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Weightlifting
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As I’ve mentioned before, one of my favorite hobbies is weightlifting. But not bodybuilding, or machines, I mean the real deal. On the picture above, I’m about to squat 260 pounds (~118 kg), about 65% more than my body weight. video available here:
Looks great in YouTube’s HQ ^^; anyway, there are tons of myths regarding weightlifting and gyms. Most people worldwide have no idea what real weightlifting is, including trainers and physical educators. Fortunately, there’s an excellent book called Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe, who has trained a vast number of competent Powerlifters and Olympic lifters too. Anyway, in the last video, my friend and spotter Pnigro helped me get the last rep, but I swear I could do it myself :) and can I prove it?
Anyway, I used to be extremely skinny and weak a few years back. Being a Computer Engineering student and a video-game programmer also took quite a toll on my health (10,000 Lines of Code a week was a killer) — my weight being 55 kilos at that time, 20 kilos less than my current bodyweight. Anyway, I always excercised quite a lot, however, I never saw a real gain neither in my health, physique, or strength, and ultimately stopped going at all. Fast-forward a few years later, and the above mentioned friend introduced me to Rippetoe’s book. After that day, I became a weightlifting geek and started reading, investigating, sutmitting videos for critique to the actual author. And no, I’m not in steroids or any other weird supplements or diet plans ^^
After one year of weightlifting, my strength has increased dramatically, and so has my weight, strength, and physique, if you know what I mean ^^; I’ve dragged a few friends too since they have seen my considerable gains, and anyone who hasn’t seen me in a few months usually tells me good stuff about my back and arms, and size overall. And I’m certainly not gifted, which means that anyone can do it, if you do it right. Actually, I help train a real talented friend of mine — he’s 220 pounds, incredibly strong, and plays rugby for a national team. My squats and deadlift are still stronger though :) but not for long. Anyway, if you have a question about weightlifting, feel free to inquire, I’d be more than glad to help.
The excercise above is called the deadlift — yeah, pretty scary name, huh? It’s my strongest lift, my personal record being 315 pounds (~143 kg), three 45 lbs plates on each side. Today’s deadlift was 310 pounds though:
That’s a little less than twice my body weight, which gets a bit heavy. And for those who think that I’ll end up in a wheelchair in a couple of months, my knee, back, and shoulder pains are long gone. I’ve never felt better before! In fact, I’m hardly stressed now, and my stomach is 100% healthy, had lots of problems a few years back.
You usually see the gorilla guys doing curls, smith machines, or machine leg presses. The real stuff (the ones I’m doing) will kick you the real deal, and leg pressers who press more than 1000 lbs and weight more than 250 lbs have very hard time squatting a few reps with 225 pounds, which I normally squat 10 reps without much difficulty. It’s not uncommon for trainers and trainees to look at us as kids who don’t know what they’re doing, and after we finish our workout, it’s not uncommon for them to ask us if we compete :) though in reality I’m still hundreds of pounds away from pro power lifters. I don’t mean to criticize anyone who frequents the gym to do typical gym programs, I did one for more than three years. I simply want to try and enlighten you :)
Another friend of mine who loves animé is waiting for the day I look like Full Metal Panic’s Armstrong:
Not gonna happen soon though ^^; but most people still can’t believe that I used to be such a skinny guy — think of the usual stereotypic Chinese guy. Anyway, I’m very excited with my progress and expect much more in my second year as a weightlifter wannabe. Surely the day I get injured may come, but that doesn’t mean I’m doing things wrong or that it cannot be fixed, I stopped playing piano for a while because I almost got tendinitis. If you wanna achieve something in life, you’ll need to make sacrifices and be able to survive through them :)
“The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.
The Iron never lies to you. You can walk outside and listen to all kinds of talk, get told that you’re a god or a total bastard. The Iron will always kick you the real deal. The Iron is the great reference point, the all-knowing perspective giver. Always there like a beacon in the pitch black.
I have found the Iron to be my greatest friend. It never freaks out on me, never runs. Friends may come and go. But two hundred pounds is always two hundred pounds.” – Henry Rollins
One of my favorite weightlifting quotes (source here). The reason I decided to write about the topic, besides being very happy for my new squat personal records, is that computer engineering otakus like me are usually stereotyped as skinny weak guys, and I surely was one of them. Anyone who wants to call me skinny and weak now can go train with me, I don’t care how much he weights. And if my contender does squat more than me, he probably knows that I’m doing it right and we may become good friends. Still hasn’t happened though!
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Comments for this article (8)
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Tasty~
Actually just today I did my first proper workout in forever. I really hope I can keep it up as while I get a lot of incidental exercise, I want to be healthy and get my heart pumping. Today I did strength training however I only lifted 1/15th of my weight (if my maths is correct). I like dance-like cardio and lifting weights but haven’t gotten as extreme as you have (yet!)
I was a gym rat in Hawaii.
I got no Gym to rat around in over in my area.
I got a bench and about 250kg with dumbbells and all + the heavybag help keep me sane.
I get mentally depressed if i miss a workout.
Keep it up bro!!
I understand that lifting weights is rewarding but I truly believe that using your own body weight as resistance is much healthier. Your knees weren’t made to push that heavy weight. Just my opinion…. not knocking you.
Carlie: Good luck! Training’s great, if you need any help or a share of my motivation let me know ^^
Chris: Last time they were painting the gym and closed for almost a week, I felt like dying, anyway, a bench and dumbells should do the trick! :D
Billy: I have no problem discussing my points. However, I must say you’re a bit wrong. Humans were born hunters, and as a hunter, you get to carry very heavy animals back to your cave if you want to survive, not just your body weight. Take a look at what another hunter animal does, the lion, or the crocodile. Both of them need to be very strong in order to kill their prey, and the same would go to human beings had we followed what we were genetically designed to do, after all there were tens of thousands of years of evolution. We no longer need to be strong in order to survive, but our body and physique have not evolved to that point yet. And it’s not only hunters, herbivores need to be strong in order to survive being hunted :)
Anyway, I could really go on and on, I’ve read a lot about it and I’m very open to discussion.
@ Billy: Weightlifting for strength training actually makes your knees much more stronger and helps you prevent injuries in the future. Only if you know what you’re doing, of course.
Do you think Hao started right away with heavy weight? He started with the EMPTY BAR and worked his way up.
I think we have ourselves a debate boys.
@Hao: I disagree that “Humans were born hunters”
take a look at our teeth… and compare them to the teeth of a true hunter like a lion of a crocodile. Not even close to being the same. I think we were really meant to eat berries. It wasn’t until we figured out how to kill animals with tools that we were able to hunt. That’s not real hunting in the animal kingdom.
To survive being hunted we need speed. You don’t get fast when you bulk up.
@Andres: I agree that weight training makes your muscles stronger. But lifting heavy weights is bad for the joints (not muscles).
Don’t get me wrong… I lift and I like the way if makes me feel. But there are ways to reach your body’s maximum natural capacity by using your own weight as resistance.
Take a look at Karl Gotch, the famous shooto wrestler. He preached hindu pushups, hindu squats, climbing rope and neck bridging. Put down the heavy weights and try his workout for a week and see how you feel. You might like it :)
I think that lifting a couple of beers in front of the TV is the only resistance meant for humans. It’s a good bicep workout. One time, my beer ran out and my wife wasn’t around to get me another one – boy, my shoulders got a good workout that day from opening and closing the fridge door whenever I needed another beer. :-)
Hey everyone, I’m very new to yoga and was just wondering what it does for my physique besides making me more flexible? this website and this yoga site has some good explanations however i’d like to obtain some feedback from some of you users. I’m attempting to acquire that cut look and a trainer suggested yoga… wtf? does this really make you ripped?