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

[Wesker]

4 sets of 6 reps? I would say that's on the low side for isolation movements like curls. You should be aiming for 8-10 reps per set. For hypertrophy anyway.

8-12 is what I usually aim for. Medium weight but quality reps with max contraction. My progress stagnated and I reevaluated what I was doing and I'm starting to notice changes in my biceps.

 

[Barry McKockner]

Exotic new supplements, including BCAAs, extracts from fancy sounding stuff:
-It's probably a scam. Shit like green coffee bean extract, whatever, it's essential oils for bros, marketed to you by people on steroids. T boosters are probably bullshit if they're herbal or whatever. Your best bet for elevating t levels naturally is building muscle and losing fat, sleeping regularly and keeping your head on an even keel as far as stress goes.

-Casein is a longer-lasting, slower-digesting protein with a worse profile for solubility and drinkability. It's the primary protein in cheese and it tends to clump up and get thick. I haven't bought it since I'm satisfied with whey, but I've heard bad things about thickness and drinkability. Some people prefer it, especially as a before-bed protein drink. If you really want casein, 250g or so of cottage cheese will give you a big dose of casein and whey and it tastes fuckin delicious. Maybe the economics work out differently for you.

Getting back into it after 4 years. I miss this sooo much.

So I treat BCAAs as a better sports drink. I know I'm gonna sweat a lot, so one serving of BCAAs intra workout for electrolytes. Bottle gets filled with water thereafter.

As for Casein, it's amazing at night for keeping you feeling less hungry, but sucks at providing protein when you need it. Most of the muscle repair happens during your first REM cycle, so an isolate will have the protein available fast enough for that.

I just REALLY love how Casein comes out like a shake instead of like thicker milk.

 

[MS Paint Gigachad]

So I treat BCAAs as a better sports drink. I know I'm gonna sweat a lot, so one serving of BCAAs intra workout for electrolytes. Bottle gets filled with water thereafter.

BCAAs... isn't electrolytes?? I mean i can get behind the idea that you'd drink some gatorade or something during your workout, but idk about BCAAs

 

[Barry McKockner]

BCAAs... isn't electrolytes?? I mean i can get behind the idea that you'd drink some gatorade or something during your workout, but idk about BCAAs

I use XTEND and it comes with electrolytes in it. For that money, it's cheaper than Gatorade zero. Some even come with energy booster (re: caffiene) added as well. I dont hold that I need it, just a good way to keep my electrolytes at the gym.

 

[MS Paint Gigachad]

I use XTEND and it comes with electrolytes in it. For that money, it's cheaper than Gatorade zero.

Ah, that makes sense. For me I just use generic sports drinks or a mix of "low sodium salt" (mainly potassium chloride, usually) and regular salt

 

[Barry McKockner]

Ah, that makes sense. For me I just use generic sports drinks or a mix of "low sodium salt" (mainly potassium chloride, usually) and regular salt

I started after a suggestion years ago when I would get cramps easy. Never looked back.

 

[A Widdle Woach]

Forgive my ignorance, I’ve skimmed the highlighted posts but I’m a complete beginner to weight loss and weightlifting.
Is there a complete newbie’s guide to weightlifting?
And when I say beginner I mean I’m not entirely sure I understand what reps and sets mean.

I don’t have access to a gym but I have a set of weights (I think it’s just a dumbbell with clamps to add or remove weight) from a family member who won’t use them.
I’m not looking to become ultra swole, I’m just looking to build some muscle so I don’t struggle to haul groceries and pet supplies.

 

[realitysurf]

Forgive my ignorance, I’ve skimmed the highlighted posts but I’m a complete beginner to weight loss and weightlifting.
Is there a complete newbie’s guide to weightlifting?
And when I say beginner I mean I’m not entirely sure I understand what reps and sets mean.

I don’t have access to a gym but I have a set of weights (I think it’s just a dumbbell with clamps to add or remove weight) from a family member who won’t use them.
I’m not looking to become ultra swole, I’m just looking to build some muscle so I don’t struggle to haul groceries and pet supplies.

Read the /fit/ sticky. It's more than enough.

 

[Barry McKockner]

Forgive my ignorance, I’ve skimmed the highlighted posts but I’m a complete beginner to weight loss and weightlifting.
Is there a complete newbie’s guide to weightlifting?
And when I say beginner I mean I’m not entirely sure I understand what reps and sets mean.

I don’t have access to a gym but I have a set of weights (I think it’s just a dumbbell with clamps to add or remove weight) from a family member who won’t use them.
I’m not looking to become ultra swole, I’m just looking to build some muscle so I don’t struggle to haul groceries and pet supplies.

A rep is one full range motion, so lifting up and putting down combined is 1 rep.
A set is a collection of reps you do back to back.

You can do a lot with dumbbells, just find a bench on fb marketplace and you'll have everything you need.

 

[No Batty Boys in Jamaica]

N00b question about DOMS. If I'm still sore two days after a workout should I wait another day (or more) until I'm not sore? Or is one day between enough rest even if I'm still sore?

I generally try to avoid working out a muscle group if it’s still in DOMS. It’s not as simple as causing even more microtears in the muscle when it already has microtears filling in. Instead I will simply exercise a different muscle group and put that one into DOMS.

For example, on Sunday of this week I deadlifted and did various related leg exercises. I went very hard because I’m trying to break a squat max plateau and I was doing deadlift variations that isolated these failing areas. I was already starting to get that pre-DOMS lightness in my muscles by the time I left the gym, and by Monday at noon I had full blown DOMS. It lingered around well into Tuesday. But that was fine because Tuesday was a heavy chest/arm day. My legs didn’t care because I was sitting most of the time. Now my chest and arms are sore, but that’s fine because Wednesday is squat day. Tomorrow my legs will be sore as fuck, but that’s ok because it will be upper back day.

As i got more advanced, i started throwing in exercises on off-days to keep my muscles from thinking they can atrophy. Nutrition also plays a role in this. But for example Sunday was a leg day, however I also did 3 sets of relatively light bench press. The main idea is that when I bench on leg day or vise versa I’m not trying to get new gains, just solidify what I’ve already got.

 

[Ser Prize]

So a guy at the gym was telling me about activating my scapula more. Anyone know about that?

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

I generally try to avoid working out a muscle group if it’s still in DOMS. It’s not as simple as causing even more microtears in the muscle when it already has microtears filling in. Instead I will simply exercise a different muscle group and put that one into DOMS.

For example, on Sunday of this week I deadlifted and did various related leg exercises. I went very hard because I’m trying to break a squat max plateau and I was doing deadlift variations that isolated these failing areas. I was already starting to get that pre-DOMS lightness in my muscles by the time I left the gym, and by Monday at noon I had full blown DOMS. It lingered around well into Tuesday. But that was fine because Tuesday was a heavy chest/arm day. My legs didn’t care because I was sitting most of the time. Now my chest and arms are sore, but that’s fine because Wednesday is squat day. Tomorrow my legs will be sore as fuck, but that’s ok because it will be upper back day.

As i got more advanced, i started throwing in exercises on off-days to keep my muscles from thinking they can atrophy. Nutrition also plays a role in this. But for example Sunday was a leg day, however I also did 3 sets of relatively light bench press. The main idea is that when I bench on leg day or vise versa I’m not trying to get new gains, just solidify what I’ve already got.

This is really good advice, thank you. During my research into beginner exercise routines one page I found said that DOMS improves with exercise so they wanted us to do things with the same muscle groups - like squats - daily. I admit I did try squats two days in a row, but the second day I could barely do one without feeling like I was going to collapse so I stopped.

 

[CowPox]

Today
12x4 70lbs dumbell press
15x4 70lbs dumbell rows

@ 2 minute intervals

 

[Barry McKockner]

This is really good advice, thank you. During my research into beginner exercise routines one page I found said that DOMS improves with exercise so they wanted us to do things with the same muscle groups - like squats - daily. I admit I did try squats two days in a row, but the second day I could barely do one without feeling like I was going to collapse so I stopped.

Unless you're trying to shock your system, doing a muscle group after you hit it hard the previous day is begging for an injury.

 

[Accept Only Substitutes]

Unless you're trying to shock your system, doing a muscle group after you hit it hard the previous day is begging for an injury.

I figured that out. Thankfully before I injured myself! That's the last thing I need while trying to create a new habit.

 

[Barry McKockner]

I figured that out. Thankfully before I injured myself! That's the last thing I need while trying to create a new habit.

If you're fresh and new, no need to shock your system. Hell, no need to go overboard period. Just doing normal everyman weight lifting is enough of a shock for your system to see gains. When you inevitably plateau, THEN you change and shock your system.

 

[Flavius Claudius Julianus]

Who is the strongest kiwi? Has this been officially established yet?

There have to be some monsters on here, for sure. I'm just shy of a 600kg total, so I don't like my chances.

 

[CharcoalChkn]

So a guy at the gym was telling me about activating my scapula more. Anyone know about that?

Is there more context to this? What exercise were you doing?

With out information I'm going to take a stab and presume you were doing a row of some sort?

And I think they mean when you reach the height of your rep, almost try to imagine you want to pinch something between your shoulder blades, really try and bring them together.

 

[Barry McKockner]

I HATE hammer strength equipment, like with a passion. I can't fucking fit into any of it, and the ONE that I can is supposed to be a chest press, and it made my biceps sore. Fuck that. Going bench and dumbbells from now on. Was supposed to do push, pull, legs, then auxiliary, but had to go to legs after push instead because it fucked up my biceps.

 

[MS Paint Gigachad]

There have to be some monsters on here, for sure. I'm just shy of a 600kg total, so I don't like my chances.

There have to be some monsters on here, for sure. I'm still fighting for a 400kg total, so I don't like my chances.

I figured that out. Thankfully before I injured myself! That's the last thing I need while trying to create a new habit.

This reminds me of the time i tried unsuccessfully getting into lifting years back. I got sore as hell, and by the end of the week I was still smaller than Arnold Shwarzenigger (jokes aside, I didn't really notice any gains)