Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weightlifting

Left biceps hurts on weightlifting noob. Now what?

nomadicink — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:08:08 -0800

Recently started lifting weights a few months ago. Now arm hurts, wtf? In the bid to get in shape, got a trainer, worked with him, did a lot of crossfit stuff, some weightlifting lessons. Have since left "class" and am lifting on my own for about 6 months.

Over the past few weeks I've noticed a dull ache in my left upper arm, in my biceps I think. It's not a fierce or sharp pain, just a dull ache that feels worse if I lift. I tried shifting down to a lower weights, say going from 195 on a seated press to 130 and that helps a lot but the ache is still there.

What should I do? Should I totally stop lifting with my left arm? If so, can I still do weights with my right? Do I visit a doctor? Like I said it's not sharp pain at all, mostly unnoticed as I go through a normal day, so it seems odd to visit a doctor. Is there some time frame about long I should lay off?

Mostly, I'm really kinda freaking out over starting to develop nice definition and form and losing that. Is there anything I can do to prevent that, while attending to the pain/ache?

Some weightlifting queries

miraimatt — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:42:27 -0800

How often should I lift weights? and when I do, how much weight should I lift to achieve my goals? Right now I try to work out four to five times a week, doing either 45 minutes of cardio and some weightlifting or just 60 minutes of cardio.

Question #1) I've heard before that you should wait two days after lifting weights to allow your body to recuperate and build muscle and such. Does this mean that I should wait before lifting weights using those muscles again, or lifting any weights again? Would it be detrimental/not useful to do some upper body weightlifting one day and some lower body weightlifting the next day?

Question #2) This question is kinda vain, but I'm kinda short, stocky, and as a result of some time spent doing lower body focused activities like running & such, I think my upper body should be larger compared to my lower body. Am I correct in thinking that in order to achieve this, but keep things good fitness-wise, I should be doing a significantly higher number of reps of a significantly lower weight when I do lower body weightlifting exercises?

For what it's worth, I'm about 20lbs away from being within the acceptable BMI range.

A Gym plan for a chubby dude with not-enough time (yet).

snap_dragon — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:41:32 -0800

For a few months, I have a total of 30 minutes at the gym in the morning (not counting shower) at three times a week. (It's a long story.) I know this is not much at all. I am a 25 lbs overweight guy and would like to get a bit leaner. I don't expect quick results. I have asthma but control it with inhaler so I can "trot" a bit on the treadmill so far. I can't (yet) flat out run for long periods without asthma/poor shape affecting me. I am very familiar with the gym and various weightlifting exercises. I am not sure how to make the best of my time, though. At all. Within a month I would like to bump it up to 45/1hr in the gym and 4 times a week. (and then later, 5 days a week.) But for now, do you have any solid advice that works for you? I am eating much healthier now and smaller portions but I think the sedentary job change has got to me the most. So, in summary, leaner and more energy is my goal. (I will put on hold my goal to look like Brad Pitt from Fight Club but hey, everybody can dream a little...)

Equipment for doing serious (weighted) back extensions at home?

madmethods — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 14:16:59 -0800

Equipment for doing serious (weighted) back extensions at home? When I was in graduate school, I worked out at the school's gym. After that, I got out of the habit. I'd like to get back into it. For reasons I won't go into here, I can't go to a public gym. So I'm looking to get a piece of equipment or two (weight bench, etc.) for home and start up again.

With a basic bench and free weights and maybe pull-up bar, etc, I could do the basics. But a couple of the exercises that I remember loving seem problematic. I really loved doing weighted back extensions on a real back extension bench, both the extra weight and the decent range of motion compared to lying on the floor and lifting your head/legs up (thpppffft). Any way to get that at home without special equipment? Or maybe a good piece of equipment that would give me this plus other exercises? I haven't bought anything yet (not even a basic weight bench), so recommendations would be great. Bonus if I could do seated rows too, but I'm not holding out for that.

Help me, MeFi Meatheads!

FuManchu — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:56:10 -0800

Is there training method to add definition to muscles after gaining strength? Or, do I just need to accept my curious frame? I'm curious if there's a way to train in order to add definition to my muscles.

I was recently called out by a friend as having "chicken legs." They weren't wrong: knobby knees, no definition in the calf, thin looking thighs. My entire body is actually pretty similar. I'm a guy, 6', 175lb, look like 130lb. I'm usually comfortable poking fun at my weaknesses, but this struck a nerve.

The thing is that my legs are pretty strong from a leg-focused sport I trained in when younger. On Nautilus-like leg machines, I can easily do several sets of 10 reps on the top weight (e.g., ~350lbs for leg extension, ~400lbs for leg press and calf extension, don't remember the others off-hand), and can do ~400lb squats. My upper body's not as strong, but not the little-girl level you'd think by looking at me.

When I was training for sports, this didn't make much difference to me -- performance was more important than appearance. Now I'm older, and starting to get a skinny-guy gut from a more sedentary lifestyle. I'd like to either (a) not get called out on being scrawny, or (b) stop my urge to 'correct' people about my strength.

Are there training methods that people use to get the muscle-pop look? Have I somehow been cheating at the lifting I've been doing? Or is it just genes, and I have to accept my lot?

Dumbbells vs Barbells

Vorteks — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:18:05 -0800

Is there any reason that barbells would be indispensable from a serious stength-training program? Or are dumbbells just fine? I've been wanting to get serious about building strength for a while now, and after reading a question about workout routines yesterday, I've pretty much decided to try the StrongLifts 5x5 routine. One question though: it seems a lot of these programs pretty much assume that when you're doing squats/deadlifts/bench press/etc that you'll be using a barbell. I don't have barbells, but I *do* have dumbbells. I've always thought that dumbbells would be better. Especially since I'll be lifting while alone in my apartment, if I run out of strength while doing bench presses or something, it seems like I'd be less likely to kill myself using dumbbells than barbells. But at the same time, if barbells are necessary to get the full effect of the exercises, I don't want to be shooting myself in the foot. Does it make a big difference? Why would one use barbells over dumbbells, or vice versa?

Thanks Mefites.

Soreness in outside of lower leg during squats

stopgap — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:20:00 -0800

I am getting soreness/discomfort in a strange place while doing squats: on the outside of my right leg only, 4-6 inches above my ankle. I'm returning to weightlifting after a year off with unrelated shoulder injury, and this happens with very little additional weight beyond just the bar. Should I be stretching, starting with less weight, or something else?

Great tool! Now can it help me do the bench press?

Slothrop — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:50:14 -0800

Is there a site structured like onehundredpushups.com, but setup for free weight weightlifting? Exercise questions get asked here a lot, I realize, but I don't think this one has been asked...

I've been using the 100 pushups Web site for a bit now and have found that the ease and specificity of the information really help. I just go to the day on my schedule and do the sets of pushups in number and order that's described. I had two previous attempts at weightlifting that faded away in part because I seem to plateau easily and I think something that has specific numbers to follow will help me break through that better. It would be nice to have a site where you can enter your bench press and military press maximums and get a six-week or twelve-week setup for steadily escalating that weight with numbers of reps, etc. I would be willing to consider software as well.

Some info about me in case it would help : I am 5' 9" and 135 pounds. I play basketball twice a week, full court for an hour. I have started running a bit again, as well. I would like to initially focus on upper body strength as the basketball and running have given me pretty solid legs.

Thanks!

Squatting with a barbell: I fall backward or my torso bends too much forward.

zeek321 — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 14:10:05 -0800

Squatting technique with barbells: I either fall backward or I bend too much forward. I am having *exactly* the same problem as mkawa2k3 describes here:

http://stronglifts.com/forum/squatting-falling-backwards-when-keeping-chest-up-t12244.html

And I mean, exactly. That includes the knee issues when he started playing with his stance. As far as I can tell, the videos don't look like me. I have the bar lower on my delts.

How can I keep my knees from hurting? How can I prevent myself from tipping over or bending forward too much?

(I want to do *this* kind of squat, if possible, because it's the most balanced version in terms of which muscles it works.)

Is this workout routine a bad idea?

mizrachi — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:59:57 -0800

A trainer at my gym recommended this workout and I'm not entirely sure it's safe or effective or the right one for me. I've itemized the routine below, but in short it involves both upper and lower body workout every day, Monday through Friday, three sets of 10 -12, with one muscle group off per day after what he considers the toughest exercise for that body part. The trainer says it's worth doing for 12 weeks and will help build strength and muscle endurance and that working the same muscles a for five days in a row isn't wrong to do as each exercise targets different parts of the muscle and I'm using fairly low weight.

Here's the workout. Does it make sense? Or is it a mistake? Or should I consider making some substitute exercises?

MONDAY:

Chest - Bench press
Triceps - Rope pull down
Biceps - None
Back - Close grip row
Shoulders - Front raise
Quads - None
Traps - Shoulder Shrug w/straight bar
Hams - None
Calves - Seated calf raise

TUESDAY:

Chest - None
Triceps - Dips
Biceps - Preacher curls
Back - Wide grip pull down
Shoulders - Lateral raise
Quads - Squats
Traps - None
Hams - None
Calves - Donkey calf raise

WEDNESDAY:

Chest - Incline db press
Triceps - Overhead extensions
Biceps - Alternating db curls
Back - None
Shoulders - Military press
Quads - Leg extension
Traps - None
Hams - Seated leg curls
Calves - Angled calf raise

THURSDAY:

Chest - Machine Fly
Triceps - Close grip bench press
Biceps - None
Back - Close grip pull ups
Shoulders - Rear delt machine
Quads - None
Traps - Upright rows
Hams - Straight leg dead lifts
Calves - Standing calf raise

FRIDAY:

Chest - Hammer strength bench press
Triceps - None
Biceps - Seated Incline hammer curl
Back - Wide grip row
Shoulders - None
Quads - Lunges
Traps -DB shoulder shrugs
Hams - Standing leg curl
Calves - None

Exercise Plan?

snap_dragon — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:35:50 -0800

I have three days a week and approx. 1 hour 15min. I am about 30 lbs over weight but eating healthy. I know I need to do cardio and I like weights. Anybody have a workout plan that they can suggest for 3 times a week? (I hope to go 4 eventually but this is the time I have). The only exercises I cannot do are military presses do to a rotator cuff issue. So with this limited time and stretching thrown in, what is your advice/opinon? Feel free to share with me your workout program. I am in okay shape but still in the walking stages of cardio. I am rather strong but am not looking to get more muscular....rather to get lean, if possible. I would hire a trainer but cannot afford it at this time.

Thighs like what!!

notjustfoxybrown — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:08:59 -0800

I want a booty and thighs like Serena. Help me get there. OK, so I don't play tennis and I'm pushing 40, can I still achieve this body?

I'm naturally what we call "thick" in my community and my knees are going but I still do regular treadmill workouts, walk a lot and have a haphazard "let me lift some weights so there's less jiggle" program.

What would I need to do and how much would I have to sacrifice for a championship physique?

Heavy and strong. What now?

acidic — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:01:51 -0800

How does the ability to lift weight change with significant weight loss? In females? I'm in my early twenties; have been lifting weights off and on for about five years. I'm relatively tall and large framed for a woman-- 5'8" and 190 lbs-- and from the beginning, I've been able to lift a lot more than the other women at my gym. Nothing drastic-- I'm not very serious about it-- but probably about double what I see other people doing. I've never stuck with weightloss efforts for more than a few months (or a dozen or so pounds) so I've always been able to increase weights with no problem. But if I were trying to lose, say, 40 pounds, would I expect my capacity to lift weight decrease by virtue of my decreased mass? How do I manage this?

Related: are there any training guidelines or other resources for someone like me?

Hip hip hooray OR it's hip to be square

ludwig_van — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:24:11 -0800

Why is squatting causing pain in my hips? I'm 23 years old, 6', and weigh 150 lbs. I've been following the stronglifts 5x5 strength training program for 6 weeks or so. This entails performing 5 sets of 5 reps of squats 3 times a week, adding 5 lbs. each time. In my last workout I squatted 130 lbs.

When I started squatting my legs and glutes would be really sore afterwards. For the last couple of workouts I haven't felt that soreness so much, but I've developed a lot of pain of a different sort in my hip joints. I feel it most of the time, but especially when I try to rotate my leg by pointing my knee outward. When I squat I feel a sharp pain in my hips right around when I hit parallel, which tends to keep me from squatting as low as I should be.

I've watched lots of videos and read lots of descriptions of proper squat technique and I've been doing my best to follow it. So what am I doing wrong, what should I do now, and how do I prevent this in the future?

Books on DVDs on exercise as body-exploration?

shivohum — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:12:04 -0800

Are there any good DVDs or books that teach you exercise as a way of understanding and having fun with your body? I'm looking for a system whose focus is not primarily on losing weight or being healthy but on learning about your body and being able to do cool things with it you couldn't do before (gain better balance, stand on your head, improve your ability to drag furniture even), but that would also incidentally give you an excellent workout. Ideas?

The Hunt for the perfect 13 compound lifts ??

hboogz — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 12:50:19 -0800

I've read somewhere that a workout regime consisting of 13 compound lifts is really all you need. Does anyone know which 13 lifts they may be talking about ? or can point me to the article ? I'm curious to see what other folks think about doing predominantly compound lifting ?

I want to see more results with my workout and want to incorporate more compound exercises..

Nutrition for weight training.

2or3whiskeysodas — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:59:46 -0800

Favorite books or websites dealing with good muscle-building nutrition? I have seen the light, maybe: I've been weight-training to add some muscle but eating to lose weight, and that's not working. I'm thin enough at this point, so I'd like to try a new diet or two and see what works.

I'm down to hear the hive's general advice, tips and such, but am more interested in books and web resources. I do best with "programs". Also, this isn't terribly important, but I'm not really into the macho bent at sites like t-nation.com; if that could be avoided, great. But if there's exceptional information within, I could put up with it.

Thanks in advance!

What do I do with those fancy gym machines?

elisabethjw — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:33:41 -0800

What are all those machines at the gym and how can I make them work for me? I am female, 19, and moderately in-shape, although I just finished my freshman year of college and am looking to lose the freshman 10/15 and get back into good shape. I've been running (only about a mile or so on the treadmill, as of now -- I've never been a runner so this is a big step for me) and doing the elliptical daily at the gym, but I'd like to throw in a bit of weight training a few times a week. Problem is, I have no idea what I should be doing with that huge mass of machines. Reps? Sets? Seriously, I have no clue.

Googling has given me 0 results, although maybe my Google-fu is busted. What machines target what areas? How many sets should I do? I'd like to focus on my thighs, abs, and upper arms if that makes any difference. If there's a website with simple, clearly-explained workouts that tell me what to do at the gym to focus on [insert area here], that would be greatly appreciated.

How to become a better surf hopper-upper?

shivohum — Sat, 31 May 2008 08:34:34 -0800

I went surfing for the first time recently, and had a hard time doing the "hop up" on the surfboard -- my feet always tended to be too close together, and I just lacked agility. What are some exercises I could do that would strengthen the relevant muscles and/or otherwise make me a hop-master? Thanks.

Embiggen My Puny Arms!

turgid dahlia — Mon, 19 May 2008 18:59:10 -0800

What are, say, the 5 key dumbbell exercises for arm strongening? So I’m a fair-sized lad with pretty broad shoulders, strong legs and a some excess pudding around the abdomen. For overall health I am going to resume my daily walking and yoga routine, which I have been criminally neglecting these past few months, as well as cut back on booze (boo!) and carbohydrates in general. I’m also quitting smoking (just like the seven other times I’ve done it). But one thing I’d really like to focus on is my puny arms.

With this in mind, I am going to purchase a pair (or is “set” the correct nomenclature?) of dumbbells today, likely 10kg jobs. What are, say, the 5 key dumbbell exercises for arm strongening? I don’t want to go around looking like I’ve got a pair of condoms packed with walnuts attached to the sides of my torso, but I’d also like to not go around looking like those same condoms are filled with gravy and whipped cream.

Bonus question: Is there a pull-up “corollary” I can perform with these dumbbells? I read in another AskMe that pull-ups are one of the best exercises to perform for arm enhancements, but I have nothing to pull up on, which leaves me stymied.

I'm starting everybody else's new years' resolution in May... help?

twiggy — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:59:22 -0800

I've just signed up for a gym membership for the first time in my life... Due to metabolism, I'm not fat, but I'm still really out of shape... what should I start with? I signed up because there was a huge discount for this place's grand opening and I really should be getting exercise. However, the reason I can afford it is because of the discount. That means I can't really pay for personal training sessions (something like $75 a piece)...

I'm pretty thin, save for my belly which is finally starting to grow ... guess I'm finally old enough that the metabolism is slowing down...

I've lived a sedentary lifestyle for years now, with office jobs that have had me behind a computer all day, and my main hobby being poker -- yay for more sitting!

My main goals are to just be in healthier shape and to hopefully trim down this weird belly that's sitting on a skinny dude's frame. It would be nice to bulk up, but right now that's tertiary to the other two goals.

Some questions:

1) I imagine I'd puke if I tried to run a mile in less than 8 minutes right now. Pathetic, but probably true. What exercises should I start with? Do I want to focus on cardio 'til I'm in decent enough shape to run a couple of miles -- then add in the weightlifting? Or should I rotate between them both right away?

2) I've been having mildly annoying lower back pain when I bend down that gets better, then comes back, then gets better, for the past 8 weeks or so. It's not enough that I've gone to a doctor, because it seriously only hurts a little bit. However, does this make doing cardio stuff before seeing a doctor a stupid idea?

3) My diet isn't terribly unhealthy. However, any recommendations in this realm if I'm looking to eventually get rid of this belly? Is diet even relevant beyond "burn more calories than you take in"?

Lifting weights to look good with my clothes on

lunchbox — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 22:29:47 -0800

I'm starting to lift weights, and my goal is simply to look as good as possible with my clothes on. What kind of exercises should I focus on? I'm a skinny guy, and am interested in starting a lifting routine. My goal is simply to build muscle so that I look more attractive in my day-to-day clothes (casual wear). That is, I'm not worried about how I look when I'm at the beach wearing shorts and no shirt. Also, becoming physically stronger is not one of my direct goals -- I'm specifically interested in building bigger muscles and improving my posture (as I also suffer from hunched-over-at-the-computer-screen syndrome).

In this regard, what kinds of exercises will give me the maximum bang for my buck? Shoulder and chest exercises seem to be the most obvious starting point. How about neck, trapezius, and upper back? I know that women love the "v-taper" on guys, but how visible is it when one is wearing a shirt? Will biceps make much of a difference? How much value is there to working on my core/lower body if those parts are completely hidden by my clothes?

One concern is that I don't want to look too top-heavy or unbalanced, but I don't think this is a realistic concern for the time being, since my lower body is probably more built than my upper body.

(Note to weightlifting purists: please bear with my desire for a "shortcut" to looking good; I am constrained for time, am not naturally inclined to exercise, and want to do only what yields what I'm looking for.)

Workout Advice

postergeist — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 12:45:24 -0800

Can you get big muscularly by lifting lower weight with high reps? I have been working out on and off in my life as a way to gain weight. I'm a guy with a fast metabolism, very lean and muscular. In college I was able to put on some decent weight and bulk by eating lots and also lifting very heavy weights for low reps. Usually about 4-8 reps max. This is the conventional wisdom amongst weightlifters. However, I met a guy recently who was reallly bulked up and told me he managed to get that way by actually doing the reverse. He said he would do lower weight and aim for 3 sets of 30 reps and thats what got him that way. He was also very lean when he started. This is completley against what is taught by so many. Does anyone have any feedback on this? Can this work?

strength training for a newb?

aeighty — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 09:33:21 -0800

I'd like to learn how to do olympic style weight lifting, somewhere around Vancouver, BC. Any ideas? I know I can just go to a gym but I understand that proper form is the key. I'd like a professional to teach me how to do it.

Why is McEnroe stopping me from picking up iron?

keep it tight — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 19:35:36 -0800

DamnTennisElbowFilter... Ok, I have tennis elbow in my left elbow. Got a cortisone shot (ouch!) about 3 months ago, but it's back...just let my elbow pain, there is... So what I am wondering is if I chew a couple of Aleve prior to hitting the gym, am I going to further damage something in there?

It really only hurts on biceps days, but I can bear it if necessary.

Anyone have experience with this?

TIA!