Resistance training with barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells and other weights. Questions involving how to lift and maximizing lifting performance. Includes powerlifting, bodybuilding and Olympic lifting.
43
votes
4answers
25k views
Is it healthy to exercise a muscle when it's still sore?
Is it healthy or is it damaging to exercise a muscle while it's still sore from a previous workout?
37
votes
5answers
6k views
How to lose manboobs?
Well this one is embarrassing as hell to ask, but its a real issue for me. I do dips often, as people say that's good, but different people say different things - that bench press will make them more ...
22
votes
3answers
3k views
What happens when you miss a workout?
Normally I get to the gym Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and try to lift a little bit more weight than I did the time before.
Today everything has gone wrong and I am not going to be able to make it ...
18
votes
3answers
796 views
Shoes for Weightlifting
What shoes have you found to be most effective for exercises like squats and deadlifts etc.?
17
votes
8answers
2k views
Does lifting more than 5lbs really cause females to bulk?
I recently read an article about a guy who trains many models and actresses and he states that women shouldn't be lifting weights above 5 pounds, and not doing cardio such as spinning, because doing ...
17
votes
3answers
1k views
Protein: How much is too much?
I'm currently taking in 100 grams a day of protien via whey powder. I used to take 250 grams when I was training. I've read that you should intake 1 gram per pound of body weight you have when ...
16
votes
8answers
2k views
Prevent or treat delayed onset muscle soreness
When I lift weights, I lift heavy. I expect to be sore afterwards because I know I've pushed myself hard. Unfortunately, sometimes I push myself too far and get very bad delayed onset muscle soreness ...
15
votes
3answers
1k views
Do you need to “feel the burn” to become stronger?
If your goal is increasing strength, must you always train to the point where you feel the burn later?
14
votes
3answers
2k views
Are “fast-twitch” and “slow-twitch” muscles actual scientific terms? If so, are they useful for the strength trainer?
When I first started to strength train in high school, one of the first things I remember reading in the weight room was this giant chart that highlighted areas of so-called fast-twitch and ...
14
votes
3answers
19k views
How much protein should I eat on off-days?
I'm aware that eating protein is important on the day of your weight lifting session. The most important time to eat protein is right after the session. But I've never heard advice on when to eat and ...
13
votes
7answers
4k views
My wrists and fore-arms hurt, what should I do?
I weight lifts daily and also do parkour and I tend to have problems with my wrists and forearms (edit: specifically it's my right wrist and my left forearm. my left wrist is completely OK and my ...
13
votes
1answer
498 views
What are the trade-offs of weight versus repetition?
When doing work out with weights, what is the impact of trade-off between
amount of weights working with
number of times an exercise is repeated
For example, I can repeat an exercise 10x3 times ...
13
votes
3answers
1k views
What difference do the number of sets make?
Generally when lifting weights if you do a low number of reps it will increase your strength, and a higher number of reps will increase your endurance.
However when it comes to the number of sets to ...
12
votes
6answers
2k views
How do I bench press safely without a spotter?
What do smart lifters do when they're working out alone and want to do benchpresses?
I have a busy schedule, and it isn't practical for me to have a regular weightlifting partner. I've usually ...
12
votes
4answers
5k views
Cardio vs. Weight lifting. Which one is better for losing weight?
Cardio burns more calories during the exercise, but weight-lifting builds more muscle which in turn raises your RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate). I have a little over an hour to workout each day during ...
12
votes
4answers
4k views
What are the best ways to deal with headphone cords while exercising?
I'm looking to buy a new set of headphones; I don't care much about audio quality, so I use the same pair of headphones for running and normal use, and prefer the kind of earbuds that slip over the ...
12
votes
1answer
125 views
What should I do if I can't complete my program's prescribed workout?
This is a general question, but I'll give some specifics to fill it in. I'm on the Texas Method periodization program. On Monday, I was unable to complete the prescribed workout of a 5lb increase in ...
12
votes
2answers
233 views
Can I train for 'mass' on some parts of my body, and 'strength' for others?
Is it possible to perform strength training on certain muscle groups and training for mass gain on others?
For example, I don't want big legs, but I of course want much stronger legs. Can I do ...
11
votes
6answers
4k views
Squat /Deadlift with torn ACL?
I tore my left knee ACL 6 months playing soccer. After the incident I was able to go to a Dr and he told me I need to let the inflammation come down and then get surgery. He said I don't need to do ...
11
votes
5answers
619 views
Is increasing resistance the only possibility to build more muscle mass?
I've often read and heard that you can only build more muscle-mass (get stronger), if you continuously increase the resistance weights (e.g. here).
But for me, it's the case that I'm often not able ...
11
votes
3answers
542 views
Does heavy lifting affect steadiness and precision?
I do a fair amount of weightlifting; in particular heavy compound lifts power-lifting style. I also compete on a target pistol team. Over the years, I've heard a number of coaches and marksmen ...
11
votes
2answers
246 views
Is there a benefit to weightlifting without pushing yourself?
Sometimes when I'm at the gym, I am not motivated enough or I don't feel energetic enough to really push myself and force myself to really struggle with those last 2-3 reps in each set. Times like ...
11
votes
3answers
485 views
Dumbbell weight training for distance running
What weight training exercises can I do with dumbbells that will benefit me most for running 5-10ks? Are stomach crunches/sit ups worth doing too?
10
votes
3answers
362 views
What do I do when I see people at the gym doing exercises wrong
I am always curious about this, not sure if its appropriate question, but I imagine others wonder the same thing. I usually don't care when it is simple exercises like biceps, but sometimes I see ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
How long should a person stick to the same weightlifting routine?
I have heard various opinions on how long a person should stick to a weightlifting routine before changing it up. Some have mentioned 8 weeks, others 12 weeks. How long should duration be? Also, ...
9
votes
5answers
921 views
Muscle building exercises without looking like the Hulk, think toned and defined
I'm looking to tone my body up and build muscle, but don't want to look like the Hulk or the chicken-legged guys with a huge upper body.
I would like to target:
Upper Body
Lower Body
Mid area ...
9
votes
3answers
601 views
Optimal exercises for an abdominal workout
In response to this answer, I was curious what exercises specifically target the abdominal muscles. Answers given so far include:
Works abs directly:
leg raises
rollout
Indirectly:
squats
My ...
9
votes
3answers
496 views
I'm a casual runner & active human. Do I need to work out my legs + lower body?
I'm 27 and I'm in pretty good shape. I'm getting in even better shape, having signed up for a gym membership a couple months ago for the first time in my life. I've been hitting some free weights, pec ...
9
votes
3answers
402 views
Weight keeps shifting to balls of my feet during squat
During squats, on my way back up my weight keeps shifting to the balls of my feet. From my understanding my weight should be roughly distributed throught he foot, with maybe a little bit more on the ...
9
votes
2answers
3k views
How much should I spend for olympic weights?
I'm willing to start some serious training at home. I'm totally new to weight lifting, but I'd still prefer to buy quality long-lasting equipement from the start, instead of wasting money into cheap ...
9
votes
3answers
10k views
Are squats with dumbbells as effective as squats with barbells?
I was wondering, if I were to use the same amount of weight with dumbbells as I would with a barbell while doing a squat, will I get the same benefits as I would using a barbell?
Now I understand ...
9
votes
3answers
240 views
What's the best way for me to start weightlifting?
I've always wanted to lift weights and honestly have no idea where to begin.
How do I get started? Do I need to join a gym? find a personal trainer? buy a book and weights? find a friend who ...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Joint impact of ATG Squats
Various weightlifting and exercise resources either claim that ATG squats (a**-to-ground, i.e. as low as you can) are perfectly fine or claim they will destroy your knees in two sessions.
I was ...
9
votes
1answer
117 views
When should a barbell be collared?
I've been strength training now for 10 weeks and have never bothered with spring collars because the weights have been light and the collars are a pain when doing 4 different warmup weights, then the ...
8
votes
2answers
658 views
What muscles are deadlifts meant to target?
If I am using the correct form while doing a standard deadlift what primary and secondary muscles are being targeted?
8
votes
3answers
1k views
Help with deadlift technique - bruised shins and knees
I've started using deadlifts for lower body work a few months ago and, despite having read a lot of descriptions and watched all the videos I can find, I think I am doing something wrong. When I ...
8
votes
2answers
933 views
How do I know how much weight I should be lifting with dumbells?
I was just given a set of weights - adjustable weight dumbells - as a present, but I have no idea what sort of weights/how many reps I should be doing in order to achieve the best results.
I'm ...
8
votes
2answers
525 views
How to get stronger (mostly upper body)?
I'm a college runner with a 14 month injury that doesn't look like it's going away anytime soon.
So I decided I may as well take up weight-training instead. I absolutely hate lifting weights, but, ...
8
votes
3answers
4k views
Troubleshooting “Body By Science” workout
I've been doing a workout inspired by Body By Science for the last 5 weeks. I can't do the whole book justice in a quick post, but in a nutshell it recommends doing a single set of 3-5 exercises ...
8
votes
1answer
406 views
When do you recommend using a belt for deadlifts?
I've been trying to dead lift heavier (up to 380), but seem to have reached a plateau...the biggest obstacles seem to be my grip strength (thinking of using straps) and pressure on the lower back. Is ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
How to reduce shoulder soreness during and after squats
When I do squats, I find that my shoulders are often very sore (from the weight of the bar) afterward, and sometimes shoulder soreness becomes as much a limiting factor during exercise as the ...
8
votes
6answers
474 views
What's the ideal way to maintain my deadlift with minimal recovery demands?
Briefly
My deadlift is great and my squat sucks. I want to continue squatting 3x5 more and more weight while I keep my deadlift where it is. What's the best way to maintain my deadlift strength with ...
8
votes
1answer
320 views
How should I recover if I accidentally deadlifted 5x5 instead of 1x5?
I forgot that in the StrongLifts program you only had to deadlift 1x5 and accidentally did 5x5, will this hurt my recovery? Should I skip my next deadlift during my next workout B?
8
votes
2answers
4k views
Should I Be Discouraged if my Muscles Aren't Sore After Exercise?
A day or two after exercise my muscles will sometimes be sore, "wonderfully sore" I'll say. I think this is common, and I know I've done a good workout when this happens. But sometimes, my muscles ...
8
votes
2answers
132 views
Change grip between sets?
Is it useful to change the grip between sets? If I'm doing lat pulldown or seated rows, is it helpful to switch from narrow to wide grip between sets? Or am I diluting the value of doing multiple ...
8
votes
1answer
166 views
What is the optimum training intensity to prevent atrophy when on a caloric deficite?
I know that when I'm on a caloric surplus, I stimulate hypertrophy best if my training intensity lies somewhere between 6-12RM.
Now let's say I'm on a caloric deficite. What intensity is optimal for ...
7
votes
3answers
1k views
Need to gain strength to gain muscle?
I've been strength training 4 days a week for about 8 months. My goal is to increase mass. The usual recommendation for this is to do three sets of 8-12 repetitions for most exercises, and that's what ...
7
votes
6answers
679 views
Any trick to make going to the gym less intimidating?
I went to the gym last week, and the experience was quite intimidating. Everyone there was a regular, who knew exactly what to do, whereas I was the helpless derp who tried to understand how the ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Weight gained using GOMAD strategy
@DaveLiepmann recommended drinking one gallon of milk a day for gaining quick mass. It does look like a good idea as it is discussed on stronglifts as well.
But another article suggested it is not ...
7
votes
2answers
964 views
Need help with lower back pain while on stronglifts 5x5
I just started doing strong lifts 5x5 program and am paranoid about hurting myself. I am almost 300 lbs, and haven't done much exercise other than walking for the past long as I can remember. I was ...
