Mr. Caldera wrote:
e_i-2 wrote:
Raskolnikov wrote:
1) Well that sucks, lifting properly would have boosted your mood and hence helped with your depression. Did you actually see any visible results?
Kinda chicken-egg thing here
1) depressed so didn't lift properly --> didn't get results
2) didn't lift properly and didn't get results --> depressed
Either way, I think Joshua is a small'ish guy? and if he's never had 'natural' muscles before then he's going to work harder to get results - hard when you don't get enough motivation/positive feedback or have enough initiative.
in these cases I'd think that it would be best not to focus on "results" but rather the endorphins and hormones released to manage the depression. If you are small you need focus to "bulk up", and need to
make sure you can manage a simple exercise routine before going into anything complex enough to get you results. That said, from what I remember from the sticky'd weight lifting thread, if you are thin you can pretty much start bulking right away. Bigger guys have to worry about cutting a lot more in addition to maintaining "natural" muscle. So there is some benefit to being a "hardgainer". Somebody correct my if I'm wrong.
I don't get this at all. What is "simple," versus "complex"? A standard military press ought to get results, is that simple or complex? The complex part is figuring out how much weight you should be using, as you progress, hopefully, from lighter to heavier weights, but that is true for any exercise. The movement itself is not difficult.
The problem I have with the advice given here in general is that it is not progressive, starting with lighter and moving to heavier weights. The rule from the Bill Pearl book, simplified for the average beginner, is to use enough weight so that when you do 10 reps, the last rep is "somewhat difficult," but do not lift to failure. If 10 reps is too easy, you need to add weight. This of course requires the proper equipment, either a rack of dumbbells in a gym or a set of adjustables at home. You can't do this if you are trying to lift cinderblocks over your head, unless you have a supply of cinderblocks differing in 5-pound increments.
The other problem with improvised equipment like cinderblocks is that they are dangerous. Standard dumbbells have grips that make it easy to hold them without dropping them on your head. And also, when you add plates, make sure to always attach the collars securely. I saw this advice in the Bill Pearl book, and I thought "that's obvious," but when I went into the gym, most of the young guys there were using barbells with no collars. If some of the plates fall off on one side you could get injured by the barbell tilting on you.