What's the best habit that improved your life?
What's the best habit that improved your life?
Could be physical, mental, philosophical, religious etc
You're viewing a single thread.
Following a weightlifting program has improved my life immensely. 2 years later my back pain is essentially a thing of the past, I look and feel better than my non active peers, my cholesterol and a1c levels are perfect , and I look like a brick shithouse
Anybody that wants to get started but doesn't know how feel free to drop me a line
What do you recommend?
If you want to know how it all works check out the fitness wiki (optional) otherwise: Buy a power rack, barbell and plates (optional), or you can go to a gym instead. Download the boostcamp app and onboard yourself on the 5/3/1 for Beginners program. The app illustrates how each lift is done, and you can watch youtube for tutorials, they are pretty easy to learn. Lift Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Walk or easy jog for 30-60 mins Tuesday and Thursday. Eat a bit more than usual, a slight surplus like 200 cals, make sure you get a bit of extra protein. Sleep more and better if possible, if your schedule is fixed try to improve your sleep hygiene. Be relentless about making this all a habit, it represents about 1 hour of your day each weekday, but will pay dividends. Stick with that same program for 3 or 6 months. You'll be practicing the same lifts over and over, practicing your strength. Your technique will improve, you will get shockingly stronger. I'm happy to answer any and all questions for Lemmy folk interested in this.
As someone who never expected to become a gym rat I second this.
I started lifting as a purely whimsical decision with a mate and some dumbbells in his backyard.
I've now been a powerlifter for 6 years (minus a year due to work related injury) and it's truly my happy place, am I sad? (Stronger) Am I angry? (Stronger) Am I happy? (You guessed it, stronger).
Not only does lifting grow your body, but also your mind. I may have permanent function loss, but I work around it, and I'm building back (slowly) and stronger than before.
Hardest part is getting started, followed by keeping with it.
My DMs are also open to those who are unsure where/how to start.
I do. Struggling with lower back pain right now...
It's just brutal.. everybody says it but it's really true, a strong core (abs, lower back, ass + upper legs) makes your back so much sturdier and resistant to "going out"
If you want to go full on strength training, you could consider barbell training with a periodized program (531, tactical barbell, etc). You would essentially have to learn three or four simple lifts and then have at er. This is the route I went, would highly recommend it for anyone. These programs don't ask you to use strength that you don't already have, and the movements are very straightforward with lots of tutorials available on YouTube. It's all sub maximal training and slowly builds over time. Fitness influencers are always trying to baffle everyone with bullshit but the core recipe for getting strong is so extremely simple. Compound lifts, eat, sleep (And some token cardio)
If you just want the strong core and back, you could do hanging leg raises or an ab wheel and some romanian deadlifts with a kettlebell every other day or so.
Thanks. Will look into those. I did some strength training back in the day - and enjoyed it a lot - but that was not focused on the back/core.
That's great, they say it comes back quickly if you have trained in the past. And as I understand it, the compound lifts themselves also build the core to some extent just from all the bracing you'll be doing.