Advice from PH meatheads please
Discussion
I've been lurking around Pistonheads for a fair while now, and have become as interested in the health section as the cars section it seems. I've been weight training since I was 18 for three years but with dumbells at home. I did at least one compound evercise with them every session so I didn't do only isolation exercises, but since I've moved out I've had to go to the gym and now have access to barbells and the like. I was disappointed to find out that I could only push about half my body weight on the three main compound exercises. I weight 12.5 stone so half is about 40 KG. I can do bench press at 40KG for five reps, deadlifts at 40KG for ten reps and squats with only 30KG for just about eight reps :embarressed: From what I've read on here even the non meatheads seem to do about two thirds of their body weight at least 
I'm naturally very lankily built so I've got long gangly arms and legs with a small body and I only seem to get taller (I'm over 6 ft now). I think because my arms are longer and my legs are longer it makes the exercises harder, although I did compounds with dumbbells it seems they can't compare to barbells for overall loading of the body.
I'm naturally very lankily built so I've got long gangly arms and legs with a small body and I only seem to get taller (I'm over 6 ft now). I think because my arms are longer and my legs are longer it makes the exercises harder, although I did compounds with dumbbells it seems they can't compare to barbells for overall loading of the body.Don't be put off at first, my flat mate started the gym with me recently. At first he struggled to lift 25 kg on the bench, I think its more to do with your muscles getting used to the movement and building muscle memory.
Give it a few months I think you'll be suprised at how much your lifts improve. Remember not to sacrifice form for weight!
Give it a few months I think you'll be suprised at how much your lifts improve. Remember not to sacrifice form for weight!
Thanks chaps. I must admit I was a bit shocked because I thought I was 'weight lifting' before that for a good few years but I guess you just can't make up for a barbell on your back/front with a couple of dumbells. For instance, squats with dumbbells by my sides in each hand are massively easier than squats with the same weight and a barbell on my back. My long term target is to push body weight for a few reps on each of the big three.
I'm naturally slim-built and was pretty weak in terms of muscular strength; furthermore, I'm past my peak, age-wise. In other words, there's no point in me bothering with, for instance, Ordinary_Chap's challenge/competition.
However, with suitable training, I've been able to do stuff like pull ups (max is maybe 16 in one go which is more than the zero I used to be able to do), chin ups, finger pull ups (two fingers each hand), one handed pull ups (not full yet; have to hold my other wrist IYSWIM), pike/L-sit dips etc. Just have to be prepared to put the work in to achieve whatever goal you want (of course, some goals are not possible eg there's no point in me trying to win a body building competition or world's strongest man competition). As I say, it's not about competing with others but just improving from where you are now.
However, with suitable training, I've been able to do stuff like pull ups (max is maybe 16 in one go which is more than the zero I used to be able to do), chin ups, finger pull ups (two fingers each hand), one handed pull ups (not full yet; have to hold my other wrist IYSWIM), pike/L-sit dips etc. Just have to be prepared to put the work in to achieve whatever goal you want (of course, some goals are not possible eg there's no point in me trying to win a body building competition or world's strongest man competition). As I say, it's not about competing with others but just improving from where you are now.
Then again if you're anything like me you may just not be that strong ever!
I've been going to the gym for quite a while, and I can still only lift about 50 kg max on the bench press. I just don't seem to get that much stronger even after going for a while! I put it down to genetics.
That said, as someone once told me, its not what you lift, but how you lift it; I've always tried to do things slowly, and strictly, and am not concerned about what weights I can manage to lift - you'll instinctively know if you're getting a good work out.
I've been going to the gym for quite a while, and I can still only lift about 50 kg max on the bench press. I just don't seem to get that much stronger even after going for a while! I put it down to genetics.
That said, as someone once told me, its not what you lift, but how you lift it; I've always tried to do things slowly, and strictly, and am not concerned about what weights I can manage to lift - you'll instinctively know if you're getting a good work out.
Yes, I try and do stuff to failure (though I train alone, if I had a spotter doing bench press that might psychologically help), my diet is good (though I don't go overboard on the calories as ideally I should look at losing some fat) and yes I do get plenty of rest.
Even when I was eating loads, I didn't increase that much. I have increased my weights a bit, but nothing like the results some people claim to get (i.e. doubling what they can lift in weeks).
Even when I was eating loads, I didn't increase that much. I have increased my weights a bit, but nothing like the results some people claim to get (i.e. doubling what they can lift in weeks).
Don't bench to failure without a spotter!
Could you get a personal trainer at your gym to spot you and check your form? If you're putting the effort in and you're benching consistently then you should be seeing results. If not, it's likely that you're either overtraining, not eating enough or possibly that your form is not right.
Could you get a personal trainer at your gym to spot you and check your form? If you're putting the effort in and you're benching consistently then you should be seeing results. If not, it's likely that you're either overtraining, not eating enough or possibly that your form is not right.
Apologies for repeating myself, but if you've reached a plateau and you KNOW it's nowhere near what you should expect, try reading Brawn. Long story short, cycle your training - start at 80% 1RM then gradually build, small increments every week. It's amazing how quickly you pass your previous maximums. Clearly, there's more to it, but you'll have to get the book to get the detail.
Click.
Click.
Edited by LordGrover on Monday 4th April 13:04
To build muscle you firstly need to break it, i.e. lift weights, and then you need to eat, and you need to rest.
If you do all of that right you'll get stronger.
I find it surprsing about your deadlift, as that is a fairly natrual movement for most people who haven't ever been to a gym. Bench press however is something that outside of the gym you'd not often really do, and you'll find that muscle starts growing in your arm in places you didn't notice it before.
I still remember when I first noticed my tricep had grown without me noticing and it was like a lump of muscle that had been bolted on to the underside of my bicep. Its all about form, and you'll find that your muscles will develop rapidly and allow you to take the weight down and up without wobbles etc, then its just about building your chest etc.
Obviously it does depend what you did before too, I for instance grew up on a farm, was used to phyisal labour and have always been strong, and having found some pictures of me at 12/13 I had bigger hands and arms than most 18 year olds, so some of its genetic but if you've never done anything physical then your body is right at square one, you will be amazed at how quickly you progress if you can lift, eat, rest properly.
If you do all of that right you'll get stronger.
I find it surprsing about your deadlift, as that is a fairly natrual movement for most people who haven't ever been to a gym. Bench press however is something that outside of the gym you'd not often really do, and you'll find that muscle starts growing in your arm in places you didn't notice it before.
I still remember when I first noticed my tricep had grown without me noticing and it was like a lump of muscle that had been bolted on to the underside of my bicep. Its all about form, and you'll find that your muscles will develop rapidly and allow you to take the weight down and up without wobbles etc, then its just about building your chest etc.
Obviously it does depend what you did before too, I for instance grew up on a farm, was used to phyisal labour and have always been strong, and having found some pictures of me at 12/13 I had bigger hands and arms than most 18 year olds, so some of its genetic but if you've never done anything physical then your body is right at square one, you will be amazed at how quickly you progress if you can lift, eat, rest properly.
LordGrover said:
Apologies for repeating myself, but if you've reached a plateau and you KNOW it's nowhere near what you should expect, try reading Brawn. Long story short, cycle your training - start at 80% 1RM then gradually build, small increments every week. It's amazing how quickly you pass your previous maximums. Clearly, there's more to it, but you'll have to get the book to get the detail.
Click.
Great book that and he's a good author!Click.
Edited by LordGrover on Monday 4th April 13:04
I try to add at least 5kg to all major exercises each month. I don't believe nearly anyone hits their genetic potential (with the exception of pro BB's), they just haven't enough knowledge to pass their previous bests!
Education really is the key I think when it comes to finding ways of exceeding previous bests!
Education really is the key I think when it comes to finding ways of exceeding previous bests!
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