What's something you wish you knew when you started lifting?
What's something you wish you knew when you started lifting?
For me it would be that lifting can take time. It's okay to start with light weights and it's okay that getting bigger will take more than three months. Sure, pushing yourself is good to make progress, but everyone has their limits.
Also, lifting can be for more than just getting bigger. In the beginning I was hyper focussed on getting more muscular and it led to me taking awful homemade protein/caloric shakes which cannot be healthy long term. It took me pretty long to understand that this way of training was not what I wanted. Luckily I now know that I want to focus on strength and stamina and that size comes second.
How about you?
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- Progressive overload goes a lot faster when you're starting your lifting journey. I used to increase weights once every week or two when I had the ability to increase 2'5 kg every training day. In my first serious attempt at the gym I ended up squatting 50 kg after 3 months when I could have been dealing perfectly with 80 or even more.
- On the other side of the scale: training form is essential before increasing weight. Otherwise you may find yourself with a wrist sprain for the next month (talking from experience here), and that being one of the best scenarios.
- Running shoes are for running, not for lifting weights. If you have nothing else, switch to barefoot when you're getting on your heaviest sets.
- Half of the work is done in the gym and the other half is done in the kitchen. "Eating well" is not enough: calorie counting and controlling macros (especially protein) is key.
- Lifting belts give you superpowers. I skyrocketed out of a plateau after getting one and I don't have any other explanation of why.
Lifting belts give you superpowers
it doesn't. it just removes pressure from your lower back
I skyrocketed out of a plateau after getting one and I don’t have any other explanation of why
see above, you're using a tool that removes/facilitates the force imposed on your lower back in a given lift and this has the disadvantage of not progressing the strenght on that part of the body at the same rhythm as your other muscles you're engaging in the lift
honestly if you're not competing there's virtually no reason to use a lifting belt, egolifting is a thing and something that everyone lifting recreationally should not engage in
It's a joke, pal. I know well how it works, otherwise I wouldn't have bought one.
I will disagree and encourage the use of a belt to those who are lifting a certain amount of weight, especially in squats (if you are lifting as much as you weight) and deadlifts (what you weight multiplied 1'6), if not for the single reason that makes one much more conscious of their posture and I consider it a great form to keep in mind your form through the whole length of the exercise. If you can lift a weight with a belt and go through the whole exercise with proper form, it's not egolifting.