weight lifting

[stealthwolf]

you're not resting. That is another very important part.

+1. I used to take a week off every 3 months from bodybuilding and my muscles grew more in that week off than in a normal week of lifting.

As said technique is a big factor

+1. Don't sacrifice form just to go up in weights. You run the risk of injury as well as not building the target muscle group properly. I was on the treadmill earlier today and could see this guy doing lat pulldowns. On his last set, he arched forwards (presumably because he was tiring). This meant that instead of working out his lats, he was giving his abs a workout!

Youtube is good for form. I used to use EXRX.net which has animated GIFs - clicky

[tshirt2k]

Yep, technique is a major reason why people get nowhere. Someone again mentioned earlier about not needing to lift heavy. Not true unless it sacrifices technique.
 
You should be lifting around 80% of your 1 rep max and to failure on all sets if possible.

Saying you need light weights, could mean anything. It is all relative,  12 - 15 reps at light weight.

So if i did dumbell press with 10kg in each hand for 12-15 reps would i grow?? Doubt it very much. And thats light for me. But so is 40kg.

A long as terchnique doesn't suffer, you aim for a weight as heavy as possible that you can lift with a good technique and aim to fail at your taget rep. A spotter can help this too.

[Phil1980]

Get yourself on the chin up bar as well most underused piece of equipment in the gym, mainly because a lot of people can't do chin ups, also it is a good gauge of how your strength is improving.

[emery1990]

I thought that whole lifting light to get "toned" was a load of bollocks, all that does is increase muscular endurance, why would muscle need to grow for that?

They get bigger as they need more muscle fibres to lift the weight that your making them lift surely.

If your new to it, I was advised to go on air machines as they are easy on your tendons and ligaments then once your bodys got the idea that your starting to train go on to proper free weights.

I done a pt session the other day for me old man, and the stuff they got me to do looked proper gay, but it made my muscles work so much harder than what I was doing before, working the core muscles loads more. I'd say stuff more towards to that if your just want to have a better looking body.

Yer a chin up bars are weird, I can do 20 but then my work mate whos stronger than me, maybe 1 stone heavier can only 4???

[Phil1980]

Exactly most of the guys in the gym I go to pick up the heaviest weights they can, yet they can't even lift their chin above a bar.   Chin ups, press ups & dips will all be a good starting point to getting a good shape, diet will take care of the rest.

[matg340]

P90X is ok a couple of guys I work with used that programme but some of the sessions are an hour long, 20minutes of high intensity cardio, and pyramid training is where its at.

he can do it in the house, he already has the weights, all he needs in a chin up bar.. Unless you are totally committed a gym membership is pointless...

I am in Afghan at the moment, 4 months is plenty enough time to get a decent shape...Everyone knows the OP is only after a "pretty body"... otherwise he would have already done all of his reading from other related websites and not a car forum

Pretty body hmm if you say so matey

As i said ive been to alot of different sites and read alot of different things and its hard to distinguish between which of these is factual and which are based on opinion !
This is the only forum ive been a member of for any length of time so one evening looking through it i thought i would ask the question ?
Also its worth bearing in mind that  for the last 5 years i have gone from doing a physicly demanding job, riding to work and then trying ( albeit with little knoledge ) to do a bit of weight lifting , gone to now being office bound and used to driving to work due to an injured wrist !

You are right however about a chin up bar ! i got one about a fortnight ago and when i first tried i was quite suprised at how hard i found it ,however now i can do quite a few with good form and without swinging my whole body So im happy to say that im making improvements , also im slowly lifting more and more weight so my strength is getting better

Either way surely anyone who spends his spare time chucking weights around after a days graft, is doing so with 2 goals.....to become stronger AND to look and feel better ?

[Godzilla]

Get yourself on the chin up bar as well most underused piece of equipment in the gym, mainly because a lot of people can't do chin ups, also it is a good gauge of how your strength is improving.

100% agreed!!

Chins also works your bi's to the max.  Another one which is forgotten about these days is dips.....dips are awsome for your chest.  If you can move your bodyweight by doing the likes of chins and dips....your strong!

I used to do 7 full range dips for 4 sets and 1 min apart per set.  When juiced I went up to 12 x 4 within a month and on the 10th week I was doing 10 x 4 with 25kg on my belt.....elbows took a real pounding though!

[matg340]

Dips is probably my favorite exercise, I use my bench with my feet on the coffee table so i think thats what you mean by full range ! Can do 3 sets of 10 normally without too much of a problem, was gonna try tonight with some added weight but tbh had quite a crap session tonight so didnt in the end

[Phil1980]

Dips is probably my favorite exercise, I use my bench with my feet on the coffee table so i think thats what you mean by full range ! Can do 3 sets of 10 normally without too much of a problem, was gonna try tonight with some added weight but tbh had quite a crap session tonight so didnt in the end

Full range dips are done on dipping bars, they are awesome.   

[bigstring]

Good man on this advise 


I have been going down for 10 weeks after a 6 year break and an extra 5.5 stone of easy living, I have dropped 2.5 stone but have not shifted a single thing in 3 weeks, so moved on to the cardio every night, 25 mins of running then a quick 10-15 mins of lifting, love the feeling of arms and legs shaking and kidneys in pain every night, I'm on a diet of slim fast and fruit through the day and a good meal in the evening.

It only took me 6 weeks to get back up to 90kg+ on most of the machines but as strong as I feel I was still carrying the gut and moobs so the running had to start.... I hate running! 

Drop the cardio to twice a week. If you have a dog then take him/her for a good half hour walk a day....This is what Dozza Yates used to do for his cardio.

As for training....  Train 4 times a week spending no more than 45 mins per session in the gym.....Hit one major muscle first such as chest then biceps. The 5x5 routine is what I used to get huge.....It works wonders. Diet is the most important thing though. Depending on your height and weight. I am 6ft and 224lbs. Diet wise I like to keep my protein @ 350g per day, carbs @ 280-300g a day and some good fats.....peanuts are an excellent source of good fats whilst giving protein.

I started training when I was 17....I am 37 now so a few years of knowledge!  Also keep your fluid intake high, try for 4 litres of water a day. Keep off the cr@p food. Another must is to have at least 8 hours sleep a night as this is when the growing happens!!

Apart from this.....Enjoy the gym and sod everyone else at what they are moving....Someone maybe doing a 120kg bench, dont look at him and think I have to be doing that, do what feels right for you weight wise.  I take in my Ipod with early 90's rave on and ignore everyone, well apart from when asked for help.  Eat well, train hard, sleep good and watch yourself change....Keep with it though as you wont see overnight changes 

Whilst on this subject.....Get into a martial art....Kickboxing is fantastic and will shape you up as well as going to the gym.