Strength / Weight Training

Honestly I wouldn't bother. Worse grip and generally just not great for lifting. Keep rest of your body warm enough and the extremities shouldn't be too bad. Put some handwarmers in your pocket and keep hands in there, only remove them to lift.

Managed to hurt my back squatting today. I did some squats without any weight just to get a bit warmed up. Added 10kg on each side and managed 2 reps before I felt something “go” on the right hand side of my back.

I don’t think I had braced my core prior to the initial movement and my back decided it was going to protect itself on my behalf.

Either way the prospect of sneezing is terrifying me presently.

I’m seeing people wearing blood sugar monitors while lifting. They are small discs like an apple airtag on the arm. All were serious competitive lifters/bodybuilders.
How do these monitors help?

Presumably these people are taking insulin as part of their program. It’s a dangerous game to play.

It could be something else entirely

Did a month of mobility and a bit of lighter lower body stuff during off month from bike training.

Now onto 5x5 for a period and then really focus on getting big legs. It's so good be being back in 3/4 times a week. Life stuff means cycling taking a back seat so lifting and running to work will be a lower time commitment.

Sorry, just once more for those in the back. I think someone said in this thread that people have been exaggarating how urgent it is to get your protein shortly after your work out?

people have been exaggarating how urgent it is to get your protein shortly after your work out

Yes. You just need to make sure you have enough proteins & calories daily but no need to smash a protein shake 2.142356 seconds after a sesh.

If your goal is maximizing rates of muscle gain, current findings support the broad objective of meeting total dailyprotein and carbohydrate needs (assuming you're not training in a fasted state) https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/ask-the-science-chick-is-the-anabolic-window-real.html

If you have protein in your system at the time of your session, you have time.

Further more, T-nation says: The old rule of thumb about consuming one gram of protein per pound of body weight is sound advice. Sure, studies have shown you could cut that number down to as little as 0.82 grams per pound or raise it to as high as 1.16 grams per pound before you tap out on protein benefits.

Obviously any input from the hivemind might be more upto date than my ancient knowledge.

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8

This is for athletes so likely we'll trained, in their 20s and training for 6sessions a week at least so very different to this group.

This would be more appropriate.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8566396/

Lots in this, I have scanned for numbers. My takeaway is that a bit more for masters.

My opinion from scanning. I don't think 2.2g/kg is needed for this group, apart from very specialist goals. 1.4 to 1.8 is prob good but if you want to leave no room for error then 2g/kg will do it. Personally I'd go for 1.5 as it is easier to achieve and I ain't no athlete.

I’ve tried something a bit different recently too soon to tell making any difference. When I have my pre workout, I put a scoop of protein powder in too.

https://jissn.biomedcentral.com/articles­/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8

This is for athletes

These protein doses should ideally be evenly distributed, every 3–4 h, across the day.

It says casein at night... Fuck me did it make me look like the Michelin man when I tried it.

Casein did help me sleep (placebo perhaps) but made me bloat really badly. Michelin Man is an accurate description.

Some big dude on Youtube suggested that a third weekly chest day could be centred around pause bench. I reckon I could do those and then throw in some resistance band deficit push ups. Make it into a 20 - 30 min living room session on Saturday afternoons.

Thing is, how to I structure this? What do I want to do in terms of sets, reps and what time intervals in terms of rest/push/pause do I want to aim for? Thinking about it, I guess I could insert a pause in the push ups too?

Don’t pro bodybuilders workout a body part per week?

Twice weekly.
Jeff Nippard has a good video on volume, he’s suggesting about 20 sets a week for major muscle groups split into two sessions.

Massive noob question, I've been doing a strength session once a week for about 6 months with a proper PT in the build up to a 100km mountain race (running) but don't have the budget to keep that going now the race is done, was money well spent though, felt good through out and haven't been injured. Since finishing the race I latched on to Joe Wicks' 21 days of strength which is basically a different body part each day with dumbells or kettlebells. I've enjoyed the follow along nature of this and have felt some improvement.

Basically what else is out there for me to keep motivated and structured with strength training now I don't have a race coming up and don't have the budget to keep paying a PT?

Thanks

My answer, others will likely differ, have a look at Starting Strength or Stronglifts. I would recommend SL as it works, it’s simple and you can build beyond it - if that is what you want to do. Good luck

Thanks very much, both look very interesting and have learnt a lot just with a quick browse through, they seem like great recourses.

I probably should have added that primarily I work out at home, alone, due to childcare situation, and have Dumbells / Kettlebells but am not planning on getting barbell and rack! I have access to a gym at work but generally only do Tuesday to Thursday not working from home.

Lack of equipment somewhat negates my advice. No doubt someone else will be able to assist.

Could try this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fitness/comments/2e79y4/dumbbell_ppl_proposed_alternative_to_dumbbell/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Yeah, starting to realize why all the elite runners are always going on about how great their squat rack is.... Hadn't grasped how central a barbell is to optimal training! Thanks

Looks good thanks!

Really basic question, are you supposed to use the same weight across all the different exercises in each session? If not is it just trial and error to start with as the OP just says start with the lowest weight you have available, that seems strange e.g. surely you can do much more weight for a bent over row vs. a bicep curl and you'll breeze through the row while challenged wit curls? The thing I found so easy about the Joe Wicks thing is that he used different weights for different exercises but so long as I went a 2 -4 kg less than him on arms and about the same on legs I felt about right but would obviously be using vastly different weights across the various different exercises...

Maybe worth looking at a barbell and cage? They are not very expensive and can be sold on if you don’t use it. Depreciation is not too severe.

Yeah it's just a ymmv with the weights to use, but generally compound movements will be heavier than isolation movements, and upper body less than lower body.

Generally for the first session you do an exercise just pick a weight and depending on how it feels either go up a bit or down a bit until you reach the right resistance.

Very true, would end up living in the garden though and can't see myself being motivated to train in the garden in the cold dark winter very often.... At least now I've got an idea what I could do as a simple session so I will start using the barbell at work once or twice a week, carry on with the dumbells at home, see how it goes and reassess from there! Thanks

Best of luck.