Not happy at all......is this normal?

[rajkanneganti]

My stats :

Weight : 233 lbs
Height : 5 '11
Age : 22
Waist : 44-45 '
Hip : 48-49'
Body Fat : around 30%

My diet :

Two tabs of Xenadrine RFA-1 (Bro sent them over. Got supply for 3 months exactly)

No. of meals in a day : 4
250 gms. of grilled chicken in all
12 egg whites
two slices of brown bread toast
tonnes of cucumber and tomatoes
2 tbsp of olive oil

My training program :

Day 1 : Upper body workout ( Following BFL)
Day 2 : Cardio on the treadmill for 45 mins @160 beats
Day 3 : Lower body workout (Again BFL)
Day 4 : same as day 2
Day 5 : same as day 1
Day 6 : same as day 3
Day 7 : 30 mins of freestyle swimming
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today was Day 4 i.e upper body workout and I wasn't happy at the end of my workout. Reason is I could do as much as what I could do on Day 1!. This is the first time I am attempting to seriously lose weight and I've never been thru weight training at all. This is what I could do today :

Chest :

Excercise : Flat Bench Press

Set 1 : 30lb x 12 reps
Set 2 : 40lb x 10 reps
Set 3 : Tried to do 50 but couldn't do....settled with 40lb x 8 reps
Set 4 : 50lb x 6 reps ( really struggled to pull this off)
Set 5 : 30lb x 12 reps
Set 6 : 20lb x 12 reps ( Just couldn't do more...so settled for lower weight)

Shoulders:

Excercise : Shoulder Press

Set 1 : 20lb x 12 reps
Set 2 : 30lb x 10 reps
Set 3 : 40lb x 8 reps
Set 4 : 40lb x 6 reps ( literally dead!)
Set 5 : 30lb x 12 reps
Set 6 : 20lb x 12 reps ( Just couldn't do more...so settled for lower weight)

Back :

Excercise : Wide grip pulldowns

This went very well ...I"m happy did this with no problem at all

Set 1 : 40lb x 12 reps
Set 2 : 50lb x 10 reps
Set 3 : 60lb x 8 reps
Set 4 : 70lb x 6 reps
Set 5 : 60lb x 12 reps
Set 6 : 40lb x 12 reps

Triceps :

Excercise : Close grip pulldowns

No problem here at all too.

Set 1 : 40lb x 12 reps
Set 2 : 50lb x 10 reps
Set 3 : 60lb x 8 reps
Set 4 : 70lb x 6 reps
Set 5 : 60lb x 12 reps
Set 6 : 40lb x 12 reps

Biceps :

Excercise : Seated Dumbbell Curls

Set 1 : 20lb x 12 reps
Set 2 : 30lb x 10 reps
Set 3 : 40lb x 8 reps
Set 4 : was dead by now....couldn't do no more....just stopped ...and went home.....


Is this normal for a newbie? or am I too weak??.......generally after how many weeks do you guys increase the weight....I'm beginning to wonder if I can EVER increase more weight after my workout today......

somebody help me with your opinions!

Raj

 

[scruples]

just keep lifting heavy (to you) and the weights will progress... maybe knock the number of sets you do down to 4 and above all, don't be concerned w/what other people are lifting -- you are just starting out, after all...

 

[gymtime]

just keep lifting heavy (to you) and the weights will progress... maybe knock the number of sets you do down to 4 and above all, don't be concerned w/what other people are lifting -- you are just starting out, after all...

Exactamundo. Don't sweat it if you can't lift as much as you did the previous week, it happens all the time. Just know that your lifts will improve overall, over time.

Concentrate on sticking to what you're doing, getting in the gym and dieting. Those two things should be your main focus right now as you start out. Don't sweat the little stuff now, that will all come to you as you go along.

Good luck man!!

 

[rajkanneganti]

Thanks gymtime,scruples. Just curious, generally asking.....how much did you guys lift when you first began weight training.?

Raj

 

[Legion Kreinak]

When I started, I was generally at the same area as you.

 

[DanielBishop]

My advice to you, Raj.... is forget about weight. Well, when I say forget about it.... you should try to increase your weights each time you train, but don't be discouraged if you don't.

Think about it this way: How often does Donovan Bailey break a world record? Very rarely.... athletes ALWAYS fluctuate like a roller coaster. Sometimes he has very good days when he breaks a PB or world record, sometimes he has terrible days.... other times it's somewhere in between. If he got better and faster every time he trained, then he'd break a world record every time he ran.

So TRY to increase your poundages, but don't worry if you go for even a few weeks without going heavier. If you are training and dieting consistently for more than a few weeks and still not getting stronger, then there may be some problems with your diet or routine which you'll need to re-evaluate.... but don't place too much emphasis on weight, and if you do.... only compete against yourself. Who cares what anyone else lifts? Knowing what we lifted when we started won't make you any stronger or weaker.

As well as that, make sure you're lifting with perfect form. When I first started, my dad made me do sets of 20+ reps until my form was correct.... if you can't do at least 5 or 6 reps with textbook form, it's too heavy for you. Don't be too proud to lower the weight.

As long as you're using proper form and fatiguing the muscle and genuinely training to failure, the results will come. Probably the biggest mistake people make is trying to throw up more weight than they can handle and using bad form.... just because they want to impress others in the gym.

Weight isn't that important.... fatiguing the muscle is.

 

[Lost Viking]

You are not weak! Seated dumbbell curls at 40 lb * 8 reps is probably well above average for most beginners. The other results are to be expected, chest and shoulder muscles are weak because it's a set of muscles that is very rarely used outside the gym. You will get much stronger over time. Keep track of your progress over at least a month.

Don't expect results in the same week. You have to give muscles time to recover. Working out breaks down your muscles and makes you weaker, the reconstruction and muscle growth happens when you rest postworkout. Beware that working out 7 days a week might stress your body beyond its ability to recover.

I got better gains weight lifting 3 days a week instead of 4. This is of course a very individual thing. Give yourself time and if needed adjust your workout to fit your body. And don't cheat on form, weight in absolute numbers mean nothing for muscle growth.

 

[b fold the truth]

When I started, I was generally at the same area as you.

My first week in the gym...
Bench Press (with a major major spot...lol)
95 x 1 rep

Squat (on the Smith Machine)
Bar x 0...missed it.


B True

 

[Jason B]

"how much did you guys lift when you first began weight training.? "

Too much is my answer. I was doing bench, military, and curls, 3 days a week MWF, and I knew nothing about nutrition and rest. I overtrained like that for a long time before I figured shit out.

You should be really glad that you are starting out with a good lifting program and good nutrition. The results will come if you just stick it out. Don't get discouraged. If you give up today, 3 months from now you will look the same and wonder "what if I would have stuck with it? What would I look like" Don't ever give up bro.

 

[t3c]

first day lifting

benchpress

bar x 0