WEIGHT TRAINING

[gunner75]

I'd say do exercises that involved just using your own bodyweight for a month or so, 3 times a week(i.e pressups,pull-ups, crunches) doing as many reps as comfortable/possible.
Then move onto weights equipment focusing on the big basics, lifts which train the compound (large muscles - chest=wieghted dips, back=deadlift, shoulders=dumbell press, legs=squat) muscle groups. Don't waste time singling out the small muscle groups (like bi-ceps/tri-ceps, calfs etc) because the compound movements will cover these anyway and you dont want to overtrain. I heard a saying that went something like 'big trunk,..stronger branches' which made sense to me, in that, if the core of your body is strong then it follows to say that your arms and legs will build up too.
For power/strength aim for 1-2 sessions weekly, 2-3 sets an exercise, 6-10reps building up to a heavier weight than what you would normally use.

For stamina/endurance aim for 3-4 sessions weekly and/or increase the number of sets/reps per exercise but use slightly less weight than normall.

This way of training worked for me, but no two people are alike, so I guess its trial and error as to what works for you. At the moment I'm undergoing physio and concentrating on running/endurance but I chuck in some upper body work twice a week such as press ups and pull ups. I'll progress back on to the weights soon though.

[kwew]

ive found that large weights 3 sets 5 reps works best for me.
it involves a CV work out because you really need to breath heavily and breath correctly. If you are using the weights to bulk up then using the biggest weight possible is the best because you get stronger by ripping the muscle fibres and when they repair themselves they grow back stronger, but if you are doing this remember to have plenty of protein in your diet. Remember to always change the time of the day and length of your work out, this way your body wont adapt and youll get the maximum out of your training. good luck with your training.

[Paratrooper01]

When i could only pump out about 4or 5 pull-ups, i did some dumbell training working the biceps, (along with my regular dose of push-ups) and i found i could do about 11-12 pull-ups in 1 go, and i am only 16 .

The girls at school love a guy who works out and has some muscle to show for it!

James

[old scaly back]

Ive never smoked.
What used to p-ss me off was when we had finished a run then a bit more of a run then who's not tired yet run,over the assault coarse,cross the river,last one in the block cleans the bogs.
Was the b--tards that used to light up a fag as soon as we had finished.
It got so bad that i thought if i started smoking 40 woodbines a day id be able to keep up

[Aldo]

In my experience, which I'll admit is pretty limited, it's always a good idea to keep some hand wieghts and others that isolate the muscles around incase you get an injury and can't do push ups and stuff; helped me out loads when I did my back in.

[kwew]

i notice that everyone likes dumb bells and free weights, well dont dissmiss machines so quickly, yes they isolate muscles and only work in one plain but if you combine them with free weights youll get a much more rounded workout.

[Tab]

As long as I could a pint glass I was fit enough for the Para's

[mercury]

IMHO you want to work on CV and core stability

~Circuit training could be a good place to start

I have managed to get my hands on a multigym machine type malarky ( i swapped it for some fencing panels ) which means I can now do leg extensions and bench presses etcbut I also run 4 miles every other day

Recently when my lower back started aching I found that core stab exersise helped

[Blue Streak]

Gents l think its important that you bear in mind your goals when considering weight training. 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps for strength and power, 3-5 sets of 12-15 for power stamina and up to 25 plus for muscualar endurance. The latter being best for forces type fitness. However if you are following a body weight/circuits programme as well you can supplement this with a basic 3x15 workout for added strength and injury prevention.

[suicidal_tendencies77]

well, logic does dictate that if you improve the power and explosive strength it can do nothing but help you. On the other hand if you get carried away with weight lifting it can tend to take over and replace the cardio side of it and that would be the worst mistake you could do.

Personally if you were going for weights i 'd keep the reps within a 12-15 rep range for muscular endurance and very low reps for power/strength i.e 1-5 reps. Leave the 6-10 reps to the bodybuilders. But for gods sake remember to keep your cardio an equal or your recovery ability is going to be affected big time.

[Aldo]

I usually use lighter dumbells at the maximim number of reps I can do or do a pyrimid up to 30. It's pretty good for endurance when you don't have the time to do a full warmup for a full circuit sesh. I only use them when I have to though so I don't fall into the usual trap of being able to lift a mini but then break my back when I'm doing pressups.

[Knives]

Despite what people often think you can't grow into a 250lbs behemoth overnight just by picking up a few dumbbells, just be sure to use the correct rep range. 1-6 reps = primarily strength gains moderate gain in size. 6-12 reps = best range for hypertrophy (size increase), moderate strength and endurance benefits. 12-20 reps = mostly endurance, some strength, limited hypertrophy.

Don't bother with isolation movements such as preacher curls or lateral raises, at least not to begin with. Stick with compound exercises such as squats, dead-lifts, bent-over rows, bench-press and shoulder-press. To avoid injury make sure you warm up and stretch properly prior to any lifting and use a light weight for your first set to prepare your muscles for heavy lifting. To avoid DOMS don't train to failure and make sure you do some static stretches after your workout for the worked muscle groups.

[rambo]

what are DOM's and how can this effect you? 0X

[Knives]

DOMS is delayed onset muscle soreness, which basically means your muscles are sore for a few days after training. Many powerlifters and bodybuilders see this as a good sign as weightlfiting is all about breaking down your muscles in the gym so your body overcompensates by repairing the muscle fibres as well as making them thicker, resulting in bigger, stronger muscles. DOMS is a short term effect of weightlifting and is nothing to worry about in the long run.

If your training means DOMS is a problem and you need to avoid it, you'll have to train at a slightly lower intensity.

[rambo]

oh rigth cheers buddy i never new that. i always thought DOM's were a good sign of a good work out