Resistance training with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other weights. Questions involving how to lift and maximizing lifting performance. Includes powerlifting, bodybuilding and Olympic lifting.
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Importance of flexibility
First, some context: I'm a 32 years old developer who spends most of the day sit, go to swimming classes once a week, and does weightlifting (at home) whenever it finds time, now moving from ...
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3answers
1k views
How should you warm up for stronglifts sessions?
From the StrongLifts book:
Never jump straight into your work weight, warm-up first. As an example, let's say your
work weight for the Squat is 135lbs. Then here's how your training would look ...
5
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2answers
100 views
Should I try alternate which arm I carry weights / discs with at the gym?
I do heavy weight lifting 5 times per week, and when I think back over all the times I have taken discs off the machines, carried them around to other machines, put them on the ground and so on, I ...
5
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3answers
182 views
Getting stronger without gaining muscle
I want to eventually start competing in BJJ competitions in the lightweight division (<70kg) and I'm about 67kg (10%bf) at the moment. I'm going to continue weight training until I reach 70kg and ...
5
votes
3answers
354 views
How much weight would I need to gain if I increased my deadlift by 50 pounds?
I want to train my deadlift, and I'm curious to know how much weight I might gain if I increased my deadlift by, say, 50lbs. Is there any literature out there that quantifies the relationship between ...
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4answers
329 views
Should I follow the gym's program or just stick to Starting Strength?
I'm trying to follow the Starting Strength program, and need some help with the exercises. The trainers at the gym want you to do a fancy circuit, using some freeweights but mainly machines.
Should ...
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4answers
2k views
Having elbow and forearm pain after kettlebell workout
I have been doing kettlebell workouts recently and I started having pain at the bottom of my forearm (right above my elbow).
Is this a common injury that indicates I am pushing too hard or doing ...
5
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4answers
720 views
High Heel in weightlifting shoes
After much urging, I bought some Wei-Rui weight lifting shoes. But I found my deadlift in them became much worse, not better. A friend told me that the high heel in them ruins the deadlift. He told ...
5
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1answer
278 views
Sport Specific Lifts - Tennis
I joined, for the first time, a summer tennis league this year. I do a small amount of weight training still and would like to focus my lifting sessions more toward functional lifts that might ...
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1answer
104 views
Method of exercising
What is the difference between the normal weight training motions (e.g. bench press lifting it up and down) and holding a weight at a certain point (e.g. holding a weight in the middle of a press for ...
5
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1answer
508 views
Can I work my arms every other day?
As I understand it arms recover quite quickly (24 hours or less). Arms are, without a doubt, my weakest point. I've been blessed with good leg genetics but my arms are completely out of proportion in ...
5
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2answers
73 views
Is it good to box 6 rounds before heavy squats?
My physical therapist wants me to box six 3-minute rounds before I do weight training. After boxing I feel pretty tired and of course not 100% energized, and I can't perform 100% in weight training ...
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1answer
688 views
Effective warm-up before weight lifting circuit
What's the most effective warm-up before doing my weight lifting circuit?
Is it better to warm up by doing 10 minutes on the elliptical cross-trainer or by doing a set using a light weight before ...
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3answers
410 views
How many sets and reps should I do as a beginner?
About a year ago, I asked a question looking for a list of beginner dumbbell exercises. A user suggested this helpful website, which I promptly bookmarked. Having procrastinated for the past 10 months ...
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1answer
793 views
How can I workout my upper body with an injured wrist?
A while back I injured my wrist, and while I have a clean bill of health now, during that time I was not able to work my upper body (delts, lats, biceps, triceps, pects).
Was there some way I could ...
5
votes
1answer
102 views
Long overtraining - What is the solution and how much time is needed to recover?
A week ago, followed by 4-5 months of high intensive training I decided to take a break from the gym.
I felt very disappointed and discouraged as I was training very hard and there were no gains, ...
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votes
1answer
845 views
Effects of aerobic exercise after weight lifting
What are the effects, positive and negative of:
Swimming for 30-60 min immed. after weight training
and/or
Walking briskly a few miles the day after weight training
I'm following Starting ...
5
votes
2answers
799 views
What is the best Olympic weightlifting instructional?
I am moving from strength training to power training in order to improve athletic performance. Specifically, I am adding the clean and jerk (no snatch for now) to my program. I am not looking to ...
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0answers
85 views
Going from training 3 days/week to 4 days/week
I've been training three days per week for about two months now and feel that I want to increase the amount of training I do. From mon - wed - fri, to mon-tue-thu-fri. Currently I have a two day ...
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4answers
492 views
Are squats necessary to reduce body weight?
My partner told me that squats are a basic exercise, that it helps to improve the lungs so you should do squats daily to lift huge weights. Is this true? Are squat exercises helpful to reduce our body ...
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3answers
5k views
Losing weight with Stronglifts 5x5?
At 22 years old and 325 lbs (mostly fat) I rather desperately want (and need) to lose weight. However, I'm not a big fan of running. I do some biking, but I've been reading up more about weight ...
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2answers
547 views
Buying barbell / rack
I want to buy a barbell and a squat rack so I can lift at home but looking around there's so many to choose from its overwhelming. I just need to know:
Which brands are trusted and recommended?
...
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4answers
5k views
How to Increase height naturally? Are those ads gimmicks?
I'm 5'6, weigh 137, male and close to be 24 soon. I am not happy with my height. I love sports, basketball, soccer, and others.
Being this short have some influence on sport activities I ...
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3answers
255 views
Is it okay to skip arm specific exercises?
I hardly ever do curls or any exercise that focuses solely on making my arms stronger. I've found, however, that they're probably the part of my body that grows the fastest as a side effect of the ...
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2answers
147 views
What's proper head/torso motion for overhead barbell press?
I'm ready to learn the overhead barbell press, but am very confused about the head, neck, and torso motion. When do you tilt in, when do you tilt out?
Can someone clarify this? The arms are clear but ...
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2answers
157 views
Slight panic when weightlifting?
I'm new - more specifically I'm about three months into starting strength. Tonight for the first time I felt a slight panic on my squat and my deadlift. Nothing too serious - just thoughts that I ...
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2answers
420 views
What are key points to focus on when trying to increase the size and definition of the bicep?
How does one work the bicep to it's max? Admittedly, I know I'm guilty of lack of symmetry because I do a lot of exercise that build my triceps. Therefore, I think my biceps have suffered and I ...
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2answers
1k views
What are some good 5x5 programs I can follow?
I'm looking to start a 5x5 program because I've heard that there are great benefits for beginners just starting to get into weight lifting. What are some good programs, and how can I pick the one ...
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1answer
123 views
Weight Training for Weight Loss
I have heard that weight training can be a good strategy for reducing body fat. If one's goal is to reduce total body fat, should one's weight training program be aimed at muscle hypertrophy or ...
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2answers
974 views
Supplemental exercises for breaking an overhead press plateau
Background:
I've just recently completed the first 12 week period of StrongLifts. My finishing stats are below:
Age: 24
Gender: male
Height: 170cm (67in)
Body weight: 68kg (150#) (I've been eating ...
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votes
3answers
1k views
Right knee hurts on squat
When I squat in athletics my right knee hurts on the inside and sometimes when we max out or something my knee will hurt all day. If weight and load are needed, I weigh 105 lbs and squat 185 lbs. I ...
4
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3answers
504 views
Form Check on Squats: Elbow Tension
After performing squats I often feel elbow soreness (or perhaps extreme fatigue). I'd like to see if anyone can offer form corrections that might help reduce the strain, or if my form looks OK, then ...
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3answers
525 views
Crunches before or after sit-ups?
I use a machine to do 8-12 crunches to failure. I also like to perform sit-ups to failure (and I feel it in the front of my hips, not my abs). Does it matter in which order I do these two exercises?
...
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2answers
477 views
Bench press starting position - what should I be looking at?
In the link below, Mark Rippetoe of Starting Strength says that when positioning oneself for a bench press:
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Lifts#The_Bench_Press
Your eyes should ...
4
votes
1answer
176 views
Bodybuilding - Myofibrillar and Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy - Building muscles
I'm training for two years, trying to develop muscles (for astethics, being big and not for strength training).
I read that in order to do that I should work more on my sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. As ...
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2answers
2k views
I feel sleepy while doing weight training
Sometimes, I feel sleepy when I am doing my weight training. Is this natural? It doesn't happen all the time, only sometimes, I feel so tired that I feel like sleeping immediately afterwards.
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2answers
68 views
In what way is the Arnold press different from a standard dumbbell press?
I mean effectually - I understand the functional difference. What different GAIN do I receive from Arnold presses?
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1answer
191 views
Proper way to find out your one rep max?
As part of an online competition I want to perfom 1RM on all of my lifts (squat, bench press, over head press, bent over rows, dead lift). I do not know what my current 1RM is and would like to find ...
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2answers
332 views
My back goes horizontal (forward) when squatting
When squatting, my back is too horizontal (forward). The bar goes forward of my toes. What should I do to correct this? Is it due to not keeping my lumbar tight enough?
Also: I haven't checked ...
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3answers
507 views
Should I really lock my elbows and knees when lifting?
When bench pressing, at max extension, should I lock my elbows or keep them loose?
What about my knees when squatting?
UPDATE: Here are some links from the Mayo Clinic warning against locking joints ...
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2answers
255 views
Incorporating kettlebell exercises into an existing workout plan
I've been working through Ripptoe's Starting Strength and Practical Programming books and training schedule, mostly aiming for basic fitness and building muscle mass. My current workout is mostly ...
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2answers
2k views
When Do You Stop Working Out?
I've always stopped when my muscles are moderately sore, but I've seen some people on this site say that soreness is not an accurate gauge of how good of a work out you got. How do I tell when my ...
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votes
2answers
200 views
Spreading workout into two
Would it be better to spread my workout into two different shifts, or better to do it all at once?
My focus is to lose fat, gain muscle.
I am 5'11", weight 185 lbs and I'm 26 years old. I currently ...
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votes
4answers
452 views
What's a deadlift supposed to feel like?
I did my first "real" deadlift today, and, it's a very different feeling. Unlike a squat or a bench, where I clearly feel myself pushing against something, when I deadlifted (135 lbs, about what I'm ...
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votes
4answers
2k views
How to do deadlifts with dumbbells?
I dont have access to a barbell, yet i still want to try and do deadlifts, so i was wondering if anybody knows how to explain to me the proper technique, or maybe even refer me to an article or video ...
4
votes
2answers
243 views
What type or amount of weight training is beneficial for a beginning swimmer?
I started swimming regularly about a month ago, and I can currently swim freestyle less than 75m before I have to stop and recover for a short time. I have a simple goal of being able to cover 500m ...
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2answers
291 views
does muscle build differently after 40?
I've heard than muscle builds at a different speed in people over forty and that it's necessary to use weights in a different way - specifically, with less weight and in shorter sets - for that ...
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4answers
260 views
Starting to lift weights - True commitment or start as I can?
I want to start lifting weights but I haven't because I've heard that, when you do start, you need to make a very true commitment. So I need to wait a couple of months for a few things to settle ...
4
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1answer
114 views
Do Different Bench Press Variants Build Muscle Differently?
I once read somewhere (though not somewhere very reputable) that the incline bench press will build more muscle in the upper chest, while the flat bench press will build more muscle in the lower ...
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1answer
517 views
How much protein and how often should I consume if my LBM is very low?
I've been googling for hours and I'm still not sure how to resolve this situation.
Defining the problem
many articles on the web are written for heavy people with relatively high body fat ...
