Gym Routine

[Stevo985]

Absolutely. If you have no other choice, go for it. But I'd strongly advise against it if you can help it.

[ME]

Upped the routine to 3 hour and a half training sessions a week instead of 2. And running the opposite days with an ab routine on the side. I finally have started seeing mild success so I need to keep at it. 

[BOF]

Well done.  Do you find it easy or hard to keep up going to the gym?  I dunno how people do a lot of running. I tire (and get bored) very quickly when running.

[ME]

With the running I either need a running partner or music. If I didn't have one of those I wouldn't make it passed mile 1. When the weather is cold I struggle to leave my bed. But when it's warm I'm fine. The only real problem I've had is the new time on Mondays and Wednesdays to meet my trainer..... 645am! I don't like that, I never will. 

[BOF]

I didn't realise there was such a time as 6:45am  That is horrible.

[Stevo985]

I'd love to workout at that time. Seriously!

It would be so quiet, and woul dmean I'd get much more time in the evenings.

If any gyms near me opened before 7 in the morning I'd sign up and go there before work for my workouts.

[GeorgeVilla82]

I tend to be at the gym for 6.30am. Has to be before work for me - I have zero motivation afterwards when the lure of the sofa and a glass of wine is too strong.

[ME]

I don't sleep much. And my best sleep time has always been between 2-7. So waking up at 6:17am isn't fun. But I still very much prefer working out at the start of my day versus the end.

[PompeyVillan]

http://vimeo.com/61430224 

 

Finger strength!

[bcarpet]

So I finally got to the gym this morning to do my first strong lifts work out!  Its taken me since september to get around to it with one thing and another (broken fingers, illness and christmas!) 

 

A couple of things I've noticed;

 

squats - the top (front) of my legs are hurting already.  I'm assuming I haven't stretched out enough before I did it.  Its hard to tell if your form is right as the only mirror is in front of you so you cannot see the side on view which would show me my shape better and would help me know if I'm going parallel.

 

Bench - I seem to wobble with an empty bar!  this does't seem to bode well when I put some weight on it.  I've noticed a few people at the gym (and mendhi off strong lifts) arch their back while doing this, is this the correct form?

 

Rows - I really need to watch some more form videos on this one, as I didn't feel as if I was doing it right at all!

 

Hopefully though now I will be able to keep it up and keep it going!

 

For you guys who have been doing it a while, have you noticed your body changing?  have you put muscle on? Have you lost any weight? I've got pretty much no muscle in my arms at all and a bit of a beer belly (although I'd like to point out my not fat anywhere else), will I see some results in both areas?

[Stevo985]

I'll try and answer some of those.

 

The pain in your legs isn't necessarily bad. It's probably just DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) which is very common if it's the first time you've worked out in a while (or ever). It SHOULD go away on it's own.
But stretching before and after is always good so I'd make sure you do that anyway.

 

You're right, it's quite hard to tell if your form is bang on on your own. btu some tips for squats. Make sure your feet are wide. Not too wide, just wider than shoulder width I'd say. Make sure your feet turn outwards slightly. I'd say 20-30 degrees from "north" (for want of a better word).

If your feet are too narrow and/or point forward you'll find it very difficult to go parallel.

 

Keep your head up. Find a spot on the wall/mirror or whatever and focus on it. Don't be tempted to look down or straight ahead to check form as this will cause you to lean forward.

Push your chest out, engage your lower back and glutes and lean back to make sure you're pushing through your heels. If you're leaning forward at the waist or rocking forward onto the balls of your feet, you're doing it wrong.

 

Make sure you do all that and it's safe to say your form will be pretty bang on.

 

 

Bench will just be practise. You use a lot more muscles than you think, most for balancing. If you're not used to using those, then you're bound to wobble. Just take it slow and don't lift anything you're not capable of. Push yourself, but make sure it's achievable.

Arching your back is proper form as long as your ass and your shoulders touch the bench. Your body should be tight and that's all part of that. If your shoulders and/or ass come off the bench then again, you're doing it wrong. This is a good article on common bench press mistakes. Some of it might be a bit advance for a beginner but it's all good stuff.

 

 

I hate rows too. All I'll say is make sure you try and pinch your shoulder blades at the top of the lift, keep the back straight (engage the lower back), keep your head neutral (i.e. look straight ahead as opposed to on squats where you look up slightly) and keep your body still. If you're having to jerk your body up and down to get the weight up then it's too heavy. Form > Weight

 

My body's changed. I didn't do Stronglifts but I did (and am doing) Madcow 5x5 which is a very similar routine based off the same concepts.

I put on 10-12lbs of muscle (based on rough calcs) from August to January.

 

But a lot will depend on your diet. A beginner will put on muscle regardless. But once you go past those newbie gains, it's hard to add muscle without eating more calories than maintenance (maintenance being the amount of calories needed to stay the same weight). To add that muscle I was eating about 3600 calories per day, and I put on about 8lbs of fat along the way too.
But it's the quickest way to add the muscle.

Conversely, if your goal is to lose fat, then you can do shit loads of weight training, but if you're eating too much you won't lose fat (again, apart from when you're a total beginner). But if you eat less calroies, your progress on weight will stall. I've been cutting since january. I've lost about a stone of fat now, but I haven't added anything to any lift apart from Deadlifts since then (whereas from August to January I'd added 30kg + to the big compound lifts).

So it depends on your goals. It sounds like you want to add muscle so my advice would be to not worry too much about your diet at this stage. Don't overthink it and just try and enjoy the lifting. If and when you start seeing your progress stalling then it's probably an idea to put some work into your diet. Decide what you want at that stage (more muscle/less fat) and tailor what you eat accordingly. This would be a good place to start if/when you get to that stage.


But as I said, at this stage, don't overthink it. Concentrate on your lifts, getting your form right and enjoying it. Worry about the diet when your progress slows down or stops. Good luck!

Edited March 20, 2013 by Stevo985

[bcarpet]

Thanks Steveo, that will help me no end.

 

I am a complete beginner so any tips I get off people all help!

 

[Stevo985]

I'm officially a stone down since January 1st. The vast majority of that is fat. There's probably 1-1.5lb muscle loss as well but I'm ok with that given the volume of fat lost.

Only 6 more pounds to hit my target for May 1st. So 1lb a week from now. BRING IT!

[ME]

So I finally got to the gym this morning to do my first strong lifts work out!  Its taken me since september to get around to it with one thing and another (broken fingers, illness and christmas!) 

 

A couple of things I've noticed;

 

squats - the top (front) of my legs are hurting already.  I'm assuming I haven't stretched out enough before I did it.  Its hard to tell if your form is right as the only mirror is in front of you so you cannot see the side on view which would show me my shape better and would help me know if I'm going parallel.

 

Bench - I seem to wobble with an empty bar!  this does't seem to bode well when I put some weight on it.  I've noticed a few people at the gym (and mendhi off strong lifts) arch their back while doing this, is this the correct form?

 

Rows - I really need to watch some more form videos on this one, as I didn't feel as if I was doing it right at all!

 

Hopefully though now I will be able to keep it up and keep it going!

 

For you guys who have been doing it a while, have you noticed your body changing?  have you put muscle on? Have you lost any weight? I've got pretty much no muscle in my arms at all and a bit of a beer belly (although I'd like to point out my not fat anywhere else), will I see some results in both areas?

 

With the squat positioning:

 

Just look down, line your feet up having them face straight forward shoulder width apart. Don't let your feet deviate. When going into the squat have your knees go outward slightly as you lower into it. Knees should go out a little, feet shouldn't. I swear that simple rule helped me with my squats tremendously.  The pain does sound normal though. Good luck and good job!!!! 

 

 

As for my work outs, you guys know I love to be supportive and happy for others all the time BUT, I really have gotten a lot of joy recently that the skinny/buff people are having a more difficult time keeping up. I out did them all on the cardio. I wasn't trying to but I did. To the point that I thought I was doing something wrong. My trainer confirmed I wasn't. I still stay positive and need tons of improvement. But secretly in my head I think...."wooohoooo!!! suck it bitches!" I feel kinda bad about that thought.....KINDA

 

Still not a ton of change with the weight although since I changed the diet completely I've lost 11pounds. Took 3 months for anything to budge but at least it's moving  

[coda]

Anyone familiar with cancelling gym memberships?

 

I've been at this gym for years and just enquired about cancelling and have been told I have to give three months notice. Seems like a piss take. I'm considering giving one month notice and then stopping the direct debit.

[Stevo985]

Seems ridiculous, but if it's in the contract that you originally signed you might be screwed.

 

Incidentally, I think there's meant to be rules coming in soon to stop that sort of thing. Won't help you, but it should be somethign that gets fixed in future.

 

Your best bet is to do what you say, give notice, cancel the DD after a month and hope they don't chase you for it.

[Stevo985]

So I finally got to the gym this morning to do my first strong lifts work out!  Its taken me since september to get around to it with one thing and another (broken fingers, illness and christmas!) 

 

A couple of things I've noticed;

 

squats - the top (front) of my legs are hurting already.  I'm assuming I haven't stretched out enough before I did it.  Its hard to tell if your form is right as the only mirror is in front of you so you cannot see the side on view which would show me my shape better and would help me know if I'm going parallel.

 

Bench - I seem to wobble with an empty bar!  this does't seem to bode well when I put some weight on it.  I've noticed a few people at the gym (and mendhi off strong lifts) arch their back while doing this, is this the correct form?

 

Rows - I really need to watch some more form videos on this one, as I didn't feel as if I was doing it right at all!

 

Hopefully though now I will be able to keep it up and keep it going!

 

For you guys who have been doing it a while, have you noticed your body changing?  have you put muscle on? Have you lost any weight? I've got pretty much no muscle in my arms at all and a bit of a beer belly (although I'd like to point out my not fat anywhere else), will I see some results in both areas?

 

With the squat positioning:

 

Just look down, line your feet up having them face straight forward shoulder width apart. Don't let your feet deviate. When going into the squat have your knees go outward slightly as you lower into it. Knees should go out a little, feet shouldn't. I swear that simple rule helped me with my squats tremendously.  The pain does sound normal though. Good luck and good job!!!! 

 

 

As for my work outs, you guys know I love to be supportive and happy for others all the time BUT, I really have gotten a lot of joy recently that the skinny/buff people are having a more difficult time keeping up. I out did them all on the cardio. I wasn't trying to but I did. To the point that I thought I was doing something wrong. My trainer confirmed I wasn't. I still stay positive and need tons of improvement. But secretly in my head I think...."wooohoooo!!! suck it bitches!" I feel kinda bad about that thought.....KINDA

 

Still not a ton of change with the weight although since I changed the diet completely I've lost 11pounds. Took 3 months for anything to budge but at least it's moving

Well done!

 

11 pounds in 3 months is fine.

Just under a pound a week on average. That's a really steady rate of weightloss (and is more or less what I'm losing at too )

[coda]

Seems ridiculous, but if it's in the contract that you originally signed you might be screwed.

 

Incidentally, I think there's meant to be rules coming in soon to stop that sort of thing. Won't help you, but it should be somethign that gets fixed in future.

 

Your best bet is to do what you say, give notice, cancel the DD after a month and hope they don't chase you for it.

 

I remember it being one month but I could be wrong and can't prove it anyway. I've heard a lot of gyms are struggling due to these new cheap no contract competitors. I just get the feeling they're trying to get every last penny before I leave.

[bcarpet]

Seems ridiculous, but if it's in the contract that you originally signed you might be screwed.

 

Incidentally, I think there's meant to be rules coming in soon to stop that sort of thing. Won't help you, but it should be somethign that gets fixed in future.

 

Your best bet is to do what you say, give notice, cancel the DD after a month and hope they don't chase you for it.

 

I remember it being one month but I could be wrong and can't prove it anyway. I've heard a lot of gyms are struggling due to these new cheap no contract competitors. I just get the feeling they're trying to get every last penny before I leave.

 

How about asking to see a copy of the contract you signed?  Then you can have a read through the cancellation terms in that, if they cannot produce it then  just say your giving them a months notice as you believe thats reasonable?

[coda]

 

Seems ridiculous, but if it's in the contract that you originally signed you might be screwed.

 

Incidentally, I think there's meant to be rules coming in soon to stop that sort of thing. Won't help you, but it should be somethign that gets fixed in future.

 

Your best bet is to do what you say, give notice, cancel the DD after a month and hope they don't chase you for it.

 

I remember it being one month but I could be wrong and can't prove it anyway. I've heard a lot of gyms are struggling due to these new cheap no contract competitors. I just get the feeling they're trying to get every last penny before I leave.

 

How about asking to see a copy of the contract you signed?  Then you can have a read through the cancellation terms in that, if they cannot produce it then  just say your giving them a months notice as you believe thats reasonable?

 

Good idea, thanks. I don't want to give Duncan "I'm oot!" Bannatyne any more money than I have to.