phemomena I have decided to drop my core reps to 6-8. That seems to be a nice compromise, and I think I can make good gains there (since I'm still relatively weak)
I do drop sets now when I don't quite make the reps that I want to. But it's interesting to see that they are usually done with the 'big' exercises.. I had just been doing them willy nilly
At what point does someone stop being a beginner? Is it core strength? Mastery of form? Intuitiveness about one's body?
Keiko Thanks for the links. Do you think excercising a body part twice a week has diminishing returns? I have been having about 4-6 days of rest in between working a muscle group (although I'm nervous about the arms because I've split them and not sure there's no overlap)
I know my legs are pretty strong, prolly because of all the extra weight they have to tote
My abs are strong too, and my back wan't too strong at first but I made fast gains. My problem has always been upper-body.
I'll definetly keep you guys posted
I really like this forum.. everyone has been so helpful.
poohbear I'm not sure if I'm a beginner or not. I've been lifting off and on (off and on being key) since seventh grade.. so what, ten years? I took weightlifting class in college and saw a trainer for about six sessions (that REALLY helped my form, but I can't afford it any more). I have a good idea about form, although squats still make me nervous. However, I've never stuck with a routine for more than two months (at the very max!) so I don't have much strength or experience with really heavy weights. I have been lifting for seven weeks now, and have seen big gains in strength and with that ability to keep good form.
Phemomena That does kinda worry me because I have never really been injured before, so I don't have basic understanding of what it means.. and I catch myself doing stupid things occasionally (like working through bad pain). I try to be careful though.
spatterson Yeah I wish I could afford a trainer, but being a student has its negative consequences on income. My workouts are pretty intense these days, much more than in the past, and now I generally feel sore the next few days (a phenomena I used to think was only for the first couple workouts). Sometimes I don't work out my hardest though, because I have an idea of how many reps I want to do, and so I psychologically limit myself to being able to do that much.