Gymbhais! What weights should I do or try as a beginner in the gym?

[Gengar’s Ghost]

How much kg / lbs should I be doing for certain exercises?

 

[Deleted member 272842]

How much kg / lbs should I be doing for certain exercises?

1 ton minimum

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

1 ton minimum

 

[Deleted member 295787]

Have you tried any barbell lifts yet?

For non barbell lifts, pick a weight that you can do for 8-12 reps, and follow the double progression scheme.
So maybe you are doing the Lat Pulldown for 3x8-12, as soon as you can do 3x12 increase the weight and repeat.

 

[Tealovingfool]

Depends on strength and your overall goal and exercise im not a gymcel so I dont know much more than that

 

[GynoGladiator]

You should always try to make your workout based off of these compound lifts, so these 3 major ones (bench, squat, row) I did not add deadlift because I personally find it unuseful

Bench - try the bar first and add 5 lbs increments each side if it feels light

Squat - same thing but you tend to squat more than bench, add 10 lbs inrecements each side if it feels light

Row - should be between bench and squat

It doesn't take much time to play around with weights and find your 3 rep max, 5 rep max, 8 rep max, 10 rep, etc.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Have you tried any barbell lifts yet?

For non barbell lifts, pick a weight that you can do for 8-12 reps, and follow the double progression scheme.
So maybe you are doing the Lat Pulldown for 3x8-12, as soon as you can do 3x12 increase the weight and repeat.

Not sure if I’ve done barbells lifts but I’ve done barbells on the first day. I would squat with them, no bar. I tried 12 kg first, then 16 kg and then 20 kg which I had some trouble with. My form was off, but the second time my form was a lot better and I did 12 kg, 16 kg, 20 kg and then 24 kg which I didn’t think I’d be able to do.

Today, I experimented in the gym and I did deadlifting, I started with just the bar, then added 5 kg to it, then removed that and added 10 kg to it, then removed that and added 15 kg to it, making it 50 kg in total. My form was horrendous. But I had no problem lifting it, and I would have done increased the weight but since my form was off, I didn’t want to continue.

The guys next to me were doing 150 kg.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Depends on strength and your overall goal and exercise im not a gymcel so I dont know much more than that

Overall goal is weight loss. Strength is not my goal. I am now lifting weights to help weight loss.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Isn't there an employee or someone experienced there you can ask?
Ik it's hard, but it's way better to ask for this kind of advice irl as they can actually see your form and stuff

My friend was helping me out, but his focus was on my form. Even with his help, I didn’t really get it. His friend also helped but still, I had trouble getting form right.

 

[nobodylovesme]

Start low; do like 3 reps and if it feels easy then just add more. When it starts to feel a bit heavy, start your first real set of 8 reps or w/e you had planned. If it was too easy, add more for your next set, etc.

Should be pretty easy this way.

 

[Sacrimoon]

There is no rule for how much you should be lifting. Just figure out the form on the different exercises, and then work your way up to where you fail between 5-10 reps.

 

[ltnbrownacnecel]

Pick up heavy weight and put it back down that always works for me.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

You should always try to make your workout based off of these compound lifts, so these 3 major ones (bench, squat, row) I did not add deadlift because I personally find it unuseful

Bench - try the bar first and add 5 lbs increments each side if it feels light

Squat - same thing but you tend to squat more than bench, add 10 lbs inrecements each side if it feels light

Row - should be between bench and squat

It doesn't take much time to play around with weights and find your 3 rep max, 5 rep max, 8 rep max, 10 rep, etc.

I wanted to squat but my friend said I should not do squats because I did deadlifting. If I want to do both, I should do squats first and then deadlifting later.

For deadlifting I did 50 kg / 110 lbs but since it was easy for me to do, I wanted to add more weight.. but my form was bad, so I didn’t want to continue.

He usually makes me do 8 reps for any exercise. I would prefer a lower amount ngl, or at least for heavier weights.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Start low; do like 3 reps and if it feels easy then just add more. When it starts to feel a bit heavy, start your first real set of 8 reps or w/e you had planned. If it was too easy, add more for your next set, etc.

Should be pretty easy this way.

Thanks! My friend is making me do 8 reps for these exercises. I tried getting it to lowered to 6 but he said no, 8.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

There is no rule for how much you should be lifting. Just figure out the form on the different exercises, and then work your way up to where you fail between 5-10 reps.

Yup. My form is awful. It looks so easy but there’s more going on than I was thinking of. People say, do this and this while doing this, and it’s too much for my brain to process. Joever.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Pick up heavy weight and put it back down that always works for me.

You mean just the weight itself?

 

[GynoGladiator]

I wanted to squat but my friend said I should not do squats because I did deadlifting. If I want to do both, I should do squats first and then deadlifting later.

Yeah they both are really taxing on your lower back and CNS, tbh I recommend you to ditch deadlifts all together if your main goal is just hypertrophy

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Yeah they both are really taxing on your lower back and CNS, tbh I recommend you to ditch deadlifts all together if your main goal is just hypertrophy

My main goal is weight loss! What is CNS.. ah nvm, central nervous system, I get it. I’m doing exercises my friend is making me do.

 

[Deleted member 295787]

Not sure if I’ve done barbells lifts but I’ve done barbells on the first day. I would squat with them, no bar. I tried 12 kg first, then 16 kg and then 20 kg which I had some trouble with. My form was off, but the second time my form was a lot better and I did 12 kg, 16 kg, 20 kg and then 24 kg which I didn’t think I’d be able to do.

Today, I experimented in the gym and I did deadlifting, I started with just the bar, then added 5 kg to it, then removed that and added 10 kg to it, then removed that and added 15 kg to it, making it 50 kg in total. My form was horrendous. But I had no problem lifting it, and I would have done increased the weight but since my form was off, I didn’t want to continue.

The guys next to me were doing 150 kg.

It will be infinitely easier to learn how to perform lifts if you have a friend so that is good.

My advice would be to follow a 5x5 progression scheme, so take your Overhead Press, Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift 5 rep max, and add 2.5lg to your upper body lifts, and 5kg to your lower body lifts every workout. Once you are unable to progress linearly, you can do something like a 5/3/1 progression scheme where you increase the weights every 3 weeks rather than every workout.

Another good idea would be to do dumbbell variants instead, as they are much easier to learn and can help you get the movements down. So maybe 4 weeks of dumbbell only workouts and then you transition into barbell.

Also as a beginner make sure you correct your muscle imbalances, your weakest side should be your limiting factor. For example if you are doing bicep curls and your left side is weaker, don't continue with your right once your left arm gives out.

When it comes to the exercises themselves, it's really all just down to whatever you prefer. You have vertical pulling/pushing, horizontal pulling/pushing, a squat variant, and a hinge variant. The biomechanics are really all the same. I would recommend going through this playlist to find exercises that you can try.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Be careful, but you can probably do stuff with more weight than you think.
Idk how strong you are so i can't give you any numbers or weights ofc

I’m honestly weak, but I did 27.5 kg/60 lbs for military press/standing overhead press, and 50 kg/110 lbs for deadlifting, though admittedly I feel I could have done more since they were both relatively easy, especially the deadlifting.

 

[ltnbrownacnecel]

You mean just the weight itself?

Yep .

Overall goal is weight loss. Strength is not my goal. I am now lifting weights to help weight loss.

Go to failure on almost all ur sets expects warm ups.

 

[Outlander]

Just started out mild and don't push yourself with too heavy of weights. I'd stick to weights you can do at least 12 reps with good form on whatever exercise you're trying to do. Then as you get your form dialed in and your body gets used to it, you can gradually go heavier over time

Best to not risk injury because some injuries never heal right. Progress takes time and patience along with consistency. Usually most exercises I do are with weights I can get 7-12 reps with before failure with good form

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

It will be infinitely easier to learn how to perform lifts if you have a friend so that is good.

My advice would be to follow a 5x5 progression scheme, so take your Overhead Press, Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift 5 rep max, and add 2.5lg to your upper body lifts, and 5kg to your lower body lifts every workout. Once you are unable to progress linearly, you can do something like a 5/3/1 progression scheme where you increase the weights every 3 weeks rather than every workout.

Another good idea would be to do dumbbell variants instead, as they are much easier to learn and can help you get the movements down. So maybe 4 weeks of dumbbell only workouts and then you transition into barbell.

Also as a beginner make sure you correct your muscle imbalances, your weakest side should be your limiting factor. For example if you are doing bicep curls and your left side is weaker, don't continue with your right once your left arm gives out.

When it comes to the exercises themselves, it's really all just down to whatever you prefer. You have vertical pulling/pushing, horizontal pulling/pushing, a squat variant, and a hinge variant. The biomechanics are really all the same. I would recommend going through this playlist to find exercises that you can try.

Thank you for the detailed response, bhaijaan! Yes, it’s a lot better having my friend there. What’s even more is that he’s got a bunch of friends himself there and some of them are cool with me now as well.

By adding 2.5kg/5kg, are you talking about wearing a belt with a weight added on it? I’ve seen some guys doing that, and even my friend did that. He weighs 70 kg and added 60 kg weight to a belt and did a couple of dips. He’s crazy strong. He does 215 kg for deadlifting and 135 kg for bench press. Clean and jerk is 120 kg for him.

So yeah. There’s definitely muscle imbalances that I’m aware of. I’m right-handed but my left arm is stronger, and my right arm is weaker. So when doing bicep curls, which I’ve not done yet, I will make sure to focus more on my right arm. Does that mean I should just only exercise my right arm with those bicep curls, or..?

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Yep .

Go to failure on almost all ur sets expects warm ups.

With both hands or one hand?

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Do more brah, i'm sure you can dead lift 75 kg

I’ll try that next time, thank you! Will report back. You probably have too much faith in me though.

 

[Sacrimoon]

Yup. My form is awful. It looks so easy but there’s more going on than I was thinking of. People say, do this and this while doing this, and it’s too much for my brain to process. Joever.

Yeah definitely figure that out before you start going heavy.
I don’t remember how long it took for me to figure out, but some people have a bit of a harder time with that.

 

[ltnbrownacnecel]

With both hands or one hand?

Start with one and finish with both.

 

[EthnicCopemaxxer]

@Jattdontcare said add me to the punjabi gc

Also... this was my old acc ring any bell

 

[Lefty Rankin]

How much kg / lbs should I be doing for certain exercises?

Just do calisthenics.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Weightlifting Strength Standards - Strength Level

Strength standard tables of one-rep max performance against bodyweight. Available for gym exercises including bench press, squat and deadlift.

strengthlevel.com

Ah yes, I saw that website but I wanted my .org bhais to tell me.

 

[SomaliSub5]

do they have trainers at your gym? I would try a couple sessions if you can afford it. Really helps to have someone experienced guide u. I dont lift weights anymore tho

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Just started out mild and don't push yourself with too heavy of weights. I'd stick to weights you can do at least 12 reps with good form on whatever exercise you're trying to do. Then as you get your form dialed in and your body gets used to it, you can gradually go heavier over time

Best to not risk injury because some injuries never heal right. Progress takes time and patience along with consistency. Usually most exercises I do are with weights I can get 7-12 reps with before failure with good form

You’re right, that’s why my friend is saying I should get my form right. I said, does it really matter much, it’s easier if I just lift the stuff even if I don’t do it right. He said no, get your form right. The main focus is now getting my form right, and then slowly working my way up.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Yeah definitely figure that out before you start going heavy.
I don’t remember how long it took for me to figure out, but some people have a bit of a harder time with that.

Did you go by yourself? I guess if you are going by yourself, it takes longer to figure it out. I’ve got my friend helping me, and he’s got 15 years of experience.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Start with one and finish with both.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

@Jattdontcare said add me to the punjabi gc

View attachment 4547869Also... this was my old acc ring any bell

It does ring a bell, dude with blue hair (the one in the pic, I mean), but can’t recall username.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Just do calisthenics.

Is that good for weight loss?

 

[Outlander]

Yeah definitely figure that out before you start going heavy.
I don’t remember how long it took for me to figure out, but some people have a bit of a harder time with that.

Yeah the last thing you wanna do with bad form is add weight. That's just asking for an injury. Form needs to be good regardless of the weight, and heck injuries still can happen even with good form if you've just got certain joints that tend to be weak links or if some freak accident happens

Better to take it slow and not push too hard too fast and pay the price. You only get one body, so take care of it the best you can. Prevention is key

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

do they have trainers at your gym? I would try a couple sessions if you can afford it. Really helps to have someone experienced guide u. I dont lift weights anymore tho

My friend is helping me out! Also, I have no job so I wouldn’t be able to afford it. What exercises did you do?

 

[Outlander]

You’re right, that’s why my friend is saying I should get my form right. I said, does it really matter much, it’s easier if I just lift the stuff even if I don’t do it right. He said no, get your form right. The main focus is now getting my form right, and then slowly working my way up.

Yeah he's right and probably saved you from serious injury. It's way easier than you think to get injured if your form is terrible

 

[Lefty Rankin]

Is that good for weight loss?

I don't know. I'm just being silly.

Though I have heard that cardio slows your metabolism. It does make sense.

 

[Deleted member 295787]

Thank you for the detailed response, bhaijaan! Yes, it’s a lot better having my friend there. What’s even more is that he’s got a bunch of friends himself there and some of them are cool with me now as well.

By adding 2.5kg/5kg, are you talking about wearing a belt with a weight added on it? I’ve seen some guys doing that, and even my friend did that. He weighs 70 kg and added 60 kg weight to a belt and did a couple of dips. He’s crazy strong. He does 215 kg for deadlifting and 135 kg for bench press. Clean and jerk is 120 kg for him.

So yeah. There’s definitely muscle imbalances that I’m aware of. I’m right-handed but my left arm is stronger, and my right arm is weaker. So when doing bicep curls, which I’ve not done yet, I will make sure to focus more on my right arm. Does that mean I should just only exercise my right arm with those bicep curls, or..?

No not the belt. On the topic of belts though, you need to learn how to brace when you are squatting and deadlifting, I hope your friend has taught you how to do that. I would recommend buying a weightlifting belt to help with it. Bracing just means to breathe into your stomach and than brace as if someone is going to punch you.

I mean adding weight to the exercise. As a complete beginner, you will rapidly build strength due to neurological adaptation. So if you can only bench press 40kg for 5 sets of 5 repetitions, next workout you should be able to do 42.5kg. The same goes for lower body, but the increase is a bit larger. So if you can squat 50kg for 5 sets of 5, next time you should be able to do 55. If 5kg increase is too much than you can do 2.5kg.

And no, don't just train one side. Just make sure to stop the movement when one side gives out. Your left arm might be able to do 5 more repetitions, but once your right arm can't do another, you should stop.

 

[SomaliSub5]

My friend is helping me out! Also, I have no job so I wouldn’t be able to afford it. What exercises did you do?

besides the compound lifts I focused on back, core, and shoulders

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Yeah the last thing you wanna do with bad form is add weight. That's just asking for an injury. Form needs to be good regardless of the weight, and heck injuries still can happen even with good form if you've just got certain joints that tend to be weak links or if some freak accident happens

Better to take it slow and not push too hard too fast and pay the price. You only get one body, so take care of it the best you can. Prevention is key

You guys are absolutely right, but getting form right is difficult for me. Because you need to focus on a couple of movements, and my brain cannot think of them all, I’ve got shitty memory. Good thing I’m not dreaming to be a powerlifter or something.

 

[NotAMogger]

For upper body, 50-70 lbs less than your own weight. For lower body, it should be around your weight.

 

[2ndAscension]

It's completely subjective, you just have to start out light for every exercise, try a few reps, add more if it feels easy while keeping a safe form in mind until your rep goal feels challenging, soon enough you'll know your baseline strength for most exercises, and then you can focus on actual progress
Don't take the stat sites like strengthlevel or whatever people self report here too seriously either, it's much more subjective than just weight and height

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

Yeah he's right and probably saved you from serious injury. It's way easier than you think to get injured if your form is terrible

Yeah I’m a retard in general but sometimes I know when not to be a retard, so I just listen to my friend haha.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

I don't know. I'm just being silly.

Though I have heard that cardio slows your metabolism. It does make sense.

Cardio slows down metabolism? Never heard of that before, but that just means I should cut off cardio.

 

[bourgeoizyzz]

it doesn't matter what exercises you do

the important thing is to mog somebody on your first day

 

[Lefty Rankin]

Cardio slows down metabolism? Never heard of that before, but that just means I should cut off cardio.

I don't think so. I'd rather be healthy. Fat isn't healthy but neither is lean.

 

[Gengar’s Ghost]

No not the belt. On the topic of belts though, you need to learn how to brace when you are squatting and deadlifting, I hope your friend has taught you how to do that. I would recommend buying a weightlifting belt to help with it. Bracing just means to breathe into your stomach and than brace as if someone is going to punch you.

I mean adding weight to the exercise. As a complete beginner, you will rapidly build strength due to neurological adaptation. So if you can only bench press 40kg for 5 sets of 5 repetitions, next workout you should be able to do 42.5kg. The same goes for lower body, but the increase is a bit larger. So if you can squat 50kg for 5 sets of 5, next time you should be able to do 55. If 5kg increase is too much than you can do 2.5kg.

And no, don't just train one side. Just make sure to stop the movement when one side gives out. Your left arm might be able to do 5 more repetitions, but once your right arm can't do another, you should stop.

Thanks for explaining what bracing is, but no, I don’t think he has done that. Or maybe he has, and I just forgot. Because I’m forgetful. Ahh okay, once again thanks for the help and advice bhaijaan. So far I haven’t done all exercises yet. There’s some (minor?) exercises I’ve yet to do, such as bicep curls but I will keep that in mind. Do you go to the gym often?