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Believe it or not, I found a very useful workout program in the comments on HN called Stronglifts 5X5. I kept seeing people talk about how great it was for begi

Believe it or not, I found a very useful workout program in the comments on HN called Stronglifts 5X5. I kept seeing people talk about how great it was for beginners and I've failed to keep a regular weight lifting regime in the past due to feeling overwhelmed by having to memorize form for dozens of exercises. I've been doing Stonglifts for 2 months and I feel great. The wiki and the app are super useful. I think the founder is a little bit of a salty dog, and his subscription model for the paid version of the app is just plain silly. That being said, he's given a lot away for free in terms of information and the free version of the app is still great, so for that I thank him and the people on HN for introducing it to me.

tarruda 8y ago
Also been doing this program for almost a year. Before that, I've never managed to do regular exercises What I like about it is that it requires very little equipment to fully implement the program. A couple of months ago I bought a power rack, barbell and bumper plates, and have been lifting from home (usually when I take a break from work in the middle of day)
- zeroego 8y ago
  That sounds great! I wish I could also do that. Although, I do worry a lot about my form, so one advantage to going to a gym is asking the coaches to check mine and make sure it's good. How do you make sure you're lifting properly?
  - tarruda 8y ago
    I watched a lot of videos and also read a lot. Stronglifts 5x5 is actually a rip-off from "Staring Strength" so I recommend reading the original book (there's also some videos from the book's author on YouTube). At first it is very easy to do the exercises in bad form, but as you progress in weights, you will "feel" if you are doing it incorrectly (and probably won't be able to progress much). For example, as I progressed in squat weights, I started feeling knee pain. This should NEVER happen, if you are feeling knee pain, you are not activating the proper muscles. In general, if you are feeling any pain besides sore muscles, you're probably doing something wrong. I started doing this program in a normal gym, but the coaches were terrible and couldn't offer any advice besides things like "this exercise is very dangerous, I don't recommend it". Yes, free weight can be dangerous, but it is also the most effective form of workout. My general advice is: be conscious about form and always visualize in your head what you're going to do before starting a set. Also do regular reviews of your form (ask someone to record you on smartphone).
    - zeroego 8y ago
      This seems like great advice. Thank you. I ran into some resistance with doing free weights as well. Luckily there was a powerlifting gym in my area that had just opened up and free weights is about 90% of what they do there. Now I never have to wait for a squat rack! When you say pain in your knees after squating, do you mean while doing the actual squat or afterwards? It’s funny you should mention that as an example as my knees have been feeling a little sore from Friday’s workout this weekend, which is a first for me.
prostoalex 8y ago
Long time ago somebody somewhere on HN recommended Starting Strength. I started researching, read the book, and then one day a certified gym opened in my area. Healthiest I've felt in years.
- zeroego 8y ago
  I've been meaning to look into that program. I've heard a lot of good things about it here and various other places on the internet.

tarruda 8y ago

Also been doing this program for almost a year. Before that, I've never managed to do regular exercises What I like about it is that it requires very little equipment to fully implement the program. A couple of months ago I bought a power rack, barbell and bumper plates, and have been lifting from home (usually when I take a break from work in the middle of day)

zeroego 8y ago
That sounds great! I wish I could also do that. Although, I do worry a lot about my form, so one advantage to going to a gym is asking the coaches to check mine and make sure it's good. How do you make sure you're lifting properly?
- tarruda 8y ago
  I watched a lot of videos and also read a lot. Stronglifts 5x5 is actually a rip-off from "Staring Strength" so I recommend reading the original book (there's also some videos from the book's author on YouTube). At first it is very easy to do the exercises in bad form, but as you progress in weights, you will "feel" if you are doing it incorrectly (and probably won't be able to progress much). For example, as I progressed in squat weights, I started feeling knee pain. This should NEVER happen, if you are feeling knee pain, you are not activating the proper muscles. In general, if you are feeling any pain besides sore muscles, you're probably doing something wrong. I started doing this program in a normal gym, but the coaches were terrible and couldn't offer any advice besides things like "this exercise is very dangerous, I don't recommend it". Yes, free weight can be dangerous, but it is also the most effective form of workout. My general advice is: be conscious about form and always visualize in your head what you're going to do before starting a set. Also do regular reviews of your form (ask someone to record you on smartphone).
  - zeroego 8y ago
    This seems like great advice. Thank you. I ran into some resistance with doing free weights as well. Luckily there was a powerlifting gym in my area that had just opened up and free weights is about 90% of what they do there. Now I never have to wait for a squat rack! When you say pain in your knees after squating, do you mean while doing the actual squat or afterwards? It’s funny you should mention that as an example as my knees have been feeling a little sore from Friday’s workout this weekend, which is a first for me.

prostoalex 8y ago

Long time ago somebody somewhere on HN recommended Starting Strength. I started researching, read the book, and then one day a certified gym opened in my area. Healthiest I've felt in years.

zeroego 8y ago
I've been meaning to look into that program. I've heard a lot of good things about it here and various other places on the internet.