Is this normal?

[warhorseman]

Hi, I've been weightlifting for the past couple of months, slowly pushing myself to heavier weights and longer reps. I've been doing it twice a week for the sake of moderation and because I don't want to experience burnout. 

But for the last couple of weeks I've only been able to do it once a week, because it takes that long for my arms to stop aching. Is this normal, or am I doing something wrong?

[Meteoric]

Counterintuitively, training less often means each session will make you more sore and for longer. Soreness is primarily an indicator that you are not conditioned to the training you're doing, and training less often will make you even less conditioned to it. But yes, soreness lasting the better part of a week isn't totally uncommon or necessarily a problem, especially when new.

 

If you're talking pain that isn't just muscular soreness, see a doctor.

 

What does your routine look like?

[SpecialSundae]

Why do you think that training more than twice a week will cause burnout?

[warhorseman]

3 hours ago, Meteoric said:

Counterintuitively, training less often means each session will make you more sore and for longer. Soreness is primarily an indicator that you are not conditioned to the training you're doing, and training less often will make you even less conditioned to it. But yes, soreness lasting the better part of a week isn't totally uncommon or necessarily a problem, especially when new.

 

If you're talking pain that isn't just muscular soreness, see a doctor.

 

What does your routine look like?

It's muscular soreness, so it's nothing to worry about there.

And here is my routine that I've completed thus far.

Push Ups: 55
Dead lifts: 30 w/30lbs
Bicep Curls: 30 w/30lbs 
Tricep Curls: 25 w/20lbs
Jabs: 60 w/20lbs (30 each arm)
Grips: 45

Note that except for Push Ups, Jabs, and Grips, the rest are for each arm.

But now that you've brought it up, maybe it is a conditioning issue.

 

3 hours ago, SpecialSundae said:

Why do you think that training more than twice a week will cause burnout?

Low on Will Power Points, trying to build the habit first before I go too crazy with it.

[TurtIe]

I don't know what a tricep curl is, but I'd recommend replacing it with a squat

[BarbarianBassBro]

8 hours ago, TurtIe said:

I don't know what a tricep curl is, but I'd recommend replacing it with a squat

It´s like brocep curlz, but doing a handstand to reverse it.

[TurtIe]

The head balance alone would make the pretty impressive  

[warhorseman]

4 hours ago, BarbarianBassBro said:

It´s like brocep curlz, but doing a handstand to reverse it.

That would be pretty funny, lol.

 

12 hours ago, TurtIe said:

I don't know what a tricep curl is, but I'd recommend replacing it with a squat

No, lol; a tricep curl is when you stand up and bend your upper body forward in a 90 degree angle. Then with the weight in hand, you move your lower arm back to where your glutes are, while your upper arm stays to the side of your torso, not moving at all. Then you just go in a curling motion depending on how many reps you wish to do.

[SpecialSundae]

That'd be a tricep extension then.

 

Either way, squats would be a better plan.

 

Where did you get your programme from?

 

Why are you doing 30 reps of ANYTHING in one set?

[warhorseman]

4 hours ago, SpecialSundae said:

That'd be a tricep extension then.

 

Either way, squats would be a better plan.

 

Where did you get your programme from?

 

Why are you doing 30 reps of ANYTHING in one set?

Actually it's something I put together, it's purpose is to exercise both parts of the arms, back, and chest. I don't go to the gym (can't afford it) so everything at this point is either self taught or I found on the internet.

Ah so that's the proper name then, but how does squats exercise the triceps? 

As for your last question, this is, again, what I've completed so far. After I reach the 30 mark I would tack on more weight to increase the intensity, either an extra 5 or 10 lbs; then when I reach 30 again, I put on some more, and keep cycling. But at the moment 30 lbs is as far as I can go until I go buy more weights. So in the mean time I just going to stick with what I have on the dead weights and bicep curls and just push the other exercises.

[SpecialSundae]

Push up will work the triceps. 

 

It might be worth incorporating more challenging bodyweight moves and following a programme written by someone with experience rather than making up your own. 

[JPrev]

The squat comment was him saying you're doing a lot of upper body stuff but not enough lower body stuff, of which squats would be excellent.

[warhorseman]

36 minutes ago, SpecialSundae said:

Push up will work the triceps. 

 

It might be worth incorporating more challenging bodyweight moves and following a programme written by someone with experience rather than making up your own. 

Problem is that most I've seen either uses machines or a bench (neither one I have and again I'm strapped on cash nor do I have the space) and the ones that doesn't use machine or bench press are only meant for 'quickie' workouts and nothing real long term. So what would you suggest?

 

10 minutes ago, JPrev said:

The squat comment was him saying you're doing a lot of upper body stuff but not enough lower body stuff, of which squats would be excellent.

Oh that's on a different day, I'm slowly building my way up to exercising 6 days a week, but each day I focus on a different part as the one I've already done is healing.

Example: Day one: Upper Body, Day two: Middle Body, Day three: Lower Body, Day four: Upper Body, Day Five: Middle Body Day Six: Lower Body, Seventh Day: Full Rest.

Because not only am I trying to gain strength, I'm also trying to lose weight as well.

[Meteoric]

This is an example of a more complete and balanced bodyweight routine. It's three days per week, but you could pretty easily split the workouts in half and make it six, if you wanted. No equipment required beyond a pullup bar. A doorway pullup bar can be had for about $20, or you can just find a playground or tree branch to use for free.

[Stonefist]

If you want a basic bw routine, do the bbww from NF. 

 

If this is easy for you, go to startbodyweight.com for more advanced progressions.

 

To lose weight, focus on what you are putting in your body.