Weight Training Guidance

[Ryan]

Uhhh... yes.

 

Who put you on that routine?

 

It's rather bloated, especially for 2 sets of each. There's a lot of unnecessary overlap. I can't imagine you being able to push yourself hard and do all of that....and by this point, things should be getting pretty challenging. I sense you've been led astray by some goofy trainer.

 

As for the routine.....

 

Squats - 30lb/15 reps

 

Since it's not possible to squat with less than 45 pounds (the weight of the bar), I'm guessing you're using some apparatus for this. Stop. I have yet to see a machine that can allow the proper squat motion to occur. If you want to squat, you need to do it in a rack or cage with a free bar. You also need to practice it extensively. I doubt you've been taught proper form.

 

 

Leg Press - 95lb/12 reps

 

I have no problem with the leg press. If you can't make squatting a safe part of your routine, this will probably be your main leg movement. If you can dedicate yourself to squatting, leg press is just an augment. Training squats hard will not allow you to perform 2 more sets of leg press. There are form tips for this to be wary of as well.

 

 

Leg ext. - 45lb/12 reps

 

Definitely something to stop doing. Leg extensions carry an inherent risk due to the way the ligaments in the knee support the lower leg. It's also unnecessary because your quadriceps are PLENTY involved in squatting and leg press.

 

 

Leg curl (seated) - 80lb/12 reps

Inner Thigh - 80lb/12 reps

Outer Thigh - 60lb/12 reps

 

All a waste of time. Squats and leg press will develop these areas just fine.

 

 

Body Master (this is an assisted chin/dip thingy) - 120lbs/12 reps (first set as chin; 2nd set as dip)

 

Chins(or pulldowns) and dips are fine.

 

 

Seated bench press - 35lb/12 reps

 

Chest press....that's fine too. I think your resistance on this is a bit low, even for a beginner. This is another sign you aren't challenging yourself.

 

 

Cybex (shoulders - lateral raise type thing) - 25lb/12 reps

 

Total crap. The shoulders are involved in EVERY SINGLE compound upper body movement. They do not need additional training. There is no reason for you to be doing this.

 

 

Shoulder press - 20lb/12 reps

 

This is fine too.

 

 

Upper Back - 30lb/12 reps

 

I'm not sure what this means...I'm guessing it is some sort of row movement. Rows are fine.

 

 

Triceps press - 60lb/12 reps

Biceps curls - 12/21reps (7 full curls, 7 from midpoint to top and 7 from bottom to midpoint)

 

More total crap. Triceps are involved in dips, chest press, and overhead press. Biceps are involved in chins/pulldowns and rows. There's no reason to do these...and I can't believe someone had you do 21s! That's an advanced intensity building technique of marginal use....not something a beginner even needs to CONTEMPLATE.

 

 

Ecarion (abs) - 20lb/20 reps

 

Sounds like a weighted crunch machine. I'd drop the # of reps, since you don't need to be doing endless amounts. It's a common misconception to have trainees do higher repetitions for abs. It's the same kind of muscle tissue you have in the rest of your body...doesn't need to be trained differently. Go down to 12, since that seems to be your common #.

 

 

Leg raises - 15 reps

 

Useless. A lot of people think this is a "lower ab" exercise. First, there are no "lower abs." The muscles that make up the "six pack" area are actually just two muscles (rectus abdominis), each one running the full length of your abdomen from chest to groin on each side of your body. Second, those muscles aren't responsible for the lifting of the legs. Your hip flexors perform this...but your hip flexors don't NEED any more work because they are getting blasted by squats and leg press.

 

 

Crunches - 25 reps/3 sets

 

Ah yes...more of the high-reps-for-abs drivel. Drop this entirely.

 

 

Low back - 110lb/15 reps

 

If you squat, you won't need this. If you only leg press, it might be useful. The main problem with this movement is that most people think they are using their lower back for most of it. But it is your hip joint that moves....so the hip musculature is generally the prime mover. Your lower back only serves to keep your spine straight during the movement. The weight also seems far too high for your other numbers. Typo?

[veggie]

Originally posted by Ryan

Who put you on that routine?

...

I sense you've been led astray by some goofy trainer.

 

 

Yup.

 

Originally posted by Ryan

 

Since it's not possible to squat with less than 45 pounds (the weight of the bar), I'm guessing you're using some apparatus for this. Stop. I have yet to see a machine that can allow the proper squat motion to occur. If you want to squat, you need to do it in a rack or cage with a free bar. You also need to practice it extensively. I doubt you've been taught proper form.

 

 

Hmmm. I'm confused. I have a bar at home and it only weighs 11 pounds. But yes, I am using some machine contraption at the gym that feels TOTALLY unnatural even though they keep assuring me that it is the *right* way to squat. (But how can it be right if it is a position I could not get into without the help of a machine??)

 

Anyway, yes, I want to squat the right way. But how do I learn to do this? The section of the gym where the free weights are is inhabited mostly by guys with overblown chests set atop teeny butts and legs and they don't look as though they'd welcome a woman in their midst. It's intimidating at best.

 

 

 

Originally posted by Ryan

 

Chest press....that's fine too. I think your resistance on this is a bit low, even for a beginner. This is another sign you aren't challenging yourself.

 

I was doing more than this at home. I think I am so wiped out by everything else at the gym that I can't do as much. Also, at home I was doing a split routine of upper body Tues and Fri and lower body Mon and Thurs. So I was able to be more intense.

 

 

Originally posted by Ryan

 

 

If you squat, you won't need this. If you only leg press, it might be useful. The main problem with this movement is that most people think they are using their lower back for most of it. But it is your hip joint that moves....so the hip musculature is generally the prime mover. Your lower back only serves to keep your spine straight during the movement. The weight also seems far too high for your other numbers. Typo?

 

No, not a typo. This one is really easy to do and I could probably do more but it's not really clear to me just exactly what I am exercising!

[Ryan]

Hmmm. I'm confused. I have a bar at home and it only weighs 11 pounds.

 

That's not an Olympic bar. The kind you will use in a gym is heavier because it is far more robust. It is made to handle the abuse of large amounts of weight, but anybody can use them. They weigh 45lbs by default, thus making the smallest amount of a squat 45lbs. If we can get you squatting, you'll spend some time with just the bar practicing (after you practice with just bodyweight).

 

 

I am using some machine contraption at the gym that feels TOTALLY unnatural

 

Imagine that...how could I have known?? The problem with most machines is that they lock you into a fixed plane of motion. The squatting path takes a mild S-curve when done freely. In order to force that straight line, you typically end up with potentially dangerous knee positioning. Be wary of the Smith machine as well. It's a bar that you put free weights on, so it SEEMS right...but the Smith machine locks the bar so it can only move in a straight line vertically. Do not use this either.

 

 

 

they keep assuring me that it is the *right* way to squat

 

Ahhh I love goofy trainers.

 

 

The section of the gym where the free weights are is inhabited mostly by guys with overblown chests set atop teeny butts and legs

 

It does my heart well to hear you recognize their oafishness.

 

 

they don't look as though they'd welcome a woman in their midst

 

Woman? DOH! I guess I should have asked that question a long time ago. I'd been working under the assumption than you were male. My bad. That doesn't really change a lot, but I would say you should train no MORE than 2x per week. Women tend to have less recovery ability when compared to men due to the hormonal differences. I should also ask how old you are...since that may impact things as well.

 

As for those guys...so what? It's your gym too. If anything, you'll have to worry about them wanting to be TOO involved in what you are doing. Those types of superficial guys are all too willing to gawk at and "assist" free-floating females. Just go in there and do what you need to do. If you're not being all dainty and requiring their help...they'll go back to watching themselves in the mirrors.

 

 

Anyway, yes, I want to squat the right way. But how do I learn to do this?

 

First, it's awesome that you are willing to go for it...a lot of women shy away. Unfortunately, I can't train you in person since your profile says you live in Florida (also says you are female...perhaps I should have read that sooner). I can explain proper squat form in words and I do have a couple of pictures and a video clip of myself squatting that may be helpful.

 

 

I was doing more than this at home. I think I am so wiped out by everything else at the gym that I can't do as much.

 

Well, that will be fixed by reducing your training load. I also take back some of my initial estimation of what weights you should be using. I will say that women tend to have better lower-body strength relative to their upper body strength when compared to men of the same training level.

 

 

This one is really easy to do and I could probably do more but it's not really clear to me just exactly what I am exercising!

 

Once again....poor trainers in action. Personally, I think it is very important for a trainee to have a basic understanding of what he/she is doing and WHY. Since you are willing to squat (did I mention that's awesome?), you won't need to do separate lower back work.

[veggie]

Please. And anything else that would help. I'd love to find a trainer who had a clue and could help me get going vis-a-vis form and a sensible routine, but I don't see that happening. I've read a ton, which is how I came around to feeling that squats were the #1 lower body exercise I could do. I was doing them at home with just dumbbells (and making small but steady gains) but I don't have a rack and couldn't figure out how to up the weight safely (although later I saw some weird belt thing that lets ou dangle a barbell between your legs), so I ended up at the gym.

 

I am 44, 5'8", 126 lbs. No health problems, actually in pretty good shape but would like to improve. Vegetarian/mediterranean diet.

 

Now you know it all. :-)

[Ryan]

I was doing them at home with just dumbbells (and making small but steady gains) but I don't have a rack and couldn't figure out how to up the weight safely (although later I saw some weird belt thing that lets ou dangle a barbell between your legs), so I ended up at the gym.

 

What you were doing with the dumbbells is better known as the dumbbell deadlift. You can still do this at the gym if you like...they probably have a full set of dumbbells that go in 2.5lb increments, since guys tend to like to use them. Deadlifting is the other holy grail of training movements (along with the squat), so either is fine. The belt you saw is called a hip belt and it can be used for hip belt squats...some people prefer this so they don't have to worry about the bar on their shoulders....others find it awkward.

 

Nonetheless, I've prepared some materials from my personal archive as part of basic instruction on how to perform the barbell back squat.

 

Normally you'd get under the bar, set it evenly on your back, unrack it and step back...but you're not going to practice with the bar at first. Practice the form of the motion as I shall outline.

 

Place your feet at shoulder width or slightly wider with your body centered. Angle your toes outward slightly - the purpose of this is to keep your knee tracking over your toe. Since the hip joint rotates, your upper leg is going to be pointed at an angle away from your body. If you keep your feet pointed straight forward, your upper leg tries to move at that angle while your lower leg is trying to force it to move straight forward. This puts undue stress on the knees. Keep your head forward or up and your shoulders back (it's a bit easier to practice that part once you have the bar, but keep it in mind when doing it with bodyweight). Slowly descend (breathing as necessary) as if you were sitting down. Your hip and knee joints should be moving at the same rate. You will naturally lean forward to maintain balance, but it will be at the HIP, not the lower back. You should feel your weight on your heels...you should be able to wiggle your toes at any point during the motion - if you can't, your weight isn't on your heels. Keep your lower back FLAT. This is one time when all the mirrors are useful. As you practice your descent, look to the side so you can see yourself in the mirror. This will let you watch and make sure you are keeping your back flat. Descend as far as you can while keeping your back FLAT. As soon as you see it rounding and/or your butt tucking under your body, you've found the deepest point you can safely go.

 

Photo 1 - Bottom of Squat

 

The pictures are about 2 years old and from a squat set I was doing at the time. Be warned, they are 1024x768 in resolution, so you should probably right click and open the link in a new window. You'll see how my back is flat, my head is pointed forward/up and my knees aren't really going past my toes (angle is somewhat bad to say for sure, but they aren't). You may not be able to go this deep at first. Just go to the point where you are still in good form.

 

Once you reach the bottom, make a smooth transition and begin pushing upwards. Do not pause at the bottom - this puts the knees in a very unstable position. Drive up through your heels (the toe wiggle applies here too), moving your knee and hip joints at the same rate. DO NOT hold your breath - breathe freely and as often as possible.

 

Photo 2 - 75 percent upright

 

Here you can see I am about 3/4 of the way upright. My back is still straight and the bend in my knees and hip are about the same. Ease into the top of the repetition - you can stop just before knee lock or cautiously go into knee lock at the top, just don't come to a jarring stop due to your knees locking. Pause, take a few breaths, and repeat.

 

Video - Squat tempo and performance

 

This is a link to a small video clip from a year ago (1mb download, right click and save it to your computer before viewing). This is an actual squat set from one of my workouts. It's hard to see my total form in the video because of the angle, but it will give you an idea of the proper tempo and transitions. You may also notice that I terminate the set at the point where I can no longer keep my back straight when coming up....this is typically how people reach a state of "failure" on the movement and must stop.

 

I would recommend you take 2-3 workouts to practice with just bodyweight. Perform at least 20 repetitions (do just 1 set) in the cage and watch yourself in the mirror. Then you should be ready to try it with an empty bar. Get back to me when you are at that point.

 

 

I am 44, 5'8", 126 lbs.

 

That is impressive. Quite a few women my age can't maintain a slim physique...and they have 20 years of youth advantage.

[veggie]

Hi -

 

The thing I was doing at home was definitely a squat with a dumbbell. I was holding it between my legs, parallel with my thighs. I think my form was pretty good (it seems to mimic your photos and description) and I did progress to the point where I was using an 18lb body bar and getting pretty low to the ground. Also, I felt the movement in the right places. I only started having problems at the gym, where it felt as though the position I was in using the machine the trainer favors was nothing like the position I was in at home. So today I leg pressed and did not squat.

 

Anyway, once I get my form set at the gym, are you suggesting I can move to using a rack? You mentioned in an earlier post not to use a Smith rack. Is there something in particular I should be looking for?

 

Also, I have deadlifted but this is one that either I am not doing right (although I do use a mirror to keep tabs) or maybe I am not using enough weight... but it just doesn't seem to do anything. Which is totally contradictory to everything I've read -- this is supposed to be another of the core movements. I've done straight leg deadlifts and also bent knee deadlifts (very slight bend). Maybe I will try these with more weight now that I have access to bigger bars.

 

<<and they have 20 years of youth advantage.>>

 

Ouch. You're making me feel old! :-)

[Ryan]

Anyway, once I get my form set at the gym, are you suggesting I can move to using a rack? You mentioned in an earlier post not to use a Smith rack. Is there something in particular I should be looking for?

 

The apparatus I said to avoid is the Smith Machine. What would be best is what is known as a cage. It has 4 posts that probably run about 7-8 feet high. There are two of hooks that hold an Olympic bar and two safety catches that run the length of the sides of the cage. On the sides there are holes where these bars can be set at varying heights, depending on where you need them. Sometimes there is also a chin-up bar on the top of the cage. They look like this (ignore the doofus in the picture):

 

Cage

 

Most gyms have one of these. I would recommend practicing in it NOW, even without using the bar. Since you will eventually be squatting with the bar, you want to be able to gauge your form compared to the environment you will be in while you learn.

 

 

I've done straight leg deadlifts and also bent knee deadlifts (very slight bend).

 

It sounds like you've been a bit misled about deadlifts as well. The SLDL/SDL (stiff-legged deadlift) is NOT done with knees locked. It is done with a slight bend and very little knee movement. I usually recommend people away from this movement because it is very easy to put your back in the wrong position. It does nothing special that you can't get from other movements.

The BLDL/BDL (bent-legged deadlift or just deadlift) is done with quite a lot of knee movement...almost as much as a squat. Deadlifts and squats are the kings of all exercises and any trainee should be doing at least one of them. The only complaint people really have about doing it with a straight bar is that it usually scrapes the calves in order to maintain proper form. Using dumbbells can alleviate this, since the weight will be at your sides. There are also special bars that have handles on the sides and allow you to stand inside them while you deadlift.

 

 

Ouch. You're making me feel old! :-)

 

No no no...quite the contrary! Your body sounds more youthful than many women my age. I meant no offense.

[veggie]

The apparatus I said to avoid is the Smith Machine. What would be best is what is known as a cage. It has 4 posts that probably run about 7-8 feet high. There are two of hooks that hold an Olympic bar and two safety catches that run the length of the sides of the cage. On the sides there are holes where these bars can be set at varying heights, depending on where you need them.

 

Yes, my gym has one of these. I got brave today and wandered into the men's area. But I think it was a Smith brand. ???

 

It sounds like you've been a bit misled about deadlifts as well. The SLDL/SDL (stiff-legged deadlift) is NOT done with knees locked. It is done with a slight bend and very little knee movement. I usually recommend people away from this movement because it is very easy to put your back in the wrong position. It does nothing special that you can't get from other movements.

 

The BLDL/BDL (bent-legged deadlift or just deadlift) is done with quite a lot of knee movement...almost as much as a squat. Deadlifts and squats are the kings of all exercises and any trainee should be doing at least one of them.

 

Wait. I'm confused again. Is it just the SLDL/SDL that "does nothing special.." or all deadlifts? Or are you saying that as long as I am squatting, the deadlift is not as important? For what its worth, I don't have any back problems.

 

Anyway, thank you again, Ryan. You have been extremely patient and helpful and I am looking forward to putting some of my new knowlegde to work.

[Ryan]

Yes, my gym has one of these. I got brave today and wandered into the men's area. But I think it was a Smith brand.

 

It doesn't really matter what brand the cage is....so long as it is a cage. The bar should be free to take off the hooks, not fixed in a track.

 

And that's not the men's area...it's your area too!

 

 

Is it just the SLDL/SDL that "does nothing special.." or all deadlifts?

 

The stiff-legged (which is abbreviated SLDL or SDL) variety is the one that isn't particularly necessary to have a successful routine.

 

 

Or are you saying that as long as I am squatting, the deadlift is not as important?

 

It is not necessary to incorporate squats AND deadlifts in a routine. If you squat, you can skip deadlifts and do fine (and vice versa). I use the term "deadlifts" to mean the bent-legged variety. This is usually implied whenever deadlift is mentioned without specification.

 

 

For what its worth, I don't have any back problems.

 

Slim...no back problems...and great calves. Are you interested in having a second (younger) husband? :c)

 

 

Anyway, thank you again, Ryan. You have been extremely patient and helpful and I am looking forward to putting some of my new knowlegde to work.

 

More than happy to be of service. Just FYI though, I'm going to be on travel for work during the next two weeks. I don't know how often I'll be able to check in here...so be patient if I don't respond promptly.