Miscellaneous beginner questions

Miscellaneous beginner questions

Stats: 20yo 6' 160lb

I'm doing StrongLifts (stronglifts.com/5x5/) as recommended by the wiki. However I just am not able to do it with the weights he recommends to start with. I can do about 20 lb squat and I'm completely exhausted after. For deadlift he recommends 90 lb, but I couldn't even lift the 90lb barbell off the rack (I ended up doing 40).

Is it okay to start with roughly half of what he recommends, and just increment by 10 lbs every week or so (that's the smallest increment in my gym)?

Second, I'm still pretty sore from Monday's workout and I'm sure tomorrow I'll be sore from Monday's and also today's. When will it stop? I can't even walk properly.

Third, how do I make sure my form is correct? I'm following the videos on the website and from youtube, but not positive I have perfect form yet.

Finally, is there anything special I should be eating before or after? If I don't eat protein immediately after is the workout "wasted" or something? I'm taking a one-a-day multivitamin and fish oil in the mornings.

Other urls found in this thread:

active.com/fitness/calculators/nutrition
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>I can do about 20 lb squat and I'm completely exhausted after. For deadlift he recommends 90 lb, but I couldn't even lift the 90lb barbell off the rack (I ended up doing 40).

That seems very low for someone your size, you can always put the bar on the floor and then add the weight if you can't lift it off the rack, you're engaging different muscles so you shouldn't limit your deadlift based on what your triceps and biceps can lift. Getting tired is fine, you are working out after all, but if you find your self too exhausted to go on you should probably try to eat more so you can keep your energy up. You'll gain stamina as you continue to train though.

>Is it okay to start with roughly half of what he recommends, and just increment by 10 lbs every week or so (that's the smallest increment in my gym)?

If you can't physically lift the weight then you can't lift it. You can start as low as you want, and starting fairly low is not a bad idea so you can focus on your form instead of lifting the most you possibly can. Increasing 10lbs every week is probably not gonna happen unless you're just trying to figure out what your current max is. You should set goals for weight increases, but if you haven't master the exercise at your current weight then don't bump it up until you do.

>Second, I'm still pretty sore from Monday's workout and I'm sure tomorrow I'll be sore from Monday's and also today's. When will it stop? I can't even walk properly.

Once your body adjusts to the weights you're using. It usually takes about 1-2 weeks when you start, and then every time you up your weights you'll likely be sore for a few days.

>Third, how do I make sure my form is correct?

Stand by a mirror or take a video so you can monitor it while doing your exercises. Or if you know anyone more experienced get them to check your form.

cont.

>Finally, is there anything special I should be eating before or after?

Especially if your looking to bulk up, get some whey protein and have it after every workout. You don't want to eat anything right before or during your workout but make sure you're well-fed and maybe even have a snack 45-30 minutes beforehand. You won't have a very good time if you're hungry before your workout. If you trying to gain weight have a snack afterwards so your body has the resources it needs to start building muscle.

> If I don't eat protein immediately after is the workout "wasted" or something?

This is pretty much up for debate, though most research suggests that you should try to ingest most of your protein close to your workout time. It won't be "wasted" if you don't, but it's just less effective and there is no reason not to do it right after really.

This was helpful, thanks.

Using active.com/fitness/calculators/nutrition it says I should be at 71-246 grams of protein a day, is the lower end fine?

That's a pretty wide range, but it really depends on what your goals are and how well your body metabolizes protein. I'd say start where ever you're comfortable and after 4-6 weeks if you don't seem to be progressing increase it. If you're trying to build a lot of muscle then start mid-high in that range, when building muscle there's really no such thing as too much protein as long as you're getting your other essential nutrients in. If gaining weight is your goal you also want to ensure you are consuming more calories than you're using, you will put on fat if you do this, but you should also be building muscle at the same time. If you notice you're gaining too much fat, increase your protein (while reducing carbs/fat) and if that doesn't work, cut for a bit to bring your body fat % back down and see if you notice muscle growth.

How do I measure progress, especially in things like muscle and fat where you can't easily measure? My main goal right now is to cut back some fat in my stomach/thighs, gain some muscle definition, and be healthier. To that extent what do you think my weight goal should be?

>How do I measure progress, especially in things like muscle and fat where you can't easily measure?

Ya this is not terribly easy, nor is it exact. Generally people measure this based on weight gained/lost, however this includes both fat and muscle together. A decent idea is to record weekly progress pics, weight measurement, and lifting weights. Progress pics will help you judge whether or not your gaining/losing definition, fat, muscle mass, ect. Recording your weight will obviously tell you if you're losing/gaining mass in general, and tracking lifting weights will help you keep track of whether or not you're actually getting stronger. Together those things generally make a pretty decent picture of overall progress.

>My main goal right now is to cut back some fat in my stomach/thighs, gain some muscle definition, and be healthier.

If that's what you want then you ought to start by "cutting" until you like what you see. Cutting basically means that you eat a caloric deficit but continue to train regularly in a bid to reduce fat and preserve muscle. Usually you loose muscle during a cut, but regular training will help keep the amount of muscle you loose to a minimum. Typically you can't really increase your weights during a cut because your body will not have the resources to build a lot of muscle. Then once you get to a point where you're happy with the amount of fat you've lost, you can start building muscle by eating a caloric surplus and increasing your weight in a process called "bulking". People tend to alternate between cutting and bulking which allows you to build muscle while not gaining too much body fat along the way.

To that extent what do you think my weight goal should be?

If you mean body weight, there's no real answer to this, someone whose 160lb with 30% body fat will look very different than someone whose 160lb with 15% body fat. Just train until you feel you've reached your goal.

Okay sure. Should I also eat at a deficit for other nutrients like fat and carbs? And is the 3 times a week program fine without any additional cardio or training?

Related to OPs questions, what are some high protein food?
I need to eat at least 200g but under 2500cal and dont know what to eat as everything has so little protein

Meats: Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Fish, Rabbit
Beans
Whey protein is also a good way to squeeze more into your diet