead of jumping from machine to machine (try to use dumbbells and barbells and avoid machines when possible).
5. Establish a routine and stay with it for a minimum of 2 months before changing to another.
6. Take proper time to rest between workout days to allow for recovery; 48 hours rest before training the same muscle group.
7. Sleep, food, and water are your best friends for building muscle so make sure you get enough!
8. Increased protein, pain relievers, heating pads, hot showers/hot tub soaks, and stretching will help with soreness afterwards.
LIFTING HEAVIER:
1. You'll probably need to increase calories.
2. Try increasing the rest periods between sets to allow recovery to continue to lift heavy or you'll fatigue too quickly.
3. Even if you can't complete a set, don't be afraid to reduce the weight for the last couple reps to get them all in (this is known as "drop sets")... it's better to get all the reps in after dropping than to quit because the weight is too heavy.
4. Don't go too heavy that you can't maintain proper form.
5. Gradually increase the weight and don't rush the process!
At the end of the day, as long as you've pushed yourself to your limits and are EXHAUSTED, then what the weight was or how many times you moved it is irrelevant for the most part.
The goal is to cause trauma to a muscle. The food you eat will restore your energy and heal your muscles (growth comes during the repair process).
Eat decent portions of protein right after a workout and before bed because when you sleep is when muscles get most of the repair work.
The gym is the ultimate gathering place of egos, but ego is the least useful thing at a gym. Put the blinders on, don't compare, just do it and you won't regret it!
There are a bunch of us in the community that do this regularly and will guide you and are here to answer any questions to help you get started/improve! 💪
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151.5 lb
Lost so far: 6.5 lb.
Still to go: 0 lb.
Diet followed reasonably well.
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Diet Calendar Entries for 29 March 2019:
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3112 kcal
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Fat: 121.18g | Prot: 186.69g | Carb: 334.18g.
Breakfast: Avocados, Post Grape-Nuts Cereal, Winco Foods 1% Lowfat Chocolate Milk, Oakdell Jumbo Eggs, El Popular Chorizo. Elevenses: Nature's Best Isopure Low Carb Dutch Chocolate, Now Sports Carbo Gain, Optimum Nutrition Micronized Creatine Powder, Winco Foods 1% Low-Fat Chocolate Milk, Coffee (Brewed From Grounds), Fiber One Chewy Bars - Oats & Chocolate, Roasted Salted Cashew Nuts. Dinner: Smucker's Sugar Free Strawberry Preserves, Great Value Key Lime Divine Ice Cream Sandwich, Stouffer's Chicken Alfredo, Daisy Low Fat 2% Small Curd Cottage Cheese. Supper: Extra Strength Melatonin Gummies, Dr. Tobias Triple Strength Omega 3 Fish Oil, Vitafusion MultiVites Gummy Vitamins. more...
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2966 kcal
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Activities & Exercise:
Grocery Shopping - 15 minutes, Housework - 30 minutes, Yard Work (gardening) - 2 hours, Cooking - 1 hour and 15 minutes, Resting - 3 hours and 30 minutes, Driving - 30 minutes, Sleeping - 7 hours, Watching TV/Computer - 9 hours. more...
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losing 7.0 lb a week
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