How far out did it take for you to get to lifting weights?

[Will 61]

This might be a man specific topic, I don't know, but when did you start to be able to lift heavy weights? I want to get into strength training but I'm cautious.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I think the canned response is 6 weeks to even start lifting and then 6 months until you go super heavy. It all depends on the completion of healing. I started lifting heave at month 10, but I think that is jut me. I came in late to the game and it took me a couple month to work up he muscle to go heavy. Supplement yourself with bcaas and other products to help recover faster and to complete more reps with greater intensity in order to get to a point where you can dead lift or squat 300. That is just my opinion and I am fairly new to the lifting. There are lots of guys on VST that have experience to answer this question with authority.

[Will 61]

Ah, thanks dude. Fiddleman, you're the best with answers, seriously. I'm so glad you're around here!

By heavy lifting, do you mean like, 100+ pounds? Do you think 20 pound weights/bars would be alright?

[Fiddleman 4,376]

Heavy is truly in the eye of the beholder. 100 lb will be heavy to a fairly new lifter. A seasoned lifter might say 250 is heavy. And then there are some that consider 500+ to be heavy. Most bars are 35-45 lbs without any weights. You can start practicing your form with just a bar until you have repeatable good form. Slowly increase weight until you fail by adding 5-15 lb increments on each side of the bar. Try and get in 8-10 reps with good form. That is where strength is going to come from, being able to complete 3-5 sets of 8-10 reps of 70% max weight. As you get stronger, your max, of course, keeps rising. Do not try and go heavy before you have great form or you may injure yourself. And sitting out to recover from injury is no fun (no experience with injury, but can imagine it to be a drag). Once you get into heavy range, make sure you have a spotter you can trust or t least have the knowledge of how to get out of a heavy lift properly on your own. There are definitely improper ways to drop out of a lift that can seriously injury yourself.