Squats, Bench, Deadlift: This is your fitness thread

I want a training program/chart with weights specified as well, ie what I should be able to perform with my biceps (repetition x weight) based on performance with another muscle/exercise.

Someone must have thought of this before but I haven't been able to find anything. There's no search word to filter search results from zillions of "blind" training programs where only sets and repetitions is stated.
 
Mise said:
Oh :( squats are totally gay.
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You know I'm one of the first persons to get sharp when someone uses gay pejoratively, but I lol'd. But who other than teh gays have the bodies we want to emulate, anyway.
 
Exercising with weights is lame, in my opinion. After injuring my shoulder and neck for who knows how many times, I've decided that the best way to do strength training is to do calisthenic, and/or isometric exercises with your own body weight. There's plenty of ways to do this.

That, and an indoor concept2 rowing machine will keep you fit as a fiddle. Indoor rowing especially is very taxing on pretty much the entire body.
 
i agree that using weights can be ineffective in terms of real body movements, but if one does a good range of lifting it simply must be better. Hakim everyone is different, it should be easy to discover simply by picking up a weight.

regarding running people often have greatly differing running motions. i know of a number of local running shoe salespeople that identify your motion and then recommend the style of shoe best suited to you, its only hearsay but i think it could make a big difference.

i see my lifting routine divided in two: building and toning. i do 3x6-8 of a variety of exercises for building, and 3x15-20 for toning. I have 4 cardio days per week and 6 lifting sessions (considering 9), and yeah i noticed the difference immediately. after my first session my muscles were dead for 4 days but it felt good.
 
Dawgphood001 said:
Exercising with weights is lame, in my opinion. After injuring my shoulder and neck for who knows how many times, I've decided that the best way to do strength training is to do calisthenic, and/or isometric exercises with your own body weight. There's plenty of ways to do this.

That, and an indoor concept2 rowing machine will keep you fit as a fiddle. Indoor rowing especially is very taxing on pretty much the entire body.
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Concept 2 is legit. But working out doing body weight exercise is a perfectly fine way to do weight training. I think doing what works is most important.
 
I use machines mostly to try to avoid injury. Although my left elbow is hurting right now from the bicep curl machine, so I guess it hasn't helped. I used to have problems with my right shoulder, and that has been good thankfully. I have more problems when I use free weights, or do pushups as I find it harder to keep proper form. So I stick to the machines. I just wish my left elbow would heal.

I haven't worked out in a couple of weeks, I hope to get to the gym tomorrow, I'm trying to get my sleep back on track so I can do it in the morning. I prefer morning workouts for some reason.

I think I'm doing too much weight on my bicep curl machine, so that might be why my elbow is hurting. My workouts are intensive though, and they wear my body out very much. I can't do more than 2 upper body and 2 lower bodies a week. I used to do 3 upper bodies a week, but I no longer have the energy for that. And now my knees have been acting up (I'm on my feet a lot at work too, and do a lot of walking), so I have lowered my lower body to once a week (I also do cardio with lower body strength training as well).

I do 2 types of upper body strength training. One for endurance (20 to 30 reps), and the other day I do high strength (8 to 10 reps). I'm pretty happy with the results from this, but I may modify it more in the future. I like to do endurance because I feel it is a better workout for my body and makes my muscles and body more well rounded (in terms of being able to adapt to different physical duties I may have to do in real life). For endurance I do 3 sets, and for strength I only do 2 (one is more of a warmup with less weight). I read somewhere that doing 3 isn't necessary for high strength muscle building. Plus I can life more weight on the last set if I don't wear my muscles out doing 2 prior tough sets. So my first set is a lower weight warmup to get my muscles adapted to that motion, then I put as much weight as I can lift.
 
I just started lifting again for the coming golf season, I really do need to work on my knees but mainly I do shoulder and forearm work. I'm in my 50s and I've noticed the last couple years if I dont work my shoulders - and golf aint enough - my rt rotator gives me pain (I tore it really bad pitching in college 30+ years ago - dont stress muscles without warming up properly!!!). When the muscles get weak the pivoting part of my shoulder gets out of alignment and I start getting "impingements" or whatever. But one day (seriously) of a dozen or so reverse rows strengthens the muscles and corrects the alignment problem. Aint that weird? I think it is...
 
Since I asked for it, I might as well contribute. ;)

I lifted off-and-on during high school, paired with heavy martial arts training. Upon starting college, I sort of fell out of lifting. Now, three and a half years later, I've picked it up again.

I've begun doing a lightly modified version of Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength program.

A day
5x5 squats
4x5 bench press
1x5 deadlift
4x8 chinups

B day
5x5 squats
4x5 dumbbell rows
4x5 overhead press
4x10 tricep dips

I work out Monday-Wednesday-Friday, alternating the A and B workouts. The bodyweight exercises -- dips and chins -- aren't in the 'canonical' Starting Strength program but I like them, so I do them. Further, Starting Strength recommends 3x5, but I'm progressing far better with 4x5 for most lifts and 5x5 on the squat.

My current weights (for reps) are something like:
Squat: 1.25 x bodyweight
Bench: 0.90 x bodyweight
Deadlift: 1.60 x bodyweight

My short-term goals are to get those numbers to 1.5, 1.0, and 2.0, respectively.
 
I generally do on day 1:

5x10 Bench press @ 175lbs
5x10 Tricep curls(on machine)
5x10 fly (on machine)
300 situps on incline
75x machine ab excercises
50 side to side ab excersies

Day 3:
5x10 on each arm 40 lb curls
Shoulder press 5x10
More combined bicep work 5x10
Same ab routine

on days 2,4 and I run 2-3 miles of incline.
 
I find gym fitness exercises very boring... I stay in shape with rock climbing a couple of times a week. I'm in fantastic shape, and I can bench more than some people who go gym regularly and weigh quite a bit more than me.

Plus, climbing's awesome.
 
I mostly just run...when the weather is nicer, I'll do something like a 5 miler, a 3 miler, another 5, and then a long run on on the weekend. Now, I run shorter lengths (my gym has a time limit on the treadmills), but with inclines.
 
Mise said:
I don't see the point in lower body stuff. If girls are seeing your legs then you're already well in. Same with abs tbh, though I can forgive that if you live in a warm place. I just do 3x8 curls and 3x8 bench press. Takes <15 mins, I do it 3 times a week.

I am a very lazy man.
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Body stops adding upper body strength eventually, as it has some sense of balance.

mrt144 said:
Anyone have any running shoe recommendations? I'm interested in getting the asics gl-2150.
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Terra Plana Evo.

mrt144 said:
to you do calf or heel raises? that can help with the muscle that contributes to shin splints. My fiancee has terrible foot problems because of an extra bone and one of the recommended exercises also was mentioned to help with shin splints.
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My shin splints went away when I stopped doing isolation calf exercises.
 
The guys I lift with are just a bunch of idiots about it,myself included, we do 3x6 almost exclusively because we all like to show off. Agreeing with above, I hate squats too, but unfortunately as a football player they are literally the most important lift to the whole regimen.
 
@Zelig: I'm guessing that's the point that anyone should stop because beyond that it stops being really attractive anyway. :smug: System works!
 
Sqauts get a bad rap especially for being such a great fundamental compound exercise. I use the Smith Machine for squats because I'm kinda weak right now and don't have a spotter for the amount of weight i'll be doing.
 
When I go to the gym, I exclusively do cardio. I go for 1/2 hour jogs at an incline. Usually make about 5.5km in that time. I don't have a set schedule. I try to go as much as I can but things keep coming up (girlfriend and laziness being the two biggest issues).

I work out at home a fair amount. Given budget and space, I do mostly calisthenics.
Five days a week (sun-thurs):
3 x 100 push ups - last 100 on fists instead of palms
3 x 15 pulls ups - last 15 on wider spacing
2 x 150 sit ups
2 x 10 arm curls

I have to recommend getting a pull up for anyone. They're not very expensive and you really notice the difference.
 
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