Bodybuilding Forums

hey guys new on here and getting back into training

I use to do tons of martial arts like kick boxing,MMA and never really lifted weights as it was mainly bodyweight/bag work/conditioning and i was very toned with some ripped muscle but never "massive"

now i had an accident and have been out of action bout 2 years.

now im getting back into it all but not fighting,

what would you guys recommend,

jumping in with weights only with no cardio and follow the guides on here

or

do some bag work, light conditioning for 3/4 months then hit weights


the reason i ask is ive literally done no weights or conditioning since my accident and thinking i wont have the form neccesary to perform the work outs properly and hence wasting my time

i cycle to work so got good cardio and rather slim so dont need to slim down, i just want to build up abit

thanks for any help

sirlordthanatos wrote:the reason i ask is ive literally done no weights or conditioning since my accident and thinking i wont have the form neccesary to perform the work outs properly and hence wasting my time

How could you not have the form necessary to perform the workouts properly and hence waste your time? Unless... you try to lift weights that are too heavy. This program is all about progressive overload. You can start with just the bar (or just your own body weight for that matter!) to make sure you do not do too heavy a weight, and then you will easily be able to add more weight each workout.

What does your physical therapist say you should do? If you don't have one, why not?

sorry probably didnt go into enough depth,i had a rock climbing accident, broke pretty much everything inluding all fingers in both hands, had pysio to get everything moving again but my grip/strengh it pants. i can do few chin ups before my finfers litterally give way, got one of those gyroscope balls which is helping immensley.

last saw physio bout year ago who said i would need to build up strengh and not hit weights first, but like you said its progressive even if your starting with just the handle, but just wanted another opinion

sirlordthanatos wrote:sorry probably didnt go into enough depth,i had a rock climbing accident, broke pretty much everything inluding all fingers in both hands, had pysio to get everything moving again but my grip/strengh it pants.

Ah, my husband severed a tendon in his hand several years ago and had to have two surgeries, so I remember his hand therapy to get grip strength back, and before that he had a judo accident too. I do daily shoulder therapy that cuts into my training time so I have to accept slower gains than the others too. But this is not a race and you should not be comparing yourself to others. I don't really think either of the approaches would lead to you wasting time. Just getting off your ass puts you ahead of 90% of the people out there!

I just want to let you know that if you keep at it, in a few years it may not even be obvious to people that you were ever broken. People don't notice my husband's gimpy finger; he lifts, plays the bagpipes and competes in Highland Games. Come to think of it, he's in better shape now than before he ever got hurt in judo or cut his hand! So there is hope. Start real slowly but keep light pressure on yourself to keep improving, eat and sleep plenty and you'll get where you want to be eventually.

Hope that helps!

marochka_raduga wrote:You can start with just the bar...

Quoted for truth. Seriously, start with the bar, and add weight five pounds per set or per week until you start hitting failure.

I started with the lowest setting in the leg press back in October. Today I leg-pressed three sets of 12 for 380. I realize that I have not yet hit my limits in leg press, because I easily hit the higher number. Next week I'll be shooting for 390. When I stop being able to do 12 reps, maybe I need to spend an extra week at the same weight to bump up my reps some more.

Bicep curls I started with just the bar, and am only curling 35 lbs one-handed right now eight months later. That's OK, too. Sure, it means I have a decent chest, big legs, and skinny little arms. I just need to get bigger EVERYWHERE... and so do you.

--Matt B.