Am I Using Too Much Weight?

Bigger Stronger Leaner Competitive Bodybuilding
1

I’m a little confused on exactly how much weight I should be using. In the past I’ve always taken a weight I can do with perfect form and then threw on roughly 10 pounds more. The idea I had behind that was my form would suffer so I would put my effort into keeping the proper form as lifted. I feel I’m starting to plateau a little bit now so I’m looking to change it up. I’ve made a few changes, I like what I’ve done somewhat but still need to hammer out the details.

Basically, I’m trying to figure out if I should keep the weight up in the higher numbers, sacrificing form and striving to improve it. Or should I consider dropping the weight down to where I can keep good form and bust out more reps until I get that burn from fatigue. If it helps, my training goal is to stack on as much mass as possible, not trying to cut at all now. If it will help I can give more details, just looking for a little advice. I’ve been lifting for a while now and sort of feel like I’m at a wall, just a little confused on where to take it now.

2

You need to post more information.

How long have you been training?
What is your routine? What are the exercises? How often do you do them?
Do you “throw on 10 pounds more” every workout? every week? How often do you add weight?
How many calories are you eating per day?

It’s okay to sacrifice a little form for more weight on some exercises. Post some numbers and we can help you more.

3

Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.

4

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.

5

[quote]BANWS6 wrote:
I’ve been lifting for a while now and sort of feel like I’m at a wall, just a little confused on where to take it now.[/quote]

It sounds like you’re ready for the three way DC split bro.

6

[quote]kerplunk wrote:

[quote]BANWS6 wrote:
I’ve been lifting for a while now and sort of feel like I’m at a wall, just a little confused on where to take it now.[/quote]

It sounds like you’re ready for the three way DC split bro.[/quote]

LOL.

7

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

lurk more, he is joking.

8

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

Stop trying to look for a fight tough guy. Nobody said anything about partial reps. It was stated that bad form is bad. That’s probablty why it’s called “bad” form.

Another belly flop in the 2009 gene pool.

9

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

what’s an incomplete partial muscle?

10

Lifting light weight with perfect form did almost nothing for me except killing my self esteem.

One I stop reading advice from pro in magazine like Muscle Mag and the Bodybuilding_com forum and listen to ProfX, Modok, C_C and CT, I did get the best results of my life. My bench press has gone from 165x4 to 265x3 since january 2009 by applying what those guys are telling us for free.

PS: But, do not listen to ProfX too much or you’ll get fat. :slight_smile:

11

I use responses to my posts to get a feel for the typical posting population on T-Nation. A very useful tool for profiling and weeds out the teenagers and the dumbfucks rapidly :wink:

Just count out the serious responses to my post and you’ll see how much “intelligence” we’re dealing with on this site. 4 serious responses so far, one from a medical professional??? and only one teenager ???

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

lurk more, he is joking.[/quote]

12

Not sure you can call it a routine in the strictest sense of the word due to my schedule bouncing around and I work out when I can. Before I switched it up I would usually target chest/biceps, traps/shoulders, chest/triceps. The workouts usually consisted of three separate types of lifts, doing three, sometimes four sets. I really kind of just mixed it up and tried working the muscle groups in different ways to keep my body shocked.

It seemed to work pretty well, still is, just slowing on the results now. On the bench press I have about 230 or 235. One set typically for that is 10 reps, sometimes more if I really push it out. That weight I feel I can control and definitely want to go up a few pounds on it, just a little tight on money now, so I’m waiting. My inclines with free weight are one of my main areas of concern.

I have 80 pounds on each one. I can control it well enough but I’m not strong enough to have my elbow straightened out completely at that weight. I also have some form concerns when I curl standing with a bar (maybe 140 pounds). Also with one of my tricep workouts. I stand and with 80 pounds keeping my arm straight and articulating at the elbow, allowing only the forearm and on down to move, bring the weight down to my should then back up. I’m sure this has a name, just not sure what it is.

I’ve been training for roughly 3.5 years, just not continuously. Also for about two years I did a lot of running and swimming in addition to weight lifting. Now it’s just solely lifting. I’ve been working out now for just under a year since my last extended break from it. Currently 6’3" at around 217, minimal fat. When I started I was 6’3" at 165, a real skinny runt.

Also, if it changes things, I work out at home. I have an olympic bench and several different types of bars that I use for pretty much everything. Not the best I know, but can’t afford a gym membership right now.

Like I said, due to my schedule jumping around from one week to the next I don’t have a real set routine and I try to workout areas that I feel need work over those that I’ve developed so there’s no set exercise plan that I have for each week as it comes up. Everything that I’ve done so far is from trial and error and from walking up to the biggest guy in the gym and picking his brain. I’ve recently started doing some more research about diet, techniques, etc. but there’s so much out there, some of it conflicting that I’m a little unsure on where to go.

13

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
I use responses to my posts to get a feel for the typical posting population on T-Nation. A very useful tool for profiling and weeds out the teenagers and the dumbfucks rapidly :wink:

Just count out the serious responses to my post and you’ll see how much “intelligence” we’re dealing with on this site. 4 serious responses so far, one from a medical professional??? and only one teenager ???

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

lurk more, he is joking.[/quote]
[/quote]

In all honesty, I usually don’t post here much, and understand you’re a smart dude, but I was seriously about to call you out on that shit depending on the response to my question. Lol, my bad, shouldve known somebody wasn’t that retarded.

14

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
I use responses to my posts to get a feel for the typical posting population on T-Nation. A very useful tool for profiling and weeds out the teenagers and the dumbfucks rapidly :wink:

Just count out the serious responses to my post and you’ll see how much “intelligence” we’re dealing with on this site. 4 serious responses so far, one from a medical professional??? and only one teenager ???

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

lurk more, he is joking.[/quote]
[/quote]

In all honesty, I usually don’t post here much, and understand you’re a smart dude, but I was seriously about to call you out on that shit depending on the response to my question. Lol, my bad, shouldve known somebody wasn’t that retarded.

15

LMAO tribunaldude.

16

[quote]MODOK wrote:
We have no idea what this guy’s “form” looks like. Shitty form to him could be right on the money for growth in reality, or it could be DieselWeasel 2. Without a video…no way to comment in particular.

I would say, if choosing one over the other, choose heavier weight over perfect form. “Perfect form” is a fucking myth.[/quote]

I agree with MODOK on this one. Form is important, but weight is more important. Plus, you really need a workout partner to tell you how your form is (or get someone to video tape you and we can comment here).

17

Push yourself hard, dont sacrifice form. In my opinion, never go lower than 4 reps if you want to build a bigger body. Lift hard, eat big, rest.

18

OP you are too vague about what shitty form is to you. If you mean top range partial (not lowing the weight all the way down) on dumbbell presses that is bad. You’re 6’3", as a tall guy myself I know it is convenient to do top range partials. In the past I have done top range partials for dumbbell presses and I never really put on any size.

the fact is tall guys like us can use our long range of motion to our advantage because moving a weight the long distance really stresses the muscle good and IME partials overly stress your joints (unless you come to a dead stop at the bottom) and don’t make the muscles much bigger or stronger. Of course different body parts and different exercises have optimal ROM.

19

I don’t know the best way to describe it then. I’m not even 100% sure what you mean by top partials, have an idea but not exactly. Keep in mind that I’m a novice lifter, it’s only now that I’m beginning to research it in depth. You guys are going to have to break it down Barney style for me when you’re explaining shit. I’ll get back on with a few photos and maybe some videos showing my range of motion and arm position on my inclines at least. Get back to you soon, thanks for the help so far.

20

A.S, I wasn’t referring to you. I didn’t even realize your response was serious.

Some people emailed me asking why I post trollish responses, and the reason is - Im fucking tired of typing the same shit up everythime someoine new walks in the door. I’ve written enough serious shit on various other threads drawing from my personal experience and observations as well as (to a lesser extent) stuff Ive read since I’m not very academic about weight training but there’s stuff to interest me as an academic by profession.
In real life we have the morons who train que bench, curls, upper partial pullups, quarter squats, and abs making no progress whatsoever, but on this site, we have the IronAddict-inspired morons who think you NEED to be pressing 5 plates for reps and/or curling the 95’s before you add in preacher curls or pec flies, or rack pulling 700 pounds before you consider training rear delts directly. Every lunatic on here waits for his strength go get to some mystical randomlys et level before his body looks the way he wants it to look like, you know - since Dante promised him thats whats going to happen - and I despise both extremes.

When skinny fat Kyle fucking Jefts decided to call me out on two occassions, I really lost my temper, to be honest and I nearly decided to throw his personal information out to the dogs…and at this point I figure those who have put enough time in the gym will “get me” and those who can’t tell when I’m not serious, just haven’t been in the game long enough.

[quote]austin_bicep wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
I use responses to my posts to get a feel for the typical posting population on T-Nation. A very useful tool for profiling and weeds out the teenagers and the dumbfucks rapidly :wink:

Just count out the serious responses to my post and you’ll see how much “intelligence” we’re dealing with on this site. 4 serious responses so far, one from a medical professional??? and only one teenager ???

[quote]countingbeans wrote:

[quote]Mr300 wrote:

[quote]tribunaldude wrote:
Never lift with SHITTY FORM. Never ever.

SHITTY FORM will get you incomplete partial muscles, and you will just tell everyone you’re lifitng more than you really can. BEside sit only works if you’re on steroids.

SIGH*** why does it always have to be about weight on the bar?

Remember kids, NEVER USE SHITTY FORM.
[/quote]

Are you implying that partial reps are bad? Because if you are you really need to find a new hobby. Almost everybodybuilder has tried or incorporates some form of partial rep work into their regime whether it be floor presses, stop and start lifts, 21s, etc etc. In fact partial reps can be the way to OVERCOME partial muscles (which isnt possible unless you somehow get into a freak accident because everyone normally has the muscle its just a matter of growing it). Do some research before you jump on the bandwagon.[/quote]

lurk more, he is joking.[/quote]
[/quote]

In all honesty, I usually don’t post here much, and understand you’re a smart dude, but I was seriously about to call you out on that shit depending on the response to my question. Lol, my bad, shouldve known somebody wasn’t that retarded. [/quote]