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Comments
@Mithridates Sure, and let's ask some of the best motorcycle riders in the world if it's safe to ride down the highway without a helmet doing wheelies at 100 mph. It probably is for them. It distinctly is not for most people. Benedikt there has a massive amount of muscular stabilization going on, plus freak-level genetics.
And even then, the single most common injuries among elite power lifters are lower back and shoulder injuries, so be careful!
I doubt anyone from the Achaea forums is currently training to go lift 1015 pounds in competition. The only thing that matters to those guys is whether they can lift the weight up. The real focus should be on maintaining perfect form first, and then lifting heavy second. You're not doing yourself any favours in the long-run by improperly lifting. If all you care about is lifting up heavy things while your bros are watching, you're probably interested in weight-lifting for the wrong reasons.
Oh, and on the original question @Exelethril: Deadlifts are a pretty suffer lift no matter what(in my experience), so soreness and such is pretty normal with it. My back sometimes aches(with normal lifting soreness), and my fingers get stiff in the joints occasionally. Just be careful when you do it, keep form, and -don't lift too much weight-. The difference between what you can deadlift while maintaining good form, and what you can actually deadlift is probably one of the highest margins of any lift. Probably best to start at a lower weight and work up as you get more comfortable with it.
By the way, just for laughs - My last weight-lifting injury was a sprained ankle that I got from running inside from my home gym between sets to check Achaea. On the way running back down the porch, I twisted my ankle making the turn towards my garage. Fortunately it only put me out of lifting for a couple days. So, lesson kids, don't try to play Achaea while lifting weights.
@Seftin and @Exelethril and whoever else. Here.
Prison style lifting 5 lief
What happened in here...
Pretty much agree with everything Sarapis has said thus far.
Many of the hardcore powerlifters I know who came out the "West Side" mentality (and some of them actually from WSBB as Louie's proteges) have dabbled in CrossFit and other endeavors.
There are negatives and positives.
As far as feeling hurt on deadlifts Seftin, please make sure your form is down pat. Deadlifting is easily learned, and almost never mastered. Hell, even the "Good Form" picture on the previous page has some pretty glaring issues with it. (that cervical spine position... yowza)
A weight belt is a solid investment if you're going to be lifting heavy on things like deadlifts and ME squats... You don't need to go full bore and get some mammoth Inzer lever prong belt to start out with, but at least some form of a solid belt is a good idea.
I graduated up to something like this when I got more serious about it, but it's probably overkill if you're just doing it to get in shape:
http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=299&pid=3495
Here's a pretty solid video from EFS:
As I was progressing through my odyssey with bodybuilding and then powerlifting I spent a lot of time and energy working on technique, and even after several seminars and a shit-ton of experience, there's still stuff I learn here and there that helps with each major lift.
EFS is probably the most respect powerlifting website out there, and the amount of knowledge from different sources that contribute there is insane.
One of their contributors and another person you should look for form advice from whether in videos or in person at seminars is Chad Wesley Smith. Had the privilege of training with him on a ME squat day and the guy is a genius when it comes to technique.
Fun video of him killing it:
Hope this helps.
Here are my stats, I'm 178 cm tall(5 feet 10-11 inches) - I've started heavy lifting a month ago, though have a bit of muscle mass from doing casual weight lifting.
Bench press - 110 lbs, max 5 reps
Squat - 115 lbs, max 5 reps
Lat pull downs - 100 lbs, max 7 reps
Barbell curl per arm - 35 lbs, max 5 reps
What should I do to increase my overall strength? Especially with barbell curls, I don't feel like I'm actually doing anything useful in regards to those muscles(my biceps aren't "growing").
[ SnB PvP Guide | Link ]
That's funny - The only stat of yours I found to be halfway decent was your barbell curl.
If you're not sure about your lifting program, I'd suggest getting on some kind of official workout program. Otherwise, just make sure you're doing enough weight and enough reps/sets. If you're only doing 5 reps for exercises like bench/curls/etc, you should probably be doing 5 sets. If it's not difficult, up the weight. It may just be all in your head, though. Gains don't just magically appear overnight. You have to keep at it, and you're probably growing faster at your other lifts because you're a lot weaker comparatively in them.
Depends on if your goals are strength or looking good.
Barbell curls don't do much for strength. They're for beach/mirror muscles. So just depends on your goal.
Bench, squat, press (weight over your head), deadlift, pull-ups for strength. Cleans and snatches for power.
Here's my top tips for staying fit:
Don't ever learn to drive, then you either have to put up with public transport plebs, which will put you off your dinner, or walk everywhere
Have children. The little darlings will run you ragged.
Eat proper food, not takeaway BS.
End.
@Exelethril Size comes naturally from building a base of strength, which it seems like you don't have. Given your height/lifts I'm guessing you're a beanpole with a terrible diet. (sorry but taking the kid gloves off with this kind of advice usually gets better results)
Rippetoe's 5x5 is good, but I think EFS's 5/3/1 is better.
5/3/1 I like because they give you advice in all realms, including setting up spreadsheets to track progress/schedules, customizable routines based on your likes in the gym, diets, etc.
You -will- get much stronger if you get your diet in check (you probably eat too little -and- the wrong foods currently) and your routine with more consistency.
Once you pick 5/3/1 or 5x5 feel free to pm me with questions... kind of a pay it forward thing. Everyone starts somewhere.
Pssh just do power lifting. Don't be a wuss.
Don't forget them torn biceps/triceps/pecs. Yayyy geared powerlifting.
Also I'd have to strongly disagree with @Mithridates about training arms. There's a reason why every top powerlifter does so on assistance days. Assistance work is crucial to getting stronger and completing lifts, as well as overall biomechanics. While it's certainly not about going in and slamming out those #YOLOSWAG420 BB curls in the squat rack, it's just flat out wrong to say training arms does nothing.
I meant no arm days
Ok so update - did my 5 x 5 increasing the weight each time which is fun and all but then I found Bouldering and have been doing that a few nights a week (very good fun if you've never done it before) and has left me with a dull ache in my arms/abs/legs etc so that's quite nice. Going to weigh myself at the end of the month and hopefully see if anything has changed haha. Diet - eating healthy, kale - eggs - chicken breast etc. All good!
The appropriate caption for that picture is *heavy breathing*.
Adhering to an effective cardio program for the long haul is the biggest hurdle for almost everyone. With the exception of swimming (since I've trained as a long-distance swimmer since I was a kid), I seriously dislike cardio in all its forms: running, spinning, etc.
But swimming an hour a day is not something I can fit into my schedule anymore. So I found this great 15-min cardio routine, that I try to do 7 days a week, and first thing in the morning (to boost your metabolism for the rest of the day). In a nutshell, it's to alternate max- and low-intensity spinning for 15 minutes.
http://www.fitocracy.com/knowledge/dr-layne-nortons-best-damn-cardio-humanly-possible-in-15-minutes/
The fact that it's spinning, not running, means it's less stress on your ankles and knees, and being heavy is less of a hindrance to you doing it. The 15 minutes is short enough that I don't get tired of it, or feel like it's taking an eternity. I don't think I could handle a 3k run or doubling the time I spend on a bike.
Anyways, I've been doing this 15-min spinning consistently for about 6 months now, and it really has taken off the last bit of stubborn body fat that was always around when I was doing only weightlifting, no cardio.
Of course, keep up the weightlifting, because as your muscles grow, your increased basal metabolism makes it easier and easier to maintain low body fat, even in the absence of cardio.
Do SS or SL. Both are great for building strength and will allow you to move into upper weight and focus on form. After 3 months move over to Icecream or a bro split.
Google these terms and you'll be able to form a 1-3 month plan and then a 3-9 month plan. In the end you'll be benching 250 and your biceps and triceps will look massive.
Oh fun. Didn't know this existed. Been weight training for a good 6 years. Started with good old starting strength many years ago, been on many programs ever since. 12 weeks into an intermittent fasting cut. Mainly training for strength and don't do a whole lot of volume. This diet/workout program rules.
Stats right now during cut:
Height: 178cm or 5' 10".
Current weight: 183lb (83kg)
Squat (low bar back squat..atg): 385lb x 5 reps
Deadlift: 405lbx5 (this is a weak area)
Weighted chin ups: body weight + 105lb x 5
I don't bench press because of a rotator cuff injury several years ago..I just do weighted dips now. Weighted dips: body weight + 180lb x 6
Still 4 weeks left in the cut. Approx 10% bf here.
Oh.
So how about I completely didn't read the OP and didn't realize this was Seftin's progress log. I just read the last page and assumed it was a general lifting thread. Too late to edit.
Feelin' like a dick.
its all good man, can post here if you want
That's a lie. If you like vagina, work out.
getting quite into Bouldering, managed to top out a nice invert the other day, had to power most of it because I'm short so where taller people could relatively easily stretch up, I'm moving my foot up to a heel hold and having to power my whole body and basically leap up the wall to make the grab - felt really impressed with myself
This is one of the better articles I wish would have been one of the first things I'd read starting my fitness journey.
http://www.leangains.com/2011/09/fuckarounditis.html
Bottom line is, many people get in shape in many different ways. The guy I just linked you believes in strength training. So do I. I enjoy it. To me, there's no better feeling than psyching myself up and putting 405lb on my back and doing a triple. If you can't fucking stand strength training, you're obviously not going to stick to it. Get with a workout program that you enjoy, that gets the endorphins going and keeps you feeling good throughout the day so that you don't crave shitty foods. Do something that you can stick to long term and turn into a lifestyle. Set a goal, and do everything you can to work towards that goal. Whether it be body fat reduction, muscle mass gain, or both (people new to working out can do both fairly easily).
I started out 6 years ago at 5' 10" and 270 lb, with no muscle at all. Transformations are very possible - just take time, patience, and dedication. Good luck man, really.