6 ms·

I used to start & stop exercising regularly...meaning I'd start going to the gym for a few weeks and then stop out of laziness / lack of motivation. That chang

by m52go 10y ago

I used to start & stop exercising regularly...meaning I'd start going to the gym for a few weeks and then stop out of laziness / lack of motivation. That changed 1 year ago, when I stopped aimlessly 'exercising' and started goal-oriented 'training'. I discovered powerlifting. Its principles and techniques really resonated with me. I was no longer exercising to be 'fit' but 'training' to beat my numbers (I don't do competitions) and see how good I can possibly be. I've never been more consistently active over time, never been stronger, and never felt better. Now, I can't imagine living without lifting. Powerlifting is what I chose, but you choose what you want. Learn the technique, set a schedule, set goals, and beat them...over and over and over and over again. Then you won't think about activity as 'just exercise', but as something much more significant.

donjh 10y ago
Powerlifting is incredibly healthy. For anyone interested, pick up a copy of Starting Strength. It's an amazing read. I've also really enjoyed StrongLifts 5x5 - it has a companion app that tells you exactly what you need to do, each workout.
- camtarn 10y ago
  Seconding the recommendation of Starting Strength. Fantastic book - lots of interesting writing on anatomy and leverage and why certain techniques are better. I also really liked the fact that most of the people in the photos are distinctly ordinary, rather than super-fit well-muscled models. And yep, beating your numbers is great motivation, and one that really appealed to my gamer self :)
  - camtarn 10y ago
    Oh, one tip that I found pretty useful if, like me, you don't have a gym buddy. Grab your phone, prop it up against a wall or a bit of equipment, and video yourself from the side while you're lifting. I'd had a couple of people tell me that my squat form was poor and that I was going to injure myself, but I found it impossible to figure out what was going wrong as I had no feedback loop. Once I could see myself on video, I could try different techniques and see how they affected my form. Starting Strength has a lot of writing on how to recognise and train good form, so once you can see yourself it's not too hard to correct.
- nate_robo 10y ago
  "Incredibly healthy" is a stretch when it comes to power-lifting. In fact, while power-lifting helps to rapidly gain and develop muscle, it's extremely unhealthy to your joints and poses a high risk of injury. For those looking to get similar exercise and results to powerlifting, check out body-building. Emphasis on slow and controlled form and muscle gain (aesthetics). Some good sources: http://scoobysworkshop.com/ http://scoobysworkshop.com/ http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/ http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/ disclaimer - I've used SS with great results, however this is not a program for everyone, keeping in mind we are on a science/tech forum
  - kelvin0 10y ago
    I've dabbled in both constantly (3 times a week) for the past 15 years. Although body building can sculpt a body, I never felt really as fit and as strong as I do with power lifting, with an equivalent physique. Something about isolating muscles seems to 'erode' athleticism power/strength. YMMV.
  - lanius 10y ago
    >it's extremely unhealthy to your joints and poses a high risk of injury Do you have any sources for this?
  - WalterSear 10y ago
    I'd wager it's unhealthy as a sport, but that health maintenance involves much more reasonable weight goals.
- harveywi 10y ago
  Powerlifting is amazing, and it is amazingly safe [1]. It is the perfect complement to a programming job, because you can bang out a massive workout in the morning and recover physically the rest of the day. Take "advantage" of your sedentary opportunity! Sports Injury Rates (Hamill 1994) Sport Injuries (per 100 hours) Soccer (school age) 6.20 UK Rugby 1.92 USA Basketball 0.03 UK Cross Country 0.37 Squash 0.10 US Football 0.10 Badminton 0.05 USA Gymnastics 0.044 USA Powerlifting 0.0027 USA Volleyball 0.0013 USA Tennis 0.001 Weight Training 0.0035 (85,733 hrs) Weightlifting 0.0017 (168,551 hrs) However, my one piece of advice from personal experience: Avoid doing switch-grip deadlifts (recipe for distal biceps tendon rupture [2]). Use hook grip instead. If you can't hold heavy weight, then modest training with Captains of Crush equipment will have immense benefit. Even just being able to rep a #2 gripper will be enough to take you beyond a 500lb deadlift. [1] http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Safety.html http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Safety.html [2] https://youtu.be/pZgxkE-2QAw https://youtu.be/pZgxkE-2QAw
  - camtarn 10y ago
    Oh dear god, I couldn't watch past the first clip in that video. Agonising.
  - Hydraulix989 10y ago
    Make sure you use the right lifting posture and don't overdo it with weight, or you can seriously and permanently mess up your back. When I was 16 years old, I somehow twisted my spine in my lower back in a way that it wasn't meant to be twisted doing 250 lbs max rep seated leg press, and ever since then, my lower back has been alternating between bouts of sharp pain and dull pain (but never subsiding) ever side for 10+ years now. Backpain (and the resultant osteoarthritis) is still a modern medical mystery too so the usual suggestions of exercise and stretching from my doctors are something I have been doing all along but have not actually worked.
    - ethbro 10y ago
      Have you talked to anyone about nerve cauterization and whether you might be a candidate? I had a family member who fairly severely injured her neck in an auto accident. Of all the solutions she tried, she swears by it as most cleanly fixing pain problems. And given that the nerves grow back in ~5 years, it's a nice balance between "not permanent" and "long enough to be worth it."
- cheald 10y ago
  I've been running StrongLifts for the last 3 months and love it. It gives me a plan and a daily goal, which is what I was missing from lifting. Now it's not just "go into the gym and lift some things", it's "go into the gym and do better than last time I was here", with a steady, achievable ramp-up. Starting workouts are around 45 minutes, and I'm up to about 75 minutes right now. 3x/week at 75 minutes isn't very much of my time, and each moment I'm there has a purpose, even if it's just resting for the next set. I started because I was tired of feeling crappy and wanted to lose some weight. I've dropped a lot of fat, put on a lot of muscle, sleep better than ever, and don't have all the sedentary "I feel bad" stuff anymore. A+ would recommend to anyone.
chrishacken 10y ago
That's what got my hooked as well, except I started training for the Marine Corps, and now I just continue that same mentality and routine for strength goals. I literally can't exercise to lose/gain weight or physical appearance and maintain motivation 365 days a year to workout. Once you start focusing on strength and stop focusing on weight and appearance, the latter attributes come naturally.
zck 10y ago
I had a lot of fun when I was lifting (I followed Starting Strength for about four months), but when my lifting partner stopped, so did I. I've been doing pushups/plank/jumping lunge squats/plank/pushups for a while now, which is nice, but I'm certainly not getting anything near the amount of exercise I'd like to. So my reasons for not exercising now are two: 1. I don't want to take the time to lift. By the time I stopped lifting, I was taking at least 90 minutes in the gym; probably two hours including changing and showering. 2. I don't have a partner. This helps both for motivation (Steve is waiting for me; I should get going) and for safety/form checks (keep your knees out at the bottom of the squat).
- m52go 10y ago
  It (a) shouldn't take more than 60 minutes MAX for a workout and (b) shouldn't require a partner to check your form. That's one of the big logistical reasons I prefer powerlifting over bodybuilding...it's simple & quick because of its high intensity. If you're doing it right, it shouldn't take you very long...unless you're waiting on equipment or something. When you're starting out and learning the form, sure, a partner to check your form is invaluable. But after that, I never felt the need...my body knew when something wasn't quite right.
  - zck 10y ago
    Starting strength has you do six to eight sets for each exercise^1. And it recommends "[taking] enough time between sets so that you don’t feel any fatigue from the previous set before you start the next one. For guys squatting 185 pounds in their work sets, this is five minutes between sets."^2. If you're doing six sets, and each takes you, say, a minute, and you're waiting a few minutes between sets, that easily adds up to more than 20 minutes per exercise. Also, if working with a partner (which you do dismiss), you're going to have to alternate. Alternating doesn't quite double your time, since you have your rest period while switching weights and doing the set, but it does increase it. > When you're starting out and learning the form, sure, a partner to check your form is invaluable. But after that, I never felt the need...my body knew when something wasn't quite right. I've heard a lot of stories about people who thought they knew they were doing the right thing, but badly injured themselves. I mean, I hope you're right, but I doubt I am. Also there's spotting for bench press (people die from benching without spotters or doing so in a cage), and if, for example, you go down for a squat and realize you've got too much weight, helping the weight go down less uncontrollably. Perhaps I could be more comfortable with benching alone if I did so in a cage, but I've never seen anyone else do that. Perhaps I could be more comfortable squatting alone if I got comfortable dropping the weight off my back. But right now I'm not -- so having a partner is helpful. And finally, I'm also including changing before/after and showering in the two-hour time, since that's something I have to account for in my schedule. Being able to leave the gym 60 minutes after I got there would be pretty nice, actually. Even a little bit more -- 75 minutes -- would be great. Perhaps I could try it again, having one personal training session a month to ensure my form's ok. [1] This is from what I recall. Squats were the most -- a set with only the bar, three or four warmup sets, then three working sets. Deadlifts had only one working set, and everything but squats had only three warmup sets. I could be wrong, but not by much. [2] http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-...
codegeek 10y ago
Any suggestions on how to get started with powerlifting ? Tons of resources out there to choose from but I have no clue. Programs like P90X etc.
- m52go 10y ago
  As others have mentioned here, Mark Rippetoe is my authority. He might not be perfect, but he's thorough and I trust him. Starting Strength is excellent, but if you'd rather wet your feet first with some video, check out the series he did with Brett McKay of Art of Manliness: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIasrSrFGdSNbeOT8Agw9N301qCHpRU0 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIasrSrFGdSNbeOT8Agw...
- avar 10y ago
  It's not specifically a powerlifting program, but it includes all the powerlifting moves, and I started with it: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ If you're a beginner the difference really isn't going to matter. It's good because, as opposed to Starting Strength, the material is all free online, it's all one web page with instructional videos, and the guy has mobile apps you can use for free.
  - cheald 10y ago
    Seconding SL 5x5. It starts you light to work on form, and ramps you gently but steadily. I'm lifting weights with good form now that I didn't think I was capable of 3 months ago. I also really recommend Alan Thrall's form videos on Youtube. Incredibly instructive and thorough.
- yulaow 10y ago
  first rule: find a good pt who can teach you the correct form for every single exercise. That is the most important thing. People think that powerlifting is about "moving the heaviest weight possible"... it is not. It is about "moving the heaviest weight possible without failing at doing it with the _perfect_ execution form".
- WalterSear 10y ago
makeset 10y ago
As a competitive powerlifter (and certified personal trainer) I should caution that there is an important difference between general strength training using the squat/bench/deadlift and the actual sport of powerlifting. Powerlifting involves not only doing competitions, but also training specifically for them using maximal weights, which considerably increases the risk of injury with no training benefit other than temporary competition readiness (peaking). Unfortunately, sexy as it sounds, liberally calling strength training "powerlifting" drives too many newcomers into an ego-lifting mindset, attempting maximal singles for no good reason, or soon hopping on some extreme Russian peaking program they found after Starting Strength. Learning the powerlifts and training for strength is great for anyone, but unless they actually plan to step on a platform and risk their skeletal integrity for white lights in the near future, I strongly recommend that people keep strictly to weights they can safely lift for 5+ reps per set, and only track the calculated (rather than tested) 1RM.

by m52go 10y ago

donjh 10y ago

Powerlifting is incredibly healthy. For anyone interested, pick up a copy of Starting Strength. It's an amazing read. I've also really enjoyed StrongLifts 5x5 - it has a companion app that tells you exactly what you need to do, each workout.

camtarn 10y ago
Seconding the recommendation of Starting Strength. Fantastic book - lots of interesting writing on anatomy and leverage and why certain techniques are better. I also really liked the fact that most of the people in the photos are distinctly ordinary, rather than super-fit well-muscled models. And yep, beating your numbers is great motivation, and one that really appealed to my gamer self :)
- camtarn 10y ago
  Oh, one tip that I found pretty useful if, like me, you don't have a gym buddy. Grab your phone, prop it up against a wall or a bit of equipment, and video yourself from the side while you're lifting. I'd had a couple of people tell me that my squat form was poor and that I was going to injure myself, but I found it impossible to figure out what was going wrong as I had no feedback loop. Once I could see myself on video, I could try different techniques and see how they affected my form. Starting Strength has a lot of writing on how to recognise and train good form, so once you can see yourself it's not too hard to correct.
nate_robo 10y ago
"Incredibly healthy" is a stretch when it comes to power-lifting. In fact, while power-lifting helps to rapidly gain and develop muscle, it's extremely unhealthy to your joints and poses a high risk of injury. For those looking to get similar exercise and results to powerlifting, check out body-building. Emphasis on slow and controlled form and muscle gain (aesthetics). Some good sources: http://scoobysworkshop.com/ http://scoobysworkshop.com/ http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/ http://www.bodybuildingrevealed.com/ disclaimer - I've used SS with great results, however this is not a program for everyone, keeping in mind we are on a science/tech forum
- kelvin0 10y ago
  I've dabbled in both constantly (3 times a week) for the past 15 years. Although body building can sculpt a body, I never felt really as fit and as strong as I do with power lifting, with an equivalent physique. Something about isolating muscles seems to 'erode' athleticism power/strength. YMMV.
- lanius 10y ago
  >it's extremely unhealthy to your joints and poses a high risk of injury Do you have any sources for this?
- WalterSear 10y ago
  I'd wager it's unhealthy as a sport, but that health maintenance involves much more reasonable weight goals.
harveywi 10y ago
Powerlifting is amazing, and it is amazingly safe [1]. It is the perfect complement to a programming job, because you can bang out a massive workout in the morning and recover physically the rest of the day. Take "advantage" of your sedentary opportunity! Sports Injury Rates (Hamill 1994) Sport Injuries (per 100 hours) Soccer (school age) 6.20 UK Rugby 1.92 USA Basketball 0.03 UK Cross Country 0.37 Squash 0.10 US Football 0.10 Badminton 0.05 USA Gymnastics 0.044 USA Powerlifting 0.0027 USA Volleyball 0.0013 USA Tennis 0.001 Weight Training 0.0035 (85,733 hrs) Weightlifting 0.0017 (168,551 hrs) However, my one piece of advice from personal experience: Avoid doing switch-grip deadlifts (recipe for distal biceps tendon rupture [2]). Use hook grip instead. If you can't hold heavy weight, then modest training with Captains of Crush equipment will have immense benefit. Even just being able to rep a #2 gripper will be enough to take you beyond a 500lb deadlift. [1] http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Safety.html http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Safety.html [2] https://youtu.be/pZgxkE-2QAw https://youtu.be/pZgxkE-2QAw
- camtarn 10y ago
  Oh dear god, I couldn't watch past the first clip in that video. Agonising.
- Hydraulix989 10y ago
  Make sure you use the right lifting posture and don't overdo it with weight, or you can seriously and permanently mess up your back. When I was 16 years old, I somehow twisted my spine in my lower back in a way that it wasn't meant to be twisted doing 250 lbs max rep seated leg press, and ever since then, my lower back has been alternating between bouts of sharp pain and dull pain (but never subsiding) ever side for 10+ years now. Backpain (and the resultant osteoarthritis) is still a modern medical mystery too so the usual suggestions of exercise and stretching from my doctors are something I have been doing all along but have not actually worked.
  - ethbro 10y ago
    Have you talked to anyone about nerve cauterization and whether you might be a candidate? I had a family member who fairly severely injured her neck in an auto accident. Of all the solutions she tried, she swears by it as most cleanly fixing pain problems. And given that the nerves grow back in ~5 years, it's a nice balance between "not permanent" and "long enough to be worth it."
cheald 10y ago
I've been running StrongLifts for the last 3 months and love it. It gives me a plan and a daily goal, which is what I was missing from lifting. Now it's not just "go into the gym and lift some things", it's "go into the gym and do better than last time I was here", with a steady, achievable ramp-up. Starting workouts are around 45 minutes, and I'm up to about 75 minutes right now. 3x/week at 75 minutes isn't very much of my time, and each moment I'm there has a purpose, even if it's just resting for the next set. I started because I was tired of feeling crappy and wanted to lose some weight. I've dropped a lot of fat, put on a lot of muscle, sleep better than ever, and don't have all the sedentary "I feel bad" stuff anymore. A+ would recommend to anyone.

chrishacken 10y ago

That's what got my hooked as well, except I started training for the Marine Corps, and now I just continue that same mentality and routine for strength goals. I literally can't exercise to lose/gain weight or physical appearance and maintain motivation 365 days a year to workout. Once you start focusing on strength and stop focusing on weight and appearance, the latter attributes come naturally.

zck 10y ago

I had a lot of fun when I was lifting (I followed Starting Strength for about four months), but when my lifting partner stopped, so did I. I've been doing pushups/plank/jumping lunge squats/plank/pushups for a while now, which is nice, but I'm certainly not getting anything near the amount of exercise I'd like to. So my reasons for not exercising now are two: 1. I don't want to take the time to lift. By the time I stopped lifting, I was taking at least 90 minutes in the gym; probably two hours including changing and showering. 2. I don't have a partner. This helps both for motivation (Steve is waiting for me; I should get going) and for safety/form checks (keep your knees out at the bottom of the squat).

m52go 10y ago
It (a) shouldn't take more than 60 minutes MAX for a workout and (b) shouldn't require a partner to check your form. That's one of the big logistical reasons I prefer powerlifting over bodybuilding...it's simple & quick because of its high intensity. If you're doing it right, it shouldn't take you very long...unless you're waiting on equipment or something. When you're starting out and learning the form, sure, a partner to check your form is invaluable. But after that, I never felt the need...my body knew when something wasn't quite right.
- zck 10y ago
  Starting strength has you do six to eight sets for each exercise^1. And it recommends "[taking] enough time between sets so that you don’t feel any fatigue from the previous set before you start the next one. For guys squatting 185 pounds in their work sets, this is five minutes between sets."^2. If you're doing six sets, and each takes you, say, a minute, and you're waiting a few minutes between sets, that easily adds up to more than 20 minutes per exercise. Also, if working with a partner (which you do dismiss), you're going to have to alternate. Alternating doesn't quite double your time, since you have your rest period while switching weights and doing the set, but it does increase it. > When you're starting out and learning the form, sure, a partner to check your form is invaluable. But after that, I never felt the need...my body knew when something wasn't quite right. I've heard a lot of stories about people who thought they knew they were doing the right thing, but badly injured themselves. I mean, I hope you're right, but I doubt I am. Also there's spotting for bench press (people die from benching without spotters or doing so in a cage), and if, for example, you go down for a squat and realize you've got too much weight, helping the weight go down less uncontrollably. Perhaps I could be more comfortable with benching alone if I did so in a cage, but I've never seen anyone else do that. Perhaps I could be more comfortable squatting alone if I got comfortable dropping the weight off my back. But right now I'm not -- so having a partner is helpful. And finally, I'm also including changing before/after and showering in the two-hour time, since that's something I have to account for in my schedule. Being able to leave the gym 60 minutes after I got there would be pretty nice, actually. Even a little bit more -- 75 minutes -- would be great. Perhaps I could try it again, having one personal training session a month to ensure my form's ok. [1] This is from what I recall. Squats were the most -- a set with only the bar, three or four warmup sets, then three working sets. Deadlifts had only one working set, and everything but squats had only three warmup sets. I could be wrong, but not by much. [2] http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-...

codegeek 10y ago

Any suggestions on how to get started with powerlifting ? Tons of resources out there to choose from but I have no clue. Programs like P90X etc.

m52go 10y ago
As others have mentioned here, Mark Rippetoe is my authority. He might not be perfect, but he's thorough and I trust him. Starting Strength is excellent, but if you'd rather wet your feet first with some video, check out the series he did with Brett McKay of Art of Manliness: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIasrSrFGdSNbeOT8Agw9N301qCHpRU0 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLIasrSrFGdSNbeOT8Agw...
avar 10y ago
It's not specifically a powerlifting program, but it includes all the powerlifting moves, and I started with it: http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ http://stronglifts.com/5x5/ If you're a beginner the difference really isn't going to matter. It's good because, as opposed to Starting Strength, the material is all free online, it's all one web page with instructional videos, and the guy has mobile apps you can use for free.
- cheald 10y ago
  Seconding SL 5x5. It starts you light to work on form, and ramps you gently but steadily. I'm lifting weights with good form now that I didn't think I was capable of 3 months ago. I also really recommend Alan Thrall's form videos on Youtube. Incredibly instructive and thorough.
yulaow 10y ago
first rule: find a good pt who can teach you the correct form for every single exercise. That is the most important thing. People think that powerlifting is about "moving the heaviest weight possible"... it is not. It is about "moving the heaviest weight possible without failing at doing it with the _perfect_ execution form".
WalterSear 10y ago

makeset 10y ago

As a competitive powerlifter (and certified personal trainer) I should caution that there is an important difference between general strength training using the squat/bench/deadlift and the actual sport of powerlifting. Powerlifting involves not only doing competitions, but also training specifically for them using maximal weights, which considerably increases the risk of injury with no training benefit other than temporary competition readiness (peaking). Unfortunately, sexy as it sounds, liberally calling strength training "powerlifting" drives too many newcomers into an ego-lifting mindset, attempting maximal singles for no good reason, or soon hopping on some extreme Russian peaking program they found after Starting Strength. Learning the powerlifts and training for strength is great for anyone, but unless they actually plan to step on a platform and risk their skeletal integrity for white lights in the near future, I strongly recommend that people keep strictly to weights they can safely lift for 5+ reps per set, and only track the calculated (rather than tested) 1RM.