Weight lifting help me not hurt myself

[canuckguy]

I am an active guy, I run and I cycle pretty much everyday. But I dread the idea of working with weights but would to incorporate some weights into my workout routine to build up more strength.

Found this site that had some nice graphics on how to lift with dumbbells (all I have) and I want to be sure these look somewhat correct. Also how much weight do I start with? recommendation on number of reps and how often based on the fact that I am just looking to gain strength not Mr Universe arms. Any input would be appreciated.
Dumbbell Exercises Complete with Animated Diagrams

[Nepenthes]

I checked out that site and you will need a variety of different dumbell weights depending on the exercise.

I would start out really light at first and focus on good form to isolate your arm muscles. I would start at around 10 to 15 .lbs per dumbell. As you you progress and gain strength, add a little more weight like an additional 3 to 5.lbs. You will find that different exercises will be easier than others.

My targeted number of reps is typically between 10 and 15 in sets of four.

The biggest mistake is when people start out with too much weight, which leads to bad form, which can lead to injury.

In addition to dumbells, pushups and dips are helpful to build arm strength.

[Baraka_Guru]

Good advice already, but here's some more (sorry for overlap):

For form and anatomy, try this site:
Exercise & Muscle Directory

Just stick to basic movements.

Try this as a routine (all with dumbbells):

• Chest press
• Bent over row
• Lunges or squats
• Shoulder press
• Curls
• Triceps extension

Keep it simple. Figure out your weight by trying to hit 8 to 12 reps per set. Try up to three sets. The last few reps should be challenging, but don't sacrifice good form...ever.

Try to rest at least 48 hours between workouts.

[silent_jay]

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[Nepenthes]

All good advice so far.

Watch your breathing while lifting weights. During the easier part of a weight lifting exercise, you should make an effort to breathe in. When you are doing the harder part of an exercise, you should breathe out.

A lot of people hold their breath while lifting, and it is better that you do not.

[silent_jay]

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[Hektore]

Originally Posted by Nepenthes

I checked out that site and you will need a variety of different dumbell weights depending on the exercise.

I would start out really light at first and focus on good form to isolate your arm muscles. I would start at around 10 to 15 .lbs per dumbell. As you you progress and gain strength, add a little more weight like an additional 3 to 5.lbs. You will find that different exercises will be easier than others.

My targeted number of reps is typically between 10 and 15 in sets of four.

The biggest mistake is when people start out with too much weight, which leads to bad form, which can lead to injury.

In addition to dumbells, pushups and dips are helpful to build arm strength.

I wanted to x2 the form bit here. Start with ridiculously low weight, so light it makes you feel a bit silly and concentrate entirely on form. When I first learned to power clean I spent two weeks using only the bar weight (which for an offensive lineman looks ridiculous) and nearly another month getting into weights that started to push me because the risk for injury is so high.

Form is the most important part of lifting, it keeps you safe and will make you earn your gains.

I would go for something like these:

Amazon.com: Olympic Dumbbell Handles sold as Pair: Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Olympic Dumbbell Handles sold as Pair: Sports & Outdoors

and then get your standard olympic weights and clips, it will take up a lot less room than a whole rack system.

Also, muscle strength is proportional to cross sectional area, which means you aren't going to keep getting stronger without getting bigger eventually.

[canuckguy]

Thank you all so much for the advice. I feel much more informed and will begin my program tomorrow. I'll do weights 3 to 4 times a week. I also started the 100 push up challenge today(free app on iphone today only i think). My arms are toast!

I was lucky to get a bunch of dumbbells in various weights. so I'll start out light and work my way up. I'll focus on the form and not dropping a ligament.

[Nepenthes]

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

Try to rest at least 48 hours between workouts.

Rest is key. Pushups can really work your triceps.

When you lift, you stress your muscles and they need time to heal. This is important to make gains in strength.

I lift weights four times per week, but I work a different major muscle group each time to allow healing time for muscles I worked out previously.

Example,

Day 1 chest and triceps
Day 2 rest
Day 3 back and biceps
Day 4 rest
Day 5 legs and abs
Day 6 shoulders and whatever feels weak
Day 7 rest

[Hektore]

Good points on the rest, the routine I followed for 4 days/week:

Mon: Arms/chest/shoulders
Tue: Back, gluts, legs
Wed: off
Thu: Arms/chest/shoulders
Fri: Back, gluts, legs
Sat/Sun: Off

Always at least two full days without working a group.

Another way I did briefly (in season for one season, after which I went back to 4/week)

Mon: Core (abs/back/sides)
Tue: Arms/shoulders
Wed: Gluts/Legs

This can also be adapted to M/W/F if you want, with games on Saturday though I wanted to maximize recovery before games.

Another thing to help recovery - when you first start out you're going to be sore; the third day is usually the worst. The least helpful thing you can do is sit around and baby it, stretching and light aerobics will help you get over the soreness and recover faster (this also can be true throughout your workout year).

[MikeSty]

If you are an active person who runs and cycles regularity, adding lifting will probably be really easy. I enjoy playing sports but I am constantly out of shape and I struggle with balancing the routine of workouts and other stuff, even though that's inexcusable. You're already way ahead of the game if you can manage an established routine.

I had a pretty good streak where I did a variety of plyometric type things and I saw a lot of success when I stuck to it. I did 100 pushups program, as well as lots of chinups every day. I felt great and I never lifted weights, it's a shame I didn't stick to that.

I have weightlifted with a friend of mine who is rehabbing from shoulder surgery but is an experienced lifter and naturally very strong. I greatly concur with what has been said about breathing. It sounds stupid, I guess i'm a tard, but I actually have a lot of trouble with breathing right and counting my reps .... yup. Definitely make sure you can overcome that!

Definitely do not push too hard. Experienced weightlifters, even on a light weight, will have better form and stronger muscles in places you didn't even know about. I was working out with my friend and he proposed an interesting ab exercise that involved getting on my knees facing away from a pulldown machine (rope handle thing, not the lat bar), and then basically doing a crunch towards the ground. It was a great AB workout for him, but since I wasn't accustomed to lifting weights at all, i thought my forearms were going to explode - I wasn't used to having to grip shit and didn't have the requisite forearm strength. I'm an unathletic weakling but it's a point of note.

I'm surprised no one said anything about diet, but maybe it's because since you're active and healthy you already manage that well and no-one has bothered to mention it. Still, eating lots of protein is a subject that (in my experience) people who lift weights love to tell you about. After any kind of workout I usually have a decent amount of yogurt with some protein powder.