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Lifting discussion and resources
We have the weekly fitness check-in but I thought it would be valuable to have a thread to discuss more specific lifting topics and resources.
- What type of programs do you gravitate towards?
- Do you compete in Powerlifting/Weightlifting/Strongman or some other discipline? Any upcoming meets worth watching?
- Have you found any resources that others might be interested in?
I'll start us off. I've been lifting about 5 years with a 2 year gap where I got under a barbell maybe once a month or so. I compete locally in powerlifting and find its a great sport for a nerd like myself that likes to track and work the number a lot. That said I really like low complexity workouts, by that I mean focusing on the big three and doing variations only when targeting a particular weakness.
One of my favorite resources is Stronger by Science. Really well done meta-analyses of research in strength science. I've been reading since they started but only began listening to the podcast recently.
Haha, I actually came here because I saw this thread before work this morning and was going to make a very similar post to you.
We have similar approaches, in that I'd rather just approach my training intuitively than dedicate tons of mental energy to getting everything perfectly right. Like you, my #1 goal and personal core value is maintaining my health and longevity, and I realized min-maxing my training and diet to be as strong and aesthetic as possible for the next what, 10-12 years? (I'm 28) isn't really in alignment with that value. In that sense, I really like my current approach beacuse it allows me to be flexible, enjoy life, and inflict less mental damage on myself. But it wasn't easy to settle into this mindset, because it meant abandoning reaching "100% of my potential" in the short term, something I wasn't ready to do for a while.
(Ironically, even though I've let off on my training emphasis, my results have actually gotten better. Probably because I'm not subjecting myself to mental anguish on a daily basis.)
I do powerlifting and bouldering, and yeah, I also have no desire to compete any time soon. My sixth* and most recent powerlifting competition was in 2021, and I don't do sport climbing so have never competed there. That being said, one of the things that continues to draw me in to sports like these is the idea of improving over time, so I do keenly pay attention to my numbers and have a strong desire to improve them, but I just don't let myself off the deep end and track my calories to the 2nd decimal point/implement the most individualized possible periodization scheme for my training in order to do that. It's been interesting balancing my desire to improve with my desire to live a healthy life outside of training. Now that I think about it, it's like I'm able to switch 100% into "lifting mode" when I'm at the gym or doing anything related, but able to switch 100% out of it when doing anything else. This is in contrast with maybe 1 or 2 years ago when I would constantly be thinking about my numbers, body fat %, etc. all the time, and always felt burdened by those thoughts.
It sounds to me like you've got a healthy training philosophy already. I'm curious whether or not you've always been able to strike this balance. I've been training for ~10 years with a 3 year gap in there, so it was a long time coming for me.
*6th if you count the 2 weightlifting competitions I've done; I did Olympic weightlifting for 3 years, but dropped it in ~2018.
If you want to compete in something that isn't too hard on your body, look into bouldering competitions. It's as much of a mental challenge as a physical one and tons of climbing gyms have them occasionally.
I think this is a great perspective as well. An eye on longevity is important as well. What I find is that lifters who burn hard and just "dummy" their lifts encounter more career impacting injuries. The longer term lifters rarely hit maximal weights except for competitions and even then have built up enough general strength than an injury is unlikely.
But unlikely still means possible. I enjoy other sports too, skiing, cycling, mountain biking in particular. Injuries are possible in all these sports and I have to triage my interests. I'm more likely to get injured skiing or mountain biking. I enjoy skiing so I will accept that risk, but I don't want to get hurt mountain biking so I rarely challenge myself in that sport.
Yeah I was hoping that a health.fitness or health.lifting group would be made, but I guess the fitness community on here isn't that large. I too am lifting more for general health than aesthetic reasons, but I wouldn't mind looking good too. I love the feeling of having a body that moves around with ease.
I would love to see more write ups on here of different lifting techniques, routines, and new science that comes out. I also believe that keeping it simple works best for the most part, but I always enjoy learning that I could tweak something small for good results.
I've done powerlifting and weightlifting, but mostly powerlifting, for ~7 years if you don't count a 3 year break. I'd like to share the training resource that's resonated with me the most in that time:
The General Gainz framework by GZCL
I found this framework after reading Cody/GZCL's post on "1000 workouts without a rest day", which is also an interesting read. General Gainz is a framework rather than a program for fully autoregulating your training, and it prioritizes self-selection of weights for adequate recovery and long-term progression rather than prescribing weights and peaking over 8, 12, 21 weeks. I've found that this approach has given me the tools to design my training around the parameters that I want (which also happen to be recovery and longevity) without agonizing too much over the small details.
I don't currently run a full GG progression "as prescribed", because I went ahead and tried SBS RTF for an extended cycle that I'm still running. I actually only run SBS for my T1 lifts, and for T2s-T3s I use a modified General Gainz progression. However, I ran a General Gainz progression in full for at least a year between 2021-2022, and my progress was pretty good: S 365->405, B 225->255, D 465->501, BW 181->167
Either way, I value General Gainz as a really approachable way to start autoregulating your training, and I'd say that it gives you the tools to bias your training towards whatever it is you want to maximize. It might not be for you if you'd rather have a program that just tells you what to do.
I'm definitely a big fan of autoregulation. It takes buy-in and some practice to understand the mechanisms but it overall feels more accessible and safer.
Side-note I was going back and forth between commenting and reading articles in your link and lost my draft comment so this may seem a bit more rushed in thoughts compared to what I had wanted to write but also I wanted to make sure I finally wrote my post before I lose it again!
First I hope my comment fits the spirit of what you were going for. I do body weight exercises but want to learn more about strength training so love your resource. I was looking at the plateau article which does talk some about bodyweight and low load.
I have found I am drawn to body weight because it meets a lot of my goals, I can do it at home, alone. I can go at a pace with breaks but do something else between sets.
However i do wonder sometimes if my efficiency mindset in just powering through reps is hindering my ability for muscle growth. I think I need to slow down, would you recommend a particular article on that?
And because I am curious about your routine/strategy how do you know when to just do your set routine vs push up weights/go to the next level? I feel like I've been doing my routine for a bit and my soreness is lessening and I'm wondering if I need to push harder now and look at different angle body exercises.
I use you are your own gym YAYOG as my resource for exercises to try, he now has a paid monthly app and website news letter but I feel those are leaning on the scammy/hustle side so I won't link them. I just find the free stuff available now occasionally on YouTube or other places and see what I can do at least 12 reps of.
I don't have a particular article at hand. One recommendation would be to focus on the eccentric movement. For example if you are doing a set of curls, lower the weight a bit slower and with control. You'll find them a bit more difficult but my accessories always see improvement when I am intentional with each rep in this way.
Everyone's physiology varies. I find that my soreness only kicks in when I reach a certain tonnage either from increased weight or increases reps. I personally focus on RPE (rating of perceived exertion) based programs. Meaning each compound movement set/rep scheme has a difficulty rating between 5-10. A recommended loading is computed off RPE tables as a target but the actual load is determined by my readiness (combination of recovery, mood, stress, sleep quality). I like this style of training for several reasons:
For example my squats yesterday read something like the following:
Programmed (Estimated max from previous sessions: 203kg)
1x3@RPE7 | 165kg (80.9%)
3x4@RPE7 | 160kg (79.7%)
Actual
1x3@RPE7 | 170kg e1rm 205kg <- very high aggression brought into this lift
1x4@RPE8 | 162.5 kg <- mentally tired didn't feel comfortable after unrack and spent too long standing with the weight getting my feet positioned
1x4@RPE7.5 | 162.5 kg <- felt much better but still higher than targeted RPE
1x4@RPE6 | 155 kg <- Took a bit of weight off to try and keep the whole squat session closer to the programmed RPE
In general? Just had small amounts of weight. I routinely only add 2.5kgs to a lift. It might be a little harder but that's okay. The point is to never add so much that the difficulty sky rockets. All your working weight should be low enough that over shooting 2.5-5kg doesn't cause a missed lift, just a slightly harder set than planned. But then you adjust.
I typically run for my workouts, and I lost about 60lbs between that and diet. About two months ago, I started weight training and had no idea where to begin so I'm following the Strong Lifts 5x5 method. I have no idea if it is the most effective method, but its been provided some structure and is better than the nothing I have been doing.
I try to do it 2-3 times a week, and follow the A/B workouts (Squats, overhead press, deadlift / squats, bench, barbell row). I've hurt myself in the past by trying to lift too much, too quickly, so I'm going really slow, starting with just the bar, going up a few pounds each workout and deloading weight if I miss a workout.
It can be a little weird, like when I was recently doing benchpress with just a 10lb weight on each side, when I know I could easily do more. I figure if I stick with and keep adding a bit of weight each week/workout I'll start pushing against my limit.
I'm purely training for my own health, as my biggest concern is to keep my strength and mobility as I get older. I've been cutting back on the running recently and I think I'm going to start trying to incorporate some sort of stretching/yoga routine next.
I'm still a relative noob to lifting, so a more experienced person can chime in on this to confirm or deny. I've noticed that I feel it more in my muscles when I find a weight where I can maintain the proper form. Trying to go up 10lbs on a lift gets me worse results if my form breaks down during my sets. I think form is key to a good workout and weight should only go up once form is mastered.
In a lot of programs (I don't know if Strong Lifts specifically talks about this) "failure" is defined by you being unable to move the weight through a full motion while maintaining proper form. A lot of people look over that.
That is why I absolutely do not like AMRAPs. Knowing if your form is going to breakdown on the next rep is very hard to predict, especially for the populations that Strong Lifts is targeted at.
SL5x5 is really popular way to get started in strength training, and one of the great things about it is the video and written documentation (although I think some of what Mehdi says is questionable, but you can weed that out). Another popular program similar to SL is Starting Strength, by Mark Rippetoe. Some say that Mehdi stole his format from Rippetoe; but whether that matters or not, both are really good. Both SL and SS have a ton of recommended routes after you've advanced beyond the beginner stage. I know pointing to Reddit is out of style now, but both programs have great communities there which provide a lot of solid tips. Good luck!
I started with SL 5x5, but then heard about Rippetoe's 3x5. I got Rippetoe's Starting Strength book, and just abandoned SL5x5 because Rippetoe seemed a lot more credible, referencing physics and stuff in his book.
Rippetoe is an excellent place to start building strength and an understanding of the basic kinesiology that is discussed in strength science. But I would caution you that Rippetoe is a rigid guy who does not understand or adjust to modern science. Follow his method as long as it works but be prepared to "outgrow" him.
Any particular suggestions for where to start someone that hasn't really lifted since high school, but wants to rebuild some strength? I have zero interest in the "lifestyle" of lifting or weight loss or anything. I just want to be stronger.
I mostly have access to lifting machines at the moment but am happy to improvise things at home. I'm not a man if that impacts suggestions, I previously got told to start with pushups and oh boy is that not a realistic start for me at the moment.
Guys, gals, and non-binary pals should all get the same advice. I think it depends a lot one what motivates you.
If you already have some type of cardio routine at home it can be as simple as getting some resistance bands and using them to do some simple resistance movements. To start I'd look for one or two lower body movements you enjoy and then 3-4 upper body movements that target different parts of your body.
If you already have access to a gym, then just pick 4-5 machines that appeal to you and hit them regularly. start with weight that you can do 10-15 reps with and go from there. You can start varying your days so maybe some days you do heavier work in the 5-8 rep range and then other days use that lighter weight in the 10-15 rep range.
If you're interested in trying to get strong in the compound lifts (to me this means squat, bench, deadlift) then I recommend a slightly more methodical approach. I'm going to assume you have access to a gym. If not skip point 1.
Thank you so much - I don't mind learning how to lift better, just not wanting to sort of set my interest parameters.
And mentioned I was not a dude because I've definitely gotten some bad advice because people made some assumptions!
I definitely have access to weightlifting machines with easy access, and can get some access to weights in the future
A great resource I point beginners to is thefitness.wiki created by /r/fitness and /r/weightroom. It has a lot of recommended routines for people who are beginning their fitness journey and intermediate routines for others. It also talks about diet, strength training, cardio, and has a great FAQ.
I’ll also mention Stronger By Science which is a fantastic resource for exercise and health science. For routines, I’m currently doing GZCL which has already been mentioned by others in this thread.
I generally just do weightlifting with powerblocks at home and track the weight in an app called Strong while also just more casually trying to increase lift weight intuitively. I've gotten more seriously back into it the past couple of months, and have been doing 2-3x a week. One day for legs, one day for arms, and I'm going to try to integrate a core/bodyweight day (I am also severely tempted to try pilates, but money). I run 3x a week and on off days will do 20-40min of low intensity indoor cycling to get in some cardio.
The powerblocks only go up to 50lbs each for a total of 100lbs and I'm already at 80lbs for my squats which I'm very proud of and also annoyed because that means I might need a gym to keep it up.
I personally try not to get too wrapped up in the nutrition aspect of it. I've started intermittent fasting to help with weight loss, and try to eat more veggies and fruits and less meat. The problem with less meat is the protein, I don't know if I'm getting enough in my diet while also weightlifting.
I skulk around r/bodyweightfitness to get exercise ideas and just overall form and tips for that kind of stuff. It's a treasure trove to be honest.
I mean if you want you could stretch the weight you have quite a bit more with (Bulgarian) split squats, lunges and the like.
I'm not sure I have a steady enough surface for split squats, but I have been seeing them a lot more lately and will likely give them a try. And I do other leg workouts with the power block weights, I'll do lunges and calf raises with the weights. Definitely not anywhere near maxing out on lunges lol. The biggest thing for me is it's a lot of work holding the weights themselves, especially as they get heavier.
I used to use a plastic storage box with a pillow on top before I had a bench, it worked for split squats because the back leg is supposed to not bear weight, it's just there as a stabiliser. Think of doing a one-legged squat for the most part.
For the holding weight, I use fingerless workout gloves because my skin tends to break easy and that definitely helps grip too. I can also recommend doing some dedicated grip training.
Thank you!! I definitely have both a plastic storage box and pillows, I'll have to give that setup a try. And good point on the gloves. For me, the weights are just really heavy and my arms got too fatigued. I actually pulled a back muscle after putting away the power blocks because I was too unsteady. I've been going with my sister to the gym as her guest to use the squat racks there, so that's been helpful. But you're totally right on about the grip training, too! Lots of little things I can incorporate to help.
Nice. Yes the storage box I found was most stable upside down and then on top of my exercise mat. I guess that's trial and error, yours could be different. Grip training for me is mostly hanging from my pull up bar (my back likes that too) and one of those squeeze things. Grip strength improves quickly it's pretty cool to be able to confidently open jars etc.
I have a home gym and been running upper/lover which is my favorite template.
But I decided to stop fumbling around with more "complex" programs with percentages and just stick with traditional rep ranges and double progression.
For example:
4 sets of 6 to 8 reps of bench press
Set 1: 8 reps with 70kg
Set 2: 8 reps with 70kg
Set 3: 7 reps with 70kg
Set 4: 6 reps with 70kg
Next workout I bump the weight on the sets I got 8 reps and keep the weight on the sets with less reps.
Set 1 and 2: 6 reps with 74kg
Set 3 and 4: 8 reps with 70kg
It's been working wonderfully because I'll admit I want to look good and this is the approach that works for me because I'm always 1 or 2 reps shy of failure which is the most important part to stimulate muscle growth.
When I work with fixed percentages I always and up being conservative and spin my wheels.
The only problem I have is lack of volume on lower body days. Having a home gym means no leg press, leg curl and leg extension machine so I have only squat and variations. It gets tiresome.
I bought a weight belt to squat without tiring my back with the barbell, but It doesn't do much because you can't add too many plates before it becomes cumbersome so I do sets of 20 reps with light weight.
Also for leg curls I've been doing gliding leg curl. Thanks Bret Contreras. I hate it.
Sounds like a good autoregulation plan. Glad that it's working for you!
Curious what you mean by this?
I need to put a lot of plates to make the exercise a little difficult. So it becomes a PITA to attach a bunch of plates and then walk with the weights hanging to the steps I have and start squatting. There is so many plates you can add before it takes too much space in the chain.
I'm doing like 20+ reps and getting extremely bored and gassed before I even feel my quads burning.
Oh I see. I misunderstood your sentence entirely. You have a belt that you put weight on and are squatting with that. What are your concerns with tiring out your back?
If you don't have access to a barbell and rack you could consider goblet squats with a heavy dumbbell. During covid I would just grab a plate or two and goblet squat those. Of the big compound lifts I think barbell squat is the hardest to replace.
I have a hack and barbell.
I was mainly talking about leg exercises after squatting heavy for 4 sets. Since I don't have a leg press or leg extension, the only choice is more squats.
So I bought the belt to do weighted pullups and squatting without the need to load my back for more sets.
I squat 2x per week and I prefer to not go overboard loading my back. I had an injury in the past and It sometimes nags a little.
I've been lifting for 2-3 years; first with a trainer, now with 5/3/1 BBB (though I'm kind of looking for a different program). I'm a big perfectionist with less-than-stellar physical fitness, so lifting was humbling and emotionally healthy-- I try to make my goal going into the gym and eating well, not driving myself crazy monitoring my numbers (though I track my lifts via Strong). My main obstacle tends to be nutrition: healthy food is great (give me greens by the bucketful), calorie restrictions are fine, but I don't enjoy eating protein in the amounts needed.
Since I don't care about being big, I've been trying to ask myself what being fit actually means to me, and have been considering and trying other activities like circuit, HIIT, pole, yoga, w/e.
As far as resources, I enjoy Stronger by Science and recently stumbled upon Jeff Nippard's videos on how to increase your metabolism (cringey title, but I liked his fact-checking, study-referencing format) and his video on the dark side of being crazy fit. I also enjoy Strength Levels for helping me contextualize my progress (or lack thereof, haha).
Watching JPG's and TNF's videos on TikTok over the past two years has totally changed the way I lift. I've run a lot of the popular powerlifting programs, and definitely more of the GZCL variations than I care to list!
These days I'm in and out of the gym in under an hour, and I take my working sets in every exercise to failure. No more junk volume. In that sense, I don't really actively organize my sets around reps any more, but I know that the the weight I hit for each exercise needs to leave me at failure at around 6-8 reps.
As much as I like my neighbourhood gym, it feels great to not spend more 45mins in the gym and get an intense workout (and PAMP) every time.
Agreed, I don't like sinking too much time into the gym. Though my workouts do vary depending on where I am in training. The first 4 weeks of a block I tend to be in and out in around an hour. Near the end of a block it can be closer to two hours. I do find timing my rests to be productive for increasing overall work capacity and efficiency.
Can you expand on what are you talking about? I found TNF's Tiktok, but I'm too old to make sense of all that scattered videos.
The main thing that both TNF and JPGTRAINING talk about in their videos is training to failure on working sets, and that if you're truly training to failure you shouldn't have enough energy for more than 3-4 exercises per workout and each workout shouldn't take you any more than an hour.
I have to say that this has truly worked wonders for me in putting on size. For a long time I ran programs like GZCL, nSuns, etc., all the popular Reddit powerlifting/powerbuilding programs. I wish I could just go back and replace all of those 2hr+ workouts with workouts where I pick 4 exercises and train to failure within 6-8 reps with every working set.
Thanks! Yeah, I agree. I mainly train like this.
Never saw the point of those workouts with 2 different biceps exercises the same day unless you are a professional bodybuilder trying to grow a specific muscle.