Anyone Here Into Weightlifting/Bodybuilding?

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Jul 15, 2011
2,363
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So I got a really nice hookup with a membership to a fairly nice gym in my hometown. Some of you may remember that I took up jogging some months ago (I still jog a couple of days a week but I have replaced most of that with other forms of cardiovascular exercise). I have read that lifting weights and building muscle helps to boost metabolism, and let's face it, what guy doesn't want to be stronger? I have recently started dabbling a little bit with dumbbells at the gym and I like the exercise and I like the way they make me feel. I have started doing some research about bodybuilding vs. power lifting vs. strength straining, and it's a little hard to keep track of it all, so here's my question to you guys: Those of you that lift weights, what does your workout look like? High reps with light weight? Low reps with heavy weight? Anybody out there do circuit training? I spent today working on dumbbell basics like my bicep curl, bench press, and tricep kickbacks.

 

natibo

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 10, 2013
610
1
Cincinnati, OH USA
You asked, so here goes:
Sunday: Chest Back

Monday: Cardio & Abs

Tuesday: Legs

Wednesday: Arms

Thursday: Shoulders & Cardio

Friday: Deadlifts
Barbells for 6 weeks, then Dumbbells for 6 weeks. 4 of the 6 are high weight low reps, 2 are low weight high reps.

 

smokeybear

Lifer
Dec 21, 2012
2,202
23
Brampton,Ontario,Canada
I need to start going to the gym again especially after I quit smoking cigs I'm going to be tempted to snack like a mad man. There was a time I was in excellent shape I was an inside line backer in my high school football team. So I was fairly big I'm still big now just more in the wrong places haha.

 

homeatsea

Part of the Furniture Now
Mar 6, 2013
509
4
I've been doing Crossfit for about 7 years now. It's more of a randomized circuit training. A simple youtube search of the Crossfit Games will give you an idea of how it can work. But that is one extreme of the spectrum. Every workout can be modified to each person's abilities.

 

smeigs

Lifer
Jun 26, 2012
1,049
7
I lift 5 days a week... Been doin that for years now.. When I went through the Fire Academy a couple years ago, I lost a bunch of weight and dropped down to about 165.. Im 6'2 so needless to say I was super skinny after graduating.. Once I finished the academy, I wanted to bulk up again. I have been lifting heavy for a while and got up to about 220.. Diet is key to loosing or gaining weight in my opinion... I usually lift one muscle group a day unless its arms day.. with some cardio mixed in a couple times a week. So like today I will do biceps and triceps.. I will do 4-5 different exercises per muscle group with 10-12 reps a piece for 4 sets.. If Im on a bulking phase I will do super heavy weights with low reps.. If im on a cutting phase I will do light weight with high reps... @pipenovelist... Im glad that you are sticking with it and seeing results! stay with it man and let us know how the progression is!

 

andrew

Lifer
Feb 13, 2013
3,042
400
Good advice already, I used to be right into bodybuilding, I hope to get back into it, I broke my hand and it completely threw me out of the loop plus now I'm working full time and just don't have the energy to do it. The only thing I'll add is form is everything, drop the amount of weight down and never sacrifice form, it's the one thing that took me along time to understand. I went from 180 to 275 towards the end, it was a 10 year process. Diet is key to everything.

 
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zekest

Lifer
Apr 1, 2013
1,136
9
I follow the 5X5 routine and principles. Can also be found on the Internet as the 10X10 routine. It is Power Lifting centric. Body building is body sculpting, there is no difference. You have to be muscular before you can sculpt, for get about it right now.
Power lifting is the way to go. Lets break it down, I will use lifting "lingo" and at the gym, all real lifters understand it:
Workout 3 days per week, lets say, Mon - Wed - Fri.

Lifting 5 sets of 5 reps.

Weight: start off really light until you can master the lift. Form is more important than the weight. Look up Mark Rippetoe on the 'net, he has great videos on form.
Do the Big Three: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift. (Stuff like arm curls are dopey.) The Big Three are whole body exercises. Don't listen to fools who don't really lift; the Deadlift is a leg exercise, not a back exercise.
My wife and I started with only the Olympic Bar (no plates) for each exercise, and added 5 pounds to it each workout as long as you can do all 5X5 with *Perfect Form* (no cheating movements, that is for teenagers). If your form is not right on, drop the weight 10% and work back up. Within one year both my wife and I were lifting near bodyweight on all except bench press. I was up to 1.5 body weight on the deadlift and squat. The first time I lifted my own body weight I exclaimed "Man! I'm Heavy!
This is not my opinion, this is how the people who get strong really do it. I did it. My 4'9" wife did it. You can too.
Look to Strength Coach Mark Rippetoe, Dave Tate, and others.
Or, fool around on the machines with low weight and high reps until, like everyone else at the health club, you get bored and move on...

 

puffy

Lifer
Dec 24, 2010
2,511
98
North Carolina
Many years ago in what seems like another life.I was into lifting.One day while trying to put too much weight over my head I hurt a shoulder.It still bothers me at times these many years later.Unless one is into body building I would suggest lighter weight more reps.

 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I think I've aged out, so it's only cardio now. I couldn't bulk up, and I couldn't get chiseled, but it sure

is a beautiful high. Weights and running were my drugs of choice in the Navy. Get that dopamine churning,

and the next morning you feel great, instead of hung over. Terrific way to get through what could have

been a hard time. A little beer or liquor now and then, but mostly not.

 

consorte

Lurker
Aug 15, 2013
7
0
In another lifetime I was but now I'm ridiculously out of shape as I've been spending all of my time working on my biz and what little time I have in between is spent having nice dinners with my fiancee :) I have to get back on some kind of diet at least. Right now I'm just looking to get back in shape but here's me about 10 (15?) years ago (try not to get too excited): http://www.bodybuilders.com/consorte.htm

 

sjb3

Might Stick Around
Oct 23, 2013
86
0
I used to powerlift a few years ago but I had to stop due to a really bad injury to my shoulder blade and a bulging disk in my back. I'm still pretty big though. Now I'm into boxing, which in my opinion is one of the best workouts (and more useful than lifting) next to swimming and gymnastics. If your trying to get in better shape you should try some sort of martial arts like jujitsu or kick boxing, lifting makes you bulky requiring more oxygen for your muscles which makes you get tired easier. Plus it puts enormous stress on your your nervous system and exoskeleton which can cause serious problems later on. If you want to build functional strength along with endurance try kettle bell routines.

 
Jul 15, 2011
2,363
31
Do the Big Three: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift.
I have been doing a lot of research lately on the deadlift, the only problem is I have some fairly dysfunctional hips and lower back, so I've been looking at ways that I can fix these muscles before I try and deadlift a crap ton of weight and wind up hurting myself. I suppose, like you said though, form is more important, so maybe if I worked with lighter weight and improved my form I'd probably get better at it.

 

zekest

Lifer
Apr 1, 2013
1,136
9
Start lifting weights light until you understand the movements involved.
Increase the weight slowly, no more than 5 pounds at a time (add only ONE 2.5 pound plate on each end at a time.)
Never worry, or even think about what someone else might think about your lifting. You are there for yourself, never to impress someone else.
Lift with you brain not your brawn.
Don't change your 'diet' (what you eat) until your body tells you to; you will know, your body is smarter than you are.
Weight lifting is the safest exercise around because YOU are always in control, you can always abort a lift at any time, and there are no surprises, you prepare for each and every lift and stop the reps when you want.
Above all else, don't do anything in the gym you do not enjoy doing.
For example, I hate the bench press and overhead (military) press, so I always lift *very* light.
Have fun!

 
Aug 14, 2012
2,872
123
I used to work 3 hours a day with weights and then run 6 miles. It sure was great to be young enough to do that, over 30 years ago. I went for lots of reps with medium weights. But eventually it damaged my manual co-ordination. I was a portrait photographer at the time. One morning I came home and had to retouch some photographs. It was done with a hairy paintbrush back then, no Photoshop. I had lost the ability to finely control the tiny brushes. That is when I quit.

 

pipestud

Lifer
Dec 6, 2012
2,010
1,749
Robinson, TX.
This thread reminds me of an old Beverly Hillbillies show. Charles Atlas was a guest on the show and was outside flexing his muscles by the cement pond. Ellie May came up to him and asked how he body got to lookin' like that. "I've got Dumb Bells and have had them for years," came the reply.
Later, Jethro was walking by the cement pond and gawked at Atlas who was once again flexing and working out. Jethro went in the house and saw Ellie May looking at Atlas through a window. "What do you 'spect is wrong with that guy, Ellie May," asked Jethro. "It's sad," Ellie May replied. "He's got a bad case of the Dumb Bells and says he's had 'em for years." Jethro and Ellie May then walked off with sad looks and shaking their heads.
Pipestud

 
Jul 15, 2011
2,363
31
I was out lifting weights all last night. I took a pic for you guys so you can see how it's done.
Peck, I'm a real badass when it comes to those beer can curls. Curl it to the mouth, take a swig, curl it back down to the table. I can do 12 reps real easy.

 
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