[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
Read less. [/quote]
I’m not too sure about this statement.
I read a ton, and even if it an article that is utter bullshit, I can still learn some terminology and application which I can cross-reference with other articles. If you approach reading with an open-yet-critical mind, I fail to see how ANY reading can be adverse.
However, if your post is more aimed towards ‘less mindless regurgitation you read somewhere’, then I whole-heartily agree.
I am by no means advanced at all. I have finally started to train hard, eat enough to grow without worrying about losing ab definition, and gain progress in the past year or so. I wouldn’t have listen to the ‘‘don’t work your arms crowd.’’ That shit makes no sense at all to totally neglect any muscle groups if you wanna get your entire body in proportion. It goes against saying that the other extreme is the idiots who do nothing, but flat bench, every curl variation known to man, and maybe some pushdowns and overhead presses, and nothing else is smart either.
If I could have done it all over I would have started on a basic split that worked 3 or so body parts in a day and just busted my ass trying to gain strength on 2-3 exercises for each body part, ate a shitload more than I did, and take days off when my body is telling me it needs it. Oh getting enough sleep consistently is a big help for recovery as well. End Rant.
I would not bench 3 times a week and completely neglect my back for 2 years, which I completely contribute to how easily I dislocated my shoulder and tearing/stretching a bunch of shit in it. Surprising my back is now my best bodypart, and my chest is still ‘OK’ for not benching in 4 years.
I don’t know where the don’t curl crowd came from…I think it was directed more to certain athletes though, I mean if you are an athlete you don’t really need to do curls you probably will get enough stimulation. For BB purposes, and if you are just lifting for a nice physique or love the gym etc…nothin wrong with that…do the damn curls!
I know sometimes I cannot do curls cause I box, so I throw them in…but I can’t use it too much or else I can’t do what I gotta do (which is punch)…a lot of muscle mass in the biceps etc can POSSIBLY slow one down…but this aint fighting and I’m going off a bit here.
Do the damn curls lol
I wouldnt have done stronglifts
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Great answer Iain -lol.
S[/quote]
Not much to add to this. I would have liked to have worked out my legs a lot more in the beginning, and actually done deadlift period (I didnt start doing DL until maybe 2 years ago). Just being more serious about lifting and diet in the beginning would have kept me from wasting countless hours in the gym. Oh well, some people (like myself), need to learn stuff the hard way sometimes…
I personally would have researched a lot more about bodybuilding and nutrition in my teenage years, learned from an experienced lifter the real ways to lift–rather than listening to my PE coach (who didn’t know what he was talking about), learned the proper form before trying to lift big weights, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY I would have ate like a demon.
I was too concerned with being lean and ripped at such a young age rather than trying to put on size, which I believe stunted my growth. I could have benefitted from huge feedings of nutrients that my body would have soaked up and with added hormone level of the teenage years could have ended up weighing twice as much as I weigh now.
Lessons learned.
I wouldn’t have been afraid to eat lots of food. Fortunately, when I joined this site a year ago Prof X set me straight, and I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve done with my time since then.
Prof X should be one of those ‘scared straight’ speakers. Just set him loose on young kids just after they pay their first gym membership -lol.
S
[quote]The Mighty Stu wrote:
Prof X should be one of those ‘scared straight’ speakers. Just set him loose on young kids just after they pay their first gym membership -lol.
S
[/quote]
this
not a veteran but I know some stuff.
DON’T stop training. If you are injured(unless too seriously) train with less, if you plateau, keep training change things up. No matter what happens, unless you can’t physically train, keep training. Even if its light its better than stopping alltogether.
Stretch as much as you need and warm up properly.
Those were my 2 biggest mistakes. If I were to add what else I consider most important:
Learn the lifts the right way, do them the right way.
Keep to the program(make sure its a program for you, not for an advanced athlete); if it says less weight than you can do, do less and increase as slow as it says, it will give better results in the long run.
Eat good foods, listen to your body. There’s little point in overeating or undereating if you are getting results at the expected rate.
Get enough sleep.
Lift heavy compound movements.
More protein is always good.
Be smart.
and last, this is something that barely ever bothered me, but to beginners… kill every idea of what society today thinks is a good physique or a bad physique. Obessions with abs, chest and biceps and fear of fat seems to keep many people here from doing much. But I consider this more of life advice rather than weightlifting advice…
[quote]ghost87 wrote:
I am approaching 40 and have been training over over 20 years.
Here’s my list:
-I wouldn’t stress from missing a workout.
-I would have stopped earlier in drinking regular, sugar soda
-I would have been smarter about dealing with injuries sooner, versus trying to train through them
-I would have done less long cardio, and more high intensity, short cardio/sprinting
-I would have focused more on my harder bodyparts, to try to improve them
Finally, I’d look at training as a life-time endeavor. Stressing less, and thinking long-term
[/quote]
A lot of good responses. I had surgery on my shoulder Wed and leading up to it I tried to find any excuse possible to back out of it. I’ve worked so hard throughout the fall quarter I wanted to use xmas break to get stronger and roll into winter quarter jacked.
Anyway I had the surgery and I’m using xmas break to recover. I’m now glad I decided to get it over with and won’t have to worry about it in the future. I can truly train focused when I go back to the gym early Jan.
The recovery has gone way better than expected and I’ve been stockpiling supplements for when I’m fully healed.
[quote]celtics2022 wrote:
I wouldnt have done stronglifts[/quote]
I would have done stronglifts.
I have been at it since June 08 when I discovered T-Nation. Thanks to this site my progress have been pretty optimal.
I wouldnt have done the get shredded diet before last summer. I lost 6 week of training but besides that I am progressing fast
I WOULDN’T HAVE BULKED ON COKE AND ICE CREAM
Don’t workout with shrooms in your system.
Id have read Prof X posts sooner, and read less articles and believed everything they say
I of course knew there were reps fewer than 8-10, but I didn’t know anyone advocated them!
I wasted a lot of energy and strength warming up too much. A set of 8 then 5 is enough to get ready for my current routine with reps in the 4 to 6 range.
I was undereating protein.
[quote]rasturai wrote:
I don’t know where the don’t curl crowd came from…I think it was directed more to certain athletes though, I mean if you are an athlete you don’t really need to do curls you probably will get enough stimulation. For BB purposes, and if you are just lifting for a nice physique or love the gym etc…nothin wrong with that…do the damn curls!
I know sometimes I cannot do curls cause I box, so I throw them in…but I can’t use it too much or else I can’t do what I gotta do (which is punch)…a lot of muscle mass in the biceps etc can POSSIBLY slow one down…but this aint fighting and I’m going off a bit here.
Do the damn curls lol[/quote]
I hear you. I’m 36 and if I could send a message to myself at 17 it would say DO SQUATS, DEADS AND MILTARY PRESS AND DO THEM 5x5! OH, AND I GUESS YOU CAN DO CURLS ON SATURDAY NIGHT.
Meaning that they may not be completely necessary, but most every guy wants to and will do them. They’re fun, easy and it’s not like they’re detrimental, so make sure you’re not avoiding curls just so you can tell people you don’t do curls.