I wouldn't put a hard and fast rule on how heavy you have to lift before wearing a belt. If used properly, the things only make your lifts safer by increasing intra-abdominal pressure and stabilizing your lumbar spine. Here's a link for you <a class="postlink" href="http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Should_I_use_a_weightlifting_belt.2C_knee_wraps.2C_or_gripping_straps.3F" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/ ... _straps.3F</a> e: Should add that I'm thinking about asking for a belt for graduation. I only squat 195 3x5 right now, but I figure that once my noob gains are mostly gone, my 5RM is gonna be as subjectively "hard" for me as a more experienced lifter's 5RM would be for him. So I might start using the belt for my last set of squats and my deadlifts (265x5 currently), and see how it feels.
Expanding upon this situation a bit. I know for a fact my legs are the same length otherwise this would have been an issue earlier in life at some point. I played around with the hip mobility drills a bit and while they felt great, they were of limited use due to the following. Since posting, its gotten a bit worse. I often feel like my right one leg is longer than the other and I'm putting abnormal amounts of weight on it. And while it hasn't seemingly affected my lifts in feel, I can feel slight, but tangible differences in muscle mass and definition between my right and left glute, as well as the very base of my lower back. So after reading, I think its an alignment issue and I'm just thrown off. Id wager its probably in part to my work bag containing a laptop which I almost always carry on my left hip and then likely exacerbated by slight balance issues as a result compounded by lifting. So I guess my question is if anyone has had anything similar and/or if they had any tips for alignment help. I don't want to go to a chiropractor only to have them put me on a long term treatment plan or something. There is no pain, just an imbalance that is a nuisance and I don't want to contribute to long term uneven muscle development and bad form/tendencies.
I know some people were talking about the snatch (hah!) previously, and while there's nothing that replaces having a trainer who knows his stuff actually look at your form plus T-Nation's propensity to sometimes post bs, this is actually a decent read. http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=5227515
Maybe switch off to a lot of unilateral work for a while (lunges both walking and backwards, bulgarian split squats, pistols) along with movements that really force you to remain upright, like front squats and zerchers. Alignment movements, as I'm sure you're seeing, can really build on small things quickly, so also small changes might help.
Since I've started working out in January I haven't missed a session. However when I started I was doing 30 minutes of cardio after my weight training but I've more or less stopped in the past few weeks because it's just so damn boring. Is there anyway to get in decent cardio work in a way that isn't a drag?
Fuck, this sounds like me a thousand times over. Every time I start back at a gym or at a new gym I go hard for a few weeks maybe a month. I tried doing 15 minutes on three or four different machines to switch it up. Never last. Honestly, not having grown up playing sports it's hard for me to play them well enough to be picked or stick with them either. Hell I played softball, more of a drinking sport anyway which is counterproductive, and was regulated to the bench after 5-6 games. I've always thought of taking up running or biking, or swimming, as I'd like a solid amount of cardio to help balance out a better diet.
I need some of you guys to poke some holes in my workout. Background: Haven't lifted weights in a long time due to cutting the tendon in my wrist with a grinder,,, and previously to that a mysterious shoulder injury that was the worst pain in my life. And I'm fat and weak. I need to lose at least 40 lbs. I love lifting weights, but fucking hate cardio. So here's the workout: Day 1 Bench 3x10 Dumbell Flys 3x10 Dips 3x10 Incline Bench 3x10 Jog a mile Day 2 Squat 3x10 Calf Raise 3x10 Hyperextensions 3x10 Sled 3x10 Jog a mile Day 3 Military Press 3x10 Bent Over Rows 3x10 Upright Rows 3x10 Seated Rows 3x10 Shrugs 3x10 Jog a mile Day 4 Deadlift 3x10 Lunges 3x10 Lying Leg Curl 3x10 Seated Leg Curl 3x10 Jog a mile
Looks pretty decent, I would switch up the reps week to week ala MBP (3x10-12 one week, 3x7-9 the next and 3x3-5 the third and repeat). I would personally ditch the shrugs, leg curls and calf raises, you'll be hitting all of that VERY well with squats and deads, if you need the accessory work later, fine, but as a beginner you shouldn't. I would also ditch the hyperextions and throw in planks instead, that'll hit your lower back and abs in a more practical manner. Also I'd switch in sprinting instead of jogging and maybe only do that twice a week. You don't have to limit yourself to sprinting on your feet either, you can do high intensity bursts on just about any of the cardio equipment or actual bike, kyak etc.
Questions: 1)Why does switching up the rep count/weight matter? (I think I know but just want to be sure: It sorta shocks your muscles instead of them getting into a routine) 2)How do you exercise your shoulder (shrug), or calf (calf raises) when doing deads or squats? 3)This routine is 4 days on 1 day off. Is that right, wrong, who gives a shit, or horrible? Good call on the sprinting. I put "jog" on the list,, but what I really do is sprint, for a tenth of a mile, walk two tenths, and repeat 9 times. Mostly because I fucking hate jogging...... but more importantly I couldn't jog a mile if a wolverine was chasing me. I'd rather fight the motherfucker.
You are correct in that it helps with muscle shock, but I also found that it built a nice core of power (1-3 reps), strength (7-10 reps), and endurance (10-12 reps) that builds a solid foundation for training going forward. You basically are weightlifting generalist at this point in your cycle and then can decide on what your next goal should be. You already military press so that covers your shoulders much better than shrugs, as does the different bench press techniques you have. Secondly, just holding the bar on deadlift will tug on your shoulder in ways you didn't realize, same with clinching your back for your squats. The large core exercises (bench, squat, deadlift, military press, etc.) really recruit a lot of muscle groups beyond the obvious ones being worked. It's why folks like Pavel talk about the importance of muscle connectivity and recruitment. An easy example of this is when I need to squeeze one more rep on the bench it really helps to just try and crush the bar with my hands. It seems silly, but this helps you be stronger everywhere. Plus when you are squatting or doing heavy dead lifts your calves are doing a lot of stabilization for you during those movements. Should be fine as long as you get enough food and sleep. [/quote] This sounds like interval training which is just tremendous for fat loss and should work well. Good luck!
Sorry to ask so many questions, I just want to make sure that I understand everything...... And not be spinning my wheels. My main goal is to lose weight, and hopefully gain muscle at the same time. To do such I've implemented basically a Keto diet with a touch of Paleo. No grains, no carbs, not a lot of cheese,,, while trying to eat as lean as possible. Which means a lot of chicken, pork loin, green shit, and eggs. From my understanding I still need a caloric deficit.. Right? Sooooo. When you say "Make sure you get enough food and sleep", I get confused. Do I need to eat more, or less? Last Question: If interval training is great for fat loss... Would it be good if I interval trained when I lift too? From my ignorant understanding weight loss is optimal when you get your heart rate up, then down, then up,,,,,and down again.. Correct?
I'm on my phone so I can't quote the previous post but this is in reply to it: I may be misunderstanding your questions but the one about interval training, that is what you are doing with weight lifting. You exert yourself for a short period of time with high intensity. The converse would be you doing bench press of 40 reps of a light weight. And the caloric deficit is if you're trying to lose weight. It sounds like you want to just get in better shape, which is related but not the same. If you want to lose weight you need a caloric deficit. I don't want to try to explain the rest of it because other people here can do a beetter job.
Yes you are basically correct. However, you are also doing a good bit of resistance training (which I fully agree with for weight loss) and that means that you need to recover appropriately so that you body puts your effort into muscle and don't burn your muscle for calories. So that is about appropriate nutrition and doing the things that keeps your body from thinking it's starving. So you still need to eat and make sure you get enough fat. Secondly, I think you need to keep sweet potatoes or fruit in the mix with the amount of energy you need or you're going to bonk out, feel like shit, and end up quitting the whole thing. It's fine to do both, but it's more optimal to separate them into different workouts. Just because if you lift first then your cardio will suffer and if you cardio first then you're lifting will suffer. If you only have limited time, and I usually do myself, then just combine them and know that it is working, but less efficiently.
So how are some of you people doing these interval trainings? Just sprinting down your street? Using elliptical? It seems roundly accepted that interval training is best for weight loss but how do people keep from making it as mind numbingly boring as regular cardio? I'd like to lose about 10-20 pounds by mid summer. I know diet is the biggest thing but I'd like to add cardio I won't burn out on fast.
How does everyone feel about box squats? I've read plenty of raves about them but they still feel like a crutch to me.
I like to avoid running or sprinting on pavement altogether if I can. Right now I just do sprints on a long flat patch of grass on the property, I find it's not as boring because I get to be outside. Not totally sure what I'm going to do in winter, I might just buck up, throw on some boots and resume outside, maybe pull the exercise bike back in and do a few sets while watching TV or playing video games. I like them to throw them in and for me they were critical in developing my confidence in not tracking my knees too far forward when squatting.
Spoiler Tl;dr Lower reps are more strength, higher reps are more endurance. The "muscle confusion" / "shocking your muscles" thing is bunk. There are a couple of reasons you might want to switch up the amount of reps you do. For more intermediate lifters, you just can't add weight to the bar every workout; your muscles need more time to recover from lifting heavy. So you switch up the reps, going heavy one week then light the next, or whatever. This gives you slower but steady progression in strength. For a beginner, your progression will be much faster, and you can go heavy pretty regularly, so I wouldn't worry about switching up the reps too much. Just do a simple 5x5 or 3x5 scheme, a la Starting Strength / Reg Park / StrongLifts. (Might as well do one of those routines, actually; they've proven themselves time and again.) Your muscles don't grow when you lift weights. They grow when you rest after lifting weights. I'd keep lifting to 3 or 4 days a week, and 3-4 days rest. I don't think you really don't need to isolate your traps or your calves as a beginner. Like DannyMac said, those muscles will get used in ways you didn't expect. Get your strength base, then worry about all the little isolation bits once you know your body better. If you want to lose fat, you want to eat at a caloric deficit. On a caloric deficit, however, your body will break down both fat and muscle. Obviously you want to keep the muscle and maximize the fat loss. Keeping your protein high (1g / lb bodyweight) and lifting heavy with low volume will help preserve what muscle is there, and maybe even build some, depending on how much you have to start. Paleo/keto lends itself well to a high protein requirement, what with all the meat, eggs and shit.
Maybe a silly question, but is the DL/Squat/Bench to bodyweight ratio mentioned in the beginner section for the SL 5x5 for a 1RM or 5RM? (I think he said 2/1.5/1).
I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be 5RM. I only did Starting Strength for 2 months, so my 5RMs are 1.9/1.3/0.9. I could have maintained linear progress a bit longer, but I was getting fat, so I decided to cut.