This is orientalism. There's nothing "zen" about it.
The Zen of Weight Lifting
11–20 of 90 posts
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#12I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
My working place is actually the gym room of my house. I simply have a standing desk for my laptop, and then I can lift some weights whenever I want to stop looking at code.
Make sure you get the main items: Olympic bar, squat rack, maybe a multi-gym machine thingy with ropes and weights, and hand weights of some sort. Also get one of those modern scales if weight is one of your goals, it will record your weight to 2 decimals on an app for you.
For motivation, I pay an online gym some money to do a training + diet + measurements program. I've done weights for a good long while now, so I don't need the detailed instructions so much, but they do also offer videos of every exercise, exact recipes for every meal (with my goals in mind), and instructions about how to measure yourself, all on web/mobile. It even lets you record what weights you're doing and has a convenient clock to measure your resting time. Coach then checks in now and again to see how I'm doing.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#13I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
Tonal is amazing and great for beginners
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#14I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
I think it would be better to go to a gym like planet fitness. It’s really hard to do well rounded strength training without dropping a ton of money in weights. You should spend 6-12 months building a habit at the gym and if you decide to stick with it then consider buying equipment for a home gym
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#15I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
Recs here for benches and racks are great and I second them, but if you want a less costly and space consuming way to see whether you like the activity before committing, kettlebells are a great way to get started. With a couple of pairs at different weights you can do (versions of) all of the main powerlifting movements.
You definitely can’t hit your legs as hard as you can with a bar and a rack, but kettlebells are much much more “small apartment friendly”. You can hide them in a closet easily.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#16I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
The hardest part is habit-building. So whatever works for you for building daily habits. My plan is to put a calendar on the wall with boxes for habits and check them off with a colored pen. Nice visible reminder of what I'm working on and how I'm doing. I was derailed by a severe cold that I'm still recovering from. The exercise routine itself matters less, IMO, than building the habit. Some basic calisthenics (body…
Don't overlook the comment about form. Form is everything, weight is secondary. Get a professional trainer to help you setup your form once you move to barbell work and then you can go from there on your own.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#17I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
Hit the gym and get a trainer to make sure your form and path for the first few months is solid. The most important thing, is wanting to do it.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#18I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
Try Fitbod. It’ll work with any equipment you have at home and guide you towards a great strength program.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#19I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
If you want strength without bulk, yoga
If you want lean, its diet. Only.
If you want fitness, circuit training. Can be done in your living room.
If you want swoll, hit the gym.
Re: The Zen of Weight Lifting
#20I would like to know how to start strength training at home - to counteract sitting at a computer (strengthen the core, etc) and to trade some fat for muscle, becoming lean. any recommendations? EDIT: thank you for the overwhelming response
Read Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.
Yes, this is the best book for a beginner. Not only will it explain how to do the lifts in great detail, it'll also make you appreciate why you should be lifting.
After reading the book, I would still go to a personal trainer. A few hundred dollars to have someone help you learn an important life-long skill is good value. Book is great, but having someone watch over you and correct you in the beginning is still very important.