Best free weight exercises? (Feedback on my routine?)

[TridenT]

Well, I have a free gym membership at probably one of the best gyms in the state. May as well use it.

Any suggestions on the best free weight exercises? I'm staying away from the big lifts for now. I don't have a spotter at this moment, and I refuse to do a lot of the big lifts without someone making sure I have good form (You know, so I don't get injured).

Also, any advice on best exercises for the muscles in my waist overall? (Obliques, RA, ES) Just looking for some stuff to do at home in my own time. Crunches are good. Crunches with a twist are good... but, what else?

It's been 4 years since I've done any weight training. I'm rusty and I forgot some stuff.

I'm just looking for some stuff to take advantage of when I am at the gym. Most body weight dependent exercises I can do at home. Except things like this: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BWHyperextensionHead.html I always liked that exercise. Nearly lost my brains once from it. Came up real fast and hard and a guy with 2 25lb weights was right over me... bashed my head real good into that. The guy was a dumbass.

 

[rga]

Squats.

 

[Pantlegz]

Squat or deadlift

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Squats, deadlifts, Benchpress, Military Press, Pendlay Rows, and Pullups.

Done.

 

[WraithETC]

Front Squats with Clean grip.

 

[Cerpin Taxt]

You don't need a spotter. You need to start light and concentrate on your form. Do your homework and the form can be described to you. You will feel it when the lift is done properly. Listen to your muscles. Squat.

SQUAT.

These other lifts are essential:
Bench press. Overhead press. Bent over rows. Pull-ups. Deadlift.

These lifts are less essential, but good:
Incline bench press. Upright rows. Good mornings. Calf raises. Dips.

These lifts isolate basically only a single muscle group, but can be good supplements to the lifts above:
Shrugs. Bicep curls. Tricep extentions. Shoulder flies. Chest flies.

Don't pussy out. It takes a bigger man to go into the gym and lift light weights while getting his form correct than one that stands at the squat rack doing barbell curls for 45 minutes thinking he doesn't look like a newb that way...

 

[Pia]

Deadlifts.
Do deadlifts and squats with enough weights and you don't need crunches, etc.
That said, I do hanging leg lifts in addition to the big lifts and that does hit the midsection muscles. I do mine as static holds (5-15 seconds) with straight legs, but you have to ease into that with just pulling the knees up.

 

[Malfeas]

Didn't you post this question about a year ago, but failed to do anything about it other than coming up with 99 excuses on why you cannot do anything?

Look up author and strength coach Dan John. Surely you can learn to do farmers walks(pick up a heavy object in each hand and walk)? Then once you feel good about that you can learn to goblet squat? Then perhaps move on to a deadlift? Then try the bench press? Or a pushup? A chin up? Anything other than sitting and complaining?

How can you learn to do anything "with good form" unless you actually attempt to do it? The doing is the learning.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

FWIW: I've toguht myself good form. I've deadlifted 320 pounds without a belt. If you learn properly (starting with low weights), you will recognize it immediately when your body is out of form.

I will need a belt some day and I do on occasion use one. I'm not dilusional about that. I just want to stress that a belt will not magically provide proper form without any input from yourself.

FWIW: I do squats and bench in a cage. No spotter required.

If you don't have a cage, do not do back squats. You can clean up to do front squats though (or just do hack squats). And if you have no cage, DO NOT USE COLLARS WHEN BENCHING! It can save your life.

 

[Doppel]

I'm staying away from the big lifts for now. I don't have a spotter at this moment, and I refuse to do a lot of the big lifts without someone making sure I have good form (You know, so I don't get injured).

Good idea. People throw out "deads, squats" all the time but there are tons of people who have injured themselves with these, absolutely tons. If your form is not great you're playing with fire. Even if it is great these can be risky depending on physique, IMO.

I started lifting many years ago. I've spent many workouts squating, deadlifting, benching, so I'm not unaccustomed to them, but as I get older I Just cannot seem to tolerate the movements without pain (not the good kind), so I workout with other exercises.

Anyway, for growth yes the big compound movements are your ticket. Just make sure your form is dead-on, don't push through any non-muscle pain, and don't be one of those old guys in the gym complaining about his fvcked up shoulder from benching (there are many of these guys).

If you don't have a cage, do not do back squats. You can clean up to do front squats though (or just do hack squats). And if you have no cage, DO NOT USE COLLARS WHEN BENCHING! It can save your life.

Agree. I see no value to collars and haven't used them since I was a kid. Once I have failed, and been without cage, and the only thing of value then is being able to tip the bar to the side. It's loud, it's embarrassing, but it beats choking to death. Really, though, I'd say never go too hard without a cage. I guess I've had hundreds of bench workouts and no more than one time ever hit failure without a cage and being stuck under the bar (resolved due to lack of collars).

 

[Pia]

FWIW: I've toguht myself good form. I've deadlifted 320 pounds without a belt. If you learn properly (starting with low weights), you will recognize it immediately when your body is out of form.

I agree. Reading/watching something like "Starting Strength" gives you all the technical knowledge you need. Then it's just a matter of starting slow and listening to your body as you go. You can also take video to visually check your form after training.

Deadlift is not just the most productive individual exercise (IMO), but very safe, because you solve any kind of surprising problem by simply letting go of the bar.

A 60-year old relative of mine was in poor health and completely non-athletic, but started lifting in her old age and reached a personal deadlift best of 3x90kg/200lbs until she got into a (non-gym) accident which severely limited her ability to lift.

 

[z1ggy]

For core stuff, I really like doing low and high planks. For a good challenge try a side plank while lifting the top leg up in the air a few inches.

 

[brad310]

Squat
Bench
DB Rows
Dips

Deadlift
Overhead Press
Chinup/Curl/Pulldown

With those two routines alone you can get very strong. Do 5 sets of 5 reps, add 5lbs each workout or each week, so long as you make measured gains. Make sure u take a day off between workouts, eat, recover, sleep.

*as others have said, make sure ur form is correct. if it is not you will injure yourself. start light, get your form down.

You can do every exercise alone safely if you can get to a power rack that has safety pins. For bench press, place teh pins below your chest, above the neck and you'll never need to worry about failing.

 

[Lazarus52980]

If you really like core workouts, I would look into overhead squats. It hits more than a few areas and is really tough on the abs...

 

[TridenT]

Alright. I'm trying to develop a two day or three day split kind of program. (Upper, lower, torso)

Eventually I will get around to squat and deadlift, but I don't have someone to check my form. Those two lifts are very easy to fuck up my back with.

I'm welcome to any feedback. Some kind of are gray in where they belong. There might be too much or too little in some areas. That's why I'm welcome to feedback.

Lower:
Standing calf raise
Lunges
Leg Press
Eventually Squat.
Eventually Deadlift.
???
???

Upper:
Bent-over row
Pull-up
Chin-up
Shoulder press (Standing military press: Easy way to fuck up your back if you don't do it right.)
Rear pulldown or rear pull-up. I'm not sure at this point.
Shrug
Bench press variation (Dumbbells)
Maybe chest dips. I've already got a pretty full day and IIRC, I am horrible at chest dips.

Torso:
Sit-ups. Eventually working up to an incline.
Sit-ups with a twist. Eventually working up to an incline.
Side bends.
Side plank. Maybe side bridge?
Hyperextension (I never heard it be called that, but apparently that's the name). This is usually pretty easy. So, I'll likely add weight.
???
???

I'll warm up everyday with push ups, sit ups, jumping jacks, and a few simple stretches. I'll already be biking to the gym too. (Not a long distance by any stretch, but it's some warm up)

I'm going to avoid sets and repetitions for now. Everything will be done to complete exhaustion. (Derp, that another reason why I'm not doing squats)

 

[TridenT]

Went to the gym today. First time there. It's pretty large, but there's a lot of people using the equipment. A lot of people with bad gym etiquette for sure.

I'm definitely going to have to get a workout partner. I could feel my form just crumble as soon as I started doing anything. I did like one set of bench variation after doing just 25 push ups as a warm up... I couldn't do anymore after that. I tried. My left side was just like, "Hmm, fuck no." I stepped down weight. It didn't help. It was like, "Yeah, that's 5lbs less, but fuck no." After that I gave up on it. Did some really shitty form-wise bent-over rows with dumb bells. There was a guy right next to me who was probably twice my size, he started doing the exact same thing. He just happened to have 80lb weights instead of the 30lbs I was using. I was thinking, "Yeah, he also has better form. Your back isn't straight at all." I couldn't do any shoulder presses. My back would flex like a mother fucker every time. Even then, I could barely pump out a few. All at much less weight than I used to. I couldn't do one pull up after all of it either. Didn't bother with shrugs, rear pulldowns, or chest dips. I was like, "Yeah, I think I'm done."

This is going to be a long journey... Long.

Walked my bike home mostly. I could barely support myself when holding myself up with the handle bars. Rode most of the flat part home (which is very little) with no hands on the bars. Just sitting up basically. Then as soon as I got the hill (long) I got off the bike and walked it home. (I usually have to pull on the handle bars a lot in order to get up hills)

:|

 

[Pia]

I'm going to avoid sets and repetitions for now. Everything will be done to complete exhaustion. (Derp, that another reason why I'm not doing squats)

Really not a good idea to go to exhaustion. That's the fastest way to injury because you progressively lose control as you grow tired, and as some support muscles give out, you'll instinctively load other muscles and structures which may not able to take it. Also you'll get less results, make your next training less productive. (I actually think some people, mainly women, are really at the gym to flagellate themselves for real or imagined body issues instead of growing strong, so they prefer "burn" and exhaustion... but that's not what you are after, right?)

It's good that you start doing something (already puts you ahead of 50% of people) but I seriously don't think it's a good idea to do a zillion separate movements. You still have to learn those movements, the correct technique isn't automatic. Doing squats and deadlifts with an empty bar has *no* chance to fuck you up. At least do that, and learn the technique as you go. You'll find they are not rocket science.

Out of your list, forget calf raise, rear pulldown, shrug, bent over rows. If you want bombproof and productive extra exercises, and the gym has a little space, do overhead carries. (Lift a single dumbbell overhead, keep it there on a straight locked arm, and walk slowly.) Or farmer's carries. (Hold a heavy dumbbell to both sides and walk slowly.)

 

[Jeeebus]

Shoulder press[/URL] (Standing military press: Easy way to fuck up your back if you don't do it right.)

Even more fun when you've previously dislocated a shoulder, and the other one likes to pop every now and then too.

Shoulder presses scare me more than anything else I do.

 

[Saint Nick]

Just give up now, you know you're going to anyway.

 

[TridenT]

Just give up now, you know you're going to anyway.

Actually, I've gained quite a bit of interest because I'm so much weaker than I was in high school. It's quite surprising.

 

[TridenT]

Even more fun when you've previously dislocated a shoulder, and the other one likes to pop every now and then too.

Shoulder presses scare me more than anything else I do.

I've never had that problem. I don't think I will. I've never felt that kind of strain before.

 

[Malfeas]

Regardless of whichever physical activity you choose to get in shape, you will eventually sustain an injury. This happens to everyone, with ALL types of exercise, whether it be walking, running, cycling, yoga, weightlifting, etc, it will happen(sitting and doing nothing also injures you). So you shouldn't focus on what you won't do because you may sustain an injury, you should be focused on ways to minimize the chances of an injury.

If you are wary of weights also consider Ross Enamaits "Never Gymless".

http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html

 

[RedWolf]

There's really no reason you can't do squats now so long as you have a power rack. The rack is your spotter. You just start with the bar alone and work from there. I highly recommend stronglifts.com. Start with their 5x5 program. 3 days a week 3 different lifts per day. Takes less than 30 minutes.

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout A
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Rows 5x5

StrongLifts 5x5 Workout B
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

It is a great beginner program. All the information you need is in the free section. Go to youtube and look at videos for form (stronglifts has them too).

You can even start at home practicing your form with a broom. None of the exercises requires a spotter when done in a cage.

The key is to start out with just the bar and work on your form. Then add 5 pounds each week. Don't try to start out with a bunch of weight and don't increase the weight quickly. The beginning is when you get proper form ingrained.

 

[TridenT]

Well, it's official. I need a workout partner. I don't feel like I am doing anything right. I can't even side plank or do crunches correctly. I don't feel the muscles hurting at all. Instead I just feel that everytime I try to do a crunch, I am trying to pull my head up rather than have my core engaging properly (I resist with all I can to move my neck towards my abs while actually getting my shoulders off the ground). It feels more like I am curling my neck more than my stomach. Also, my lower back comes off the floor a lot during these, which I think isn't what is supposed to happen. During side planks, it feels like my lower part of my back and my hips are actually doing all the work. It does not feel like my obliques, but maybe I am incorrect.

So, that sucks. I can't do almost any exercise right because I can't figure out what it is that I am doing. It's hard to analyze what you're doing wrong when you're just doing the exercise. If I try to tighten my abs, it doesn't pull me in. Instead I just get a stomach that becomes hard to touch, nothing else. I don't feel the correct muscles engaging properly when I am doing crunches, or really a lot of exercises.

But, I'm dripping in sweat like crazy right now because of the bike ride home. Holy crap.

And of course, I did a lot of exercises incorrectly today. I just kind of realized that. Like these: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/BWVerticalLegHipRaise.html Did it wrong. You think, "How can you do it wrong?" I didn't go all the way up like that girl does. I only got my legs to past parallel with the floor. I didn't get them to perpendicular like she does. Sigh. And, of course, I felt like something was wrong. But, of course, couldn't figure it out. See, these things I keep forgetting. I need to start bringing my phone with me inside so I can look shit up.

 

[Xcobra]

Do I smell excuses?? I have never had a partner while working out. Granted, I have to do it at home since the gym doesn't work with my schedule. My point is, why can't you just read and watch videos as others have suggested to understand the correct form. Forget abs for now, do squats, deadlifts, etc. with light weight. These compound exercises will help you. It's like deliberately you are not following anyone's advice. Can't help you there.