Weight Lifting / Football
- One of the biggest secrets of weightlifting or althletics in general is Zinc. Zinc is perfectly safe when taken at reccomended levels, and is rarely found in food today, not just due to diet, but also to a lack of Zinc in farmland. Read this article to see how Zinc can make you bigger, faster, stronger, and healthier.
- Eating right is a huge part of acheiving your weightlifting goals.
- I have found that this program works for me very well. I change up my bench press routine (5 add 5, pyramid, 4x5-8) every week. This is just a sample - I am doing something different all the time. Changing up your routine helps you stay motivated.
- Have a lifting question? Send it to me and I will try to answer it or refer you to someone that can.
I have collected many articles on weightlifting on my hard drive. I archived them in chunks, and you can get them here. The content of the text and html archives are NOT the same.
Download my lifting archives:
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Text Archive 2 413k
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Here's a letter that I have answered about Bench Press:
> hi. I am currently lifting for high school
> football. I"ve been lifting for over a year and a
> half but my bench still suffers no matter I do I
> can't seem to get over 225. I ve tried various
> chest and arm workout to help but nothing seems to
> help. There a few colleges looking at me right
> now, but I am afraid that when they find out how
> much I can bench they will not be to enthused. Can
> you help me and will Zinc also help?
> Thanks
> Navid
Hello Allan, and yes I can help I think.... I reccomend changing between a pyramid scheme and a 5 add 5 routine on bench to see the most improvement.. you can switch it every time you lift or you can do it weekly...
Here's the 2 plans:
5x5
Do 5 reps then add 5 pounds (2.5 per side) .. do 4-5 sets and use a weight so you can hardly do the last set. When you can't do any more do a few negatives. negatives are the key to improving strength.. just lower the bar down as slow as you can and then have your spotter help you just enough so you can push it up...
Pyramid
Do 7 reps your first set, add 5 pounds, do 6 reps, add 5 pounds etc. until you get to 1. In this set do as many as you can, then do negatives until you can't... so you end up doing 7 sets, with 5 pounds more weight each time.
A few more notes:
1. Stretch well before and after working out (especially after)!
2. Taking a zinc supplement will help your muscles recover/grow faster, yet is totally safe unlike creatine or steroids. No one knows the long term effects of taking a creatine supplement, so I would stay away from it. Sterioids were considered fine when they first came out as well, but we now know that they are a killer.
Derek
Bencher's Cramp Info:
What is it? Bencher's Cramp is a muscle cramp experienced when one is doing the bench press exercise. The cramp occurs in the leg, usually in the upper leg. The hamstring is a frequent target of this cramp.
What causes it? Nobody really knows, but it appears to be caused by a lack of blood in the leg muscles.
Does it hurt? Not usually, and it usually goes away quickly. There are several types of cases from mild to extreme, but no case I am aware of has ever required medical attention.
How many people experience this phenomenon? Nobody knows, but estimates based on very small inaccurate surveys conclude that 1:10 people ever experience Bencher's Cramp of any kind. If you have experienced this, or have further questions or comments, please notify me.
Q: I am 23 years old, 5'2", 178 pounds, can you make a weightlifting program for me ?
A: No. On this page there is a sample program, and there are also archives filled with weightlifting information. Unless I know you personally, there is no way I can reccomend a program for you. I reccomend consulting a personal trainer at the local health club, or a coach if you are in any sports. And above all, I encougage you to read as much as you can about weightlifting, go check books out from your library, read stuff on the internet, and learn. Then you will be able to put together a program that's truly best for you. If you have any specific questions I would be more than happy to answer them.
Q: How can I improve my bench press?
A: The way that I have worked my bench press up and the way I feel works the best for improving your bench press max, and more importantly your upper body strength is to switch up the ways that you lift. See the letter that I have answered above. Basically switch between pyramid, 5 add 5, and reps. Pyramid is starting at a weight doing 7 reps, and after that set is complete, adding 5 pounds, and doing 6 reps. Then you add 5 more pounds and do 5 reps, etc. You get all the way to doing 1 rep. Then do as many as you can, followed by as many negatives as you can. 5 add 5 is simply what it sounds like. Do 5 reps at a weight, add 5 pounds, do 5 more. Do this until you have done 4-5 sets. On your last set do as many as you can and then do negatives. The third way is just doing reps. Do 4-5 sets of 5-8 reps. Rotate between these 3 routines every week or every time you lift. This will give your chest & upper body muscles a vibrant workout. Once you have sucessfully done a whole routine, next time increase the weight!
Q: Is Creatine bad?
A: We don't know. No studies have been done on the long term effects of creatine. Creatine is NOT FDA approved! It is a supplement, and therefore is not required to get FDA approval. I personally do not take it because no one knows the long term effects. Creatine naturally appears in most meats. What you buy in a jar is not natural creatine, but artificial. I always compare it to sterioids, at first everyone thought they were OK to take, but now they are illegal and we know that they cause all sorts of nasty things when taken long term. So my advice is to steer clear of creatine supplements, and take Zinc, which is a lot cheaper, safe, and all natural. Sure, zinc won't give you the preformance gains of creatine, but it will help.
Q: Is there a certain diet that you would recommend?
A: Follow the United States FDA food pyramid, with extra servings of lean protein (some nuts, lean meats, skim milk)
Q: Legs are the most difficult part of weight training for me. Psychological approach is probably the single most important factor for me. Either I do it or I don't. How do you motivate yourself to lift your legs?
A: Funny you should ask, this is something I have struggled with myself. A good motivating factor is taking a look at some of the huge guys at the gym and see their chicken legs and how absolutely silly they look. And if you play any sports, legs are almost always more important than upper body strength (unless you're into arm wrestling ;-)
Q: When is a safe age for children to start weightlifting, and why?
A: Generally, 15 or 16 years old is a safe age. This is true for most people, but of course there are exceptions, so also consult your child's physician. The reason for this is that a child's bone strcuture is not yet done forming until they have reached this age. Lifting weights before this age is a bad idea and can cause deformities and trouble later on in life. Wait until then, and for now, run, do push ups, and pull ups, and other non-weight exercises.
If these FAQ's haven't answered your question, please send me an e-mail I would be more than happy to answer any SPECIFIC question you may have! (MAKE SURE YOU READ THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOVE)
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This page was created by me, Derek and everything on it is free. If you want to contact me, mail me at testdeezer@hotmail.com, or send me an instant message if I am on.
