Strength / Weight Training

Thanks guys! You've all been really helpful.

highbar or low bar squatting?

That question was really useful input. After watching some youtube videos on the difference between high and low bar I think I've figured it out. DLs are my best lift, about 20 - 30% better than my squats, so most probably I am shifting forward to let the posterior do more of the work, lessening the strain on my quads. Stupidly I thought shifting forward meant more work for the quads, hence my confusion.

OK, so strict discipline it is then, cut my sets short if need be rather than shifting the weight backwards to my glutes. And I'll have a think about how to re-structure the build up to the final couple of sets.

When you say "better" do you mean that you DL more than you squat? Because that's totally normal.
If you squat high bar you'll be more upright and it will be a more quad dominant squat, lowbar uses more lower back and glutes. When I used to squat low bar, I basically never trained deadlift and still managed to pull 200kg because the bottom position in the lowbar squat is so similar to a deadlift pull (for me at least).

Generally speaking, high bar squat has greater athletic crossover.

I'm looking to buy some Olympic dumbbells. Online shops seem to be around £50 each for 1x dumbbell bar

https://www.rivalstrength.co.uk/products/olympic-dumbbell-bars

eBay has lots at around £25 for 2x. They look identical and the stated weight is a but more.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Olympic-Weightlifting-Dumbbell-Bars-Set-Weights-Weight-Lifting-Dumbell-Tools-/353052594099?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m2548.l6249&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

Do you think the cheaper ones will be ok? I won't be putting lots of weight on them.

I’m sure you’d get £22’s worth of use out of them. If they break you know to upgrade. Impossible to know, but £100 is a fair whack for a pair of dumbbells.

Those more expensive ones have a nicer bearing set in, the cheaper ones are are either lose ball or a cheap ball and cage - they'll rattle around a bit more.
I'd also expect the knurling to be nicer in the rival strength, the cheap ones may be uneven, or have lightly sharp edges... (nothing a quick file won't fix) and lastly the chroming on the sleeve might chip off easier, or even arrive already chipped. Not that I have first hand experience from either sellers but I've sold very similar products before.
Weight limit won't be a problem on either. That being said, if you're not going heavy why are you choosing such a big format? I find the Olympic dB handles to be pretty bulky to start and if you're using tri-grip plates you end up with a massive dumbbell?

@Nef @Yukirin thanks for the replies. I've just acquired a bench and barbell and some Olympic tri plates.
Seemed to make sense to buy some Olympic dumbbells and a few more plates so I can swap everything around rather than buy a new set of standard sized stuff? Happy to be told that's wrong tho.

Edit: hadn't looked at the price of standard stuff it's a fair bit cheaper!

https://www.powerhouse-fitness.co.uk/bodymax-deluxe-rubber-dumbbell-sets-grp0150001

Yeah, the standard 1" sets are not too badly priced (used to be a lot better priced though) I'd get those personally. I'd also get cast iron sets, not rubber - the plates are physically smaller and should be cheaper to buy matching extras later on. Avoid "vinyl" concrete dust filled once at all costs!

Also, kit weights are total - so a 40kg kit is 2x20kg DBs

@Yukirin thank you

Next question
I've got a garage set up. adjustable bench, squat/ dip/ bench rack. Barbell. Dumbells on the way. Rope. Sled. Looking to bulk up a bit and tone.
Where should I look for easy to follow guides to training programmes. I'd prefer something simple, not looking to get to tech.

Stronglifts. And read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. Alan Thall seems to have a lot of support here too - YouTube for him.

Looking to bulk up a bit and tone.

If you want to get bigger - eat more and lift weights. If you want more definition (tone), you’ll want to eat less and lift weights. Muscle definition (by appearance) is largely about how lean you are. Usually people opt to “bulk” by eating a surplus of calories to build more muscle, then “cut” by dieting to then show off the gained muscle mass by losing body fat to gain greater visible muscle definition.

Generally tho, if you’re in reasonable shape (not particularly overweight) you’ll definitely have visible results just by doing any amount of extra weight lifting.

Strong lifts and starting strength are ok if you want to get into the powerlifting-centric strength exercises (mainly squat, bench, deadlift, and press*), but I’d probably recommend a basic push/pull bodybuilding routine instead if you just want to gain some muscle and look better. Starting strength is notorious for not really yielding particularly good aesthetic results, but instead being a good starting point for gaining strength (hence the name, duh).

My other concern is Rippertoe, Thrall and all the others aimed at beginner lifters go on and on, when really you’ll probably achieve better results aesthetically speaking by doing some basic bodybuilding exercises rather than spending lots of time trying to get a perfect low weight back squat.
Don’t get me wrong, I love squats, but if you want to be buffer they’re not really the exercise to build your routine around (I expect to be flamed for this comment).

*I know pressing isn’t a part of powerlifting but I know it’s in starting strength.

I don't eat a lot. I've always been slim build. (My dad was a rugby fly half.) Been doing some body weight stiff recently. Now inherited this kit I'll use it to add some bulk and then tone. As you say, anything I lift at this stage will add results. I guess I'm after some basic structure so I don't underwork some areas get a complete workout. I'll be running/ cycling a little too. Maybe looking to do 2 or 3 sessions a week on the weights.
Quick Google got this
https://www.coachmag.co.uk/fitness/workouts/free-weight-workouts

Stronglifts looks nice simple. Cheers

Also apologies I'm probably the 1000th person to ask these questions on this thread. I may have asked them previously! Appreciate the answers as there is lots to travel through prior.

Also, the best exercises are the one you actually do consistently. For some people it’ll be a 20 minute quick blast workout on YouTube that they fit in a couple times a week, for others it’ll be committing to a proper program like starting strength or strong lifts because investing in a program helps them to train consistently. The biggest issue is that people sweat minor details rather than just doing whatever. Super optimised but low effort workouts will almost always be trumped by a completely clueless novice that gives it their all (IME).

My brother is always praising this workout for example.
https://youtu.be/z2VP0AohNBY

@nef @tgr @Yukirin
Thanks

I support this (@NEF)

Aesthetic appeal is different to (lower body) strength. A Push /pull /lower program covers all if you want both.

https://youtu.be/iuQA7P_gtw8

For what's it's worth, I this nef has good advice.

Just remember, if you're starting from a low base then lots of things will work if you rest and eat properly.

There are countless programmes. I researched a lot of them before going with SL. It’s simple and easy to follow on the app. It encourages good form and is very basic. It is not easy when the weights get heavy.
Mark Rippetoe is a lifting guru and knows everything you need to know - his programme is Starting Strength. It’s quite similar to SL.
You can do body weight exercises - I did this before buying weights and used Mark Lauren - which was probably the impetus to buying weights.
I use Mike Matthew’s info for basically everything to do with diet and additional lifting advice as he is easy to understand. His book is Bigger, Stronger, Leaner but I get info from his website.
One thing you should decide BEFORE YOU START is your goal - more strength, more fitness, beach body, more agility etc. The answer to this should guide you to the right programme.

First day back at the gym this morning since pre-covid times - before that I was doing a mix of kettlebells / stronglifts 4x per week so figured i'd most likely be in for a shock...

Decided to stick to the stronglifts exercises to get started again - this morning I stuck to squats & bp, taking it easy with plenty of warmups to see how I felt. Squat was comfortable enough at 5 x 70kg & bench was 5 x 60kg - down from 5 x 100 / 5x 80 in 2019 which was realistically the last time I did any weights, could be worse I suppose.

Tomorrow i'll see how the press / row feel & maybe a couple of deadlifts - i'm aiming to get in Mon-Thur for 45 mins before work, so i'll be repeating twice per week & only increasing the weights after the first couple of weeks:

Mon / Wed - squat / bp
Tue / Thur - row / press (maybe dl too)

Obviously if I roll out of bed tomorrow in tears I may need to rethink the intensity but fuck it, in for a penny & all that.

New guy in the gym tonight- big fellow. Didn’t think anything of it, just noticed him in the free weights section. Doing my work out and he asked for help, showed him how to do some simple dumbbell chest presses on the bench (what he was trying to do), very rapidly moved him from the 12kg weights he’d picked up to some 6kg as he couldn’t control the heavier weights. By this point apparent that he’s got some learning difficulties and is basically at sea in this environment. Take him through how to lift the weights off the rack, get him and the weights into position and then the form for pressing and leave him to do some.

Ten or so minutes later I’m doing some barbell curls and spot him on the incline bench about to pull a 50kg bar-load off the hooks- moved pretty quickly at that point!

Took the plates off and talked him through the technique again- he was gassed after three presses with the 20kg bar.

Moved him onto the pull up assist machine after he’d had a breather, talked him through it and left him there, in the care of another guy.

Really brought home that it can be a dangerous environment.

Good feels tho! Super nice of you to take the time and to help out like that.

Definitely seen many near misses/V dangerous stuff in the gym. Remember there was a guy squatting who was working up his heavy singles. It was looking more and more dangerous each time he added weight, so I cautiously offered a spot. He must've added another 20kg and proceeded to completely dive bomb it - he dropped to the bottom position with almost no control and even with me spotting him as hard as I could there wasn't much I could do, he basically folded in half until the bar met the safeties. Thank god he had safety bars set up but honestly I think the offer of the spot probably encouraged him to do something more dangerous rather than me making the situation any safer.

I don't offer to spot people I don't know any more. I also don't accept spots from people I don't know either!

Day 2 began with my legs almost buckling walking down the stairs this morning - always a good sign on the way to the gym at 6am after an almost 2 yr hiatus...

Shoulder press had dropped a fair bit - this was something I was planning to concentrate more on before I drifted away from weights so it previously needed work anyway, row & deadlift were fine form-wise but i'll need to put some effort in to build the weights back up again...

Real test starts tomorrow when I do squats again - robocop strut, here we come.

Let us know how the myprotein mixes. Used it a few years ago an no matter how much shaking i did, the bottom resembled breadcrumbs still.

On the other hand, it feels to me that the majority of people I see in the gym have poor form and do dangerous stuff but it's not often somebody gets hurt. I think that's sort of the problem....you can get away with something for a long time right until you don't get away with it any more.