File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
Hey /fit/, I was lifting today and had someone new spot me since my partner was gone. We're both starting out, but it's working pretty well.

Anyway, this guy spotting me was nice and I thanked him a bunch for the help. However, when I was doing incline, he kept insisting I use more weight when I was already having intense difficulty lifting. I was doing 8 reps, but I couldn't lift the thing with my own strength, even with DBZ levels of grunting and screaming, by the 5th rep. By the end, my chest, arms, and shoulders nearly locked, and I had trouble lifting them.

This guy was trying to explain to me that's what everyone does, that's how you improve. It seemed kinda... much to me. How difficult should lifting be? I was doing less weight, some more reps, and I only did as many as I could handle myself. I'd be tired and sore afterwards, so I figured I was doing well.

Am I a pansy or is that guy a retard?
>> koji150 !COj0ATNiLw
This is what's called lifting to failure. It's best for building muscle. None of your lifts should be easy.
>> Anonymous
Little of both, really.

If you can't do it, don't force yourself to try and fail at it. Being a pansy will be the least of your problems if you drop the bar.
>> Anonymous
>>23858
Are you counting easy as anything that doesn't murder you? After that set I had trouble finishing the rest of my arm exercises. I do it enough to be sore and tired from my exercise, I didn't think I had to push myself to the limit with every set, though. It isn't like I'm not getting stronger.
>> Anonymous
I stick with 3x10.
If I can go to 12 I put on more weight.
5 reps is a bit low, 8 is ok.
>> Anonymous
He's both right and wrong. You WILL have to lift to failure at some points in your training. IME, you shouldn't need a huge spot for half your set. Sets end when your form breaks down, full stop.
>> Hammerknife !7ITukp3Pj2
You're a pansy, but don't worry, everyone feels that way too the first time they try.

Remember, each time you lift to failure, you raise that limit until you plateau. More microtears = more muscle.
>> Anonymous
Thanks for the replies!

Is this still sound advice for someone not really concerned with building their muscle fast or losing weight? I mean, I'm just doing this to be a bit healthier. I don't wanna be ripped or buff or anything, and I'm otherwise healthy.
>> Anonymous
>>23908
If your muscles are worked by the end of your workout, that's sufficient. If you're not looking for big strength gains or fat loss, I would suggest doing alternating routines of strength and endurance training.

For strength train low reps, less than 10. Train these sets to failure when it's safe. If you're doing 3 sets, it's probably a safe bet to do 10 reps to failure on the first set, then each progressive set you will be able to do less reps, but still to failure.

For endurance, train the same exercises (you should be hitting all muscles in both cases) with low weight, 20+ reps to failure each time.

The first routine would be for pure strength building if it was all you did, however you'll obviously lose some of the 'buffing' factor by spending some of your time training endurance. The endurance workout should also be good for your cardio if you have enough energy to work through the exercises steadily. Depending on your goals, you may also swap in some agility/speed training days which will also tax your cardio endurance.
>> Anonymous
speaking of microtears, i got a macrotear, good strech mark on my left side, side of bicep, along side shoulder, heading down my arm.

nothing i can do now, so my warning, take it easy be careful.

however, the guy in your question is wrong, it's better to have a tight form than heavy weights, do it right befiore you do it heavy
>> Anonymous
there's benefits others than looks, but remembering them is elusive. I'm pretty sure longer lifespan is up there "in general", but specifically at those moments? Well, I'd love some studies cited on the lifespan of weight lifters compared to non-weight lifters.
>> Anonymous
Testosterone is horrible for lifespan, that is why all the really old people are women. Weightlifters will live significantly fewer years. (no, don't know why)
>> Anonymous
>>23873
i did 5x5 bench with dumbells and gained probably 60lbs on my bench in 3 months thats 5x5 with a weight you can ONLY get 5 reps with max, and i'd go up once i could get 6-7 reps on all 5 sets
>> Anonymous
>>23872
actually the fact you had trouble with your other lifts is the reason people tell you to cycle, you can't put your all into every lift on a full body work out
>> Anonymous
>>24237
women live longer because men have a lot more stress because of shit like having to work for a living (i suspect this will change now that more women are having careers and not sitting at home being a house wife)
>> Anonymous
>>24246
Partly, but mostly no.
>> Anonymous
>>24237
no.

men live shorter lives becaaaause:
-certain types of cancers
-more dangerous occupations
-more risky lifestyles
-less likelyhood of seeking treatments and help
-more drinking, smoking, war-fightin'
>> Anonymous
>>24237
can anon elaborate how a naturally occurring substance is "horrible for lifespan"? u saying if i we're to cut off my balls I'd live longer? WTF.
>> Anonymous
>>24310
Oxygen, despite being necessary for life, kills you slowly in the inside.

Life sucks.
>> Anonymous
1-5 reps with lots (3-5+ minutes or sufficient to not get a "pump") of rest = strength
6-12 reps with 2 minutes and under rest between sets = hypertrophy (muscle)
More = Endurance in particular exercises or muscles (good for cockbattles where you MUST do 100 pushups or 30 pullups or you're not a man)

IMO, your spotter is being too rwar for you. Even for hypertrophy you don't have to rep out in every set or any sets. You can gain mass through volume (number of sets, even if you train for strength you will gain it if you lift big) as long as you lift big (FOR YOUR BODY).
>> Anonymous
>>24310
If you breathe in 100% pure oxygen, you die.
>> Anonymoose
>>24414

Anon speaks the truth. Increased oxygen use was our trade-off on the evolutionary scale: more energy, shorter lifespan.
>> Hammerknife !7ITukp3Pj2
>>24471

Um, no you don't.

It's just not healthy due to excessive 'superoxide' production.
>> Anonymous
>>24237
the faster your metabolize, the faster you die. Each cell will duplicate only so many times. A faster metabo speeds this process up. Don't confuse death by heart failure that fat guys with slow metabo fall from to the end of cellular generation.
>> Anonymous
>>24414
OK. too much of ANYTHING or too little of anything can kill you. We need to stay in the middleground for homeostasis to work. My question is it possible for the body to produce too much of anything THAT IT KILLS ITSELF? As in does bodybuilding make too much testosterone that this ever happens ever? Lifespan charts ftw please.

Life is programmed to live. I'm not talking about sucking on masks connected to bottles of artificially shit.

tl;dr Answer the question, not the stupid stuff. read above.