Beginner's (noob) questions thread

[DEVILsSON]

I brought up this idea in the s/c discussion thread and will go ahead and start it. If others decide on something better than will go with that at a later point.

The point of this thread is if you are just starting out, somewhere between 0 and 12 months of lifting and you got a burning question or questions you want to ask about strength training, conditioning, nutrition, supplementation, or anything else related to getting stronger, faster, more conditioned then go ahead and ask. Please remember this is not a bodybuilding forum so if your question is related about how to look better you should probably head to bodybuillding.com.

if you are a new poster/lifter I do ask that before you post you read the Frquently Asked Questions thread and show other forum members that you are at least making an effort.

Please try to provide as much as information as possible regarding your height, bw, goals, prior training experience, injuries, life stressors, etc, in other words anything that may be important to the question.

 

[Champion#1]

Excellent cheers Devil!

I am a complete noob I have never done lifting in my life, well the only time I have ever lifted weights was the other day and that was to check my current strength.

it is safe to say I am quite weak and I am looking to improve my strength in the off season.

My current strength stats:

Body weight 65kg

Bench: 62kg

M press: 45kg

Squat: 63kg

In the off season I will have roughly 6-8 weeks to improve my strength before the boxing season starts. So what would be the best routine for me to start wit to get the fastest results?

The reason I say fastest is not because I am impatient but because of the 6-8 weeks limited time I have.

Also what gains could I expect do you think (on average what noobs gain) before I stall.

Thanks.

 

[WitchCraft]

Sweet! Thanks for starting this Devil.

I've actually had a question that I've wanted to start a thread about but was hesitant to when all that crap was going on.

I'm moving in a week to a high elevation area (8000') for work and will be there for three months. I've heard altitude changes can cause weight loss, lack in appetite and other unpleasant symptoms. I'm worried it will affect my training/strength gains. Anyone have any experience with this or advice on how to counteract the effects?

 

[Oblivian]

Sweet! Thanks for starting this Devil.

I've actually had a question that I've wanted to start a thread about but was hesitant to when all that crap was going on.

I'm moving in a week to a high elevation area (8000') for work and will be there for three months. I've heard altitude changes can cause weight loss, lack in appetite and other unpleasant symptoms. I'm worried it will affect my training/strength gains. Anyone have any experience with this or advice on how to counteract the effects?

My brother has been traveling all over for work. He was talking to me about it this weekend. He said he adjusted to it by the end of the week. I wouldn't sweat it too much. The body can adapt pretty well.

 

[WitchCraft]

My brother has been traveling all over for work. He was talking to me about it this weekend. He said he adjusted to it by the end of the week. I wouldn't sweat it too much. The body can adapt pretty well.

Only a week? Oh that makes me feel a lot better! I was picturing weeks of agony. Thanks Oblivian.

 

[DEVILsSON]

Champion get on a full body program that centers around big barbell lifts. Many people here have had great results using Starting Strength/Rippetoe's 5x5 program. There are also other similar programs like Bill Starr's and a myriad of many others. Pick one and follow them to the letter for those 8 weeks. While you're on them make sure you're eating and sleeping more while keeping cardio/conditioning to a minimum.

WC I have heard similar stories though my suggestion would be to wait and see how it affects you personally. You may need to increase your caloric intake and lift a little lighter than normal until your body adapts.

 

[PWR1982]

I have a question, when doing front squats, I have a hard time racking the weight properly (the bar is 21mm or something like that, so that might be a problem), so I push my elbows inward, otherwise I have a really hard time keeping the bar racked.

This way of racking is quite similar:

For some reason my elbows hurt from this, it's sort of like the pain I got from elbow tendonitis. Is it wrong to rack it this way?

I've also noticed my upper back is really sore from front squats, is that normal, or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Zerocrew1984]

If it's causing you pain, obviously you should do something different. You may want to work on your wrist flexibility to keep elbows out and see how that feels. You can also try the cross your heart grip and that eliminates a lot of the flexibility needs.

Upper back soreness is because you are tilting forward and you are hopefully fighting that. It's normal but as you keep working on front squats and get keep upright you shouldn't have it anymore.

 

[Justice 4 All]

Excellent idea, prevents the need to create a new thread for every little predicament. Just hope the intellectuals are willing to keep an eye on it...

Question: Should I be squatting or DLing first on the day I am required to do both? (SS)

I've been squatting first as I'm afraid DLing first will take away my ability to complete my squat work set.

 

[PowerHungry]

I'd squat first.

 

[scoopj]

I would also say squat first. You don't want a lot of weight on your back when it's fatigued from dl'ing.

 

[Justice 4 All]

Ok cool, thx guys

 

[TrainingAdict]

It's common knowledge that lifting mixed grip with deadlifts builds muscle imbalances.

What imbalance are we talking about exactly?


Is the underhand side getting worked more than the overhand side?

What muscles are effected?

 

[cmonreally]

It's common knowledge that lifting mixed grip with deadlifts builds muscle imbalances.

What imbalance are we talking about exactly?


Is the underhand side getting worked more than the overhand side?

What muscles are effected?

if you change from over/under to under/over after each rep, im pretty sure you wont have this problem.

 

[DEVILsSON]

PWR

Things that helped me racking the bar on front squat:

short term: Start experimenting with various grips and find one that doesn't hurt. On front squats I dont thing it truly matters how narrow or wide you grip the bar or if you do the cross grip. If all else fails or if you just want a bit of assistance, try using your straps by threading the straps around the bar where you'd grab the bar without pain, make D handles(loops) out of the loose ends of the straps, insert hands in them in the neutral position and tighten the straps into your hands. Make sure you're racking the bar high on your collar bone and are not holding the weight with your arms. Maintaining elbows up should help keep the bar from rolling down.

Longer term: Start levering and doing wrist strengthening exercises as well as working on your wrist flexibility.

Justice I'd squat first in the workout.

 

[SDMF]

It's common knowledge that lifting mixed grip with deadlifts builds muscle imbalances.

What imbalance are we talking about exactly?


Is the underhand side getting worked more than the overhand side?

What muscles are effected?

This isn't common knowledge, it's common bullshit. Using a mixed grip will not cause muscular imbalances, and no you don't have to switch hands. I have been pulling with the same setup forever, and so do many 800+ deadlifters.

 

[toonie]

In my last 2-4 work-outs I have noticed my back a little more stiff (DOMS) following my sessions in the gym. Generally, up to this point, I haven't noticed much lower back stiffness from squats at all.

Obviously a video of my form would help a lot more, and I plan to get those within a week. However, is this possibility indicative of my hips rising to quickly and me kind of good morning the weight up?

Further, when squatting, on some reps the weight shifts from my heels to my toes when getting out of the hole. Any tips for that? I currently squat barefoot and I use high-bar.

Cheers

 

[Dr Boondigga]

(I asked this in another thread as well, no response) How long should I wait after lifting before going off to jiu jitsu? Should I have them on the same day, or different days if possible?

 

[paolo27th]

In my last 2-4 work-outs I have noticed my back a little more stiff (DOMS) following my sessions in the gym. Generally, up to this point, I haven't noticed much lower back stiffness from squats at all.

Obviously a video of my form would help a lot more, and I plan to get those within a week. However, is this possibility indicative of my hips rising to quickly and me kind of good morning the weight up?

Further, when squatting, on some reps the weight shifts from my heels to my toes when getting out of the hole. Any tips for that? I currently squat barefoot and I use high-bar.

Cheers

I`m assuming you are "caving in". If so lower the weight/reps, hold your breath and push down as you squat (as when you`re taking a stubborn dump), or wear a belt.

(I asked this in another thread as well, no response) How long should I wait after lifting before going off to jiu jitsu? Should I have them on the same day, or different days if possible?

I`d say it all depends on how demanding your lifting and BJJ are. If you do loads of sparring then keep lifting on separate days or at least avoid lifts such as suqats and deads on those days. If your do more technical BJJ sessions then you could mix in more lifting and reduce the number of days you spend at the gym.

As far as rest in between it all depends on how comfortable you feel. I used to lift in the morning and do loads of sparring at night. It was hard but I did it. However I didn`t make much progress. Now I keep my s&c days as s&c exclusively or mix in ONLY technical work.

 

[redaxe]

Just hopped over here from the grappling forum because I've been wondering about something.

Currently I'm living in a foreign country with access to only very basic equipment and no regular lifting partners who can spot for me. Lifting is not popular in this country, there is a steep language barrier, and most people at the gym would have no idea how to spot even if I asked them to.

So, given this rather shitty situation, is it better to still do free barbell weights but stick to weights that are light enough for me to handle without a spotter? (Obviously this way I can never max out)

Or is it better to just use machines (e.g. chest press machine i/o bench, leg press machine i/o squats)? Obviously they are not as good as free weights for a number of reasons but I can safely max out on them with no spotter without risking injury.

Thanks for your thoughts.