The Zen of Weight Lifting(nytimes.com)
nytimes.com
The Zen of Weight Lifting
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/well/move/the-zen-of-weight-lifting.html
89 comments
That is interesting to hear.
After I started climbing, my RSI was also eliminated within weeks.
I found that quite unintuitive and thought that maybe I did not have "real" RSI but just the symptoms of overburdened tendons.
I can confirm. At least in my case weightlifting (basically low bar squats and deadlifts - bench press is overrated) helped me fix both my RSI and lower back pain. I post this on every RSI thread here in hopes it'd help someone else. Yet NO doctor will suggest that something like this might help. Therein lies the danger of uncritically "listening to the doctors" - most of them are simply not trained to do anything with trained individuals and have never lifted a barbell. It's like asking a Javascript developer for advice on embedded C++. Their client base is mostly sedentary, weak, and thoroughly sick. Ex: my wife is struggling with back pain, and she will continue to struggle as long as she listens to her idiot doctor who's telling her to lie down and rest, which only screws up her back musculature even more.
This is not true. I know several doctors who prescribe exactly this. The issue is patients. Patients throw a hissy fit when told to lose weight, exercise, improve diet, etc.
90% of the time they want something that can be done while sitting on their ass, like an injection or a brace.
90% of the time they want something that can be done while sitting on their ass, like an injection or a brace.
No doctor ever told me to lift weights, and I've been to many before I gave up on them. They'll tell you to lose weight, exercise, improve diet and whatever, sure, but very specifically, they will never tell you to lift weights. And not a single doctor I encountered knows what to do with men who train, besides advising them not to train.
They are, presumably, afraid that you might get "injured". To me the easiest way to get injured is to let one's back musculature to atrophy, and there are likely tens of millions people in the US alone with back problems because of this.
Unless you're about to die, or have a profitable chronic illness of some sort (such as, say, diabetes), US "healthcare" is borderline useless.
They are, presumably, afraid that you might get "injured". To me the easiest way to get injured is to let one's back musculature to atrophy, and there are likely tens of millions people in the US alone with back problems because of this.
Unless you're about to die, or have a profitable chronic illness of some sort (such as, say, diabetes), US "healthcare" is borderline useless.
I've lifted my entire life and never had a doctor tell me to stop. I go to the doctor regularly and I've changed doctors afew times.
I also wish my wife and daughters would experiment with weight training, but they seem very resistant to it with some sort of fear of "bulking" up.
I also wish my wife and daughters would experiment with weight training, but they seem very resistant to it with some sort of fear of "bulking" up.
You just need to visit physiotherapist instead of a regular therapist.
I think this is part of the problem GP is highlighting: you have to know which type of doctor you want advice from. They specialize so hard that there's barely any overlap. Which ends up meaning you have to see a boatload of doctors to find something you can use to finally draw your own conclusions.
I hate visiting doctors for some reason. Probably because we're supposed to just default-respect them, and I just see no reason to do that with how they're not able to help me.
Edit: able to help rather than helping.
I hate visiting doctors for some reason. Probably because we're supposed to just default-respect them, and I just see no reason to do that with how they're not able to help me.
Edit: able to help rather than helping.
Repetitive strain injury?
Same for me. Any RSI disappeared after starting lifting weights.
doctors would tell you to isolate at home and use ice
modern science /s
modern science /s
I'm convinced weightlifting is helpful for knowledge workers, and I say this as an Ex SpaceX engineer and current FAANG Data Scientist who despite having great jobs, has realized that health is as important as a career.
I wrote a essay on the benefits of weightlifting for knowledge workers https://ravinkumar.com/WhyFitness.html
It's so thrilling to see other folks here post experiences similar to mine. To echo them
Weightlifting has * Improved my appearance and subsequently self confidence * Eliminated RSI and ergonomic pains that used to occur on long coding day * Auto regulated my overall health and wellness by adding an objective measure of my capability * I feel as though its improved my sleep and mood * Given me a goal that I truly own and can achieve, unlike promotions or titles or money which others control
I personally went from being a typical skinny nerd in college, to an overweight one in my mid 20s (from completely neglecting my health) to losing 35 lbs, of mistake and regret, in my early 30s.
I urge anyone reading this, don't go through the same cycle and/or start making changes now if you can. It really is worth it.
I wrote a essay on the benefits of weightlifting for knowledge workers https://ravinkumar.com/WhyFitness.html
It's so thrilling to see other folks here post experiences similar to mine. To echo them
Weightlifting has * Improved my appearance and subsequently self confidence * Eliminated RSI and ergonomic pains that used to occur on long coding day * Auto regulated my overall health and wellness by adding an objective measure of my capability * I feel as though its improved my sleep and mood * Given me a goal that I truly own and can achieve, unlike promotions or titles or money which others control
I personally went from being a typical skinny nerd in college, to an overweight one in my mid 20s (from completely neglecting my health) to losing 35 lbs, of mistake and regret, in my early 30s.
I urge anyone reading this, don't go through the same cycle and/or start making changes now if you can. It really is worth it.
I've tried a few times to get into weightlifting. I can never stick with it, though.
It's not necessarily a self-discipline thing, because I've run thousands of miles over the past decade. When you run, you get outside, you go somewhere, you see and feel different things. There's a race ecosystem that encourages you to get in when you can barely run a mile without stopping and allows you to push yourself as much as you want. It's cheaper to start, it's easy to create routes that are as varied as you want them to be, and if you pick the right spots it's safer.
But the gym is the same sights, smells, and sounds over and over again. I wish I enjoyed it more; I love how I feel when I stick with it for a couple months! Any tips on this?
It's not necessarily a self-discipline thing, because I've run thousands of miles over the past decade. When you run, you get outside, you go somewhere, you see and feel different things. There's a race ecosystem that encourages you to get in when you can barely run a mile without stopping and allows you to push yourself as much as you want. It's cheaper to start, it's easy to create routes that are as varied as you want them to be, and if you pick the right spots it's safer.
But the gym is the same sights, smells, and sounds over and over again. I wish I enjoyed it more; I love how I feel when I stick with it for a couple months! Any tips on this?
It's entirely subjective. I'm neutral about running outside, but I enjoy running on a treadmill because I can get into a kind of zen mode or watch something. Similarly, I love weight lifting because the experience of hard muscular exertion is intensely satisfying for me, and the overall lifting session gets me in a similarly zen mode.
> When you run, you get outside, you go somewhere, you see and feel different things.
I disagree. When I run outside, I see the same thing every time. Maybe if I lived in a wide open meadow or forest where I could take infinite paths it would be different, but in a suburb/city, it's just buildings and streets. Not that interesting to me.
> There's a race ecosystem that encourages you to get in when you can barely run a mile without stopping and allows you to push yourself as much as you want
I hate group sports. I don't want to see other people at all when I'm exercising, so this 'race ecosystem' has no value to me.
> if you pick the right spots it's safer.
I don't really understand your point here. Are you saying running is inherently safer than weight lifting? I would need to see some evidence. Safer than strongman or powerlifting, maybe. Safer than light-moderate lifting with proper form? I'd be skeptical of that claim.
> But the gym is the same sights, smells, and sounds over and over again
Again, I feel the same way about running outdoors. For me the differences from you seem to be (1) I don't need novelty, I exercise for the health and physical sensation of exercising itself. If I want novelty or new sights I'll watch a movie or take a trip somewhere. (2) I love the sensation of lifting itself, just like I also enjoy the sensation of running or biking.
Maybe find a way to focus on the exercise, not the environment. Or just watch videos or listen to music. There's no way around it, weight lifting is inherently repetitive
> When you run, you get outside, you go somewhere, you see and feel different things.
I disagree. When I run outside, I see the same thing every time. Maybe if I lived in a wide open meadow or forest where I could take infinite paths it would be different, but in a suburb/city, it's just buildings and streets. Not that interesting to me.
> There's a race ecosystem that encourages you to get in when you can barely run a mile without stopping and allows you to push yourself as much as you want
I hate group sports. I don't want to see other people at all when I'm exercising, so this 'race ecosystem' has no value to me.
> if you pick the right spots it's safer.
I don't really understand your point here. Are you saying running is inherently safer than weight lifting? I would need to see some evidence. Safer than strongman or powerlifting, maybe. Safer than light-moderate lifting with proper form? I'd be skeptical of that claim.
> But the gym is the same sights, smells, and sounds over and over again
Again, I feel the same way about running outdoors. For me the differences from you seem to be (1) I don't need novelty, I exercise for the health and physical sensation of exercising itself. If I want novelty or new sights I'll watch a movie or take a trip somewhere. (2) I love the sensation of lifting itself, just like I also enjoy the sensation of running or biking.
Maybe find a way to focus on the exercise, not the environment. Or just watch videos or listen to music. There's no way around it, weight lifting is inherently repetitive
I started a huge reply to rebut some stuff and/or clarify but...that's not the point here! Not here to argue. Thanks for your input.
It's pretty clear that different people want different things out of exercise, and will have different individual risk factors based on what they're doing.
Thinking about it more, I know that weight (fat) loss is often a goal for my exercise, and I think it's hard to do that while lifting. With running it's simple: Loosely track calories, and each mile on the road gives about 150 extra calories to play with. When I've tried to lose weight while lifting, I usually end up really hungry and struggle to find a balance.
It's pretty clear that different people want different things out of exercise, and will have different individual risk factors based on what they're doing.
Thinking about it more, I know that weight (fat) loss is often a goal for my exercise, and I think it's hard to do that while lifting. With running it's simple: Loosely track calories, and each mile on the road gives about 150 extra calories to play with. When I've tried to lose weight while lifting, I usually end up really hungry and struggle to find a balance.
For people interested in fat loss, the relevant benefit of strength training is that it provides a signal to your body to hold on to as much muscle as possible. (Usually in conjunction with eating sufficient amounts of protein during your fat loss phase.)
Without strength training, you're as likely to lose muscle as you are to lose fat. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 50% may be fat tissue and 50% may be muscle tissue.)
With strength training, the ratio skews towards losing mostly or even entirely fat without losing muscle while having the same rate of weight loss all things being equal. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 90% may be fat tissue and 10% may be muscle, or 100% fat and 0% muscle.)
For people sufficiently new to strength training or for people who are sufficiently overfat, it's even possible to build new muscle tissue while losing fat, though this gets less and less likely the more advanced you get and the leaner you get. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 1.25 lbs of fat might be lost while 0.25 pounds of muscle might be gained.)
Without strength training, you're as likely to lose muscle as you are to lose fat. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 50% may be fat tissue and 50% may be muscle tissue.)
With strength training, the ratio skews towards losing mostly or even entirely fat without losing muscle while having the same rate of weight loss all things being equal. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 90% may be fat tissue and 10% may be muscle, or 100% fat and 0% muscle.)
For people sufficiently new to strength training or for people who are sufficiently overfat, it's even possible to build new muscle tissue while losing fat, though this gets less and less likely the more advanced you get and the leaner you get. (E.g., lose a pound per week on the scale and 1.25 lbs of fat might be lost while 0.25 pounds of muscle might be gained.)
Fat loss is really as simple as: calories in < calories out. There are finer details that determine how your body reacts to different meals, like dense, calorie rich food leaving you hungry for more and so you eat more, as opposed to voluminous, low calorie foods filling you up, but it really is as simple as that. No complex diet required. No exercise required.
It’s contrary to popular belief, but the truth is in the numbers. The calories burned in the most intense cardio session are negligible compared to your next meal, and with calorie trackers it’s something everyone can see now for themselves. Running is good for cardiovascular health and some people enjoy it for various reasons, but it’s not the tool for managing weight.
Interestingly, lifting weights over time does positively affects fat loss. Maintaining every additional pound of muscle takes more energy than maintaining a pound of body fat, and so having more muscle means you burn more calories by just breathing and existing. You don’t need to become a body building hulk for this effect to have a noticeable impact, either. Muscle is denser than fat. But, as with cardio, don’t bother measuring your calories burned for a weightlifting session. The benefit happens outside the gym.
If you get hungry between meals, drink more water (most people don’t drink enough, anyway) and have a lot of popcorn on hand to snack on. Popcorn is so voluminous yet has basically no calories, helping manage appetite.
The other big trick with weight is to develop consistent diet habits that you’ll follow consistently forever. Slow and steady wins the race. If you go hard and fast you might temporarily reach you goal but you won’t be able to maintain it. You need to develop habits that you’ll follow for life, because without it the fat will just come back later as your calories in go above your calories out.
It’s contrary to popular belief, but the truth is in the numbers. The calories burned in the most intense cardio session are negligible compared to your next meal, and with calorie trackers it’s something everyone can see now for themselves. Running is good for cardiovascular health and some people enjoy it for various reasons, but it’s not the tool for managing weight.
Interestingly, lifting weights over time does positively affects fat loss. Maintaining every additional pound of muscle takes more energy than maintaining a pound of body fat, and so having more muscle means you burn more calories by just breathing and existing. You don’t need to become a body building hulk for this effect to have a noticeable impact, either. Muscle is denser than fat. But, as with cardio, don’t bother measuring your calories burned for a weightlifting session. The benefit happens outside the gym.
If you get hungry between meals, drink more water (most people don’t drink enough, anyway) and have a lot of popcorn on hand to snack on. Popcorn is so voluminous yet has basically no calories, helping manage appetite.
The other big trick with weight is to develop consistent diet habits that you’ll follow consistently forever. Slow and steady wins the race. If you go hard and fast you might temporarily reach you goal but you won’t be able to maintain it. You need to develop habits that you’ll follow for life, because without it the fat will just come back later as your calories in go above your calories out.
> I know that weight (fat) loss is often a goal for my exercise, and I think it's hard to do that while lifting
Agreed. Diet controls weight, exercise controls fitness. I've lost tons of weight while having varying levels of lifting/cardio, sometimes almost no exercise at all. Just eat fewer calories and more substance: cabbage, broccoli, things like that.
Agreed. Diet controls weight, exercise controls fitness. I've lost tons of weight while having varying levels of lifting/cardio, sometimes almost no exercise at all. Just eat fewer calories and more substance: cabbage, broccoli, things like that.
Have you tried pre-workout? Personally this makes going to the gym a blast when I'd otherwise be going through the motions. Just make sure you find something that's ranked well on LabDoor since admittedly the industry can be shady.
Lifting with someone else can also go a long ways in making it more enjoyable although this can often be difficult. A personal trainer can be a great substitute if you have the disposable income.
Lastly quantifying your lifts is great. This is coming from someone that ran cross country in high school but now mostly sticks to the gym and Jiu Jutsu. I have the opposite problem :)
Lifting with someone else can also go a long ways in making it more enjoyable although this can often be difficult. A personal trainer can be a great substitute if you have the disposable income.
Lastly quantifying your lifts is great. This is coming from someone that ran cross country in high school but now mostly sticks to the gym and Jiu Jutsu. I have the opposite problem :)
It’s an expensive solution (heck I can’t even afford it at the moment) but my solution for this was a personal trainer. If I have an appointment with a human being who’s expecting me and will be cross if I don’t show, I’m going to go. After I let the trainer go, I had a SO who would have raised an eyebrow had I quit lifting, so that kept me going until we broke up. In other words, if you can, enlist someone to whom you can be accountable.
My tip, which helped me become consistent and motivated at the gym, is to make it part of your morning ritual. I am a morning person, so I find that making it a non-negotiable part of my morning forces me into the habit and also forces me to consistently eat a solid breakfast. At first I felt that I needed to force myself to go, but at this point I am so deep in the habit that I look forward to it each morning.
I heard an interesting interview this weekend with a clinical psychologist and ultra runner who gets into some of the physiological effects of running:
Thompson says that running has worked as a powerful medicine for the mind, and that, much like the analyst’s couch, the running trail has become his therapeutic space, allowing his traumatic memories to be processed in a safer way. Ultra runners, he explains, experience physiological changes in the brain, entering trance-like states that alter perception and enhance free movement of thoughts and memories.
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/life-examined/jm-thompson...
Not a runner myself but found it pretty interesting. Goes a bit beyond the usual "runner's high" stuff. I imagine there are comparable effects across physical activities.
Thompson says that running has worked as a powerful medicine for the mind, and that, much like the analyst’s couch, the running trail has become his therapeutic space, allowing his traumatic memories to be processed in a safer way. Ultra runners, he explains, experience physiological changes in the brain, entering trance-like states that alter perception and enhance free movement of thoughts and memories.
https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/life-examined/jm-thompson...
Not a runner myself but found it pretty interesting. Goes a bit beyond the usual "runner's high" stuff. I imagine there are comparable effects across physical activities.
I try to hit EASY 10-20 reptition maxes or have some sort of easy rep PR goal every session. Emphasis on easy, I reserve pretty sandbagged weights, maybe 10-20% below what I'm actually capable of doing. They're somewhat challenging, but easy enough that I almost never miss even on days when I feel bad/sick. It's just nice knowing your body is doing something it's never done before. The rest of it is actually treating lifts as a skill to be mastered rather than reps to be ground through. But not everyone has patience / personality to approach lifting like that. Finally, my typical 1.5-2hr gym session is good time to catch up on podcasts @2-3x speed. There's probably only ever 20-30m of lifting happening total. It's definitely not the kind of activity that consumes me. Unless I do cross fit or other circuit programs where you're moving all the time. Incidentally I can't stick to those because they're too close to running.
If you're into a "race ecosystem", I'm surprised you haven't picked up on the weight training competitive nature. I constantly have to remind myself I'm not trying to impress anyone. It's also something I try to teach other new lifters, there is a huge tendency to "compete" with the people around you.
I’ve always found lifting to be unbelievably boring. Contrasted with an obsession with cycling which has been maintained daily for many years.
I can’t seem to find any mentality which makes lifting enjoyable at all for me. Yet somehow sitting on a bike for hours at a time, even indoors, is great fun.
I can’t seem to find any mentality which makes lifting enjoyable at all for me. Yet somehow sitting on a bike for hours at a time, even indoors, is great fun.
I find cycling a bit boring and it takes a comparably long time to work out as much as running six miles. I also enjoy that running doesn't have any tech attached which can become a burden, like a gear shift that's not 100% adjusted. To each their own, I guess :)
This year, though, I got to enjoy it a bit more when I tried some "triathlon", sprint distance, which encompasses 20km of cycling (a joke for every serious cycler). Maybe next year I'll try to tackle the olympic distance.
This year, though, I got to enjoy it a bit more when I tried some "triathlon", sprint distance, which encompasses 20km of cycling (a joke for every serious cycler). Maybe next year I'll try to tackle the olympic distance.
Game-ify it by tracking and focusing on progression, tracking your weight and reps for each move to increase your personal bests. Celebrate your new personal records to encourage better dopamine activation throughout the next training cycle.
I'm not sure what you were doing in the gym, but for me lifting heavy and pushing the boundaries of what I can do every single time I'm in the gym makes it fun.
It also helps if you setup regular routines to make comparison easy, for example:
day 1 - bench, curl (barbell), lat pull, tricep extension (dumbell)
This example hits alternating muscle groups so you can minimize rest in between. If I do something like this I can usually get my heart rate up as well.
This example hits alternating muscle groups so you can minimize rest in between. If I do something like this I can usually get my heart rate up as well.
> Any tips on this?
Go with someone and write down your gains and take photos.
Go with someone and write down your gains and take photos.
I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean.
any recommendations?
EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
any recommendations?
EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
The hardest part is habit-building. So whatever works for you for building daily habits. My plan is to put a calendar on the wall with boxes for habits and check them off with a colored pen. Nice visible reminder of what I'm working on and how I'm doing. I was derailed by a severe cold that I'm still recovering from.
The exercise routine itself matters less, IMO, than building the habit. Some basic calisthenics (bodyweight exercises) would be fine to start. You could add dumbbells or a kettlebell at some point to add weight for a minimum of space.
The exercise I "enjoyed" the most was barbell lifting: deadlift, squat, benchpress, cleans, rows, etc. Starting Strength was a really good read for that, and there are videos to go with them. I also worked with a trainer at the gym for a while to get the form correct. That all requires a fair bit of equipment or gym access, though.
The exercise routine itself matters less, IMO, than building the habit. Some basic calisthenics (bodyweight exercises) would be fine to start. You could add dumbbells or a kettlebell at some point to add weight for a minimum of space.
The exercise I "enjoyed" the most was barbell lifting: deadlift, squat, benchpress, cleans, rows, etc. Starting Strength was a really good read for that, and there are videos to go with them. I also worked with a trainer at the gym for a while to get the form correct. That all requires a fair bit of equipment or gym access, though.
Don't overlook the comment about form. Form is everything, weight is secondary. Get a professional trainer to help you setup your form once you move to barbell work and then you can go from there on your own.
The 4chan /fit/ guide is remarkably helpful for beginners.
https://liamrosen.com/fitness.html
https://liamrosen.com/fitness.html
I'm a nerd/coder who used to sit all day too. It depends on your current level of fitness (muscles, tendon/ligament strength, body fat %). Feel free to ask me any questions.
The way to trade fat for muscle is to continually stress your muscles (by increasing the weight you can lift), and getting enough sleep (which I am bad at). Also, don't each too much (especially sugars).
+ Beginners: do air squats (multiple sets and repetitions) and static squats / wall sits (for as long as is comfortable. rest 90 seconds and repeat). Once you are stronger, do the same while holding a gallon of water.
+ Making Progress?: The above + yoga moves targeted at strength. Try out planks and wall hand stands. Single leg split squats (your back leg on your sofa).
+ Feeling Strong?: All of the above + adjustable kettlebells (let me know if you need recs) + gymnastic rings (you can attach the straps to a high place at a public park, or drill some hooks into your ceiling, or buy a doorway mount). Check out the bodyweightfitness community on reddit.
+ Advanced: This takes up space and costs a decent amount of $, but you'll need to build a home weightlifting gym with a barbell, olympic weight plates, and a squat stand / pullup bar / flat bench. Check out the homegym community on reddit.
The way to trade fat for muscle is to continually stress your muscles (by increasing the weight you can lift), and getting enough sleep (which I am bad at). Also, don't each too much (especially sugars).
+ Beginners: do air squats (multiple sets and repetitions) and static squats / wall sits (for as long as is comfortable. rest 90 seconds and repeat). Once you are stronger, do the same while holding a gallon of water.
+ Making Progress?: The above + yoga moves targeted at strength. Try out planks and wall hand stands. Single leg split squats (your back leg on your sofa).
+ Feeling Strong?: All of the above + adjustable kettlebells (let me know if you need recs) + gymnastic rings (you can attach the straps to a high place at a public park, or drill some hooks into your ceiling, or buy a doorway mount). Check out the bodyweightfitness community on reddit.
+ Advanced: This takes up space and costs a decent amount of $, but you'll need to build a home weightlifting gym with a barbell, olympic weight plates, and a squat stand / pullup bar / flat bench. Check out the homegym community on reddit.
My working place is actually the gym room of my house. I simply have a standing desk for my laptop, and then I can lift some weights whenever I want to stop looking at code.
Make sure you get the main items: Olympic bar, squat rack, maybe a multi-gym machine thingy with ropes and weights, and hand weights of some sort. Also get one of those modern scales if weight is one of your goals, it will record your weight to 2 decimals on an app for you.
For motivation, I pay an online gym some money to do a training + diet + measurements program. I've done weights for a good long while now, so I don't need the detailed instructions so much, but they do also offer videos of every exercise, exact recipes for every meal (with my goals in mind), and instructions about how to measure yourself, all on web/mobile. It even lets you record what weights you're doing and has a convenient clock to measure your resting time. Coach then checks in now and again to see how I'm doing.
Make sure you get the main items: Olympic bar, squat rack, maybe a multi-gym machine thingy with ropes and weights, and hand weights of some sort. Also get one of those modern scales if weight is one of your goals, it will record your weight to 2 decimals on an app for you.
For motivation, I pay an online gym some money to do a training + diet + measurements program. I've done weights for a good long while now, so I don't need the detailed instructions so much, but they do also offer videos of every exercise, exact recipes for every meal (with my goals in mind), and instructions about how to measure yourself, all on web/mobile. It even lets you record what weights you're doing and has a convenient clock to measure your resting time. Coach then checks in now and again to see how I'm doing.
I will also cast a vote for Starting Strength. Get the book. Watch videos on YouTube. Then find a local certified trainer (hopefully there's one near you) to learn how to do it correctly. Proper technique is super important. If you don't lift correctly you will not be able to make progress and are likely to hurt yourself.
I did all of the above many years ago and even went to a seminar taught by Mark. If you don't know anything about strength training, this is the path.
Diet is super important. If you do not eat correctly you will not make progress. More importantly, don't expect strength training to be a weight loss program. It is not. In fact, you could get fatter and stronger at the same time.
If becoming lean is your primary objective, go to a knowledgeable nutritionist and get on a keto-type diet. Train yourself to be strict and consistent about your diet. It might take you a year or more to develop the right habits. Diet is EVERYTHING. Go take walks every day as your exercise.
I cannot over-stress the idea that diet is the most important thing to focus on if one is interested in becoming lean. For most of us we have to shake really bad eating habits that may have been cemented into our brains over decades. This is tough. And this is the first thing you need to work on body composition is a priority.
Having changed eating habits you can then start to look into exercise to optimize muscle and strength to the degree that might interest you. There's a difference between body building and strength training. In a nutshell, someone with big muscles isn't necessarily stronger. I'd rather be stronger.
So, diet first, exercise moderately until you learn how to eat better and achieve the kind of balance you are after and then add a higher level of exercise to get stronger. You will need to eat more. That's why it is important to learn to eat well.
I did all of the above many years ago and even went to a seminar taught by Mark. If you don't know anything about strength training, this is the path.
Diet is super important. If you do not eat correctly you will not make progress. More importantly, don't expect strength training to be a weight loss program. It is not. In fact, you could get fatter and stronger at the same time.
If becoming lean is your primary objective, go to a knowledgeable nutritionist and get on a keto-type diet. Train yourself to be strict and consistent about your diet. It might take you a year or more to develop the right habits. Diet is EVERYTHING. Go take walks every day as your exercise.
I cannot over-stress the idea that diet is the most important thing to focus on if one is interested in becoming lean. For most of us we have to shake really bad eating habits that may have been cemented into our brains over decades. This is tough. And this is the first thing you need to work on body composition is a priority.
Having changed eating habits you can then start to look into exercise to optimize muscle and strength to the degree that might interest you. There's a difference between body building and strength training. In a nutshell, someone with big muscles isn't necessarily stronger. I'd rather be stronger.
So, diet first, exercise moderately until you learn how to eat better and achieve the kind of balance you are after and then add a higher level of exercise to get stronger. You will need to eat more. That's why it is important to learn to eat well.
I can share what I did because I recently went through this journey. I started with Pavel Tsatsouline's Simple and Sinister program and bought a few kettlebells. I slowly started to incorporate push ups, overhead press, curls, dips, squats, deadlifts all from home - with apartment friendly and novice modifications. I then bought some exercise bands and learned some more exercises from youtube.
The best advice I read was to start small, make it a regular thing and go from there. Like seriously, I started only working out 15-20min each session 4-5 days a week for the first 2-3 weeks. I enjoyed it so much and saw great results that now I'm at 45-50min minutes each session a few months in.
The best advice I read was to start small, make it a regular thing and go from there. Like seriously, I started only working out 15-20min each session 4-5 days a week for the first 2-3 weeks. I enjoyed it so much and saw great results that now I'm at 45-50min minutes each session a few months in.
I had a great experience taking BodyPump classes for ~1 year: https://www.lesmills.com/us/workouts/fitness-classes/bodypum...
Start with basically no weight (1kg x 2 + bar for anything with arms, 2kg x 2 + bar for anything legs). It's cardio + weights, and they cover all the major muscle groups, and you're doing fairly rapid repetitions of a bunch of different lifts.
After 3-6 months doing _that_ class, I would then start supplementing that with occasionally (once every few weeks) doing a smattering of the lifts, but "heavy" and only a few reps out on the gym floor.
It's a great way to expose you to the lifts in a group setting, the instructors (in my experience) are always up for a quick chit-chat afterwards about form + safety, and once you've mastered the movements, it's pretty low equipment to set up a station at home and follow along with videos.
...but... it's super helpful to have a professional who can monitor your posture + movements and guide you to good habits when you're starting out.
I was typical nerd in high school, and now I can rattle of all the different curls, chest presses, flys, squats, deadlifts, clean and press, lunges, planks, crunches, blah blah blah, and I've enough confidence in my form and not hurting myself to pick up a bar + some weights and do it at home. It's a really nice skill to have and it's something I really miss... I'll have to make time and pick it back up!
Start with basically no weight (1kg x 2 + bar for anything with arms, 2kg x 2 + bar for anything legs). It's cardio + weights, and they cover all the major muscle groups, and you're doing fairly rapid repetitions of a bunch of different lifts.
After 3-6 months doing _that_ class, I would then start supplementing that with occasionally (once every few weeks) doing a smattering of the lifts, but "heavy" and only a few reps out on the gym floor.
It's a great way to expose you to the lifts in a group setting, the instructors (in my experience) are always up for a quick chit-chat afterwards about form + safety, and once you've mastered the movements, it's pretty low equipment to set up a station at home and follow along with videos.
...but... it's super helpful to have a professional who can monitor your posture + movements and guide you to good habits when you're starting out.
I was typical nerd in high school, and now I can rattle of all the different curls, chest presses, flys, squats, deadlifts, clean and press, lunges, planks, crunches, blah blah blah, and I've enough confidence in my form and not hurting myself to pick up a bar + some weights and do it at home. It's a really nice skill to have and it's something I really miss... I'll have to make time and pick it back up!
You have a few good direct answers to your question, but there's something I feel is important to add:
Honestly, a gym membership is worth it, if you live close to one. While you can get decent results from home gyms, I've found the jump from "decent" to "good" results takes a bit of money/equipment. There are muscles groups that basically require heavy weights to really get good results.
Leg workouts in particular are really easy to cap out on without equipment. I can personally do body-weight squats indefinitely (probably). If I tried to do weighted squats with dumbbells, I'm sure my arms would tire well before my legs do.
A good leg press machine will run you the same price as a decade of cheap gym memberships, and that's not even getting into weights or other useful equipment.
I personally find it valuable to travel to the gym. It's only 5 minutes for me, but once I leave, I'm committed to a degree that is harder to maintain when I workout at home.
Also, to answer your question: yoga is great. It's a very underrated exercise (particularly for men). It builds core strength and flexibility. The wrestler DDP has a series on it that people rave about.
Honestly, a gym membership is worth it, if you live close to one. While you can get decent results from home gyms, I've found the jump from "decent" to "good" results takes a bit of money/equipment. There are muscles groups that basically require heavy weights to really get good results.
Leg workouts in particular are really easy to cap out on without equipment. I can personally do body-weight squats indefinitely (probably). If I tried to do weighted squats with dumbbells, I'm sure my arms would tire well before my legs do.
A good leg press machine will run you the same price as a decade of cheap gym memberships, and that's not even getting into weights or other useful equipment.
I personally find it valuable to travel to the gym. It's only 5 minutes for me, but once I leave, I'm committed to a degree that is harder to maintain when I workout at home.
Also, to answer your question: yoga is great. It's a very underrated exercise (particularly for men). It builds core strength and flexibility. The wrestler DDP has a series on it that people rave about.
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Depending on your situation, a set of locking adjustable dumbbells (such as these: https://powerblock.com/product/sport-series/) might be a decent middle ground between the ideal gym and just doing bodyweight exercises.
They're small enough that you can store and use them in most rooms, and in my experience, the ease with which you can add and remove weight reduced the friction of deciding whether or not to work out, which helps a lot when trying to start a consistent habit.
They're not as versatile as an actual gym, but I got a pair of these when between gyms for a couple of years, and you can do a lot with them if you're creative. (For example--instead of squats and deadlifts, which would have required far more weight than I had available, I switched to lunges and one-legged squats).
They're small enough that you can store and use them in most rooms, and in my experience, the ease with which you can add and remove weight reduced the friction of deciding whether or not to work out, which helps a lot when trying to start a consistent habit.
They're not as versatile as an actual gym, but I got a pair of these when between gyms for a couple of years, and you can do a lot with them if you're creative. (For example--instead of squats and deadlifts, which would have required far more weight than I had available, I switched to lunges and one-legged squats).
I started strength / resistance training about four months ago, and I've lost at least 15 pounds and have gained considerable strength from working out 4x a week - this is without substantially cutting my calorie intake either. I really cannot describe how good I feel. Additional strength, better posture, less frequent back and shoulder pains (which, the few times they've come up, have resolved within a day - rarely the case before I started working out), better diet, awareness of calorie and macronutrient consumption and sense of accomplishment are all factors that I feel good about.
I'll give a plug for Mind Pump [1] and MAPS Fitness Products programs [2]. No affiliation aside from being a customer. I just finished the MAPS Starter program (a three month program). With one of their 60% discounts it set me back less than $40. I bought a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a $30 fitness ball and was able to do everything in the program. I did get a bench, too, but it wasn't strictly necessary (though I preferred the stability of the bench for certain exercises).
Tao of Stefan [4] has some pretty thorough reviews of MAPS products.
As for their programs, you can get on their mailing list and wait for one of their (usually) monthly 50% discounts. Or you can get Sal DiStefano's book [3] and use some of the programs in there. There's one program that can be done entirely with resistance bands - at home or on the go.
Or you can just watch all their free content on YouTube and figure it out from there!
1. https://www.youtube.com/c/MindPumpTV 2. https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-products 3. https://theresistancetrainingrevolution.com/ 4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyAV1LG0A66Hd75HSSco76Q/vid...
I'll give a plug for Mind Pump [1] and MAPS Fitness Products programs [2]. No affiliation aside from being a customer. I just finished the MAPS Starter program (a three month program). With one of their 60% discounts it set me back less than $40. I bought a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a $30 fitness ball and was able to do everything in the program. I did get a bench, too, but it wasn't strictly necessary (though I preferred the stability of the bench for certain exercises).
Tao of Stefan [4] has some pretty thorough reviews of MAPS products.
As for their programs, you can get on their mailing list and wait for one of their (usually) monthly 50% discounts. Or you can get Sal DiStefano's book [3] and use some of the programs in there. There's one program that can be done entirely with resistance bands - at home or on the go.
Or you can just watch all their free content on YouTube and figure it out from there!
1. https://www.youtube.com/c/MindPumpTV 2. https://www.mindpumpmedia.com/maps-fitness-products 3. https://theresistancetrainingrevolution.com/ 4. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyAV1LG0A66Hd75HSSco76Q/vid...
Push-ups and pull-ups work for me. $30 pull-up bar is the best purchase I have ever made
Yes! Literally get down on the ground right now and do a set of pushups. Congrats, you just did your first workout, it took less than a minute.
Do one set of pushups each day for the next week (one set of pushups for me is 30-40 pushups in a row, I basically keep going until I can't anymore). After the first week, add in another exercise, situps are a good one. And the week after that, get a pullup bar or some dumbbells and add in another exercise. Keep adding a different exercise until you have 5 or 6. Do one set of each exercise with little to no rest in between each exercise. This should take less than five minutes each day. At any point if you fall out of habit, go back to square one, i.e. one set of pushups each day.
Once you have made this into a regular habit, you can start adding more reps or add a second workout (i.e. one in the morning, one in the afternoon). Continue to add more reps/exercises/workouts until you feel satisfied with the routine. For me, I do one set of 6 strength exercises per day. It takes me less than five minutes each day. Keep in mind this is just my strength routine. I also run, hike/walk, bike or surf 3-4 times a week. If I wasn't already in the habit of doing that, I would add some cardio to my daily workout (jumping jacks, up/downs, etc...)
I wouldn't even consider getting a gym membership unless you have a very specific need for a certain routine or set of equipment. For example some folks like to mix in cardio on a machine (rower, elliptical, etc...) with weight machines in a single workout. Keeping all that gear at home would be tough. That is fine, but just remember that getting to and from the gym requires a time and effort, and that can result in losing the habit. So only go this route if you either have a very specific need that you can't replicate at home, or if you know you won't drop the habit.
Do one set of pushups each day for the next week (one set of pushups for me is 30-40 pushups in a row, I basically keep going until I can't anymore). After the first week, add in another exercise, situps are a good one. And the week after that, get a pullup bar or some dumbbells and add in another exercise. Keep adding a different exercise until you have 5 or 6. Do one set of each exercise with little to no rest in between each exercise. This should take less than five minutes each day. At any point if you fall out of habit, go back to square one, i.e. one set of pushups each day.
Once you have made this into a regular habit, you can start adding more reps or add a second workout (i.e. one in the morning, one in the afternoon). Continue to add more reps/exercises/workouts until you feel satisfied with the routine. For me, I do one set of 6 strength exercises per day. It takes me less than five minutes each day. Keep in mind this is just my strength routine. I also run, hike/walk, bike or surf 3-4 times a week. If I wasn't already in the habit of doing that, I would add some cardio to my daily workout (jumping jacks, up/downs, etc...)
I wouldn't even consider getting a gym membership unless you have a very specific need for a certain routine or set of equipment. For example some folks like to mix in cardio on a machine (rower, elliptical, etc...) with weight machines in a single workout. Keeping all that gear at home would be tough. That is fine, but just remember that getting to and from the gym requires a time and effort, and that can result in losing the habit. So only go this route if you either have a very specific need that you can't replicate at home, or if you know you won't drop the habit.
Renaissance Periodization gym free template:
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/rp-gym-free
The company is staffed nearly entirely by PhD researchers who also compete in sport:
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/team
It is imo the best source of cutting-edge science-based exercise and nutrition info, and while they work with elite athletes, they also produce a lot of guidance specifically for everyday people who want to casually get in shape with the minimal amount of effort.
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/rp-gym-free
The company is staffed nearly entirely by PhD researchers who also compete in sport:
https://renaissanceperiodization.com/team
It is imo the best source of cutting-edge science-based exercise and nutrition info, and while they work with elite athletes, they also produce a lot of guidance specifically for everyday people who want to casually get in shape with the minimal amount of effort.
+1 for RP. Very solid info, but I feel like their stuff is targeted to people who have been lifting for a bit already
Read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.
Yes, this is the best book for a beginner. Not only will it explain how to do the lifts in great detail, it'll also make you appreciate why you should be lifting.
After reading the book, I would still go to a personal trainer. A few hundred dollars to have someone help you learn an important life-long skill is good value. Book is great, but having someone watch over you and correct you in the beginning is still very important.
After reading the book, I would still go to a personal trainer. A few hundred dollars to have someone help you learn an important life-long skill is good value. Book is great, but having someone watch over you and correct you in the beginning is still very important.
Agreed, but I'd get someone familiar with the book or that specialises properly in powerlifting or strength training. Not personal trainer of the day at the nearest Globo Gym.
Never quite understood why r/fitness was so against it and StrongLifts:
https://thefitness.wiki/faq/starting-strength-and-stronglift...
https://thefitness.wiki/faq/starting-strength-and-stronglift...
Starting Strength is really two books. One part teaches you the most effective form for each lift, and the second provides a programme for a novice lifter.
Both will be modified as you become more experienced - you might tweak your form to take account for EG short upper body, or you might find you respond better to volume rather than intensity in your programming. But it's like a lot of things - you need to learn the rules before you can break the rules. I'd say it's a good, simple starting point to find those things out about yourself.
There are also a lot of Starting Strength adjacent companies that also provide good programmes - Barbell Medicine, Barbell Logic, Andy Baker etc.
Both will be modified as you become more experienced - you might tweak your form to take account for EG short upper body, or you might find you respond better to volume rather than intensity in your programming. But it's like a lot of things - you need to learn the rules before you can break the rules. I'd say it's a good, simple starting point to find those things out about yourself.
There are also a lot of Starting Strength adjacent companies that also provide good programmes - Barbell Medicine, Barbell Logic, Andy Baker etc.
This, and definitely watch the Starting Strength YouTube channel...
Recs here for benches and racks are great and I second them, but if you want a less costly and space consuming way to see whether you like the activity before committing, kettlebells are a great way to get started. With a couple of pairs at different weights you can do (versions of) all of the main powerlifting movements.
You definitely can’t hit your legs as hard as you can with a bar and a rack, but kettlebells are much much more “small apartment friendly”. You can hide them in a closet easily.
You definitely can’t hit your legs as hard as you can with a bar and a rack, but kettlebells are much much more “small apartment friendly”. You can hide them in a closet easily.
Huge +1 to this and also to resistance bands. They fold up and can fit into a drawer.
You can get a lot of value starting off from just bodyweight exercises as well.
YMMV, but the app FitBod has done wonders for me.
You can get a lot of value starting off from just bodyweight exercises as well.
YMMV, but the app FitBod has done wonders for me.
Hit the gym and get a trainer to make sure your form and path for the first few months is solid. The most important thing, is wanting to do it.
I think it would be better to go to a gym like planet fitness. It’s really hard to do well rounded strength training without dropping a ton of money in weights. You should spend 6-12 months building a habit at the gym and if you decide to stick with it then consider buying equipment for a home gym
I started using this recently:
https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/routine
I've never been able to keep doing a program like this, but I'm a couple of months in and loving it.
https://www.hybridcalisthenics.com/routine
I've never been able to keep doing a program like this, but I'm a couple of months in and loving it.
Got something heavy lying around? Good, go pick it up.
Now put it back down
Nice, repeat 10x
All jokes aside, check out athlean-x on youtube
Now put it back down
Nice, repeat 10x
All jokes aside, check out athlean-x on youtube
> Got something heavy lying around?
it can be you, do some pushups, or half pushups even.
> check out athlean-x on youtube
yes
it can be you, do some pushups, or half pushups even.
> check out athlean-x on youtube
yes
During the pandemic, I bought a couple kettlebells and found that you can get a great full-body strength workout with extremely minimal equipment. r/kettlebell has great resources, advice, form checks, and motivation.
r/homegym will have some good recs for gear to get started. Plenty of bodyweight training you can do too- great for turning on your main muscle groups (youtube).
A barbell and some plates w/ rack will cover the main lifts. Squats, deadlifts, presses (chest and shoulder) are the first ones to build. I recommend Starting Strength for an on-ramp to get going. Adjustable dumbbells are great too- plenty of options out there. Some of this equipment is expensive, look for used and consider it an investment in health.
Happy Lifting!
A barbell and some plates w/ rack will cover the main lifts. Squats, deadlifts, presses (chest and shoulder) are the first ones to build. I recommend Starting Strength for an on-ramp to get going. Adjustable dumbbells are great too- plenty of options out there. Some of this equipment is expensive, look for used and consider it an investment in health.
Happy Lifting!
Try Fitbod. It’ll work with any equipment you have at home and guide you towards a great strength program.
Look into Kettlebell training, it does not take much space and it's incredible for general fitness.
Tonal is amazing and great for beginners
I roughly follow a book Convict Conditioning - exercising at home using my body weight (and a pull-up bar). To put it simply, there are four types of exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, squats, leg raise), and for each of them there is a very fluent progression of exercises from very simple to very difficult. So you can start at level 1 for each type of exercise, and when you manage to do a certain amount of repetitions, you level up. (Different types of muscles level up independently, for example I have strong legs and weak arms.) That means, the exercise is never too easy or too hard, and leveling up is a great psychological reward.
For me the key is consistency and social pressure. I try to exercise every day (because that is more instinctive than any other schedule) at the same time (when my kids go to sleep). That means, when the time to exercise comes, it feels natural to do it. I keep a log which days I exercised and which days I did not, and I report the data to my friends. By the way, I don't exercise all muscles every day; I alternate two types of exercise on one day, the remaining two types on the other day.
Another thing that works for me, psychologically, is outcome independence. I treat my exercise as a virtuos thing, whether it brings the desired results or not. If I exercised, I did my duty; if I didn't exercised, I failed to do my duty. Whether the muscles actually increase and the fat actually decreases, that depends on the gods; I am just making sure that I did my part. This is useful, because the progress is real but happens on long time scale, and I need encouragement on short time scale. Of course, after you succeed to exercise regularly for a few months, you will see the progress, and that will motivate you to continue; but the problem is that you need greatest motivation at the very beginning, while you still have zero results. (It is easiest to give up during the first month. After half year, the change will be so obvious that you will want to stay that way.)
Don't overdo it. Muscles also need some time to recover; for me it is rougly two days (which is why I alternate the exercises). Take sufficient breaks between the sets; this is easier to do at home, because it doesn't feel like you are wasting your time; between the sets you can browse web, watch TV, or do dishes. Sometimes I just watch a movie, pause it at a random moment, do a set, unpause and watch again... and at the end, it doesn't even feel like I exercised; I was just watching a movie and taking an occassional short break. Generally, if you can somehow make it fun, that helps a lot. (After a few months, you will not need external sources of fun; the exercise itself will become pleasurable. But first you need to get there.) Never punish yourself for failing to exercise; reflect on the fact, then forgive yourself and start again.
In addition to strength training you should also do some cardio or take a walk regularly. Once I had a job that was 20 minutes by foot from my home; that was optimal. I try to minimize car use, and during covid also started minimizing mass transit use; now I always check the map first, and if my destination is within 30 minutes walking distance, I go there by foot. I think about it as saving time, because I am going to where I need, and I am exercising at the same time.
Now, strength training itself can add you muscle, but will only remove a little fat. People usually overestimate how much energy is burned when exercising. Most energy is spent by simply keeping your body alive (body temperature, breathing, heartbeat, etc.), which is more or less a constant amount each day. An exercise will probably just add 5% or 10% to it. The inevitable conclusion is that to lose fat, you need to eat less. Even worse, you need to eat less every day, otherwise the calories you lost in a week can be regained in a day. On the other hand, starving can hurt you; your body needs enough proteins and vitamins. That means that you need to change the proportion of proteins and vitamins to fats and carbohydrates; on other words, not (just) eat less but eat differently. Raw vegetables with every meal. Proteins from meat, fish, eggs, diary, beans. (That means lots of beans, if you are a vegetarian. Like, literally every day.) Avoid sugar, coke, white bread. You don't need to get religious about this, just remove the greatest sources of sugar/carbs, learn three new recipes containing beans, and always take a raw vegetable as a side dish. (If you ignore this advice, you will get muscles hidden under fat, which is where I am now; but even that is an improvement over all fat and no muscles.)
etc. What others already said. Enough sleep (that means 8 hours minimum).
By the way, being healthy can take a lot of time. Eight hours of sleep + eight hours at work + commute, that already leaves you like 4-7 free hours on a workday. If you want healthy meals, you probably need to cook them yourself. Then you exercise... and there is little time left. Plus, you probably have other duties, maybe also kids, etc. You need to be smart about this. (It is one of the reasons I exercise at home instead of going to the gym; a few minutes saved every day.) I don't have a perfect solution for this, but two important components are: short commute (even if it means somewhat lower salary) and a big freezer (so I can prepare meals for several days at once).
For me the key is consistency and social pressure. I try to exercise every day (because that is more instinctive than any other schedule) at the same time (when my kids go to sleep). That means, when the time to exercise comes, it feels natural to do it. I keep a log which days I exercised and which days I did not, and I report the data to my friends. By the way, I don't exercise all muscles every day; I alternate two types of exercise on one day, the remaining two types on the other day.
Another thing that works for me, psychologically, is outcome independence. I treat my exercise as a virtuos thing, whether it brings the desired results or not. If I exercised, I did my duty; if I didn't exercised, I failed to do my duty. Whether the muscles actually increase and the fat actually decreases, that depends on the gods; I am just making sure that I did my part. This is useful, because the progress is real but happens on long time scale, and I need encouragement on short time scale. Of course, after you succeed to exercise regularly for a few months, you will see the progress, and that will motivate you to continue; but the problem is that you need greatest motivation at the very beginning, while you still have zero results. (It is easiest to give up during the first month. After half year, the change will be so obvious that you will want to stay that way.)
Don't overdo it. Muscles also need some time to recover; for me it is rougly two days (which is why I alternate the exercises). Take sufficient breaks between the sets; this is easier to do at home, because it doesn't feel like you are wasting your time; between the sets you can browse web, watch TV, or do dishes. Sometimes I just watch a movie, pause it at a random moment, do a set, unpause and watch again... and at the end, it doesn't even feel like I exercised; I was just watching a movie and taking an occassional short break. Generally, if you can somehow make it fun, that helps a lot. (After a few months, you will not need external sources of fun; the exercise itself will become pleasurable. But first you need to get there.) Never punish yourself for failing to exercise; reflect on the fact, then forgive yourself and start again.
In addition to strength training you should also do some cardio or take a walk regularly. Once I had a job that was 20 minutes by foot from my home; that was optimal. I try to minimize car use, and during covid also started minimizing mass transit use; now I always check the map first, and if my destination is within 30 minutes walking distance, I go there by foot. I think about it as saving time, because I am going to where I need, and I am exercising at the same time.
Now, strength training itself can add you muscle, but will only remove a little fat. People usually overestimate how much energy is burned when exercising. Most energy is spent by simply keeping your body alive (body temperature, breathing, heartbeat, etc.), which is more or less a constant amount each day. An exercise will probably just add 5% or 10% to it. The inevitable conclusion is that to lose fat, you need to eat less. Even worse, you need to eat less every day, otherwise the calories you lost in a week can be regained in a day. On the other hand, starving can hurt you; your body needs enough proteins and vitamins. That means that you need to change the proportion of proteins and vitamins to fats and carbohydrates; on other words, not (just) eat less but eat differently. Raw vegetables with every meal. Proteins from meat, fish, eggs, diary, beans. (That means lots of beans, if you are a vegetarian. Like, literally every day.) Avoid sugar, coke, white bread. You don't need to get religious about this, just remove the greatest sources of sugar/carbs, learn three new recipes containing beans, and always take a raw vegetable as a side dish. (If you ignore this advice, you will get muscles hidden under fat, which is where I am now; but even that is an improvement over all fat and no muscles.)
etc. What others already said. Enough sleep (that means 8 hours minimum).
By the way, being healthy can take a lot of time. Eight hours of sleep + eight hours at work + commute, that already leaves you like 4-7 free hours on a workday. If you want healthy meals, you probably need to cook them yourself. Then you exercise... and there is little time left. Plus, you probably have other duties, maybe also kids, etc. You need to be smart about this. (It is one of the reasons I exercise at home instead of going to the gym; a few minutes saved every day.) I don't have a perfect solution for this, but two important components are: short commute (even if it means somewhat lower salary) and a big freezer (so I can prepare meals for several days at once).
If you want strength without bulk, yoga
If you want lean, its diet. Only.
If you want fitness, circuit training. Can be done in your living room.
If you want swoll, hit the gym.
If you want lean, its diet. Only.
If you want fitness, circuit training. Can be done in your living room.
If you want swoll, hit the gym.
I started weight lifting because it drastically improves my sleep. Now I feel like absolute crap if I skip even a single day of lifting. It’s pretty remarkable - clearly the body expects and maybe needs some kind of physical stresses that are missing from my day-to-day routine outside of lifting.
There are essentially no downsides except a time expenditure and increased risk of lifting related injuries - vastly outweighed by the benefits (health, strength, aesthetics). The tricky part is just doing it regularly enough at first that your body and mind figure out that these stresses are so good for you, and then (at least for me) it’s pretty self-sustaining.
There are essentially no downsides except a time expenditure and increased risk of lifting related injuries - vastly outweighed by the benefits (health, strength, aesthetics). The tricky part is just doing it regularly enough at first that your body and mind figure out that these stresses are so good for you, and then (at least for me) it’s pretty self-sustaining.
I'd love to buy a squat rack and other lifting tools to keep at home. I don't live close to a gym but have enough space to lift what I'd like to in my garage. Though, I am worried about the potential for injury or getting myself in a lifting situation that I can't get out of where if I was at a gym someone would run over to help.
Is that a reasonable concern? Or am I overthinking it?
Is that a reasonable concern? Or am I overthinking it?
This is a completely reasonable concern.
I’ve been stuck with 185lb on my chest (modest difficulty at the time). I couldn’t lift it due to fatigue. That particular time, I was able to get it onto my lap.
My solution after a few uncomfortable situations was to buy a squat rack with 1 inch safety increments. Rouge fitness sells one. Most racks have 2” safety holes but that’s not enough granularity for full range and safety imo.
I’ve been stuck with 185lb on my chest (modest difficulty at the time). I couldn’t lift it due to fatigue. That particular time, I was able to get it onto my lap.
My solution after a few uncomfortable situations was to buy a squat rack with 1 inch safety increments. Rouge fitness sells one. Most racks have 2” safety holes but that’s not enough granularity for full range and safety imo.
You can also set up the bar without collars and do the roll of shame. Safety rails are 100% the way to go though.
Haha I’ve been there too but it’s scary
how much do you push yourself?
trying to beat PR or casually exercising?
trying to beat PR or casually exercising?
It's a reasonable concern, but if you buy squat rack spotter arms and use them correctly, you can avoid these dangerous situations.
Many squat racks and benches come with safety features to prevent that kind of failure. Don’t let that fear stop you from getting a home gym. To avoid really bad situations just always have a safe solution to “what if I can’t finish this rep“. Separately, you’ll get regular injured at some point doing something totally safe. But that just comes with the territory.
Dumbbells are a great alternative. You can still get injured, but you can also push yourself knowing that you can drop the weight and not risk it crushing you.
Most at home racks have "safety bars" that you can adjust to act as a safeguard from dropping weights.
The most dangerous for dropping weight imo are bench and squat, and both are easily mitigated with the bars adjust to the correct height.
Ex: https://www.garage-gyms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/squat...
The most dangerous for dropping weight imo are bench and squat, and both are easily mitigated with the bars adjust to the correct height.
Ex: https://www.garage-gyms.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/squat...
I think you're overthinking. I had the same fear when I first started going to the gym.
So far my experience has been really positive, I find it hard to put myself in such situations as long as:
1. Always start with low weight and try to check if you're "feeling" the right part of your body, sort of like a form + mind-muscle connection check
2. If you plan exceed a previous maximum, try to
2.1. Do that with someone around you, or
2.2. Do it in really small increments
So far my experience has been really positive, I find it hard to put myself in such situations as long as:
1. Always start with low weight and try to check if you're "feeling" the right part of your body, sort of like a form + mind-muscle connection check
2. If you plan exceed a previous maximum, try to
2.1. Do that with someone around you, or
2.2. Do it in really small increments
I don't think you should worry about it. Start small and incrementally work your way up. You shouldn't start with a load heavy enough to prevent getting out of.
A quality adjustable fitness bench with a bunch of free weights can go a long way. Though important to note you can still injure yourself with free weights (muscle injury with long heal time).
The key is to start small and work your way up in reps/resistance over time. Your body will tell you what you can do.
A quality adjustable fitness bench with a bunch of free weights can go a long way. Though important to note you can still injure yourself with free weights (muscle injury with long heal time).
The key is to start small and work your way up in reps/resistance over time. Your body will tell you what you can do.
Safety bars exist for a reason and personally I've gone until complete failure many times without any issues. The real risk here is an acute injury caused by incorrect form. But if you go light and consciously make an effort perfect your form you'll be safe. A home gym is actually great for this since you can take videos of yourself without looking weird.
Mostly unreasonable. I assume you want to do the big compound lifts if you want a squat rack. Deadlifts you can just drop if its too heavy. Squats you can push off your back. Benching is a little more embarrassing but you can roll it down your torso to your hips and then get the bar off you. I think just have your phone in your pocket if you're really worried.
For benching you leave the clip off on one side. If you fail to lift you tilt the bar to one side then you are free. I think it shouldn't be a concern unless you are pushing some serious weight.
Squatting without a spotter can be perfectly safe if you use a squat rack with safety rails and/or a set of bumper plates. Do you have any experience lifting? It's not a good idea to try to just figure it out on your own!
There are some competent personal trainers who do video-based sessions. Start light, and focus on the form.
A lot of lifts are inherently "safe" if you do them correctly (back squats, deadlifts, olympic lifts). If you want to bench press without a spotter, you need safety rails.
There are some competent personal trainers who do video-based sessions. Start light, and focus on the form.
A lot of lifts are inherently "safe" if you do them correctly (back squats, deadlifts, olympic lifts). If you want to bench press without a spotter, you need safety rails.
In general, no I would not worry much about it. First don't try a lift you aren't sure you are ready for and two increment by 5# max from workout to workout.
Start light, way lighter than you think you should and work almost exclusively on form. Then each workout increase your weight by 5#s. The entire time it's critical to keep watching your form. Then as you get heavier and heavier you will be much more capable of reading your body and deciding of a weight increase is warranted.
Like others have also stated most racks come with safety straps or bars, feel free to use those, especially when you go really heavy. But if you follow the above steps you more than likely won't ever put yourself in a position where you aren't prepared for the weight you have racked.
If you want to test your 1 rep max or something then do it with a friend there to spot you. But that's not something you should be doing every workout, it's more of a once in a while thing.
Start light, way lighter than you think you should and work almost exclusively on form. Then each workout increase your weight by 5#s. The entire time it's critical to keep watching your form. Then as you get heavier and heavier you will be much more capable of reading your body and deciding of a weight increase is warranted.
Like others have also stated most racks come with safety straps or bars, feel free to use those, especially when you go really heavy. But if you follow the above steps you more than likely won't ever put yourself in a position where you aren't prepared for the weight you have racked.
If you want to test your 1 rep max or something then do it with a friend there to spot you. But that's not something you should be doing every workout, it's more of a once in a while thing.
I love lifting, it has had a positive effect on nearly every aspect of my life. It's also allowed me to finally be able to run again after ten years of failed PT on a hip injury. I am confident now that I won't reinjure myself since I am how stronger than I ever have been in my entire life.
I was lucky and had a friend who also lifts, so for the first 6 months we lifted together 4 times a week. It's a big help to lift with someone initially so that they can critique your form and keep you accountable. These days though I work out alone and I look forward forward to that hour alone nearly every day. The routine and the goals and the tracking make me feel so good about my day, as the article mentions, even if I get nothing else done I am still happy having pr'd some lift or knowing how good my form was on squats or whatever.
I highly suggest Strong for those looking for an app to track their workouts in. It's the best I have found.
I was lucky and had a friend who also lifts, so for the first 6 months we lifted together 4 times a week. It's a big help to lift with someone initially so that they can critique your form and keep you accountable. These days though I work out alone and I look forward forward to that hour alone nearly every day. The routine and the goals and the tracking make me feel so good about my day, as the article mentions, even if I get nothing else done I am still happy having pr'd some lift or knowing how good my form was on squats or whatever.
I highly suggest Strong for those looking for an app to track their workouts in. It's the best I have found.
Yes, it is counterintuitive but lifting weights can fix lots of issues like RSI, also from my personal experience. This article does a great job at explaining why this happens:(it doesn't specifically mention "RSI" but the concepts are similar)
https://startingstrength.com/article/muscle-imbalances-and-i...
https://startingstrength.com/article/muscle-imbalances-and-i...
The biggest benefit for me from weightlifting is that it seems to really help with anxiety. Not sure why.
At some point a few years ago I decided to join a gym for the first time. While I improved my posture and BMI a good bit, I might be happiest with the elimination of RSI in my wrists and hands. It started out as something annoying in my 20s, and got very painful in my late 30s. Gyroscopes, powerballs, and other recovery devices never seemed to work.
What keeps me going 2-3 days per week, most weeks, is the knowledge that RSI will come back without lifting weights. At the onset of the pandemic I tried working out from home, and while better than nothing, it isn't comparable because of equipment selection.
If you have repetitive stress issues from being in front of a keyboard all day, try going to the gym and use the machines that work your arms and forearms. Keep going until you feel you feel the burn.
I'll be a gym member for life, or at least as long as I type into a keyboard regularly. Maybe that's zen for me--life without pain from regular keyboard usage.