Ok so as the New Year starts we clearly have an influx of new members here. No surprise there, there are always a huge rush of new faces to the gyms, lifting websites, and supplement stores.
With that in mind I thought we should start a thread to hopefully keep these new faces in the gym and on the boards, rather than the typical sticking around for a month or two, then giving up. We need to try and keep these people around and hopefully educate them so we have less people during dumb things in the gym and possibly make the world a little less fat.
So with that introduction let’s get to some tips on both lift and posting on T-Nation!
LIFTING:
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Please read up on some beginner workouts and go into the gym with a plan! This cuts down on the time you are wondering around the gym with that confused look in your eyes, and will also help you see much better gains in the gym. You can use the SEARCH button at the top of the screen to find a workout plan that matches your specific goal (fat loss, strength gain, more muscle mass, ect.).
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I won’t go into all the different diets, but remember it’s 10% training, 10% mental attitude, and 80% diet! Again, pick a diet that matches your goals.
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Ladies, put down the pink DB’s and start lifting HEAVY and use the major lifts (bench, squat, and deadlift). You will not get huge manly muscles, rather you will get great arms and shoulders as well as a killer set of legs!
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Men, stop wearing gloves. You are not a hand model and you look like a total wuss wearing them. The same goes for the sissy pad on the squat. The sissy pad can even be dangerous as it can cause the bar to slip off your back.
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Remember to do full range of movement. A 1/10 rep wont help you to get any stronger or bigger. There is a 120lb guy at my gym that does 1/10th reps on leg press, yet his legs look like pencils for a reason.
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Remember to clear your weights when you are done. Nothing irritates people more than the person who loads the bar, does one rep, and walks away.
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You do not need to wear a belt for every exercise you do! Only wear a lifting belt on your heaviest sets, otherwise you’ll only end up weakening your back.
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Men, don’t sit and stare at the women in a creepy manor when they are lifting! The goal isn’t to creep them all out and chase them away to Curves where they won�??t lose and fat or gain any muscle! This advice comes from three guys, who weren’t even lifting, but were staring at a figure competitor at my gym last night until she was so creeped out, she left for the night.
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If you are going to workout with someone, make sure you chose someone who won�??t miss workouts or slow your progress in anyway. You do not need Toxic people in your life.
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Don’t go overboard on supplements if you are new. You don’t need any miracle pill, just stick with the basics. The basics being protein, creatine, BCAA’s, fish oil, and maybe a fat burner like HOT-ROX.
POSTING on T-Nation:
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If you post your picture in the Rate My Physique section remember you are being based on a 10 being Mr./Mrs. O. Don’t get upset if you don’t get a good score even though you made great progress. Don’t bother posting in there if you look like a twig, it won�??t end pretty.
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Ladies, I wouldn’t suggest using the term tone or firm up. Rather go with build muscle or fat loss. Pictures are always welcome.
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Don’t post looking for steroid hook-ups or saying how they will kill you. Chances are if you are reading this you don’t need to be posting in that section anyway unless it’s a well thought out question.
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NO-Explode is toxic and not good for you. It doesn’t work miracles either.
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Ask a lot of good questions, after all you are here to learn and at least some of us are here to help.
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I’m out of ideas at the moment but I’m sure some good ones are to follow!
I know we have a very similar thread to this one already, but let’s face it, people often read the newest threads before old ones.
