the_boy

Evening All,

I've got a question about trying to keep fit and being healthy in general.
Basically started going to the gym at the start of March, it's a mixture of cycling machines, free weights, smith machine, weight machines and swimming.

After about 8 weeks I still don't seem to be getting any better
eg. some days I struggle to lift the same amount of weight as when I first started
I've got definition in my back and shoulders coming through but energy wise I should be starting to lift heavier weights I would have thought?? I'm doing 3 reps of 10 on everything.

Can't really see where I am going wrong. Like I said I'm gyming 3 times a week and playing football every Thursday. I eat fairly sensibly....

Fruit & Nut Shredded Wheat for breakfast
Lunch spead over the day is:
2 brown (granary buns) filled with tuna & sweetcorn
Soya yoghurt
Banana
Dinner can be a few things but I often have Chicken breasts with rice

I only drink at weekends, don't smoke and drink mainly water and tea during the day.

In addition only recenlty about half way round the gym and this applied specifically to the leg press I'll do my first rep on it and rest but find that I feel a bit light headed and weak. It goes quite quickly, quick enough for me to finish but I don't know why it happens....

Anyone got any ideas where I may be going wrong or anything I should change to help with increasing the weights I can use?

I've also been doing a lot of chest exercises to try and tone up my pecs but I seem to be hitting my shoulders, outer arms and traps more than my chest. Apart from the chest press which seems to target my upper arms more than anything else are there any other exercises I can use to really sort my chest out?

Any help or advice greatly appreciated
Cheers

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like low blood sugar.

Eat some nuts or have a banana half an hour before you start and make sure you do at least 20mins of aerobic (heart rate probably between 90-100bpm is true aerobic depending on volumetric efficiency and fitness level) exercise before doing any weights.

King RA

I ALWAYS go light headed on the leg machine. On several occasions I've felt really ill and had to sit down in a cold sweat. This is because if you try hard enough it takes all the oxygen out of your blood/head.

Don't do 3 sets of 10, do 3 sets of 6 TO 10, never ever finish on a number, finish because you physically cannot lift the bar up any more.

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

to get stronger you need to lower the reps and up the weight.

davegtt

Isnt there a difference between being healthy and wanting to be able to lift more and gain more strength.... ? Sounds like your doing the healthy route and not doing the strength section where you want to be eating lots of stuff like Chicken 3 times a day. Im no expert but thought it was fairly obvious.

the_boy

I know you increase the weight and reduce the reps but TBH I just want to get fit / toned rather than bulk up.

It's more that I seem to struggle somedays to lift the same amount of weight that I started lifting when I first joined the gym??

Good idea about the blood sugar level. I'll have to start buying more bananas as I'm not a huge fan of nuts.

Shaolin

Happens to me also, you just have bad days and good days and alot of it will be in your mind, get yourself in the right frame of mind before your workout.
And dont set a number, if you set a number to 10 reps then in your head you will be telling yourself your getting tired towards the end, if you dont know when the end is you will lift more, if that makes any sense !