Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

I haven't done any weightlifting since the lockdowns started back in March. I've done running and pushups but I really wanna get serious about exercising. I've hardly done much at-home exercises so I'm kinda excited where that will take me. All I have right now are a couple of dumbbells and a kettle bell, but I think they'll work just fine for the near future.

About the only thing I'm iffy on are squats. I was never good at them even when I was hitting the gym, and even when I do body-weight, basic-bitch squats, it makes my lower back hurt. I don't know if it's form or if my lower back is just really weak (I have terrible posture in general so that might have something to do with it). I never liked doing them to begin with and avoided doing them in general, but I don't have any leg equipment so I think I'm gonna have to get used to it.

 

[Anime Waifu NFT collector]

I haven't done any weightlifting since the lockdowns started back in March. I've done running and pushups but I really wanna get serious about exercising. I've hardly done much at-home exercises so I'm kinda excited where that will take me. All I have right now are a couple of dumbbells and a kettle bell, but I think they'll work just fine for the near future.

About the only thing I'm iffy on are squats. I was never good at them even when I was hitting the gym, and even when I do body-weight, basic-bitch squats, it makes my lower back hurt. I don't know if it's form or if my lower back is just really weak (I have terrible posture in general so that might have something to do with it). I never liked doing them to begin with and avoided doing them in general, but I don't have any leg equipment so I think I'm gonna have to get used to it.

My back used to hurt from doing bodyweight squats too, most likely its your form, get a small tripod camera for your cellphone and film yourself doing them, watch youtube videos on how they are supposed to be done and correct mistakes. Also you can stretch your lower back by doing what this guy is doing,obviously he is very flexible and you wont be able to do that but try to imitate that movement of laying on your back trying to reach behind your head with your legs,that stretches your low back .

 

[Duncan Hills Coffee]

My back used to hurt from doing bodyweight squats too, most likely its your form, get a small tripod camera for your cellphone and film yourself doing them, watch youtube videos on how they are supposed to be done and correct mistakes. Also you can stretch your lower back by doing what this guy is doing,obviously he is very flexible and you wont be able to do that but try to imitate that movement of laying on your back trying to reach behind your head with your legs,that stretches your low back .low back strech.mp4

That looks similar to plow pose. I do yoga every day (not well, my body's still stiff as a board, but I do it every day), and I can't do plow pose because it absolutely murders my upper back. I have a terrible slouching problem and plow pose makes my upper back feel like it's crushing itself.

Basically I have a pretty shit back, upper and lower.

 

[Anime Waifu NFT collector]

That looks similar to plow pose. I do yoga every day (not well, my body's still stiff as a board, but I do it every day), and I can't do plow pose because it absolutely murders my upper back. I have a terrible slouching problem and plow pose makes my upper back feel like it's crushing itself.

Basically I have a pretty shit back, upper and lower.

That sucks but you can fix it with a lot of stretching, not only stretching your back but you stretching your shoulders and pecs as well since they are probably stiff from being slouched all the time. If normal squats hurt your back you can try front squats with a bar with no weight since front squats force you to have an upright positions, therefore not putting as much stress in your lower back.

Edit: also you can try decompression with gravity boots for your back

 

[JustFuckinaDude]

If normal squats hurt your back you can try front squats with a bar with no weight since front squats force you to have an upright positions, therefore not putting as much stress in your lower back.

I recently started doing front squats to keep weight off my neck and man, are they a completely different beast. I love ‘em.

Another thing about front squats, at least in my experience thus far, is the difference in core work. Having to stay upright like that changes the game. Highly recommended (not that it’s worth anything).

 

[Freedom Fries]

I recently started doing front squats to keep weight off my neck and man, are they a completely different beast. I love ‘em.

Another thing about front squats, at least in my experience thus far, is the difference in core work. Having to stay upright like that changes the game. Highly recommended (not that it’s worth anything).

have you tried low bar?

 

[JustFuckinaDude]

have you tried low bar?

I have. I only replaced it with front after finding out that my shoulder pain was coming from a vertebra that rotates easily because of a degenerated disk.

I can’t lift as much, but I’m not in pain, so I’ll call it a fair trade.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

I hate to be that guy, but for the lifters and bodybuilders here I would honestly recommend doing a little yoga in your routines. Not just stretching, but actual yoga routines.
I’ve just been doing some lately, about 30 minutes twice a week or so, and I’ve been feeling great. Better posture, less DOMS, and better core strength. Just a little bit of basic things seem to help quite a bit.
The reason I say yoga instead of stretching is that yoga is better with the parts in between stretches, so it helps with proprioception and is less boring.

 

[MerriedxReldnahc]

I hate it be that guy, but for the lifters and bodybuilders here I would honestly recommend doing a little yoga in your routines. Not just stretching, but actual yoga routines.
I’ve just been doing some lately, about 30 minutes twice a week or so, and I’ve been feeling great. Better posture, less DOMS, and better core strength. Just a little bit of basic things seem to help a bit.
The reason I say yoga instead of stretching is that yoga is better with the parts in between stretches, so it helps with proprioception and is less boring.

I second this! I've been doing it (almost) every morning to help with neck strain and the stiffness I get in my back from drawing for long hours. I took a yoga class back in college and have been doing a routine based on what I remember. It helps me feel less groggy in the mornings and get limbered up for a run.

 

[Aggron]

I hate it be that guy, but for the lifters and bodybuilders here I would honestly recommend doing a little yoga in your routines. Not just stretching, but actual yoga routines.
I’ve just been doing some lately, about 30 minutes twice a week or so, and I’ve been feeling great. Better posture, less DOMS, and better core strength. Just a little bit of basic things seem to help quite a bit.
The reason I say yoga instead of stretching is that yoga is better with the parts in between stretches, so it helps with proprioception and is less boring.

Cannot agree with this more. Especially pre/post deadlift or any sort of compound leg lift. The number of guys I've met who are either too lazy/refuse to at the very least stretch is startling. Everyone can benefit from that shit. Yoga is probably the only reason I haven't blown something out squatting. Some seriously rewarding stuff for those who invest. My all-time fav is Dancers. Make you feel super limber.

 

[CrackPipeCowboy]

The thing I find most difficult about weightlifting/bodybuilding is the meal prepping schedule. I can make the meals fine, but my issue is variety of meals. I tried chicken and rice with broccoli for over a year. While it gave a lot of results, I find it pretty lackluster and morale breaking. I've started making less fat and higher protein curries and pasta, but even that gets a bit stale. Are there any meal prepping sites or ideas any of you have around? I know scooby's workshop is alrgiht.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

The thing I find most difficult about weightlifting/bodybuilding is the meal prepping schedule. I can make the meals fine, but my issue is variety of meals. I tried chicken and rice with broccoli for over a year. While it gave a lot of results, I find it pretty lackluster and morale breaking. I've started making less fat and higher protein curries and pasta, but even that gets a bit stale. Are there any meal prepping sites or ideas any of you have around? I know scooby's workshop is alrgiht.

Scooby is a great resource, though he’s a bit of a goofball. He’s a lot more about function over form when it comes to food, though. He mainly goes for simple, well rounded foods that are pretty easy to make.
Personally, I pirated Greg Doucette’s cookbook and it’s actually pretty good. Not as ‘wholesome’ as Scooby, more emphasis on artificial sweeteners and such, but it works if you’re looking for variety and decent tasting options.

 

[CrackPipeCowboy]

Scooby is a great resource, though he’s a bit of a goofball. He’s a lot more about function over form when it comes to food, though. He mainly goes for simple, well rounded foods that are pretty easy to make.
Personally, I pirated Greg Doucette’s cookbook and it’s actually pretty good. Not as ‘wholesome’ as Scooby, more emphasis on artificial sweeteners and such, but it works if you’re looking for variety and decent tasting options.

Yeah I took his cookbook too. Problem is that the majority of the shit he has in there is "protein grilled cheese" and meals that just have protein powder or egg whites added. Mostly stuff I could easily figure out myself. I guess I could start looking into mexican bean stews or something.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

Yeah I took his cookbook too. Problem is that the majority of the shit he has in there is "protein grilled cheese" and meals that just have protein powder or egg whites added. Mostly stuff I could easily figure out myself. I guess I could start looking into mexican bean stews or something.

Yeah, that’s why I stole it.
Really, meal planning is such a personal thing that it really is just ‘whatever works’. For example, I like seafood. I’ll eat anything that comes out of the water, and that’s good for lean protein and various vitamins and minerals.
You might like Mexican food, so maybe you could try fajitas, breakfast burritos with egg whites and lean meats, huevos rancheros, quesadillas, polenta, whatever your current goals allow.
If you like Eastern food, spring rolls for your salads are great, curries are delicious and you can put anything in them, there’s a million types of soups with great spices to play with as well.
If you like European food, sterz is good for breakfast, sauerkraut is just cabbage, pork is fantastic protein and there’s no limit to what you can do with potatoes.
It all comes down to what you can stick to, and honestly how well you can cook for yourself.

 

[CrackPipeCowboy]

Yeah, that’s why I stole it.
Really, meal planning is such a personal thing that it really is just ‘whatever works’. For example, I like seafood. I’ll eat anything that comes out of the water, and that’s good for lean protein and various vitamins and minerals.
You might like Mexican food, so maybe you could try fajitas, breakfast burritos with egg whites and lean meats, huevos rancheros, quesadillas, polenta, whatever your current goals allow.
If you like Eastern food, spring rolls for your salads are great, curries are delicious and you can put anything in them, there’s a million types of soups with great spices to play with as well.
If you like European food, sterz is good for breakfast, sauerkraut is just cabbage, pork is fantastic protein and there’s no limit to what you can do with potatoes.
It all comes down to what you can stick to, and honestly how well you can cook for yourself.

Most of my meals preps have just been quick and easy stews and curries, blackened fish, chicken and rice, etc. So I'll probably get to making Chicken Tikka for the next couple of days again, but probably just use whole milk and no fat yogurt instead of cream. Also sauerkraut and with some lean beef/pork mix sausages sounds pretty good. Thanks for the family dinner idea for tomorrow.

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

Most of my meals preps have just been quick and easy stews and curries, blackened fish, chicken and rice, etc. So I'll probably get to making Chicken Tikka for the next couple of days again, but probably just use whole milk and no fat yogurt instead of cream. Also sauerkraut and with some lean beef/pork mix sausages sounds pretty good. Thanks for the family dinner idea for tomorrow.

Nice.
Just make a point to explore different recipes while coming at it with what it is you require for your bodybuilding. You’ll get the hang of it pretty easy.

 

[Artificial Baits]

The thing I find most difficult about weightlifting/bodybuilding is the meal prepping schedule. I can make the meals fine, but my issue is variety of meals.

Just recreate your favourite meals but opt for lean protein cuts of meat, low carb sauces, yogurt for mayo/soured cream, high protein pasta etc. Or you could try IIFYM but I personally do not like it for cutting. I prefer a more traditional "bodybuilding diet" because there is less margin of error. For lifestyle IIFYM is great. Having said that, I mostly stick to the core muscle building foods. Tastes nices and saves me having to think about what's next for food

 

[CrackPipeCowboy]

Just recreate your favourite meals but opt for lean protein cuts of meat, low carb sauces, yogurt for mayo/soured cream, high protein pasta etc. Or you could try IIFYM but I personally do not like it for cutting. I prefer a more traditional "bodybuilding diet" because there is less margin of error. For lifestyle IIFYM is great. Having said that, I mostly stick to the core muscle building foods. Tastes nices and saves me having to think about what's next for food

That's what I typically do, I just find it difficult coming up with new ideas and recipes. This guy James has some good stuff. He does a bit of IIFYM tier foods, but his ideas are nice.

 

[Hollywood Hulk Hogan]

Scooby is a great resource, though he’s a bit of a goofball. He’s a lot more about function over form when it comes to food, though. He mainly goes for simple, well rounded foods that are pretty easy to make.
Personally, I pirated Greg Doucette’s cookbook and it’s actually pretty good. Not as ‘wholesome’ as Scooby, more emphasis on artificial sweeteners and such, but it works if you’re looking for variety and decent tasting options.

I like a lot of Scooby's recipes, but I wish he posted the recipes instead of doing his custommealplanner crap. I would usually take his recipes and modify them a bit. To be honest, though, his "beans + salsa" combo is a pretty easy and quick meal to whip up if you're in a rush.

I used to do the whole "clean eating" stuff, but switched to more IIFYM so I could enjoy food a bit. Still eat mostly clean, but I am a bit more lenient now (like meal prep tacos instead of just rice + chicken)

 

[CivilianOfTheFandomWars]

I like a lot of Scooby's recipes, but I wish he posted the recipes instead of doing his custommealplanner crap. I would usually take his recipes and modify them a bit. To be honest, though, his "beans + salsa" combo is a pretty easy and quick meal to whip up if you're in a rush.

I used to do the whole "clean eating" stuff, but switched to more IIFYM so I could enjoy food a bit. Still eat mostly clean, but I am a bit more lenient now (like meal prep tacos instead of just rice + chicken)

He does shill his meal planner a lot, but I can't complain that much, it's free after all. Beans and salsa is pretty good for lunch.
At this point, I only really go hardcore on my diets if I need too, otherwise it's just 'try and eat enough protein, eat heathy enough, count calories'.
Asian food really is the GOAT when it comes to bodybuilding, in my experience. Lots of veggies, fish and chicken are common, healthy fats like peanuts are in a lot of things, and a lot of dishes are easy to prep.
One of my favorites for desserts or lunches is peanut rice. You just throw some sticky rice and peanuts into the rice cooker, cook it, top with some ground peanuts mixed with sugar and salt to taste, and some coconut milk. Fills you up good, plenty of carbs and good fats, you just add however much of each you need, and it's delicious.