Thread: learning to lift weights.. how do i do it?

Anybody that has ever been serious about weight lifting could write pages upon pages on the subject. I will bore you, but check out the internet. Plenty of good forums on weights as well.

Stay away from magazines, books, and forums that have a heavy "body building" and "steroid" taste. These workouts and advice they give are meant for someone on juice.

OK, as a former "professional" in this area, I'm going to give you one critical bit of advice I used to tell everyone, whether they were a 17 year old guy who wanted to get "huge," or a 60 year old 250 pound woman who was ashamed to even be in the gym.

When you are starting out, especially in the first few weeks, you need to simply go through the motions. You need to do very little and you need to do it very lightly. Your main goal in the first few weeks simply is to develop the habit of walking through the door of the gym. It is better to worry that you did too little, and you didn't, than to find out you did too much.

ANY exercise that you do is going to be something new for your body and it takes time for it to adapt. Push yourself too hard too fast and you will hurt yourself and that will slow you down more. You will benefit much more by very gradually increasing the intensity and duration of your workouts.

Two words P90X, and Insanity. can be done in your home with minimal equipment. If you follow the plan on p90 you will get stronger and leaner I dropped 20 lbs and 5 inches off waist. Insanity is exactly like the name I vomited after the first workout stuck with it and will be retiring from 24 years in the army at 3 lbs less than when I finished basic training at 168. hands down the best strength,cardio, and overall fitness program I have ever participated in. You can continue the workouts after the 90 and 60 day programs to maintain what you have gained

First I would advise against it. If I wanted to get into great physical shape I would do the following:

1. Look up on the internet or on Amazon and get some information on the Five Tibetian Exercises and learn them.

2. Do the same and learn the Chi Kung Eight Fine Exercises.

3. Get an old World War II Navy Bluejacket's manual and find the section that shows drills with arms. You will see pictures of a sailor moving a 1903 Springfield Rifle. Start out with a broom handle and do these exercises until you can do 40. Then go buy a cheap set of weights and start out with the bar and work back up to 40. Then start adding about 1 and 1/4 lbs. a week to the bar until you get to about 40 lbs.

4. Buy Matt Furey's book "Combat Conditioning". Learn the Hindu Squats and Hindu Pushups and the Bridge.

5. What ever you like to do for cardio is fine. Just protect your knees.

6. Find an old Chiropractor - one who has graduated from Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport, Iowa and get your spine aligned.

7. Drink plenty of good water, sleep all you can, eat good food and take a multi vitamin.

8. Get all the stress out of your life that you can. It will do more harm to you than you can imagine.

Be carefull in all things.

To the geezers who remember Jack Lalane, I remember reading what he said when he turned 90: "I'm looking forward to middle age."

You had me interested right up until you mentioned the chiropractor. Chiropractors and phrenologists and PT Barnum all follow/followed the same credo.

Originally Posted by Stubear

TBH the best thing to do is join a gym and see a trainer. Most gyms give you a free introductory session and they'll tell you what exercises to do, what weight to use and how many reps and sets to do based on what you want to achieve.
....snip....

+1 on join a gym and get a bit of coaching.

There are subtle things in lifting free weights or using a machine
and it is hard to coach yourself.

No gym worth anything needs you to sign a long term contract.
Hunt a local YMCA some are very well equipped.

Find a training partner to spot you. Learn how to spot correctly
so you can take your turn spotting your partner (safety).

hey guys.. thanks a lot.. just like david carradine in kill bill.. i have spent my life collecting father figures and it feels good knowing you guys are here to help as well.. i now have a ton of information to sift though and i look forward to making the first small steps.. as of right now i can easily lose weight and look fit.. but i'm usually not very toned and no matter how skinny i am.. i still have my mothers thighs.. i'm really hoping that developing some genuine muscle will help me lose the baby fat and overall just feel stronger... i definitely don't want get buff and lose my mod figure.. but it would be nice to trade the boy chest in for a man chest.

thanks guys.

Originally Posted by vthomlinson

i definitely don't want get buff and lose my mod figure.. but it would be nice to trade the boy chest in for a man chest.

Careful or you'll be looking like this in no time.

Nothing improved bone density like proper weight training, and good diet, nothing else comes close dont let anyone put you off. All good athletes do some weight training so why shouldn't you ?
Don't forget no yoga freak or likewise ever won a gold medal (so far as i know)



ian