Anybody here lift?

[akula83]

Looking for any thoughts from people who are experienced lifters. After running on the treadmills at my local LA fitness this winter, I have taken a liking to using the lifting equipment (machines) and maybe you can affirm or correct me if I am doing it right.
First off, I'm 50. My ultimate goal is to go free weights once I am confident on correct form. I do the standard (for me) work on the upper/lower arms, back and shoulders, legs and thighs. I pretty much use 90% of the equipment they have, doing at least 2 reps of 10 counts of each. I also include the rowing machines. I do push the weights up to my absolute limit before I think injury could happen, I know you have change up routines and really push it to get results. Am I off to a good start? What do you think? Thanks.

 

[Blue Sky]

First off I am not an expert, so take the following with a grain of salt. If it sounds interesting, research it all yourself to be sure it is what you want.

You need to know what your goals are. Strength training and bodybuilding are not the same thing.

I strongly suggest you start with the "Starting Strength" and "Stronglift 5x5" programs and give them serious consideration before choosing anything. Those two programs emphasize compound exercises not isolations, and regular weight increases (in small doses) to build strength fast, especially in beginners. I believe it works better. Once you begin to max out on the weight progression, isolations can be introduced, but the compounds remain. Whether you ultimately go with this type of program or not, you owe it to yourself to at least be aware of them.

I am similar in age to you, followed Stronglift 5x5 and was quite satisfied with the results. I also think you have the starting sequence backwards, machines do not teach you form. If anything the are a barrier to it. Free weights at modest weights in the beginning will be best imo for learning proper form.

 

[AddictedToGear]

I am a moderately experience lifter and am always learning and doing more. Free weights I enjoy much more over machines, but work with what you got. I bike ride and run and enjoy those along with body weight exercises, but I really like to incorporate weights in 3-4 workouts throughout the week. Form is everything, do not worry about weight. When I started lifting and even when I want to work on form, I have 7ft pvc pipes to work on form or just use the 45lb barbell, usually a good warmup to just to loosen up. I am not sure what all your Gym has as most have smith machines and everything is connected to a cable which I dislike, but it understood for safety and liability issues. Most gyms do not have olympic lifting platforms which really is a loss as those are some of my favorite exercises and can incorporate much more muscles in a movement. I would find a local coach to or trainer, yes it cane be expensive, but learning to exercise right is critical for safety and performance. Feel free to ask someone else at the gym too or if you have a friend. Do not let age get to you, if you are mental tough then you can still train hard, you just might need to start out slower and build up over a longer period of time. I am young, but I have designed a few workouts for my dad (46) and he is starting to get back into strength training. We go light and work on form for him. You are right about changing up routine, it helps. Have a card with your whole workout wrote down, so when you go to the gym you are not wondering around about what to do, just know what you have to do for that day. I am not sure how often you workout a week but say you do strength training 4 days a week, that means have either 2 or 4 workouts. If you only have two that is fine and just alternate them over the four days, the different days should work different muscles. Such as leg day with some core (abs) work and other body weight movements and leg work. Day 2 would then me shoulders and arms and chest. Try to work out different muscles. Legs are more important than upper body, you want a balance but do not be one of those guys that goes and curls in the mirror and just works out his arms everyday. Goals are very important to if you want to let us know what they are. Feel free to pm or email me with questions. I am not an expert, but am taking gen ed classes for college right now and will be going for exercise physiology and this is a passion of mine along with nutrition. I am happy to help.

 

[akula83]

Thanks for the info. I'm going for strength training to balance my running fitness. I like Tough Mudders and the such, but fall behind in the total upper body strength thing, I do get by, but I'm really wasted afterwards.

 

[Krav]

I injured myself recently in the gym. Umbilical hernia. Anyway there's a lot more to lifting then just throwing weight around. More than I can explain. I recommend a personal trainer for a couple sessions. Show you the correct movements , breathing. Everything should start from the core of your body out. You can get away with improper lifting for some time, but in the long run you can really tax your body, joints, flexibility.

 

[Blue Sky]

You're welcome, I hope it helps. Sounds like a good fit for you. :thumbup:

 

[akula83]

I am a moderately experience lifter and am always learning and doing more. Free weights I enjoy much more over machines, but work with what you got. I bike ride and run and enjoy those along with body weight exercises, but I really like to incorporate weights in 3-4 workouts throughout the week. Form is everything, do not worry about weight. When I started lifting and even when I want to work on form, I have 7ft pvc pipes to work on form or just use the 45lb barbell, usually a good warmup to just to loosen up. I am not sure what all your Gym has as most have smith machines and everything is connected to a cable which I dislike, but it understood for safety and liability issues. Most gyms do not have olympic lifting platforms which really is a loss as those are some of my favorite exercises and can incorporate much more muscles in a movement. I would find a local coach to or trainer, yes it cane be expensive, but learning to exercise right is critical for safety and performance. Feel free to ask someone else at the gym too or if you have a friend. Do not let age get to you, if you are mental tough then you can still train hard, you just might need to start out slower and build up over a longer period of time. I am young, but I have designed a few workouts for my dad (46) and he is starting to get back into strength training. We go light and work on form for him. You are right about changing up routine, it helps. Have a card with your whole workout wrote down, so when you go to the gym you are not wondering around about what to do, just know what you have to do for that day. I am not sure how often you workout a week but say you do strength training 4 days a week, that means have either 2 or 4 workouts. If you only have two that is fine and just alternate them over the four days, the different days should work different muscles. Such as leg day with some core (abs) work and other body weight movements and leg work. Day 2 would then me shoulders and arms and chest. Try to work out different muscles. Legs are more important than upper body, you want a balance but do not be one of those guys that goes and curls in the mirror and just works out his arms everyday. Goals are very important to if you want to let us know what they are. Feel free to pm or email me with questions. I am not an expert, but am taking gen ed classes for college right now and will be going for exercise physiology and this is a passion of mine along with nutrition. I am happy to help.

Thanks!

 

[Quapukulu]

I lift three times a week. I'm 19, at 5'7" and 210lb ~ 11% body fat. I've been Olympic weightlifter since high school. I have nothing but respect for the OP, because I know I'm lazy and won't bother working out at 50. To keep in optimal condition, there are only really 5 exercises you need. Push-ups, Squats, Dips, Cardio, and Deadlifts. Since you already row, you can pretty much skip the push-ups,dips and cardio. As for squats and deadlifts, you should get a support belt, and use the Smith machines. The Smith machine is to protect your knees and back until you perfect your squat technique. If you just want to keep healthy and it's not really about pumping the iron, then I recommend the Convict Conditioning program. Almost everything is body weight based, and maybe you'll need a bench or wall for some exercises. Here's a link to the summary. Good luck, sir.

http://www.allthingsgym.com/convict-conditioning-exercises-image/

 

[sideways]

Go to the gym. Pick one of the following and do 5 sets of 5 reps:

Squat, deadlift, overhead press, weighted pull ups.

Go home. Eat well and get plenty of rest. Go back to the gym and tick something else off the list. Take a day off when you feel the need to take a day off.

Rinse Repeat.

 

[Miao]

I lift three times a week. I'm 19, at 5'7" and 210lb ~ 11% body fat. I've been Olympic weightlifter since high school. I have nothing but respect for the OP, because I know I'm lazy and won't bother working out at 50. To keep in optimal condition, there are only really 5 exercises you need. Push-ups, Squats, Dips, Cardio, and Deadlifts. Since you already row, you can pretty much skip the push-ups,dips and cardio. As for squats and deadlifts, you should get a support belt, and use the Smith machines. The Smith machine is to protect your knees and back until you perfect your squat technique. If you just want to keep healthy and it's not really about pumping the iron, then I recommend the Convict Conditioning program. Almost everything is body weight based, and maybe you'll need a bench or wall for some exercises. Here's a link to the summary. Good luck, sir.

http://www.allthingsgym.com/convict-conditioning-exercises-image/

It is not possible to learn good form in a Smith machine. Deadlifts, squats, and bench presses (the big 3 lifts) are not a completely vertical line of movement, especially the squat. If you use a Smith machine, you will not be teaching yourself the movement you would make with a freeweight, and you do no build the support muscles that allow you to not just to lift the weight, but to stabilize it.

I would echo some of what previous posters have said: starting strength or 5x5 programs are good for beginners. If you're new to lifting, and don't have a spotter/instructor, you should start with medium loads to practice technique for a few weeks. Good resources for technique include exrx.net, and videos by experts like Mark Rippetoe.

 

[Myker]

Now, I don't lift, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I'm guessing this guy isn't doing it right...

 

[akula83]

Thanks again guys, I'm taking all of this in and I'm going make some changes.

 

[AddictedToGear]

Now, I don't lift, and I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but I'm guessing this guy isn't doing it right...

That is terrible but it makes me LMAO still. Form was absolutely terrible, why would you let go of the bar.

 

[RevDevil]

I also lift a few days a week. Some things you need to be careful of is when using machines you are completely ignoring any stabilizer muscles that would normally use with free weights. So making the transition from machines to free weights will be a memorable experience.

I personally would not rely too much on machines that utilize cables, they are inconsistent and tend to vary in resistance wildly from one machine to another (even in the same gym). Correct form is something you learn when you step away from the machines, not on the machines.

 

[MikeH]

I started lifting at age 52. I am now 67. Let me tell you right off, that well meaning advice from young people is all about what works for them. You and I are not them.

We do not recover from workouts nearly as fast as they do.

We are more susceptible to repetitive motion injuries.

We likely have accumulated a condition or two over the years that we must accommodate. (Mine is a bad back and rotator cuff trouble, both pre-existing the weight training.)

I know from first-hand experience that over-50 men can make impressive strength and muscle gains lifting one day a week, one set only of each exercise, 6 to 12 reps to failure with each exercise, limiting total workout time to no more than an hour, with 45 minutes being better. Furthermore, I used a three-routine split, back/shoulders, chest/abs, and legs. It is absolutely possible to increase strength and muscle mass doing any given exercise one time once every three weeks, because I have done it

I started out exercising every four days, but as advancing age made recovery time longer, I eventually went to the once per week route.

 

[Walker Smith]

Go to the gym. Pick one of the following and do 5 sets of 5 reps:

Squat, deadlift, overhead press, weighted pull ups.

Go home. Eat well and get plenty of rest. Go back to the gym and tick something else off the list. Take a day off when you feel the need to take a day off.

Rinse Repeat.

That is very dangerous suggestion imo. Only experienced lifters should do that heavy of a load on their backs.

He needs a personal trainer first ( a competent one as there are a lot of hacks out there ).

 

[RevDevil]

I've been asked by folks in the past while at the gym (both younger and older than myself) about lifting to failure. I always advise against it. Unless you are training for a bodybuilding competition it does nothing but aggravate and complicate potential preexisting issues. Personal trainers while educated and certified, are mostly giving out outdated information. The ISSA, ACE, and others don't really get into the newer

Training to failure causes more damage to tissues than dedicated reps done in complete sets. 3 sets of 5, 5 sets of 5 are much better alternatives for older folks wanting to maintain strength and work on toning. Otherwise you are just rolling the dice, as you get fatigued your form goes bad and that is where the majority of injuries comes from. I have a rotator cuff injury that was made worse by physical therapy. Based on the reports of others, surgery is the last resort. I can still lift a fair amount of weight, but I am very conscious of performing sets over failure reps.

2-3 days a week at the gym is ideal for most average joe's. Watch your caloric intake, make sure you get enough protein, carbs, and fats. You can typically hit your caloric requirements by eating normally, adding whey protein will help soy protein isn't something I recommend to men that are weight training. Some vegan and vegetarian have to use soy, so it works for them I guess. It is true that what works for one won't work for all. Age, weight, existing physical condition, and medical issues need to be taken into consideration.

 

[sideways]

That is very dangerous suggestion imo. Only experienced lifters should do that heavy of a load on their backs.

He needs a personal trainer first ( a competent one as there are a lot of hacks out there ).

These are the kind of exercises I feel work best for building strength, but like others have said what works for me wont necessarily work for you. I never mentioned any specific weights so I don't see how it is hard on the back. Done correctly none of these lifts are working your back. Don't pile on a lot of weight to begin with and see a physician if you feel the need to. Do not do any remotely heavy lifting without proper form. If you need a coach to show you how to deadlift properly then get one.

I'm mediocre lifter at best though so take what I say with as many grains of salt as you like.

My lifts in case anyone is interested.
Deadlift 180kg
Squat 140kg
Clean & Jerk 90kg

 

[akula83]

I am going to hire a personal trainer to transition to free weights, so hopefully he is competent enough to get me started. I agree about what has been posted about the cable machines, though I am getting good results building up strength with them, including blasting out pushups and pull ups. As I said, I am a cardio guy but I am really enjoying the resistance workouts....I hear you MikeH.

 

[Chris Pierce]

I've been asked by folks in the past while at the gym (both younger and older than myself) about lifting to failure. I always advise against it. Unless you are training for a bodybuilding competition it does nothing but aggravate and complicate potential preexisting issues. Personal trainers while educated and certified, are mostly giving out outdated information. The ISSA, ACE, and others don't really get into the newer

Training to failure causes more damage to tissues than dedicated reps done in complete sets. 3 sets of 5, 5 sets of 5 are much better alternatives for older folks wanting to maintain strength and work on toning. Otherwise you are just rolling the dice, as you get fatigued your form goes bad and that is where the majority of injuries comes from. I have a rotator cuff injury that was made worse by physical therapy. Based on the reports of others, surgery is the last resort. I can still lift a fair amount of weight, but I am very conscious of performing sets over failure reps.

2-3 days a week at the gym is ideal for most average joe's. Watch your caloric intake, make sure you get enough protein, carbs, and fats. You can typically hit your caloric requirements by eating normally, adding whey protein will help soy protein isn't something I recommend to men that are weight training. Some vegan and vegetarian have to use soy, so it works for them I guess. It is true that what works for one won't work for all. Age, weight, existing physical condition, and medical issues need to be taken into consideration.

I thik that the problem comes when people don't know what the term failure means. You train until you can no longer do the exercise correctly. If you keep doing the exercise (incorrectly) of course your going to get hurt.

Another problem folks have is that they want to use too much weight. Do 8 reps 3 sets (correctly). If you can't your using too much weight.