Arkk's Weight Lifting Thread

[Tuco]

Spitz, it's a tough problem.

There's things you can do to reduce soreness after you lift, but you probably won't be able to remove it completely if you're lifting correctly.

It'll be tough to get your quadriceps bigger without doing an exercise that makes them sore.

My recommendation would be to look into figuring out how to minimize soreness. This includes maybe drinking more water, stretching, more sleep and changing your diet to include more protein. I don't know how long you've been squatting/deadlifting but it'll get better as time goes on.

[Kuriin]

I had someone show me how to do squats and I got it down. No problemo. I didn't do dead lifts today because a guy was staring at me and it made me VERY uncomfortable. I'm of course doing no weights to practice the form, then working it up. I just don't want to feel like I'm wasting time at the gym trying to figure out what the hell I should be doing.

I was thinking of having this schedule:

Cardio; Back/Arms
Cardio; Chest/Legs
Cardio

Thus having a 3 day gym thing to not burn myself out. I was hoping to come up with like an actual schedule of what I should do -- like a play by play, what comes first, second, third, and so on.

[MrSpitz]

I'm definitely going to have to work on it somehow. I think I'll try a combination of all of those (water, protein, stretching), and probably tone down the running.

In a completely different question, is it possible/advisable to do overhead presses while sitting upright? My bench is in the basement and the ceiling isn't high enough for full arm extension if I stand. Or is sitting upright (unsupported) on the bench just defeating the exercise?

Kuriin: I can't advise you on a schedule, since I'm certainly not advanced, and you probably already do this, but when I started I religiously had my journal schedule pre-filled exercise wise. Kept me going and filling in the numbers while I was working made me happy.

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by MrSpitz

In a completely different question, is it possible/advisable to do overhead presses while sitting upright? My bench is in the basement and the ceiling isn't high enough for full arm extension if I stand. Or is sitting upright (unsupported) on the bench just defeating the exercise?

It's possible until the weight gets heavy, but you probably wouldn't be successful doing it that way for an extended period of time. By extended I mean many months.

[Kuriin]

Spitz: To lower soreness, stretch a LOT and watch your diet. Sleep is also very good. Do you do the steam room? Jacuzzi? Just take a bath with Epsom salts?

Also, your body is probably just getting used to what your doing. So, soreness is bound to happen. Don't cut the cardio out, because it's very good. Do you do it before or after your workout? As long as it's not the bad pain (Sharp and excruciating pain), it's good for you.

If running is too much, try taking the pressure off your legs and knees and do something like the elliptical or even swimming.


Your muscles will get used to the exercises thus making less chances of soreness. I've never watched P90x, but I'm assuming that's what it means by Muscle Confusion. Just don't overdo it.

[Tuco]

Originally Posted by MrSpitz

In a completely different question, is it possible/advisable to do overhead presses while sitting upright? My bench is in the basement and the ceiling isn't high enough for full arm extension if I stand. Or is sitting upright (unsupported) on the bench just defeating the exercise?

I have the same problem more or less. I don't(can't cause I'm a weakling) use a lot of weight but it works okay. Your legs/lowerback have no problem holding up an extra 100lbs, it's your shoulder/traps/triceps that do all the real work.

The only real fear I have is messing up my back by slipping into an awkward sitting position while doing the lift. I sometimes only do one arm at a time because of this.

[Zindan]

Have a question about working out. At the moment I am pretty clueless on what foods to eat during the week that will be best for to gain the right type of weight so that I build up muscle.

I don't want to become bulky, I'd prefer to build up some, and have that be defined. So I am curious on what to lift. When I go to the gym, I've just been using the various machines, no free weights (no idea how to do some or all those lifts properly). Will the machines be able to increase my muscle mass and also define?

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Zindan

Have a question about working out. At the moment I am pretty clueless on what foods to eat during the week that will be best for to gain the right type of weight so that I build up muscle.

I don't want to become bulky, I'd prefer to build up some, and have that be defined. So I am curious on what to lift. When I go to the gym, I've just been using the various machines, no free weights (no idea how to do some or all those lifts properly). Will the machines be able to increase my muscle mass and also define?

No one gets to choose what muscle looks like. Muscle is muscle. The only way any muscle on your body is going to look defined is by it being big enough to protrude when you are at a very low bodyfat %. You can't just add defined muscle unfortunately.

Muscle stimulation is muscle stimulation, and while certain exercises may hit your muscles from different angles and certain movements and machines may be more stressful on your muscles than others, you are either doing it or you aren't.

We all add muscle the same way, it doesn't get added as bulk or definition. So whatever you do you breaking down and repairing damaged tissue just like the 250lb bulky guy or the 170lb ripped mms dude.

[Baradak]

Tuco/Spitz

Overhead pressing is best (IMO) done standing up. Arching your back hard will do 2 things:

1) Avoid any tweaking that could occur.
2) With your chest up/out, you're in a better position to get the weight moving.

[Ronne]

So a gym finally opens in my town (small town, ~15 miles to the next town), and a 24 hour one to boot. I head over opening day, giddy as a schoolgirl to no longer have to drive ~25 minutes each way to use a gym, and it turns out the place doesn't have one fucking olympic bar. What the shit is that? How can you even open a gym without basic equipment? They have one smith machine in the corner and a set of dumbbells with one (one!) bench. Come the fuck on, I almost cried.

No real point to this post, just wanted to rant. So, in closing, fuck Anytime fitness, not only for their shitty gym, but 35.99/month with a TWO YEAR contract is ri-goddamn-diculous.

[Kuriin]

There's a really old 24 Hour in Daly City that they boast was just remodeled, but it looks like it's anything but that. The weight room isn't maintained and it's only like four machines with the rest dumbells, and there's hardly any of them. Such a shame. I have to walk 30 minutes after a 30 minute BART ride, but the one I go to is well worth it.

[Kuriin]

Did Chest/Legs today. God, exhausting. Is there any suggested amount of time you do breaks in between sets? Today, I was in a rush, and I managed to finish everything in about 2 hours. o.o

[arkk123]

Originally Posted by Kuriin

Did Chest/Legs today. God, exhausting. Is there any suggested amount of time you do breaks in between sets? Today, I was in a rush, and I managed to finish everything in about 2 hours. o.o

2 hours? Did you take a fucking nap at the gym?

[Kuriin]

I think it was 2 hours. It takes about an hour to get to the gym (bart then walk). So, it might've been an hour and half. Not sure. I only took like two minute breaks in between sets.

[Burkex]

I just have a quick and easy question: How many times a week do you guys do pullups? And how many sets/reps? Currently I just do em once a week, fully up and fully down with pauses at the bottom (standard protocal for a PFT test), nothing crazy, something like 6 sets of 1x10, 1x10, 1x9, 1x8, 1x7, 1x6. I am basically wondering if they can be done more than once a week, or do I need to rest?