Weight Lifting

[OldFatBaldGuy]

Two thumbs up for Pavel!

If you get a chance to attend one of his seminars, by all means, do it. He's incredibly knowledgable and an excellent speaker/trainer. I went to his seminar on stretching and he had everyone there on the floor stretching and doing things we didn't believe we could ever do....including this OldFatBaldGuy!

[Lust]

Well I have been weight lifting for some time and quit because I got discoureged by my brother. My dumbells are about 15 pounds, heh im only 15. He told me that if you increase the amount you lift them then that doesn't do anything. He said that I need to lower my amount and increase the weight. The problem is that I don't have hevier ones. And even in the dumbell manuall it said that you need to increse the weight level by 5 pounds and decrease the amount you lift. Should I go buy hevier dumbells or should I continue training like this?
Thnx.

[Lust]

cmon someone reply

[Liokault]

Go join a gym.....Then you can bug profesionals.


Must be some cheap gyms near you? especialy as your only 15.

[ElPietro]

Depends on your goals but just using a 15lb dumbell will become pointless really quick. You can do quite a few exercises with dumbells but you need a variety of weights as your body is stronger on some lifts than others.

If you can join a gym that would be great...if not then either buy some more weights or get creative with some everyday stuff you have around the house.

[Sleemie]

Your probably not getting many responses because the nature of your question isn't really that pertinent to Kung Fu. But, basically, you're gonna have to do something different than just the 15 lb dumb bells. If you don't join a gym, you should at least go to the bookstore and pull up a chair and read a little bit from a couple of books.

[Lust]

Thnx for the replies guys, I'll probably join the high school gym next year.

[IronFist]

I know you won't listen to me, but I don't think 15 year olds should be weight training. But, I know you don't want to stick to bodyweight exercises because you think they're not as effective or good or whatever. So, here are some ideas for bodyweight exercises:

How many pushups can you do? Can you do 1 arm pushups?

Can you do headstand pushups (against a wall or freestanding)?

How many pullups can you do? Can you do 1 arm pullups?

Can you do 500 Hindu squats? What about 300? 200? 100?

Can you do one legged squats?

At your age these exercises would serve you better than weights could. If you can do 1 arm pushups, 1 arm pullups, and 1 legged squats for multiple reps then ask me about weights. If you want some ideas for setting up the above exercises for a daily routine then ask here, too

Good luck,

IronFist

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by Sleemie
Your probably not getting many responses because the nature of your question isn't really that pertinent to Kung Fu. But, basically, you're gonna have to do something different than just the 15 lb dumb bells. If you don't join a gym, you should at least go to the bookstore and pull up a chair and read a little bit from a couple of books.

Nah, that's not true at all. We have a lot of discussions here that aren't pertinent to kung fu, as many of us lift weights and do varying forms of cardio work anyway.

15lbs won't do a heck of a lot for you. I'd stick with bodyweight exercises as iron suggested. Since your school has a gym, then yes, use it. Do they have a wrestling team? working out with them will whip you into shape also.

[Serpent]

Originally posted by IronFist

At your age these exercises would serve you better than weights could. If you can do 1 arm pushups, 1 arm pullups, and 1 legged squats for multiple reps then ask me about weights. If you want some ideas for setting up the above exercises for a daily routine then ask here, too

Good luck,

IronFist

Hey IronFist, I'm up for that!

How about a daily routine that includes only bodyweight exercises, including my new favouites in the "Royal Court"!?

Let's say the routine is primarily for increased strength and endurance, a little extra size is always a bonus, and perhaps some plyometrics for power.

This is your mission should you choose to accept it. This forum will self destruct as soon as anyone mentions Choy Lee Fut*!

-------------------------------------

(*See Southern Forum)

[ElPietro]

Iron I have to disagree with you in this thread. Weight training at 15 is actually a good idea. As long as you are focused on form and have someone coaching you so that you learn the exercises properly weight training can help you reach your maximum genetic potential. You can even be lifting to failure...just try not to lift in too low of a rep range...i'd recommend sticking between 6-12 reps per set.

The purpose of adding weights to a training regime is to add resistance. So when you say "can you do one arm pushups" or single arm pullups this would be most likely putting even more stress on the body than if he had been using weights.

I'm not saying turn yourself into some meathead or gym rat but a well rounded training regime is a healthy addition at virtually any point in a person's life. Bodyweight is just that, it's not like adding iron into your life changes an exercise...it just changes the amount of stress...and in my opinion opens the door for a greater variety of exercise...along with an much more efficient method of tracking progress.

I'm not discounting bodyweight exercises...however, I am saying that they are primarily inferior to being able to train with weights for strength purposes. Coordination can come with your martial arts training or whatever sports you like to play so that would take care of that end of training.

[stoli]

Personally I completely agree with Ironfist, leave the weights, you really don't need them. To put it in very simple terms your body's still growing naturally and asking it to cope with the extra stresses that heavy weight sessions will put on it could be very detrimental in my opinion.

Bodyweight exercises and plyometrics will get a good core of functional strength and then when you're older you can add some weights if you feel you need to or want to.

Anyway I'm sure lots of people will disagree so good luck whatever you choose!!!!

[harry_the_monk]

Body weight exercises are really good as you don't need to spend money on gym membership or new equipment.
However, if you want to go train in a gym that is also fine remember not to lift more than your own bodyweight however. The theory behind this being that you do not wish to cause the soft ends of your still growing bones to become more compact than they should be.

Saying that, I started lifting in a gym when I was 12, then stopped when I was about 20, then shot up in hight(only to 5'8" ) but I think that was due to there still being potential growth in the bones at 20.

Have fun with both weights and bodyweight in your college gym, but don't lift more than you weigh for a while yet.

[ElPietro]

Originally posted by stoli
Personally I completely agree with Ironfist, leave the weights, you really don't need them. To put it in very simple terms your body's still growing naturally and asking it to cope with the extra stresses that heavy weight sessions will put on it could be very detrimental in my opinion.

Bodyweight exercises and plyometrics will get a good core of functional strength and then when you're older you can add some weights if you feel you need to or want to.

Anyway I'm sure lots of people will disagree so good luck whatever you choose!!!!

Plyometrics are harder on your joints then any form of weight training in existence.

I'll say it again, other than the amount of weight being used how is bodyweight training any different than actually using weights? Both of them are forms of resistance...just the resistance is from a different source. Some things you will not be able to do because bodyweight is too heavy...other things will be too easy so bodyweight will be insufficient. Your body doesn't all of a sudden realize that you are using weights and do something different. Your body is adapting to resistance being applied...regardless if it's bodyweight or not.

Also, soft tissue will potentially react by growing better from added stimulus so you can reach your genetic potential...this is where lifting with good form comes in...lifting with bad form which could damage your joints, tendons and ligaments could stunt growth...but this can be done with bodyweight as easily as with weights...in fact I would argue it would be easier with some of the akward bodyweight exercises I see people do.

[IronFist]

Originally posted by ElPietro
Iron I have to disagree with you in this thread. Weight training at 15 is actually a good idea. As long as you are focused on form and have someone coaching you so that you learn the exercises properly weight training can help you reach your maximum genetic potential. You can even be lifting to failure...just try not to lift in too low of a rep range...i'd recommend sticking between 6-12 reps per set.

The purpose of adding weights to a training regime is to add resistance. So when you say "can you do one arm pushups" or single arm pullups this would be most likely putting even more stress on the body than if he had been using weights.

Yeah, I know. The reason I listed the one arm variety of things is because most young people want to lift weights because either they think it's "cool," or beacuse they have been told by someone (the media, fellow students, etc.) that bodyweight exercises are inferior to weight training.

So maybe I was being stupid, but I figured that if he went and tried to do a one handed pushup or one legged squat he wouldn't be able to do it, and this might reaffirm the value of bodyweight exercises in his mind.

So I admit that it was stupid in the sense that 1RM'ing with 1 arm pullup is the same as 1RM'ing with weights so maybe I shouldn't have recommended that... however, it was done with the intention of showing him that bodyweight exercises aren't all "easy."

Heh, oops But you see my point, right?

IronFist