Lifting is SOOO much easier than many on this site make it out to be. I understand the informational overload this site presents when first coming here but once you’ve got the basics down, everything else is just icing on the cake. I think the problem starts when people who’ve never lifted try to jump into the iron and lift like they’ve been doing it for years just because they’ve “read” about it or think they “know” what they’re doing. Everyone is different, from a physiological perspective, right on down to their motivations for moving heavy things. You can’t know, unless you first do.
If you aren’t where you want to be, you’re probably doing something wrong. I got in the game a long time ago and was lucky enough to find someone to show me how “easy” it really is…
I remember being 13 and walking into a gym for the 1st time. All 5’6" 107lbs of me walked up to the owner’s brother and asked “How do I get jacked like you???”
He proceeded explain to me to eat as much as I could and then eat some more. Stay away from soda, candy, chips, and dessert…except for ice cream once in a while. I told him I eat a ton of food to which he replied “OBVIOUSLY, not enough you scrawny bastard.”
He then told me to squat, DL, bench, leg press, incline bench, do pullups/chinups, t-bar/bent over rows, militar/arnold presses, lunges, and shrugs. I asked “What about curls, triceps pushdowns, crunches, calf raises, and side/front/rear dumbell laterals???” He replied “Shut up, do what I say, don’t do any of the exercises you asked about until you turn 18, and don’t follow any routine you’ve seen in a magazine.”
I asked him “how many sets/reps of each exercise?” He tells me “Do 2-3 exercises for each muscle group, 3 sets of 5 reps for each exercise, and lift as heavy as you can with good form. Don’t move up on the weight until you can do 3 sets for 5 reps at one specific weight.” I asked “I thought you had do 8-12 reps to get big, under 8 reps will only get me strong not big, right?” He replies “No dumbass, strong muscles are usually big muscles and what’s the point of being big, if you aren’t as strong as you look”
I asked him what body parts I should train together. He says “Chest/back, Shoulders/Traps, Legs and repeat. Train 2 days on, 1 day off, 2 days on 2 days off, and start w/ the next bodypart in line. Train HARD for 8 weeks and then take 1 week off, but come to the gym, walk on the treadmill, smell the smells, see the sights, and watch how people train” I say “How is it a week “off” if I’m still coming to the gym?” He replies “Shaddup, and do as I say. You’ll never miss a workout if you make coming to the gym a life long routine. Weeks away can lead to months away can lead to years away from the iron…”
Let me tell you that the ONLY times I haven’t progres were the times I didn’t follow his advice. I’ve lifted on and off for the past 17 years, and his advice made me love lifting even more. It was easy to follow, easy to succeed with, and kept me interested in lifting because I had a place to go back to whenever my body or lifts stagnated. Thank you Jim Sansone for all your advice and If I ever see you again…I’ll thank you in person.