Weight Lifting

[Londoncailín]

That’s great that you’ve got the experience now that you can create your own workouts, maybe that’s where I’ve struggled a bit doing weights on my own, I don’t really have a plan so don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. Do you keep increasing the weight or do you keep it mostly the same each time?

I’ve started following some weight lifting accounts and bought a book off of Amazon as I think I need to commit to this now. I got quite lean at the end of 2018 but had no definition at all. I imagine it does make you feel like a badass when you’re able to lift heavier, I’ve always wanted to be able to do a pull up I think that would feel pretty awesome! My husband has been telling me for years that I need to start doing weights instead of just cardio so that’s my plan for next year.

When a set starts to feel easy to me, I increase the weight, without compromising my form. Little increases is all it takes. You should def start following a specific plan. It’s the best way to start seeing changes and to monitor your progress.

 

[Readread]

I used to only do cardio and a few weight machines but I’ve changed up my routine in the last 3/4 months lifting weights with my husband. I alternate upper & lower body every day for about 45 minutes then do a bit of conditioning work at the end.
We tend to do some of the following every day, we’ll do supersets
Box squats
Wide stance leg press/single leg press
Front foot elevated split squat with dumbbells
Bulgarian split squat with dumbbells
Walking lunges with barbell
Deadlifts/romanian deadlifts/trap bar deadlifts
Rack pulls
T bar row
Bent over row
Lateral raises, hammer curls, shoulder press, bench press, cable flies.
I much prefer weight lifting now, it’s far more rewarding than using a cardio machine for hours and hours.

 

[malolo]

Sounds amazing! I think we might do the same, I’ve always been a gym goer since my late teens but the past couple of years I feel really anxious going. And especially trying to get into weights more I know I would feel so self conscious trying to learn with other people around. I’ve just been plunged into tier 4 too and who knows how long for so even if I wanted to join a new gym in January I wouldn’t be able to

I think your biggest problem might be buying equipment. Not sure what the situation is like now but I know during the initial lockdown people were struggling to find anything in stock.

 

[idk2]

Does anyone weight lift to gain weight? I've been researching constantly on/off for a few years and they say to focus on weights for gaining/retaining muscle instead of the usual cardio as this is more for fat loss. However I'm really struggling with finding a plan for weight gain for a woman - I am hopefully going to start with a PT but not until the latter part of 2021.

It would be a whole lifestyle change for me as I would need to severely up my calorie uptake to 2500/3000 a day which isnt feasible to me right now.

 

[timtams]

I’ve been weight training for 1.5 years since I joined the gym for the first time in my life aged 31. I love it, when I first joined I had a couple of PT sessions and they were really good working around my chronic injuries (knees and back). I also sometimes see my physio and they give me other suggestions.
I go 3 times a week, as a working single parent that’s all I can fit in, so I do lower and upper body each session.
I mostly stick to the same exercises and do 8-12 reps, 3-4 sets of each. 3-5 per muscle group depending on how much time iOnce I’m no longer struggling on the last couple of reps I’ll increase the weight, usually just try to do this on one exercise at a time for that muscle group though (ie I wouldn’t increase the weight on all my arm/upper body exercises in one session).
I also found it useful to read about how the period cycle impacts, I find in the two weeks between ovulation and my period starting I’m weaker and it’s not a good time to increase the weight.
In terms of what I’ve noticed I have noticed better shape and also such a change to my injuries. I used to struggle even sitting on the toilet and standing back up with my knees, and really really struggled with stairs. Now I can do both. There’s no real fix to my knees but by strengthening the muscles around them I’ve seen such a change. I’m also sure I can eat more and maintain the same weight. Not sure if that’s actually possible though.
I’m sure there is more to it and some of what I do isn’t correct, I’m certainly no expert. I probably need to do more reading on it and learn more, and have a couple more PT sessions.

 

[malolo]

I’ve been lifting for approx 7 years, I stopped for about a year to 18 months while I went travelling but picked it back up again so haven’t had any breaks now for about two and a half years. I know when I my protein daily I see a big difference but even if I don’t I still grow, not as much but the quads are still popping

Yeah, you're maybe not quite starting out Depends how long you're talking about not hitting protein for, I've never gone for long periods without getting enough to know. Enjoy it while it's happening would be my thought.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

Highly recommend to get into it Chloe Madeley either fat loss blitz or the last book. She gives you a weekly plan and step by step guide. I loved it and makes life easier as don't have to plan yourself to start.

I now train with a pt and he has his own app.

 

[Gembo]

What will people do if we go back into full lockdown after boxing day? I get so fed up of just getting back into the routine seeing progress again and then bam gyms shut. I live in a 1 bed flat so I just about fitted a spin bike and have bands and a few small dumbbells and kettlebell, but no space for proper weights.
Just to say the gym is the only place I go, don't even go to supermarket and live alone so this is going to massively impact on my physical and mental health again

It’s a nightmare isn’t it, I was just starting to get into a routine with the gym when they shut down in March and I suspect there will be more closures where I live. I did end up cancelling my membership when it reopened as I didn’t feel safe at that time going (also found my gym quite intimidating and after having a break felt really anxious about going back)
I talked about the Sweat PWR programme earlier, honestly have no affiliation with them so not trying to plug but they’ve created a few resistance based programmes for at home which I think is good so it could be worth checking that out and then improvising with what you’ve got. I’ve seen things on Instagram and thought people have been quite creative. Unfortunately though it’ll never be as good as an actually gym. I’d love to hear if anyone else has any good ideas.

 

[awh]

I did a 6 week weightlifting course and I LOVED it. Would love to get back into it but need a buddy to go with. Don’t know where you’re based, but these are the people I did the course with - https://www.strongher.co.uk/

 

[under the ivy]

I’ve been doing weights since January - love it! I do it about 3 times a week with my weights at home (10-20kg). My legs especially my quads are really defined - I love it. I really need to focus on my upper body more but I like training lower body more. Although I do have good biceps/triceps, I’d love more back definition.

I have DOMS in my obliques today from doing Russian twists yesterday with my 5kg weight plate

 

[under the ivy]

I love weight lifting! I've done it consistently for just over a year now. However, I've been not been doing as much for the past 3 months due to a persisting lower back issue that started after getting to my 1 rep max on deadlifts and never went away. It's gotten much better after lots of stretching, pilates and physio. I did my first leg day in ages today, but I feel weak as hell now that I'm back lifting again. Hopefully, my strength will come back in no time

I started by lifting some form of light weights (my dumbbell set goes up to 12kg) during my home workouts for the past 6 or 7 years. I followed Fitness Blender and some other Youtube videos because I couldn't afford a gym membership for a long time. I've had a PT before, but it's expensive and I don't like being told what to do I like finding routines on IG and tweaking it to suit me.

Does anyone else feel like they're not making progress after their beginner gains have stopped? I take my measurements every 4-6 months and I've lost 1.5 inches on my waist which I'm happy about (28 inches to 26.5 inches), my upper body is much stronger but my damn legs never seem to grow!

I’m quad dominant so I’ve found my legs grow so much, they’re very defined. My arms show definition but I wish my core / back would start being more defined! I have home weights too - just wish I had a barbell!

 

[Gembo]

I think your biggest problem might be buying equipment. Not sure what the situation is like now but I know during the initial lockdown people were struggling to find anything in stock.

Yep Ive seen on social media a lot of people struggling. We’ve already got some weights and a bench and we managed to get a spin bike in September I think it was so enough to get on with for a while I think.

 

[TheRoyalHousekeeper]

Anyone else not hit their protein target every day but still see growth ?

 

[carriebooboo]

Entering my 4th week of lifting today. Shocked at how much 45 minutes wears me out! It's a good tired, though, not like burn out from endless cardio.

Bonuses: I've moved up a weight already. I can feel my stomach/waist tightening up. And I def have a bit more stamina!

Negative: As a vegetarian, I struggle with the amount of recommended protein. I already do one shake a day. I saw something online about mixing protein powder in with yoghurt, so I might try that.

But yeah, really enjoying becoming and feeling stronger so far.

 

[Mamacita]

I’m only just getting into weights now, using my dumbbells and kettle bell at home first and aiming to join a gym when I want to progress further. I mainly want to tone my arms and gain strength in my back but what worries me is that I have scoliosis and I’m worried about how much I will actually be able to do.

If you can afford it, get a PT who knows stuff like that. Even for the first month. When I first started lifting weights I had a PT for a bit and found it a massive help. If you're doing that, research them properly though and don't just go with one you get offered for a free trial at the gym. In my experience 90% of trainers at standard gyms don't know much about training.

 

[Gembo]

I lift weights four times a week. I started about five years ago. I love it so much. I used to follow a programme, but the more experienced I got, the more I started to create my own. I keep it simple and consistent. No fancy lifts. Just nailing the basics every week. The most notable physical changes for me are in my upper body. My arms, shoulders, chest and back are pretty nicely defined. I think the benefits to my mental health by far outweigh the physical though. My next goal is to define my lower body a bit more. I feel like a total badass when I nail a PB on a deadlift.

That’s great that you’ve got the experience now that you can create your own workouts, maybe that’s where I’ve struggled a bit doing weights on my own, I don’t really have a plan so don’t know if I’m doing the right thing. Do you keep increasing the weight or do you keep it mostly the same each time?

I’ve started following some weight lifting accounts and bought a book off of Amazon as I think I need to commit to this now. I got quite lean at the end of 2018 but had no definition at all. I imagine it does make you feel like a badass when you’re able to lift heavier, I’ve always wanted to be able to do a pull up I think that would feel pretty awesome! My husband has been telling me for years that I need to start doing weights instead of just cardio so that’s my plan for next year.

 

[Fenella]

I was using the Sweat app to do BBG and they’ve got some weight lifting plans on there so my plan is to try the PWR plans, there’s a home and a gym version so I figure I can follow one of those but just using the equipment I have at home to get started at least.

I’ve had the sweat app on and off for years and I like it but never stuck to it properly but after Christmas I’m planning on starting Lifting at home and sticking with it. I like how they plan out exactly what to do each week.

 

[Alexaj]

I do BodyPump on the Les Mills app. It's a barbell programme.

 

[Countrybumpkingirl]

I downloaded one of her workout plans from the website in summer. I did one workout which was legs. Literally couldn’t walk for a week. I’ve had doms before but that was something else! My fault I think for maybe pushing too hard on that one but it put me off a bit. I do have a couple of her books though and have the new one on order, I will take another look.

Yeah the workouts aren't easy. I did the plan like put my life into it and the change to my body in 4 weeks was amazing but also my mental strength was soo much better during the time. She is a bit of a queen but also lovely as hell. I used to DM and she always replied and when I was poorly in hospital she took time to check how I was doing etc.

My best friend was a power lifter and she is now doing strongman. She is a proper badass and I love her for it. I would say the people who really do it for the love of weight training are the nicest people and not the posey type you can see on insta!

 

[TheRoyalHousekeeper]

What stage of lifting are you at? If you're starting out then that's not unusual.

I’ve been lifting for approx 7 years, I stopped for about a year to 18 months while I went travelling but picked it back up again so haven’t had any breaks now for about two and a half years. I know when I my protein daily I see a big difference but even if I don’t I still grow, not as much but the quads are still popping