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I absolutely hated StrongLifts. If you have godlike genes it will work great; unfortunately I ended up having a month-long plateau that made me dread going to t

I absolutely hated StrongLifts. If you have godlike genes it will work great; unfortunately I ended up having a month-long plateau that made me dread going to the gym (StrongLifts makes you "work until failure" a certain number of times before you take weight off your exercises, which sounds OK until your sets are going 3-1-1-0-0 2-3 times a week for multiple weeks). Psychologically, working to failure makes you feel like absolute shit. Also, they never mention this anywhere, but do not start a weight training program if you are overweight! It's very difficult to build muscle while eating at a caloric deficit. The absolute best way to get into shape first is to lose weight with a lower calorie diet and cardio. Once you're slim, then you can start bulking if you want more muscle. You'll hear people say things like "weight training raises your metabolism so you're burning more calories while at rest." This is largely a myth that experimental data has disproven. Men have a difficult time with this because there's a certain machismo factor when it comes to weight lifting, but please resist the urge!

retrogradeorbit 13y ago
I don't set the weight so high as to do 3-1-1-0-0. I set the weight so I can do 5 reps on every set. except maybe the last one or two doing 4 reps, failing on the 5th. If I can't do 5 reps on all 5 sets I stay on the weight I'm on. Until I complete the last 5th set 5th rep without failing. Then I add 2.5kg next time. I only work out at the moment every 5 days.
bryanlarsen 13y ago
"do not start a weight training program if you are overweight" A better way of saying that might be "do not start a weight training program if you are on a calorie-reduced diet". Some will argue that you're better off converting fat into muscle via a strength program than losing weight, at least to start. That's an individual choice, though.
- bradleyland 13y ago
  > Some will argue that you're better off converting fat into muscle via a strength program than losing weight, at least to start. That's an individual choice, though. That's not an individual choice; it's a good indicator that the person you're talking to doesn't know what they're talking about. There is no such thing as "converting" fat into muscle. They're different cell tissues, and if the person dispensing the advice doesn't pay respect to that fact, it's unlikely their advice is worth following. Think about it from a technology perspective. Having a more subtle understanding of a technology allows you to develop better problem solving strategies. If the depth of one's troubleshooting strategy is limited to "turn it off, then back on again", they might be able to reach a solution most of the time, but they can't help you past the point that their single-vector solution fails. The same applies to fitness. A better understanding of the human body yields more nuanced advice, and more effective results.
  - bryanlarsen 13y ago
    That's a common expression used by lots of people who understand that the process is more complicated than that. Pedants might make good scientists but they're unlikely to be good instructors.
acconrad 13y ago
A month is nothing. I lift competitively and you can plateau in some or fashion for years. Fitness is a lifetime activity of slow and steady progress and not quick, unsustainable schemes. Enjoy the journey :)

retrogradeorbit 13y ago

I don't set the weight so high as to do 3-1-1-0-0. I set the weight so I can do 5 reps on every set. except maybe the last one or two doing 4 reps, failing on the 5th. If I can't do 5 reps on all 5 sets I stay on the weight I'm on. Until I complete the last 5th set 5th rep without failing. Then I add 2.5kg next time. I only work out at the moment every 5 days.

bryanlarsen 13y ago

"do not start a weight training program if you are overweight" A better way of saying that might be "do not start a weight training program if you are on a calorie-reduced diet". Some will argue that you're better off converting fat into muscle via a strength program than losing weight, at least to start. That's an individual choice, though.

bradleyland 13y ago
> Some will argue that you're better off converting fat into muscle via a strength program than losing weight, at least to start. That's an individual choice, though. That's not an individual choice; it's a good indicator that the person you're talking to doesn't know what they're talking about. There is no such thing as "converting" fat into muscle. They're different cell tissues, and if the person dispensing the advice doesn't pay respect to that fact, it's unlikely their advice is worth following. Think about it from a technology perspective. Having a more subtle understanding of a technology allows you to develop better problem solving strategies. If the depth of one's troubleshooting strategy is limited to "turn it off, then back on again", they might be able to reach a solution most of the time, but they can't help you past the point that their single-vector solution fails. The same applies to fitness. A better understanding of the human body yields more nuanced advice, and more effective results.
- bryanlarsen 13y ago
  That's a common expression used by lots of people who understand that the process is more complicated than that. Pedants might make good scientists but they're unlikely to be good instructors.

acconrad 13y ago

A month is nothing. I lift competitively and you can plateau in some or fashion for years. Fitness is a lifetime activity of slow and steady progress and not quick, unsustainable schemes. Enjoy the journey :)