Help a lifting noobie?

Workout regimens like 5X5 and 5/3/1 are primarily strength-building regimens. If you want overall fitness, a different regimen might be in order, but 5X5 or 5/3/1 would be a good way for a noob to build core strength before moving to a regimen with a wider range of exercises. With either 5X5 or 5/3/1, you're working out the body's biggest muscle groups with compound movements, which means more fat burning. Seriously, rep your max squat weight and your heart beats like a machine gun. You can't get that jogging around the block.

You might not be welcome at PF after you get stronger. I looked at the place just for the tanning booths and hydro-massage tables, and I was told "this isn't the place for body builders or power lifters, but for people who want to lose weight and get fit." The fact I'm built like a linebacker probably didn't help. But in your case, because 5X5 is basically training for power lifters, you'll eventually drop the weights hard enough to set off the lunk alarm (especially when deadlifting), or issue a loud, unintentional and involuntary grunt when squatting that will intimidate some fatty on a treadmill who's deathly afraid of free weights and secretly jealous of anyone who uses them, who will then complain to the PF staff.

One of the greatest things about weightlifting is that it provides opportunities to surpass previous boundaries and obstacles, on an almost daily basis. Its a place where you can push yourself to new heights, defy expectations, set new levels of performance, and see things differently than before. If you work out in a place where you're always looking over your shoulder in fear of tripping some kind of alarm, be it mechanical or from some other person's insecurities, you are going to hold yourself back.

PS-there's a lot of good videos regarding proper weightlifting form on YouTube. Just do a search for each exercise and check out a couple of the videos. The two most common mistakes noobs make is not dropping low enough on a squat, and not keeping the back straight on deadlifts.

/r/madisonwi Thread