Do you guys even lift?

I just ordered an elliptical/stepper HIIT-focused machine. As I said earlier in this thread I lifted for ages but I’m realizing my cardiovascular health is garbage as I get older. No one would visually peg me for being unhealthy, and I didn’t peg myself as such but my blood pressure whenever I go to the doctor is really bad and I’m realizing my resting heart rate is not great as well. I walk around a lot, but COVID maybe put a dent in that as well and even so, I need some real cardio it seems. I wanted low impact (no running), and I need something I can have in an apartment without pissing everyone off below me.
 

We’ll see how it goes, but HIIT is the cardio of the lifting world it seems. Luckily this machine can also be used without a HIIT regimen so I can spend a bit of time warming up (maybe a few weeks). It’s hard to find info on cardio that isn’t calorie burning focused; I don’t care about burning calories, I just need to get my heart in shape.

I just started bodybuilding a few months ago, and I love it so much. Its a great hobby and passion of mine, and it's made me feel a lot better about myself. I have been overweight since grade 6, and obese for while in late 2019 - early 2020. I'm in the beginning of my long journey, but I want to be as strong as I can, I don't know if I'm gonna be Mr. Olympia material or not, but I love weightlifting nonetheless. I'm very happy that I have shaved off some pounds and gained some sick mooscles. So yes, I do lift bro.

23 minutes ago, Percy T said:

I just started bodybuilding a few months ago, and I love it so much. Its a great hobby and passion of mine, and it's made me feel a lot better about myself. I have been overweight since grade 6, and obese for while in late 2019 - early 2020. I'm in the beginning of my long journey, but I want to be as strong as I can, I don't know if I'm gonna be Mr. Olympia material or not, but I love weightlifting nonetheless. I'm very happy that I have shaved off some pounds and gained some sick mooscles. So yes, I do lift bro.

Great choice man, very good indeed. I'm so glad to read this! Every repetition of every set will take you one step closer to your goal! Sure it takes time but my brother has lost over 60kg and so can you. 

Now you mentioned both bodybuilding and becoming as strong as possible... I don't want to tell you how your workout routine should be determined but I want to give some great advice, which you may or may not know already. 

To loose weight you have to excersise more and eat less fat and sugar, but to become strong and muscular you do need to eat enough. 

Bodybuilding and strength training is different however as bodybuilders need to work every muscle, even those you didn't know you had, to failure and then some. Ie a very high volume and intensity. You should not focus on isolated exercise before shedding some of that excess fat as it will be less effective in the beginning process of going from obese to fit. 

Start with only the basic compound lifts. Might i suggest two different routines that you do every other gym-day. You should go to the gym 2-3 times per week and always do the routine that you DIDN'T DO the last time.

Monday: 

Barbell squats

Barbell rows 

Bench press 

Tuesday:

Rest 

Wednesday:

Conventional deadlifts

Military press / barbell shoulder press 

Lat pull-downs

Thursday:

Rest 

Friday: 

The first routine 

Saturday and Sunday REST

Monday:

The second routine 

Tuesday

Rest 

Etc etc. 

Aiming for strength you should go heavy and do 5x5 of everything except Lat pulldowns which you are generally better off going for 10-12 reps and 3 sets. When you have a week with two deadlift sessions, the second one should be lighter load and 10x3 rather than super heavy 5x5. 

Make sure to warmup. Make sure to have perfect form before going heavy! 

This will both burn tons of fat and make you much stronger. Remember progressive overload every other week. Military press however, can take ages before you can add even a few pounds. 

Once you've increased strength and decreased fat, you could go for a more bodybuilder-routine where you do splits and isolation. 

7 hours ago, insertwackynamehere said:

I just ordered an elliptical/stepper HIIT-focused machine. As I said earlier in this thread I lifted for ages but I’m realizing my cardiovascular health is garbage as I get older. No one would visually peg me for being unhealthy, and I didn’t peg myself as such but my blood pressure whenever I go to the doctor is really bad and I’m realizing my resting heart rate is not great as well. I walk around a lot, but COVID maybe put a dent in that as well and even so, I need some real cardio it seems. I wanted low impact (no running), and I need something I can have in an apartment without pissing everyone off below me.
 

We’ll see how it goes, but HIIT is the cardio of the lifting world it seems. Luckily this machine can also be used without a HIIT regimen so I can spend a bit of time warming up (maybe a few weeks). It’s hard to find info on cardio that isn’t calorie burning focused; I don’t care about burning calories, I just need to get my heart in shape.

I apologize for doing two posts in a row but the one above got really long and I'm on the phone, hehe. 

Hey listen, you can increase cardiovascular performance without equipment in several ways including weightlifting. Another great way is to do Burpees. Lots and lots of Burpees. Oh and of course shadowboxing. Sure it'll burn calories as well but you won't loose weight if you don't change the diet. The cardio and resting heart rate WILL BE BETTER EVEN IF YOU DON'T SHED FAT. 

What you have to do is to keep doing those burpees and other routines you might me doing, even though you are ready to die. You will increase cardiovascular performance by fighting through the fatigue for 3 more reps or 30 more seconds. 

31 minutes ago, Old-Doomguy said:

 

Great choice man, very good indeed. I'm so glad to read this! Every repetition of every set will take you one step closer to your goal! Sure it takes time but my brother has lost over 60kg and so can you. 

 

Now you mentioned both bodybuilding and becoming as strong as possible... I don't want to tell you how your workout routine should be determined but I want to give some great advice, which you may or may not know already. 

 

To loose weight you have to excersise more and eat less fat and sugar, but to become strong and muscular you do need to eat enough. 

 

Bodybuilding and strength training is different however as bodybuilders need to work every muscle, even those you didn't know you had, to failure and then some. Ie a very high volume and intensity. You should not focus on isolated exercise before shedding some of that excess fat as it will be less effective in the beginning process of going from obese to fit. 

 

Start with only the basic compound lifts. Might i suggest two different routines that you do every other gym-day. You should go to the gym 2-3 times per week and always do the routine that you DIDN'T DO the last time.

 

Monday: 

Barbell squats

Barbell rows 

Bench press 

 

Tuesday:

Rest 

 

Wednesday:

Conventional deadlifts

Military press / barbell shoulder press 

Lat pull-downs

 

Thursday:

Rest 

 

Friday: 

The first routine 

 

Saturday and Sunday REST

 

Monday:

The second routine 

 

Tuesday

Rest 

 

 

Etc etc. 

 

Aiming for strength you should go heavy and do 5x5 of everything except Lat pulldowns which you are generally better off going for 10-12 reps and 3 sets. When you have a week with two deadlift sessions, the second one should be lighter load and 10x3 rather than super heavy 5x5. 

 

Make sure to warmup. Make sure to have perfect form before going heavy! 

 

This will both burn tons of fat and make you much stronger. Remember progressive overload every other week. Military press however, can take ages before you can add even a few pounds. 

 

Once you've increased strength and decreased fat, you could go for a more bodybuilder-routine where you do splits and isolation. 

I am still learning about everything, and I make adjustments every now and then, but I appreciate your advice :). I do a PPL type routine right now, and I make sure to change the exercises and amount of sets every time. I workout everyday except the day after leg day, and I also do core workouts everyday and cardio every now and then.

2 hours ago, Old-Doomguy said:

 

I apologize for doing two posts in a row but the one above got really long and I'm on the phone, hehe. 

 

Hey listen, you can increase cardiovascular performance without equipment in several ways including weightlifting. Another great way is to do Burpees. Lots and lots of Burpees. Oh and of course shadowboxing. Sure it'll burn calories as well but you won't loose weight if you don't change the diet. The cardio and resting heart rate WILL BE BETTER EVEN IF YOU DON'T SHED FAT. 

 

What you have to do is to keep doing those burpees and other routines you might me doing, even though you are ready to die. You will increase cardiovascular performance by fighting through the fatigue for 3 more reps or 30 more seconds. 

Yeah there 100% are cheaper solutions. But things are a bit limited in the NYC apartment living COVID world and I also know myself, I’m so unmotivated for cardio compared to lifting that it’s a lot easier to just splurge on an elliptical/stepper hybrid. As it gets cold I will not go out to shared deck for burpees, even if I should. Shadow boxing I will stop doing after a few weeks, never fully pushing myself. These are all personal issues perhaps, but I need to make it as easy for myself to just get my cardiovascular system in shape as I can so I stick with it.

Finally the most important point I didn’t mention is my job has a per-annum wellness reimbursement benefit that has been expanded to cover gym equipment because COVID shut down gyms etc. This knocks a huge amount off the price of one of these machines, shifting it from unnecessary splurge to reasonable “time is money” splurge. I’d of course rather not be the guy with a ton of gym equipment in my 1 bedroom apartment but for now I’m concluding function over form is important hahah. Already have the folding bench, two 45lb dumbbells and two resistance cords to at least try and maintain some level of muscle and strength, now I’ll have an elliptical corner as well. When this is all over I’ll probably Craigslist all of it, but for now, I have a gym/bar/cafe/entertainment center/home office/bedroom 550 sqft apartment coming along nicely

Yes, but I’ve been out of practice for many years now. I need to get back into it again. I have a new set up where I can put my home gym away in my closet when it’s not in use, but I haven’t figured out what routine I’m going to go with this time after being out of practice for about a year now. Saves me space and money though by having my home gym setup this way. 
 

I enjoy working out reps to failure for the majority of my workouts. Feeling the sensation where my muscles literally can’t take anymore is a very exciting experience. 

Tried this sort of training session today (took 1h 15min):

Shoulder press 30kg 4x10

Squat 50kg 4x10

Barbell row 50kg 4x10

Deadlift 50kg 4x10

Bench press 50kg 2x10, 1x9, 1x6, 1x5 (planned to do 4x10 like the others, but the last 20 got divided into 3 series)

Was pretty out of it when I went for a swim afterwards, was swimming only 20 minutes, then 15 minutes in the bubble pool.

Wondering what will happen with the current covid situation and gyms here, it seems infections are currently increasing more than during the summer. So far bars have been ordered to close earlier (again).

My home "gym" is currently 3kg, 5kg dumbbells (too light for me) and adjustable dumbbells from 2.5kg to 17.5kg, and 1.5kg weights that can be wrapped around ankles.

14 hours ago, TwinBeast said:

Tried this sort of training session today (took 1h 15min):

Shoulder press 30kg 4x10

Squat 50kg 4x10

Barbell row 50kg 4x10

Deadlift 50kg 4x10

Bench press 50kg 2x10, 1x9, 1x6, 1x5 (planned to do 4x10 like the others, but the last 20 got divided into 3 series)

 

Was pretty out of it when I went for a swim afterwards, was swimming only 20 minutes, then 15 minutes in the bubble pool.

 

Wondering what will happen with the current covid situation and gyms here, it seems infections are currently increasing more than during the summer. So far bars have been ordered to close earlier (again).

 

My home "gym" is currently 3kg, 5kg dumbbells (too light for me) and adjustable dumbbells from 2.5kg to 17.5kg, and 1.5kg weights that can be wrapped around ankles.

Whoah, slow down mate! 5 compound lifts at the same session! Jesus! Don't kill your CNS!

I was there yesterday and did some

Deadlifts: 60kg 10x1, 90kg 5x1, 110kg 3x1, 120kg 5x1, 2x3, 130kg 2x2 and the finisher 90kg 7x1.

Military press 45kg 5x5, 40kg 7x1.

Lat pulldowns 75kg 5x1, 65kg 5x2, 55kg 8x2, 35kg 10x1.

I don't think it's beneficial to do more than 3 compunds per session, especially not the two big ones (deadlift, squats) along with three others. Dont get hurt!

5 hours ago, Old-Doomguy said:

 

I don't think it's beneficial to do more than 3 compunds per session, especially not the two big ones (deadlift, squats) along with three others. Dont get hurt!

I disagree. The point where I broke through a ceiling and demolished my previous limitations when I said "screw it" to conventional wisdom and went to near 100% of my max weight limits on all exercises for about 14 days straight.

I've also found that this increased strength seems to prevent, rather than cause, injury.

Sometimes I do more intense weight lifting and sometimes lighter, or I just train as hard as I can. I don't mind failing at a lift. I have tried to limit my gym sessions to 1h now, so I have energy left to swim afterwards.

Today's 1h gym session was:
Bench press: 50kg 2x10, 60kg 5, 4, 3 and 55kg 5 and 3.
Shoulder press: 40kg 2x5 and 4.
Clean & press/push: 40kg 3x5 (with 0 pushes in 1st serie, 2 pushes in 2nd and 1 push in 3rd)
Clean & push: 40kg 7 repeats as fast as possible
Leg press: 3x12, with each serie having different weight, 133kg, 173kg and 197kg

Then went for a swim. Today was swimming for 30 minutes. Also broke my length diving record and dived about 42m, earlier was 37m. I like diving, it's so quiet underwater.

Since this is about working out, I suggest to everyone who may be interested in lifting at home but currently don’t have the setup for it but are either planning to or are in the process of looking for what to buy... 

If you are RENTING/living with family, (not owning a home of your own and if money is not expendable to you), there is NO reason to turn one room or the garage of your home into a gym room, and if you have a room you’re paying for that has been empty since you moved in, you’re already wasting your money when you could’ve saved that 400 or so dollars a month instead of wasting it on a room you’re not using. I suggest making your home gym easy to store away when it is not in use as well to keep your home from looking cluttered. Don’t buy new equipment when you can get it used, and don’t buy those ridiculous gym machines that do nothing but take up space. Yes, if you are made of money and have tons of space then knock yourself out, but have you ever wondered why so much equipment like that ends up for sale on the used market? For the average person, living with an average income... save your money and do your research and save space in your home. You don’t need a gym membership to get in shape, and you don’t need expensive and oversized equipment in a room of your home either.  

I finally stopped waiting for my usual gym to open up and found a smaller gym in my area that is currently open. Time to reclaim my gainz.

I started exercising yesterday, Decided torturing myself works best-
Start out with lifting 2 5KG dumbells, then 10 pushups, some streches, 30-40 minutes on that cycle thing, more streches, run around the house (Cant go out, Floor is quarantined) and then I am done

I was only able to lift one of the dumbells, I could do 2.5 pushups, and the rest went well

Im necroing my won thread!

I've started going back to the gym at least two times a week some time ago. Ive re-gained my power and done a new deadlift-regime being 10x3 reps at 130kg.

But I think I've fractured my wrist so benchpress has been very low, and I've done flyes instead. On the machine that is.

I've also gotten diagnosed with Covid-19 just a day ago so I'm in quarantine for the time being.

And you guys?

The gym I've been going has been closed for some months now. Maybe they'll reopen in the summer when more people has been vaccinated.

In january carried 40kg of weights in backpack for over 1km. So I have a pretty good set of adjustable weights at home, although have been slacking a bit at lifting them regularly. Maybe got too interested in game development that I didn't remember to lift. At my best I could do bicep curls with a 17.5kg dumbbell, maybe 5 - 7 repeats. Now I have them set to 2x 7.5kg, 2x 10kg and 2x 12.5kg. Maybe I can change the 12.5kg to 15kg, though then there would be only 1x 7.5kg.

Also got unadjustable dumbbells 2x 3kg and 2x 5kg. The 3kg are too light for me. 5kg was ok for doing some 100 bicep curls in one set.

My weight has dropped from some 72kg to 66kg (kinda often 66.6kg). Maybe some of the weight loss is from not eating 200g milk chocolate a day, but some of it is definitely from slacking with the weight lifting, so don't congratulate.

Just tried pushups, did 20, but just barely. Should do them more often. Earlier my usual sets were 25 to 30 with record somewhere between 40 and 50.

@Old-Doomguy Hope you get better soon.

2 hours ago, TwinBeast said:

The gym I've been going has been closed for some months now. Maybe they'll reopen in the summer when more people has been vaccinated.

 

In january carried 40kg of weights in backpack for over 1km. So I have a pretty good set of adjustable weights at home, although have been slacking a bit at lifting them regularly. Maybe got too interested in game development that I didn't remember to lift. At my best I could do bicep curls with a 17.5kg dumbbell, maybe 5 - 7 repeats. Now I have them set to 2x 7.5kg, 2x 10kg and 2x 12.5kg. Maybe I can change the 12.5kg to 15kg, though then there would be only 1x 7.5kg.

 

Also got unadjustable dumbbells 2x 3kg and 2x 5kg. The 3kg are too light for me. 5kg was ok for doing some 100 bicep curls in one set.

 

My weight has dropped from some 72kg to 66kg (kinda often 66.6kg). Maybe some of the weight loss is from not eating 200g milk chocolate a day, but some of it is definitely from slacking with the weight lifting, so don't congratulate.

 

Just tried pushups, did 20, but just barely. Should do them more often. Earlier my usual sets were 25 to 30 with record somewhere between 40 and 50.

 

@Old-Doomguy Hope you get better soon.

You're a strong one, there's no denying that! And still a lightweight! I'm over 90kg now and what's grown the most is my belly!

My brother (which I wrote about on the opening post in this thread) is now at 86kg. 86!

I feel pretty good all things considered. I've always said that my immune system is really good and so far it's holding up good against the virus. The stronghold remains intact. Thank you for your thoughts!

I need to get off my ass and get more active. Before covid, I was at least getting out for walks. I'd go out for coffee every day, so that was a quick 15 minutes there and another 15 back. I've put on too much weight since then. It doesn't help that I had a really bad diet for some time. I'm working on that too.

I need to look up a good exercise routine I can do at home without equipment. Only real thing I have going on at the moment is doing wall push-ups. I can't do proper push ups past 3 or 4 without feeling like my body wants to die. I also tried adding in crunches. I'm such a beginner when it comes to this stuff.

1 minute ago, Chopkinsca said:

I need to get off my ass and get more active. Before covid, I was at least getting out for walks. I'd go out for coffee every day, so that was a quick 15 minutes there and another 15 back. I've put on too much weight since then. It doesn't help that I had a really bad diet for some time. I'm working on that too.

 

I need to look up a good exercise routine I can do at home without equipment. Only real thing I have going on at the moment is doing wall push-ups. I can't do proper push ups past 3 or 4 without feeling like my body wants to die. I also tried adding in crunches. I'm such a beginner when it comes to this stuff.

Hey dude, everyone can do it and it's never too late to improve.

Doing 3-4 pushups as a novice is great. Keep doing those 3-4 (repeat 3 times during the day, rest inbetween as long as you need) and soon it'll be 5-6 and 7-8 and so forth. Rather than crunches you could try doing planking and/or leg raises instead. This will build better and injure less.

3 minutes ago, Old-Doomguy said:

 

 

Hey dude, everyone can do it and it's never too late to improve.

 

Doing 3-4 pushups as a novice is great. Keep doing those 3-4 (repeat 3 times during the day, rest inbetween as long as you need) and soon it'll be 5-6 and 7-8 and so forth. Rather than crunches you could try doing planking and/or leg raises instead. This will build better and injure less.

Thanks for the advice. Gotta start somewhere.

14 minutes ago, Chopkinsca said:

 

Thanks for the advice. Gotta start somewhere.

Just make sure to get in the habit!

Here's some more exercises that don't really need any equipment, maybe a semi soft floor mat is enough.

Lay on your stomach and then raise your hands and legs up, alternatively raise one hand and the opposite side leg, lower and then the other sides.

Squats, just do more repeats than if you had weights, you could also jump up as high as you can.

Stand with your side next to a wall, take some support from the wall and lift your leg to your side, repeat. Then change to the other side and do the other leg.

Lay on your back, lift your legs up, open and close, kinda similar to the exercise next to the wall.

.

Damn, surprised to see gyms are still closed. Here in the midwest, they only shutdown for maybe a month or two back in the early pandemic

Also body weight workouts at home do 100% rip you to shreds

On 5/8/2021 at 5:50 PM, Old-Doomguy said:

 

Just make sure to get in the habit!

I'm terrible at replying to people. In the past, attempts at any kind of working out fizzled off after a week or two. I've been doing basic wall push-ups for a few months now. I tried a regular push-up and was able to do 6, so that's some progress. I've seen/head about people who can do 100 pushups, so that kind of inspires me, to see how many I can get up to.

For anyone still stuck at home in covid related hell, P90x is a phenomenal home workout. There's a little bit of capital outlay as on top of the dvds you'll want some dumbbells (adjustable are best), a door mounted chin up bar and a yoga mat. It cost me about $250NZ to get set up but that was almost 10 years ago and home exercise equipment prices have definitely spiked the last 12 months.
Still, if you can afford it, it will kick your ass in all the right ways. And if you want to try before you buy or don't have the funds, there are plenty of free home workouts on Youtube from the P90x team.

I used to do P90X about ten years ago when it was still all the rave, fairly casually but I still enjoyed it and still have the dvds laying around somewhere.

I joined a gym recently, but have only done the bicycles so far because I don't know how to work any of the equipment and don't want to embarrass or injure myself. I generally don't like exercising for the sake of it, so my plan was to just use the bikes while I watch Netflix. But the more I see the other equipment, the more curious I am about it all.

30 minutes ago, Lippeth said:

I used to do P90X about ten years ago when it was still all the rave, fairly casually but I still enjoyed it and still have the dvds laying around somewhere.

 

I joined a gym recently, but have only done the bicycles so far because I don't know how to work any of the equipment and don't want to embarrass or injure myself. I generally don't like exercising for the sake of it, so my plan was to just use the bikes while I watch Netflix. But the more I see the other equipment, the more curious I am about it all.

Hey man, listen, everyone has that feeling as novices. Even the biggest and strongest dudes have been newbies. It's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. People don't care either, because between sets they are just staring down their phones so they won't even notice you. 

You should definitely try out some equipment, but not those fancy machines you see the girls using. 

You just have to hit the weights, my friend. 

You should have two different routines which you will alternate between. 

Number one:

Barbell squats 3x10 reps 

Barbell rows 3x10 reps 

Bench press 3x10 reps 

Number two:

Deadlifts 3x10 reps 

Military press 3x10 

Lat pull downs 3x10 

That's it. Six different exercises is all you need to get started. 

The key is to practice with low weights, in many cases just the empty barbell. They are way easier than one might think, and the risk of injury is low - as long as you do it correctly and with a suitable weight for your level. 

There are tons of videos demonstrating these easy but important compound movements which will make you strong and burn alot of calories. Once you know how to perform them correctly you can start adjusting weight, reps, sets etc depending on your goals. I'd be glad to help you. 

10 hours ago, Old-Doomguy said:

Number one:

Barbell squats 3x10 reps 

Barbell rows 3x10 reps 

Bench press 3x10 reps 

 

Number two:

Deadlifts 3x10 reps 

Military press 3x10 

Lat pull downs 3x10

Thank you for the ideas! I must say though, that does sound way more methodical and rigid than anything I want to get out of fitness, but I will look up what all the terms mean and try to learn how to do them to see if it's something I'd have fun with before discounting it.

I used to park far away from my job and have to walk up a very long and steep hill every day, do yoga with the group before business, and certain days after work I would play tennis with my boss, which is right in line for what I like. Just simple activities that are fun and benefit health incidentally. Even counting push-ups and jumping jacks really removes the romance of life, which is partly why I've gained 15 lbs since last year.

I don't have any body goals other than feeling like I'm in good health and I've always enjoyed cardio activities the most, so I figured cycling at a gym while I stream tv shows would be good enough, but it ended up just making my butt hurt from the seat and makes me want to look up how some of the other machines work, though I've been cycling every day this week and have finally started to get a good night's sleep.

52 minutes ago, Lippeth said:

Thank you for the ideas! I must say though, that does sound way more methodical and rigid than anything I want to get out of fitness, but I will look up what all the terms mean and try to learn how to do them to see if it's something I'd have fun with before discounting it.

 

I used to park far away from my job and have to walk up a very long and steep hill every day, do yoga with the group before business, and certain days after work I would play tennis with my boss, which is right in line for what I like. Just simple activities that are fun and benefit health incidentally. Even counting push-ups and jumping jacks really removes the romance of life, which is partly why I've gained 15 lbs since last year.

 

I don't have any body goals other than feeling like I'm in good health and I've always enjoyed cardio activities the most, so I figured cycling at a gym while I stream tv shows would be good enough, but it ended up just making my butt hurt from the seat and makes me want to look up how some of the other machines work, though I've been cycling every day this week and have finally started to get a good night's sleep.

Hey man, I promise that you will quickly learn these basic lifts. Just make sure to keep a straight back and don't overload the weights. It will both give you power and cardio. You will be able to ride the bike faster and thus burning even more calories and building more cardiovascular performance. 

Depending on what type of rep/set approach you go for, you will either build muscle, power or endurance. Of course you will get all of those benefits by just lifting but you can focus primarily on one of the three depending on how you load it.