Just a general weightlifting question...

[Dave416]

Im pretty much as new as you can get to the whole dedicated exercise.. but believe me i've started off and right and will continue untill I achieve my goal.

But anyways, when lifting weights and decieding reps/sets and comming up with a number of reps, generally how would you estimate the amount of weight you should be doing. Like should the weight your lifting be just enough to reach your last rep, or by the end of your first set should it feel as if it was a breeze. I dunno if im really describing what I would like to know, ino most of you havent even thought of things like this for years, but i pretty much learning step by step, but if someone understands what im getting at, a quick response would be much appreciated

 

[midwest_mind]

Buy Arnold Schwarzenegger Encylcopledia to Modern Bodybuilding best book for a beginner.

Depending on what excercise I am doing I am use mainly 5 sets between 5-8 reps and by the end of my last sets usually I am barely getting whatever I started with up. Then once that becomes easy I increase the weight the next time. And continue that process but if I were you I would buy the book lol.

 

[al420]

Weightlifting is a adjective describing someone that competes in the Clean and Jerk and the Snatch.


I think you mean lifting weights - totally different.

A far superior book is Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.

 

[Crocodome]

Anyone read "The Truth About Building Muscle" that got pimped out by this board a coule of weeks ago? Any good?

 

[NJL52]

Buy Arnold Schwarzenegger Encylcopledia to Modern Bodybuilding best book for a beginner.

Noooo. Arnold was at the peak of fitness with once in a lifetime genetics. 99% of the people on this board will lose muscle mass and f' up their physiques if they did his routines.

Starting Strength is the book to read if you only could choose one.

 

[midwest_mind]

whoever said do his routines? I personally ignored his routines B/C they would not fit what I was trying to accomplish. I am saying if you are a beginner you can learn from this book (IT IS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA) not only about the body and how everything works but also know how to perform every excersice the correct way which is the foundation of starting to build the body you desire. It also goes into the mentallty and how you must push yourself past mental and physical limitations, you would be doing yourself an injustice if you did not read this.

 

[coreyb]

Starting Strength

 

[Tatyana]

Noooo. Arnold was at the peak of fitness with once in a lifetime genetics. 99% of the people on this board will lose muscle mass and f' up their physiques if they did his routines.

Starting Strength is the book to read if you only could choose one.

I love Arnie's encyclopedia, but you have a point, for most people, it would be overtraining.

His routines would be good for a short period change (it is good to break the 'rules' every now and then), but you are right, if most people trained like him.

I haven't read Mark Riptoe, but I have heard favourable things about him.

Beginning training, a few great books/e-books are:

Nelson Montana's The Bodybuilding Truth - fantastic easy to read overview of EVERYTHING related to BBing that will cut out a lot of the mistakes newbies make

Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle - focuses a lot on diet, but he does have some training advice as well

ANYTHING by Stuart McRoberts - his new book also covers EVERYTHING about BBing, and is called Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great

His Encyclopedia of strength training is great for learning proper form (but he also goes over this in the book listed above)

Chris Aceto's Championship Bodybuilding

 

[crxdog]

Buy Arnold Schwarzenegger Encylcopledia to Modern Bodybuilding best book for a beginner.

Depending on what excercise I am doing I am use mainly 5 sets between 5-8 reps and by the end of my last sets usually I am barely getting whatever I started with up. Then once that becomes easy I increase the weight the next time. And continue that process but if I were you I would buy the book lol.

You mean buy the bible? That book is heavy enough to do arm curls with hahaha

 

[b fold the truth]

ANYTHING by Stuart McRoberts - his new book also covers EVERYTHING about BBing, and is called Build Muscle, Lose Fat, Look Great

When did this book come out?

I have the others and they are pretty solid reads. He lives about 45 minutes from me. Have talked to him on the phone before...need to again.