[Average_Aaron]

seriously, whenever I hear advice of EAT LIKE A HORSE LIFT HEAVY! i facepalm

it does nothing but put pointless excessive strain on your joints for minute added strength gains



I've switched to calisthenics only after 2 years of weights and have been progressing every week




moral: Lifting heavy is overrated. 1-5 rep ranges are pointless unless you're a powerlifter

[silent ninja]

Is it because you couldn't lift? No offence.

It's only 'excessive' if you jump up weights too high = ego. You are not alone, most of the guys at the gym have a bigger ego than their *ahem*. If you go up weights in a controlled manner, progressing nicely and eating/sleeping properly, then your technique will not suffer and you will not have any joint problems.

Calisthenics and body weight exercises are awesome but lifting heavy is about training more specifically for strength. Calisthenics is like strength and cardio in one. The aims are slightly different. Maybe you just didn't understand your goals clearly enough when you begun?

[IRL]

It is overrated as you correctly stated. A lot of people who lift heavy and are trying to get big are often the ones who failed at sports when they were younger or got bullied/teased and feel the need to look intimidating to others. After they get bigger and stronger they still suck at the sports.

Gaining weight can be a burden if you're into a competitive sport which requires some kind of endurance.

For the majority of people who just want a reasonable physique when they take their t-shirt off at the beach, all this heavy lifting (deadlifts, squats etc...) stuff is simply unnecessary.

[duharvalgt]

One account does proov anything...

[IRL]

Bodyweight exercises are really enough for most people. I mean how strong do you really need to be?

There's no point wasting time, energy and effort on something that's unnecessary.

Let's face it, most people just want to look good on the beach. Spare me the bull**** about functional training.

[DynamicSyngery]

There's no way to even tell if you are progressing in terms of strength on a weekly basis with calisthenics.

[Average_Aaron]

(Original post by silent ninja)
Is it because you couldn't lift? No offence.

It's only 'excessive' if you jump up weights too high = ego. You are not alone, most of the guys at the gym have a bigger ego than their *ahem*. If you go up weights in a controlled manner, progressing nicely and eating/sleeping properly, then your technique will not suffer and you will not have any joint problems.

Calisthenics and body weight exercises are awesome but lifting heavy is about training more specifically for strength. Calisthenics is like strength and cardio in one. The aims are slightly different. Maybe you just didn't understand your goals clearly enough when you begun?

Thanks for the thought out post. srs

My aims when I began was to build muscle and get a good physique, like 90% of people who start. After joining bodybuilding forums, I was consistently fed the LIFT HEAVY EAT LIKE A HORSE mentality. Now I soon learnt eating like a horse was stupid.

Lifting, however, I continued to ift heavy, progress in the lifts weekly, but consistently ended up with joint fatigue and issues and didn't gain as much mass as I expected to at all. (my expectations were not high)

[Average_Aaron]

(Original post by DynamicSyngery)
There's no way to even tell if you are progressing in terms of strength on a weekly basis with calisthenics.

I would rather progress from say 10 pullups to 25 over 400lb deadlift to 415

Thats progression

[Average_Aaron]

(Original post by IRL)
It is overrated as you correctly stated. A lot of people who lift heavy and are trying to get big are often the ones who failed at sports when they were younger or got bullied/teased and feel the need to look intimidating to others. After they get bigger and stronger they still suck at the sports.

Gaining weight can be a burden if you're into a competitive sport which requires some kind of endurance.

For the majority of people who just want a reasonable physique when they take their t-shirt off at the beach, all this heavy lifting (deadlifts, squats etc...) stuff is simply unnecessary.

Perfect!

[Classical Liberal]

Lifting with actually good form is more important than lifting heavy. And through trying to lift really heavy, people usually **** up the form.

[silent ninja]

(Original post by Average_Aaron)
My aims when I began was to build muscle and get a good physique, like 90% of people who start. After joining bodybuilding forums, I was consistently fed the LIFT HEAVY EAT LIKE A HORSE mentality. Now I soon learnt eating like a horse was stupid.

I posted about this in another thread. I agree. I'm lifting as heavy as I can at the moment to get a decent level of base strength, but my aim is body weight exercises (the tough ones, not just pushups and pullups) and probably calisthenics and the like. That's been my aim all along-- I play football, I can't get too big. Anything regarding gaining strength and muscle and Starting Strength or Strong Lifts are mentioned when they may not necessarily be the best things for the individual.

If you're main aim is strength and mass gain then lifting heavy is definitely the best way to achieve that though. I do think bodyweight exercises, calisthenics, kettle bell swings, along with other cardio such as running/swimming/cycling/boxing etc are sufficient for most people though.

[pshewitt1]

(Original post by IRL)
Bodyweight exercises are really enough for most people. I mean how strong do you really need to be?

There's no point wasting time, energy and effort on something that's unnecessary.

Let's face it, most people just want to look good on the beach. Spare me the bull**** about functional training.

I would say it should be necessary to be able to use your own body weight, that's how strong I.e doing at least 20 chins ups and 10 pull ups , 50 press ups 35 crunches in 1 sitting, that's healthy functional and attractive.

functional training is by far the best way to get a beach look, I surf used to play rugby and lift heavy, and am called attractive in my physique and looks, so I think you are wrong on more than 1 account there, but not everyone is me...

[Average_Aaron]

(Original post by silent ninja)
I posted about this in another thread. I agree. I'm lifting as heavy as I can at the moment to get a decent level of base strength, but my aim is body weight exercises (the tough ones, not just pushups and pullups) and probably calisthenics and the like. That's been my aim all along-- I play football, I can't get too big. Anything regarding gaining strength and muscle and Starting Strength or Strong Lifts are mentioned when they may not necessarily be the best things for the individual.

If you're main aim is strength and mass gain then lifting heavy is definitely the best way to achieve that though. I do think bodyweight exercises, calisthenics, kettle bell swings, along with other cardio such as running/swimming/cycling/boxing etc are sufficient for most people though.

I agree with that to an extent - Thats why i started calisthenics. Planche pushups, etc.

But lifting heavy being the best way to get strength and mass I'm half and half on.

Best way to get strength? Absolutely. But if you just want to gain lean muscle mass then I'd still say 8-14 reps is the best bet. Preferably 10-12

[commandant]

and doing the 8-14 whilst lifting progresivley heavier is the way to go about it

doing 8-14 with the same weigth week in week out is absolutely useless

[DynamicSyngery]

(Original post by Average_Aaron)
I would rather progress from say 10 pullups to 25 over 400lb deadlift to 415

Thats progression

Both are progression, but the former doesn't directly measure strength. My program includes deadlifts and pullups...

[McHumpy92]

I just want to be strong and fast...so not pointless. I do get a lot of injuries though you are right there.

[Aeschylus]

(Original post by IRL)
It is overrated as you correctly stated. A lot of people who lift heavy and are trying to get big are often the ones who failed at sports when they were younger or got bullied/teased and feel the need to look intimidating to others. After they get bigger and stronger they still suck at the sports.

Gaining weight can be a burden if you're into a competitive sport which requires some kind of endurance.

For the majority of people who just want a reasonable physique when they take their t-shirt off at the beach, all this heavy lifting (deadlifts, squats etc...) stuff is simply unnecessary.

I too have skim-read Freud.

[see-are]

strength is the measure of a man. The more you lift the more respect you command in the hierarchy of life. Those who can lift the most gain power. Look at Schwarzenegger. The stronger men have the right to steal women and possessions, although they will naturally get the women anyways.

[EonBlueApocalypse]

I disagree, I do 1-5 rep range on the big lifts (deadlift, squat, bench, etc) and I've had steady progression. Depends on your goals, body weight training isn't going to get you that strong, it will only take you so far.

[Ryan_94]

Just lift as heavy as you can without compromising safety or technique. Half (if no more) of the people who "lift heavy" don't "lift properly".