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2005/06/13, 09:09 PM
first off i'd just like to say that i'm somewhat proud of myself. i started working out for the first time in my life just over a month ago. i used to be a really tall skinny guy and while i still am, i look a heck of a lot better than before.
at first most of my workouts were on machines. i've increased my lifting weight by at least 25 pounds on every machine and i'm even hitting up to 45 pounds more on some. i decided to start doing free weights as a way to "fine tune" i guess you could say. as soon as i tried benching something i found that i could barely do it. it wasnt that it was heavy, i just have absolutely no stability.
my question is this: in regards to gaining stability, is it better to do more reps with lower weight than less reps with higher weight?
i guess since i'm already typing this, i might as well ask another question or two. i'm comfortable enough with my body now that i feel fine walking around with no shirt on. i still wouldnt mind looking my best when i go camping in algonquin park 3 weeks from now. i'm just wondering, what can i do to increase my gains? should i just stick to what i've been doing because it seems to be working? or can i change it somehow to make my gains faster? you probably need to know my routine first. i'll come back and post it another time because i'm running late right now!
one more thing... a friend of mine is trying to lose 25 pounds in a month. is that healthy? because it doesnt really sound like it to me. he's been doing hardcore cardio (about an hour at least every two days). i'm just slightly concerned that he's going to hurt himself trying to drop so much weight so quickly.
thanks everyone. this site is extremely awesome by the way. keep up the good work!
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2005/06/14, 10:00 AM
first question: you should gain your stability with light weights and high reps, and SLOWLY work your way up in weight to the lower reps as you feel more stable. Remember to keep strict form, and don't lift with your ego. You will end up with an injury, and waste valuable workout time in the grand scheme of things.
second question: if you are seeing good gains and want the most results in 3 weeks stick with your current routine. After you get back from camping, then try to mess around with your routine and see what warrants the best results.
third question: your friend needs to watch his diet, and make sure he is taking in good quality calories. You never want to starve yourself with a diet because it puts your body into starvation mode, and actually makes it harder to drop the weight. with the proper diet, and hardcore cardio, I don't see him losing 25 in a month, but that really depends on his previous weight/body fat %
Welcome to the forum.
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2005/06/20, 04:27 PM
I was in your situation recently. I started working out with free weights after using machines for a while. It takes some time, but the stability will increase. You just have to have patience and like gangstershoes said, concentrate on using strict form, and don't worry about increasing the weight right away.
The same thing goes for switching from a barbell to dumbells. I was flat benching 200lbs with a bar and had trouble with 45lb dumbells at first. Using free weights will also uncover any weakness you may have on one side or the other. Machines let you cheat and compensate for weaker muscles on one side.
Just keep going forward with the free weights and don't look back. It is worth it.
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