Resistance training - weights and calisthenics

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Jack, Nov 9, 2005.

  1. Jack

    Jack Valued Member

    Hey, I'm looking to start working out again very soon. I'm about 63kg now, and would like to do hypertrophy training until I'm about 75kg lean for a solid base of musculature, and then focus solely on strength and speed.

    Because I'm now working, I'll be able to afford exercise setups (such as parallel dip bars) or gym membership, so I have a decent choice of calisthenics and weighted resistance.

    I was thinking of going with bodyweight exercises first - namely Parallel dips, pullups, squats(advancing to one-legged squats) , and something for the hamstrings and lower back. Any ideas on an exercise or two to cover that? I'm still fairly weak (I can do about 6 chins in a first set, and I havnt done dips in ages, but probably about 2 or 3? I know, I know)

    Would it perhaps be better to include weighted resistance? I can't help but feel I'm going to get told SQUAT, MAGGOT by at least one member here. Squats and deadlifts can be considered.. and then cried about... ;)

    So I'm a bit rusty round the old noggin regarding hypertrophy and strength training, so feel free to oil up this cranky old brain.

    Cheers,
    Jack
     
  2. Macca

    Macca Valued Member

    To work your lower back muscles i would recommend doing dorsal raises. You can increase the intesnity by holding weights and using different arm movements to increase the tension of the muscles on your lower back.

    To work your hamstrings....well squats work your hamstrings, so there ya go.

    Cheers,
    Mac
     
  3. LohanSolo

    LohanSolo New Member


    I think your idea to do bodyweight exercises first is the best plan. try http://www.rossboxing.com or http://www.dragondoor.com for some great bodyweight stuff that will work your whole body as well as that lower back or look up Pavel Tsatsouline in google.

    Most big body exercises will also train your lower back but you can't beat bodyweight squats for that initial foundation required (look up 'hindu squats' as re-marketed by Matt furey ... but don't be tempted to buy any Matt Furey rubbish the exercises are generally good but way over-hyped and extremly expensive!).

    A great home chinning bar that is better than those cheap bars from Argos is the "powerbar" I think you can get them on eBay or they may have they're own site.

    If you do end up in a gym ... please do 'compound' exercises (squats and deadlifts etc) first (these will give your back a complete workout) and dont bother with all that isolation rubbish that just flatters the fragile ego of the jean-claude-van-dimm-alikes but do relatively nothing.

    And never forget whatever you choose - rest is as important as workout!


    Buddha Bless us one and all. :)
     
  4. Blake_AE

    Blake_AE Valued Member

    While there are a lot of great bodyweight exercises and functional strength gains can be had for cheap, using weights properly gives you a much larger range of training possibilities and lets your work your body more effectively.

    Let me explain that opinion. From my martial arts training, I was able to do 50 straight pushups, or 40/30/30 with 30 secs rest in between. I was also able to do very high reps of bodyweight squats, bodyweight calf raises, and I could do 13 consecutive chinups, each rep from straight arm.

    However when I joined a gym, I was loathe to discover my hams were weak, my shoulders were weak, my lower back - weak, rotator cuffs - weak, forearms - weak, etc...

    Now I know there are bodyweight exercises that will address those weaknesses but I can't train those as effectively as I could in a gym. For example handstand pushups - my weak shoulders and back prevented me from doing any good reps. Progressing at this exercise is slow. With weights, I can work with less weight hitting the same muscle groups in much higher reps using good form. This "wakes up" those muscles (for lack of a better term) and begins to build some endurance in them. And because I can do it with a much finer variation in weight, sets and reps, I can build those weaker areas more efficiently than bodyweight only where MOST (but not all) of the variation in difficulty comes in numbers of reps.

    Once your body is developed evenly, and strength is relatively balanced, I think bodyweight exercises are a definite part of functional strength training. No doubt. But if you are starting out with relatively low strength, I think your best investment right now would be a gym membership.
     
  5. rocketone5

    rocketone5 New Member

    Google gravity advantage and/or Zaichik. Despite the ignorent comments, he has good stuff.
     
  6. Ad McG

    Ad McG Troll-killer Supporter

    Squat, maggot

    :D
     

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