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how to: weightlifting programs with progression

WillHurtDontCare

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This thread is about weightlifting programs and progression, specifically bodybuilding and strength training. It is is aimed at people who are already physically active but who are still beginners with weightlifting.

TL;DR do this routine with low weight and have a buff personal trainer, have a 12 month plan, alternate between strength & hypertrophy routines every 2-3 months, sleep well, 1-1.25g protein per lb of body weight.

These following is rather hodgepodge because I wrote ideas down as they came to me. I'll clean this up and add updates later.

I was at the gym earlier and some guy asked me what my routine was because he said he just goes to the gym and wings it. I told him about the strength routine that I am using (listed below). I figured that at least one person on this forum might be in the same boat, so I decided to make this thread.

If you are serious about fitness, then every day that you step into the gym should be but a small part of a multi-month strategy where discipline is required before you even get out of bed (ie: getting good sleep) and continues throughout the entire day (ie: eating the right foods, in the right quantities, at the right times). If you aren't, you are suffering from f*ckarounditis.

Disclaimer: I am not a personal trainer; I am just a guy who lifts. I've messed up quite a lot, though I've avoided serious injuries in the years that I've been lifting.

Ideally, you want to alternate between strength and hypertrophy routines every 2-3 months.

If you are just getting started and can afford it, I recommend finding a buff personal trainer and scheduling a few sessions with him or her. They will catch a bunch of mistakes that you would not even notice.

I also recommend higher volume lower weight routines for people who are just getting started. Just because the barbell / dumbbell goes up and down doesn't mean that you've performed the movement correctly. Ultimate, the goal is to go through a specific range of motion correctly. If you aren't, you are likely compensating with muscles that you aren't supposed to use and are likely setting yourself up for injury (see the bench press and shoulder injuries).

Quick aside: a nice side effect of learning proper weightlifting form is that your posture will dramatically improve.

Realistic Goals:
  • You can add 0.5 - 2 lbs of muscle per month depending on how advanced you are

Issues to Address ASAP:

Routines:
Routines for Women:
  • I see no reason why a woman could not do the routines above, however, I have continually seen this book recommended for women who are interesting in bodybuilding.
Factors You Can Manipulate for Different Results:
  • Weight
  • Number of set
  • Number of reps per set
  • Time under tension
  • Speed on Eccentric and Concentric Movements
    • On the bench press this would mean lowering the bar vs raising the bar. It takes less strength to lower a barbell than to raise it, so you could do 1 second raise + 5 second lowering to tax your muscles more.
  • Rest time between sets
  • Total workout time
    • If a routine takes you an hour to complete, do the exact same routine in 55 minutes. You will feel much more tired.
  • Supersets
    • Doing one set immediately after another
    • Example: tricep pushdowns + bicep curls

Diet:
Sleep:
  • Aim for 8-9 hours
  • @ZCP mentioned Z-12 in one of his threads for aiding sleep. I tried it for the first time last night and slept well, though I use other sleep supplements like melatonin, magnesium, and l-theanine.

Elite Bodybuilders:

Other Resources:

Supplements:
  • Creatine seems to be the only supplement that is universally hailed as good
  • I use pre-workout (pre-Jym, which you can buy on Amazon)

Keywords:
  • natural lifter = someone who does not use performance enhancing drugs like steroids, human growth hormones, and similar substances
  • hypertrophy = training for muscle growth

My Qualifications:

One rep maxes:
  • Deadlift: 390 lbs
  • Squat: 325 lbs
  • Bench: 250 lbs
None of what I listed above is impressive and should be attainable for healthy adult men within a year.

In weightlifting you almost always can (and should) judge the quality of someone's knowledge by what they look like.

1604771549830.png
 
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ZCP

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@Sheens tagged

best two things for me:
1. getting an oura ring ..... awesome. now i work out when recovered, not just 'every tuesday'. has really helped make my workouts more effective!! ... also helps with sleep at night and keeping me moving during the day. they are $300. i would pay $300 per month for what it does
2. go to the doctor. get your baselines. then go to a wellness doctor and get them custom done. general shit does not work. food / supplements / etc. need to be custom done. @Sheens has put together a newsletter to help get this info out there. sign up now!! Bold Health Project
3. heck, let's add a third since weightlifting .... watch this High Intensity Training (HIT) Workout with Dorian Yates - London Real ... then decide to quit being a pussy and start pushing yourself mentally. tap into that David Goggins 40% and lift some F*cking angry weights. .... i've put more muscle on my legs in 2 months than in the last 2 years. get Dorian's old workout and then get mentally focused and crush it. use the oura ring to tell you the days you are ready, then get your mind there and go!!
 

Sheens

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TL;DR do this routine with low weight and have a buff personal trainer, have a 12 month plan, alternate between strength & hypertrophy routines every 2-3 months, sleep well, 1-1.25g protein per lb of body weight.

Thank you for the tag ZCP, this is a really cool thread!

The workouts you linked are awesome. @ZCP and I (and a few others!!) have an ab challenge going right now and Z needs all the help he can get ;)

Some of the moves can be modified easier than others for an at home workout! Do you have a home routine you prefer @WillHurtDontCare?

Haven't read the book Strong Curves you mentioned. I do have the Michael Matthews book Thinner, Leaner, Stronger that's geared toward women and have really liked it! The ladies here on the forum have been so great about motivating each other and kicking up the gears in fitness!
 

WillHurtDontCare

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Some of the moves can be modified easier than others for an at home workout! Do you have a home routine you prefer @WillHurtDontCare?

It depends on how much you're willing to spend on a home gym. What I have listed makes use of barbells, dumbbells, and several machines (leg press, leg curl, row machine, cable tricep extensions).

When the gyms closed down due to covid, I did 500 kettle bell swings daily (5 sets of 10/15/25/50 with bodyweight exercises in between).

Though you can do a lot at home with a squat rack, barbells, and adjustable dumbbells. This isn't cheap, but the $1,000-$2,000 that you'd spend isn't outrageously expensive.

What equipment do you have at home? And what are your goals? Strength? Size? Looks?

The ladies here on the forum have been so great about motivating each other and kicking up the gears in fitness!

I hope in a few months this changes to "The ladies here on the forum are in a ruthless struggle for fitness supremacy. There can only be one."
 
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becks22

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Haven't read the book Strong Curves you mentioned.

I would buy the book if were you. I'm currently following Strong Curves but I supplement with kickboxing, barre, and Pilates classes as well because I get bored rather easily. It's a great book with lots of useful info about nutrition and progressive overload separate from the lifting programs that are in there. And although I normally don't bother too much reading on reddit, the strong curves reddit has a lot of tips as well :)
 
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Sheens

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I hope in a few months this changes to "The ladies here on the forum are in a ruthless struggle for fitness supremacy. There can only be one."

Lol!! That should probably be the name of our thread @becks22 : )

What equipment do you have at home? And what are your goals? Strength? Size? Looks?

WaterRower, weight bench, adjustable dumbbells, kettle bells, and resistance bands at home. Considering turning a small shipping container into a proper home gym this spring. Prefer lifting at a gym so this is still undecided!

Goals are 17-18% bf with labs looking superb and insulin sensitivity through the roof.

500 kettle bell swings daily (5 sets of 10/15/25/50 with bodyweight exercises in between)
You are a beast!
 

WillHurtDontCare

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kettle bells

Goals are 17-18% bf with labs looking superb and insulin sensitivity through the roof.



Complete Women's Guide to Intermittent Fasting

Thomas DeLauer posts a lot on intermittent fasting. Though it's important to note that if you fast, exercise hard, and drink coffee, your body will produce a lot of cortisol which can mess with your sleep, especially if you do low a carbohydrate diet.

Prefer lifting at a gym so this is still undecided!

"If you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together."

You'll get the best results working with someone. Even people who tend to work hard leave a bit on the table at the gym. Having a friend push you to do one more rep or to help you with negative reps (example: lowering the barbell) will make a big difference. Plus, it's just good to get out and see people (unless people at your gym suck).
 
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Tubs

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Great thread, very good recources at the top.

I'll add this strength training routine that I did as a beginner.


I now do this ppl routine

Current lifts one rep maxes
Squat 400lbs
Deadlift 380lbs
Bench 240lbs
OHP 165
 

mguerra

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Nice thread!

Full of good resources and strong fellas here.

I'm adding one more resource that was GAME CHANGER to me in the beggining of my weightlifting journey:

Max-OT Training

The link above is a complete guide, full of resources, explanations and instructions from proper execution of the exercises to nutrition and recovery.

This is a really good "training program for natural bodybuilders". And I can attest it efficacy because I was a skinny faggot before initiating this program and my body almost MUTATED in the first 12 weeks I followed this protocol (no drugs).

One note of warning: If you guys are going to try it, beware of your joints.

They recommend training at the 4-6 rep range with 2-3' of rest. After experimenting and doing lots of periodizations using this regimen I've decided it's better and easier on your joints to go 6-8 with 2' rest.

You can pretty much make the same amount of gains in this manner with significant less risk of injurying yourself.

If you start to feel ANY pain in your joints, give a 2-3 weeks break from Max-OT and do a maintanence period for the sake of your health.

No ammount of strenght gains are worth a injury on your body. NEVER.

--

Ps: this training is WAY BETTER doing with a training partner.

Preferably that motherfcker that doesn't let you get late to the gym, yell at you to conjure strenght to your reps and tells you to shut the F*ck up between sets and just train.

You can talk all you want after the training it's over. Thats the vibe I like to feel when training with a partner. LOL
 

WillHurtDontCare

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WillHurtDontCare

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1. getting an oura ring ..... awesome. now i work out when recovered, not just 'every tuesday'. has really helped make my workouts more effective!! ... also helps with sleep at night and keeping me moving during the day. they are $300. i would pay $300 per month for what it does

That is a sleep tracker, right? So it just informs you of the quality of your sleep? Or does it do something else?
 

WillHurtDontCare

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The workouts you linked are awesome. @ZCP and I (and a few others!!) have an ab challenge going right now and Z needs all the help he can get

@Sheens @ZCP

I haven't used this routine myself, by I saved it because I liked the title (and T-Nation).


 

ZCP

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That is a sleep tracker, right? So it just informs you of the quality of your sleep? Or does it do something else?
it does SO much more .....

i figured out using data / trend analysis that i could go to bed an hour later, get up and hour sooner, and have better quality sleep / deep sleep.

add to that .... i only workout WHEN recovered. not on Tuesday for instance. THAT alone was worth the price.
lot of athletes / teams are using them. just get one. i'll pay you back if you don't like it.
 
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ZCP

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F*cking ab wheel and renegade rows ..... damn. guess it just got real. .... good callout @Sheens
got to get my a$$ to work
 

WillHurtDontCare

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maverick

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Get yourself a personal trainer when you start out. Ensure that you're doing all lifts with proper posture. I can't wrap my head around the number of people that are lifting heavy weights in the gym with terrible, terrible form.
 
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AmazingLarry

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Great thread and overview of all the basics! I'm currently doing an upper / lower / push / pull / legs routine. Needed a 5x a week routine that hits all the muscle groups twice, and I'm loving it. Was previously doing 3x a week full body, but I like the higher volume and shorter workouts on this routine.

Biggest struggle for me is getting enough sleep. Normally I get 6-7 hours, which isn't optimal for growth, but I'm still making progress in the gym.
 

WillHurtDontCare

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Normally I get 6-7 hours, which isn't optimal for growth, but I'm still making progress in the gym.

Drink less coffee, eat more carbs, go to bed at a different time, stop looking at electronics immediately before bad, or try some of the supplements that I listed.
 
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Sheens

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@Sheens doing videos again??

Lol! The topic keeps coming up @ZCP !

In this case it would be a great way to check my form at home. Send it in to a trainer and be sure I'm lookin good!

@WillHurtDontCare do you follow a stretch and massage routine as well?
 

WillHurtDontCare

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@WillHurtDontCare do you follow a stretch and massage routine as well?

Until recently my routines just took too long already so I skipped stretching.

I went to a massage therapist / PT a year ago. I liked it, though I haven't been in a while.
 

Sheens

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Foam rolling can be an amazing aid as well. Even hitting it for a quick 10 minutes. It's for sure not a cure all.

Seen arguments for and against stretching... and when sh*t goes wrong means stretching just to move again, it's really important to them : ) David Goggins has mentioned doing 2-3 hours a night. That's beastly! He explained it stemmed from a super tight psoas from life stress. That might be too long to add to your workouts? ;)
 
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Sheens

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This one is occupying my mind. It's going to be awesome! Thank you @WillHurtDontCare!!

Watching the differences between the traditional swing v. squat swing. I like them both.

The author of the T-nation program suggests the hinged swing and having only one strength exercise between the swing reps each day for four days. Will follow that.

For the strength exercises listed as best to do: 1. Press 2. Dip 3. Goblet squat 4. Chin-up.

Any opinions for one other strength move?

Will do the press 2x/week, goblet squat, and not set up at home for traditional dip or chin-ups. Need one more to fill in!
 

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@Sheens hip thrusts or sldl ...... need to work on that book butt, girl!
don't show up in mexico all flat from sitting down all the time!!
 

Sheens

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Started the 10k kettlebell swing program yesterday with the press between reps!

Anyone else doing it right now or want to? : )

This feels good, it's a challenge (the last 50 nearly knocked me on my a$$) and will continue!!

The four strength moves will be overhead press, goblet squat, Arnold press, and hip thrust or glute bridge.

Decompressing the back by laying flat on the ground with a box in front at correct height to support legs up and knees bent at 90 degrees to rest calves on top of box.
 

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1. getting an oura ring

Is it okay to wear the ring while doing exercises with dumbbells, bar etc? Couldn't find any info about it on their page.
 

ZCP

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i deadlift and do pullups with mine ...... depends on how and where you wear it, right?
you can take it off, then just 'add the workout' in the app to get credit for it ........

i had them send the sizing kit .... wore a couple of sizes on different fingers / hands .... did that for 3 or 4 days, then picked what fit best ....... suggest doing the same
 
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Strm

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you can take it off, then just 'add the workout' in the app to get credit for it

Okay, so it doesn't need data from the workout to firgure things like recovery out :D Only sleep?
 

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