Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

[TerminalTryHard]

Recently moved away from focusing on individual muscle groups and to doing full body work outs. Except for legs, I still do a dedicated leg day. I think it was the right call, I've been feeling great since the change.

 

[Picklechu]

Been back in the gym for a couple of months now; I had stopped going after I graduated a few years ago due to stress and work shit. I've stalled pretty badly over the past month, mostly because I've been falling asleep and waking up at weird times, but, aside from that, things are going decently. I've gained back most of the weight I had lost since graduating (although with a higher body fat percentage), and will probably just bulk through 2019 to help make up for lost time.

 

[aerostar88]

I've been hitting the gym pretty hard in the past month, after previously dropping 140 pounds and getting in decent shape through running and endurance lifting to tone up. I haven't made friends with any other female weightlifters yet, but am hoping to. Blows my mind how much I've upped things since quitting those 25 rep sets. Was doing 12 for a bit but now I'm down to 8. I feel like I'm upping things every week.

Spoiler: plan

Edit: Those lat raises should be 5x8, I sure as shit won't be doing 18 of those at that weight

 

[dopy]

i did not lift anything heavy today, but i will tomorrow, will kieep you all uploaded on my progress, thanks in advance

Update: jumped some jacks, rolled some barrels, kicked some rocks, punched some dirt, lifted some grit, ground some gains, today at the gym

 

[Bassomatic]

jumped some jacks, rolled some barrels, kicked some rocks, punched some dirt, lifted some grit, ground some gains, today at the gym

Oh you did cross fit? how busy is your face book ?

lol.

So as I said I'm trying to get weight up.. 285 I can't x 5 well.. don't get old ;(

 

[doodoocaca]

Don't do splits unless you're intermediate!

(Above is an image and I'm too lazy to type it for you)

Do full body and you can get some pretty significant strength gains. You'll probably need to buy your own 1.25 lb microplates from amazon but just do it. Also I DL twice a week if I can, so I do as they say and alternate DLs with squats.

Shit works. You shouldn't stall out until you're moving more than 100% of your bodyweight on the bar on all the main lifts. Splits really aren't necessary before then.

Downside to serious programs like this is you'll eat like a goddamn horse and if you're not careful you'll get fat not just muscle. OTOH now I'm gaining weight as my waist shrinks so ymmv. Just watch your diet.

If you just HAVE to do accessories try this, but it's really not necessary and you should be fucking worn out doing your main lifts.

 

[BeanBidan]

My only workout is walking to the store to buy smokes/beer and at work going up ladders and lifting heavy boxes

 

[Duke Nukem]

My only workout is walking to the store to buy smokes/beer and at work going up ladders and lifting heavy boxes

Don't worry, weightlifting won't cure your incel anyway. I speak from personal experience.

 

[aerostar88]

Do you guys take creatine supps? Been avoiding it for a long time as :powerlevel:I'm feeeeeeemale:powerlevel: and heard it causes bloating in women. However this seems to be a thing for both genders (and is temporary). Been considering grabbing some and taking 5g a day in my post-workout shake.

Also does anyone have a favorite pre-workout? I only take them once a week on a day I'm really going to go above and beyond (eg attempting a bench or squat PR). Finding plantbased was a pain but have been using PEScience prolific which is decent (albeit a little underpowered at 1 serving). Have some Nitro Surge coming in the mail since I've heard a lot of good things.

 

[Traditional Tet]

Tbh, you could live without virtually all supplements (so long as you get the necessary nutrients elsewhere). I work out an after after a large dinner, and have a whey protein shake afterwards. But even the shake is probably optional.

 

[Varg Did Nothing Wrong]

Do you guys take creatine supps? Been avoiding it for a long time as :powerlevel:I'm feeeeeeemale:powerlevel: and heard it causes bloating in women. However this seems to be a thing for both genders (and is temporary). Been considering grabbing some and taking 5g a day in my post-workout shake.

Also does anyone have a favorite pre-workout? I only take them once a week on a day I'm really going to go above and beyond (eg attempting a bench or squat PR). Finding plantbased was a pain but have been using PEScience prolific which is decent (albeit a little underpowered at 1 serving). Have some Nitro Surge coming in the mail since I've heard a lot of good things.

Creatine causes bloating because it causes your muscles to retain more water than they normally would.

My favorite pre-workout is coffee. If you need chemicals to get you hopped up before you lift you're big gay.

If you want to take creatine, my recommendation wouldn't be in your protein shake - take it in a glass of slightly warm grape or apple juice in the morning. Warm grape juice specifically is really good at dissolving creatine powder so you don't have residue and get the full dose, and the taste masks the kinda gross taste of creatine (maybe my tongue is special but I get a weird gag reflex when I drink creatine dissolved in regular water because it tastes weird).

 

[thejackal]

Creatine works. I took it a lot more HS and my early 20s than I do know but it will allow you to lift more and recover faster. The recovery part is critical and why it works. You just do more volume quicker.

I do also rec caffeine like @Varg Did Nothing Wrong Wrong suggested. Get a good pre-workout powder that has some caffeine and creatine and you'll be set. I never bother with the expensive brand shit it's all the same just read the labels.

The bloating will stop when you stop taking creatine. Personally I never noticed it but some people report it. Cramping is common and I did get that when I was taking it daily and working out.

I second the apple juice mixer as well. creatine is really chalky take it with some sugar like apple juice and it will taste better and it gets into your muscles faster and more effectively according to some research.

 

[aerostar88]

Thanks to both of you guys. My big gayness aside (:powerlevel: you ain't wrong:powerlevel, something about coffee seems to kill my stomach, so when I am not using preworkout I just use homemade kombucha and fruit (probably equally gay but does work). Still going to give the creatine some thought as my stomach is super temperamental and I wouldn't be too fond of the cramping but you've both definitely given me more to factor into it. I'm making decent gains without much supplementation anyways, but in the future with less school shit I might get more ambitious.

 

[thejackal]

Thanks to both of you guys. My big gayness aside (:powerlevel: you ain't wrong:powerlevel, something about coffee seems to kill my stomach, so when I am not using preworkout I just use homemade kombucha and fruit (probably equally gay but does work). Still going to give the creatine some thought as my stomach is super temperamental and I wouldn't be too fond of the cramping but you've both definitely given me more to factor into it. I'm making decent gains without much supplementation anyways, but in the future with less school shit I might get more ambitious.

For years my "pre workout" was a sugar free redbull mixed with creatine powder and a fresh juicy clementine!

This compound move I learned recently: a chest-up (down up for the former FB players) or burbee into a pull up. If you can do 10 of those you're in pretty good shape. I tucker out around 6 or 7 usually. It's one of the actually safe and explosive (so effective) moves that crossfit uses. In general I think crossfit is full of flabby idiots trying to injure themselves.

 

[thebonesauce]

A Planet Fitness will be opening near me very soon, I have a 10 lb dumbbell and that’s pretty much it. I wanna be able to do small upper body workouts at home, so I’m doing overhead presses, bent over rows, hammer curls and working my triceps with it too.

Is there anything I can do with this single dumbbell to work on my chest/shoulders/back as well? I’m an absolute noob at lifting but I’m looking into getting back into the gym. My “personal trainer” hooked me up with test and showed me what to do to work out months back but I don’t retain shit.

 

[Bassomatic]

A Planet Fitness will be opening near me very soon, I have a 10 lb dumbbell and that’s pretty much it. I wanna be able to do small upper body workouts at home, so I’m doing overhead presses, bent over rows, hammer curls and working my triceps with it too.

Is there anything I can do with this single dumbbell to work on my chest/shoulders/back as well? I’m an absolute noob at lifting but I’m looking into getting back into the gym. My “personal trainer” hooked me up with test and showed me what to do to work out months back but I don’t retain shit.

You are getting test from a PT at fucking planet fatness?

LOL

Dude, no.

No.

You have 10lbs and body weight shit and a meme gym, do not start playing with gear. (mail it to me for safety, or jokes aside I know gear rather well and can help you figure if it's E or A)

Find out what your gym has, some PF aren't the worst and have proper bars and free weights, others you have the (((smith machine))). I'm happy to build you a plan, but if you are a noob, keep the FUCK away from roids, no offense and prehaps I'm reading wrong, but you almost seem upset and shocked you lose gains after not lifting if this is how your mind is, you need a lot of education and NOT more test in your body.

Get a pull up bar and do push ups plank etc, ignore the single 10 imho for what you can do ATM with chest back and shoulders.

 

[aerostar88]

A Planet Fitness will be opening near me very soon, I have a 10 lb dumbbell and that’s pretty much it. I wanna be able to do small upper body workouts at home, so I’m doing overhead presses, bent over rows, hammer curls and working my triceps with it too.

Is there anything I can do with this single dumbbell to work on my chest/shoulders/back as well? I’m an absolute noob at lifting but I’m looking into getting back into the gym. My “personal trainer” hooked me up with test and showed me what to do to work out months back but I don’t retain shit.

I agree with @Bassomatic dude. Honestly I fail to see the benefits of that shit when you're doing relatively basic workouts. People take steriods to decrease the rest time needed and ultimately maximize training volume. So it's completely unnecessary when you're just throwing a dumbbell around here and there. I go to a ~~big box gym~~ myself but like Bassomatic said, you need one that has proper bars and freeweights. Focus on building an intense and more importantly consistant training schedule, couple that with proper nutrition, and you'll see gains around 4-6 weeks in. In the interim your muscle fibers are strengthening so you won't see shit. Actual muscular hypertrophy will be visible after that and you sure as shit don't need test to see that.

One final tip: sleep is the best performance enhancing drug. Once you get serious with training, you'll notice a very sizeable difference in the mornings where you get 6 hours VS getting a full 8.

 

[thebonesauce]

No no no. You don’t understand. I was getting test from a dude I lived with for a while who was big into jiu jitsu, training, and tren. I trusted this guy cuz I knew him for a while. I call him my PT because he told me workouts to do.

The gym isn’t open yet and I haven’t talked to my boy in months as he’s on work release for a firearm charge. I moved out of that area as well.

I am also aware Planet Fitness is a meme gym, but it’s also the cheapest in my area and it’s one I can afford on a strict budget.

I just wanted some shit I could work on in the interim until it opens. But thanks for the tips boys.

 

[Bassomatic]

Ok I got you, I just didn't want you fucking yourself up or wasting gear at best.

Some PF are better than others, wait till it's there and see maybe you get lucky and it has a lot of workable stuff. Not everyone gets the cash or options of a good gym, so please don't take it being shit on it as a personal insult that you use it.

You got what you got, how much are you willing to spend? Get a few more DBs or a plate. I highly suggest "everything in the world is a pull up bar" it's free.

Also if you want to grow a bit throw sprints in, they fucking suck though, but they can help grow you not huge, but look at say, Bolt he's pretty darn big and that explosive strenght will move into big weight at a gym.

 

[TrippinKahlua]

I am hopefully likely getting a 300 lb weight set for Christmas as a housewarming gift. Sadly, the gym is on the main island and it just isn't worth the time and money to do ferry boats when you work 10-9.