Daily check in - NoVEmbeR give up!
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Btw, fractional plates are not easy to find. I looked for them in a few sports stores around me and none of the stores carried them. I ended up buying a pair for a few bucks online.0
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I really, really love this list! I'm going to start needing these for my OHP and bench soon, seems like a good opportunity to stock up on a nice kit
You can always just drag your own fractional plates with you TO the gym. It's what I do. I have a string bag full of my own goodies that sits by me all the time so I can use it if I need it.
- jump rope
- fractional plates (I only carry the 1lbs & 1/4 plates but I do have 1/2 and 3/4 plates back home)
- straps
- kettllebell arm guards
- resistance bands
- lax ball
- pen & notebook
- chalk
- liquid grip
- watch
- towel
- water bottle
- bite guard (although I need to remodel it, so I don't use it lol)
- tissues
Is anyone else a bit crooked/uneven? I lost a lot of muscle on my left shoulder from an injury a while back, and I find I'm still successful on my barbell bench/ohp, but you can really tell the weakness when doing dumbbell presses (my group conditioning does these). I'm fairly certain it's not too discernable most of the time, but when it's bad I can definitely tell. I think it may have not improved as the right arm is merely overcompensating. I have noticed that doing dumbbell bench once a week has helped a bit though; I'm thinking every second bench session I may use dumbbells instead (and see how this translates to OHP).
Thoughts?!
@nancy276 - this may not be helpful whatsoever and it may be obvious - but I used to struggle with getting 45's on and off but lifting the bar helped a bit. Then to get the last 45 off, I'd pick up the bar and just slide off the 45. But, the app starts giving warmup sets at 155 (warm up 135lbs) if that helps any.
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Thanks arrrjt! I do lift the bar but the plates don't like to move haha. I guess this is why no one uses clips at my gym. Just changing the plates is a workout sometimes. Did you pay for the warmups? I've been using only the free stuff on the app and have not seen warmup sets.
I am noticeably uneven on OHP and bench sometimes. My left side will go up slower than my right so I have to really think about keeping both sides balanced. My husband says i am imagining things but I feel like my left bicep shadow looks smaller than my right when I flex. I should prob do some dumbell exercises but have been too lazy to figure it out.0 -
I definitely have uneven sides. My left is smaller than my right, because I'm right dominant. I want to start adding some unilateral exercises if I have the time.
Today's workout:
Squats: 5@70,85,95,95
OHP: 5@45,50,55,60
DL: 5@95,105,120,140 (PR 1.3xBW)
Inverted rows: 3x8 (I really need to work on these lol)
Bench dips: 3x8
Single leg glute bridge: 1 min each side
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Hey guys, great lifting going on.
I was(am) in kind of a funk. Monday's lifting sucked, moved Tuesday's to today, sucked. Blah blah blah.
OHP warm up then 55 lbs x 5 60 lbs x 5 65 lbs x3 then 55 lbs x5
I think I am just going to repeat 5 week next week instead of deloading. If I deload it will take me 3 months to get back to where I was last month and that is just *kitten*. I also think I am going to change my accessories to 3x10 instead of 5x10 at least for a little bit.
I had so much determination for close to 18 months and now I am just full of ick and blah. I almost feel like I am going through a stint of depression again. It's been almost 2 years since I was seeing a therapist regularly, maybe it's time to call her up again, still too early to jump to that conclusion though.0 -
Nice job everybody!
Warm up:
20 min stationary bike
10 min row
BP 1x10@45, 2x5@55, 2x5@65, 3x5@70
SQ 1x12@45, 2x5@65, 1x5@85, 1x5@105, 2x5@135, 2x5@105
DL 1x10@45, 1x5@65, 1x5@85, 1x5@95, 1x5@115, 2x5@135, 1x5@115
Tried using gloves but made the bar more slippery so maybe i need real gloves. Any suggestions?
Feeling stronger and more confident but sluggish digestion all day - ick. Ate heavy today (about 2,000+) which seemed to help with overall energy, strength but concerned about being able to make my low cal day tomorrow. We shall see!0 -
I saw a guy do a totally nifty trick to unload his barbell, so I googled and found a video that shows what he did:
Easy Barbell Unloading
The guy at my gym used the small plate on both sides.0 -
@Surfing -- I have gloves, but actually greatly prefer chalk.
@ Nancy --
I ordered my fractional plates from RogueFitness.com -- less than $20 including shipping.
My left side is definitely weaker than my right, and I can definitely tell when I use dumbbells instead of the bar (probably why I hate DB so much!). Doing some isolation exercises is an interesting idea -- will contemplate.Squats: 1x5 empty bar, 1x5 65lbs, 5x5 100lb! I was so excited to try these today after feeling pretty good on 95lbs on Monday. These were difficult but not impossible so I'll be trying 105 on Friday.
Deadlifts: 1x5 95lbs and 1x5 140 lbs. Felt hard but awesome. I think deadlifts are my favorite. Can't wait until I can do my bodyweight.
Question regarding deadlifts, do you guys think a warm up set is necessary when I'm only doing 140? If not, when does it become necessary? The plates are incredibly hard for me to get on and off of the bar when its on the ground so a warm up sets are a drag, especially when adding having to stack for the smaller plates.
WOOHOO for TRIPLE DIGITS! Nice job!
And yes, we all love those deadlifts! Great job.
I agree that messing with the plates is a total pain in the *kitten* (see above for easier ways), but I've found that doing a warm-up set (usually ~90 lbs) really helps get me focused and locks in my form. I'm a little paranoid about deads, so I find it's definitely worthwhile. As already mentioned, the 5x5 program recommends that you start warm-ups when you get to 155 lbs. (but that's likely male-centric). I'm sure other folks will have better advice.
Again -- awesome job!
C.
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Last one for the night, and while it might be more of a "chit chat" post, I wanted to put it here because you all are my peeps. Bear with me --
This has been an incredibly hectic week. I had to interview someone for 2 hours on Tuesday, had a paper due today, have a presentation tomorrow, and another one Saturday. This is on top of the normal workload of hundreds of pages of reading and ten hours of research assistant work every week. It's one of those weeks when it feels like it's not all going to get done, and when I have to just be OK with not making it to the gym.
But tonight....
I NEEDED to go to the gym. It wasn't "Oh well, let's go ahead and mosey over there." It was, "I don't have time, I have a million other things I should do in that hour, it might not be the smartest use of my time right now -- but I NEED my workout!"
So I went. I blew off some school stuff and had the most fantastic night at the gym. Everything clicked. I felt strong and solid and focused. I upped all my weights and hit all my reps.
And in the middle of it all, I realized that I'm not f*cking around anymore -- this isn't a fad. This isn't something I'm doing for right now, knowing I'll most likely fall off the wagon next month. Working out, eating well, and losing weight are finally, finally! my top priority.
I have been waiting so long for this moment. I've spent YEARS, more than a decade, wondering why -- when I wanted to lose weight SO BADLY, when I could say without hesitation it was what I wanted MOST IN THE WORLD -- I still couldn't make it a priority. And today -- today is that day. I'm not sure I can actually describe my emotions right now, but I can tell you...
I feel AMAZING.
*****
StrongLifts 5x5 / Workout A
Squats - 5x5 @ 115 lbs.
Bench Press - 5x5 @ 77.5 lbs.
Rows - 5x5 @ 80 lbs.
Accessories:
Abductor machine - 1x12 @ 80, 90, 3x12 @ 100
Adductor machine - 1x12 @ 80, 85, 90, 95, 100
Skullcrushers - 3x12 @ 20 (First set w/ 1x20 lbs. dumbbell, second and third sets w/ 2x10 lbs. dumbbells - trying to figure out a comfortable grip)0 -
@llama - (((hugs))) to you hun. Maybe worth making an appointment - be proactive and just go and see if it helps. What have you got to lose? xx
@crabada - you rock!!! Seriously that post is the *kitten* and was a great thing to see - you got this Hun!! Woop woop!
Blah to today
Squat 5x5 @ 140lbs working back up
Bench 5,5,5,4,3 @ 85lbs I'll get you next time bench!!
Row 5x5 @ 85lbs
Bedtime now - can't be bothered eating my planned snack, I'll take the deficit - was well over 140g of protein today so not needed.0 -
Well, I see all you ladies are doing fantastic as usual!!
Last night was the first time I had lifted in a week. My son, a Marine, called last Friday evening and asked if he and a few Marine buddies could come home from base and stay at our house for the weekend. Of course...yes!!! Duh. So between them staying in my workout area and just having fun hanging out with them (note: don't try to keep up with Marines and their drinking!!!) it was a busy weekend. And we also helped my daughter (who just bought a house) drywall on Sunday and Monday. So, yeah, life just got in the way a little bit. NBD
Finally got to lift last night:
Squats: 5x5 @ 115 lbs. Same as last time. Even though it's only been a week since I last lifted, it felt heavy!
BP: 5x5 @ 95 lbs. Again...heavy!
Rows: 5x5 @ 85 lbs. I've been at this weight for a little while now and I can feel it getting easier and form improving.
@crabada: That is freaking awesome. I love that you "needed" the workout! It's great to do something for ourselves.
Have a great week all!0 -
@surfin maybe something like this could be up your alley?: http://ca.bodybuilding.com/store/big-back-grips/big-back-lifting-grips.html (yes it looks silly, I got a pair similar to these in a giveaway bag and I gave them away cuz they were too big for me and felt awkward and I already have callouses and can use chalk, so why bother? But according to the reviews, they do work. Maybe trim them down to size if that's what you need, it's just foam)
@whoever asked about deadlift warm-ups: I usually do 95, 115, 135 (5/5/3) before my working sets. If for some reason I don't have access to the bumper plates I just use the rack and do romanian or don't give a crap and do deficit deads. It's just a warm-up so I'm not too worried. Also will use the rack to load up the 45s at the very least. My gym's plates and the floor being somewhat uneven (lol) make it a lot easier to add weight, but the 2.5 or 5lbs plate under the 45 helps a ton, too.
@crabada AWESOME GIRL! It IS a great feeling when you realize this whole lifting thing has become a part of your life!
@llama I'm in a good bit of a funk too. Seasonal changes and other stuff going on with the after-wedding and immigraiton papers... it sucks, but push through it, it'll be worth it! If anything, when the rest of your life makes you feel like crap, use lifting as your therapy! The thing about Wendler is, as I am noticing, sometimes those + sets have you expecting some huge PR and on any given day you're going to fall short. If you go in with lower expectations and just looking for a good time no matter the outcome, you'll still make progress!
On to today's... thing? OHP 5/3/1 (repeat)
65x5
75x3
82.5x3 - I tried for a 4th rep but got to that stupid eye level sticking point and couldn't push through this time. At least I added a rep here. Getting close to reaching a plateau here - slower than I'd done in the past for OHP, though. So that's a win. (slow progress is still progress)
65x9
EMOTM x6 of pull/chin ups with 65lbs of assist for first 4 rounds, 80 for the last 2, 3-5 reps each round
4 rounds of double KB
- snatch x5
- push press x5
- front rack lunges x 5/leg
- power cleans x5
started at 25 but my form was sooo bad I regressed to 20s for rounds 2-4. Also not 100% sure those KBs are not another pair of 30s. They feel a smidge lighter but from day to day it seems to vary so Iunno.
EMOTM x6
- sumo deadlift kb pop squat x4 (20kg kb)
- RAT 1/2 burpees
Managed 34 half burpees just like last time, but the kB was heavier, so meh. I gave it a good go but not my all. I've had 5 hours of sleep or so.
I'm thinking one more Wendler cycle, test my maxes, then finish running through the Garage built body without the additional barbell stuff and focusing more on fat loss. That'll take me past new year easily. Then we'll see where I go from there.
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This morning was pretty awesome!
Finally got back to squats!
Warm up + 4x5 @ 85lbs. I deloaded a bit since I haven't done them for 3 sessions. But my last set I did 1x5 @ 90lbs!
OHP - Warm up + 5x5 @ 55lbs - Super happy about this!
DL - 1x5 @ 95lbs, 1x5 @ 115lbs, 1x2 @ 135, 1x2 @ 125.
These were hard today. Form is getting better, but I think my head wasn't in it by the time these came around.0 -
In the hotel gym today.
Goblet squats 5x40 lbs, 5x45 lbs, 5x5x50 lbs -- I felt like this got my core much more than legs. I don't think I could have held a heavier weight but I might try 55lbs on Saturday.
DB Bench press 5x25 lbs, 5x5x30lbs -- this was hard
Regular barbell rows 5x5x80lbs -- they had an oly bar but no squat rack or bench press. Strange.
Cable crunches 12x22.5, 12x27.5, 12x32.5, 12x37.5, 12x42.5
Then I went for a walk on the beach!
Edited because hit post too soon.0 -
been playing another mafia game. anyone who's done this, you'll know how it eats your whole life. my studded tires arrived so i rode my bike over to drop it off and went on from there to the gym, but i'm not too surprised by the way today went since i've kind of forgotten to eat these past days and the weather's turned cold. everything in me tightens up and gets riskier when it's cold.
got halfway into my 4th squat set at 85 lbs (again), struggling with it all the way. then something got pinched or tweaked in my left shoulder in a way that was making it clear i wasn't going to hold onto the bar. so i racked it back up and came home. arm's better now but it was weak for the whole walk home, so i'm very comfortable with making that call.
feel like it's time to rest for a week.
**i'm excited about my tires though. the guy showed them to me in the store, and they look way better and narrower than i thought they'd be for studs with pretty close to a knobby-tire tread. and not too many studs, it looks like. it's surprising how few you actually need to give you stability, once you've gotten used to how to use them. it's been below freezing all week, and now i'm probably the only person in this city who's actually hoping it snows.
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Went to the gym yesterday finally and had to deload significantly. I guess it's perfect that my 5x5 app updated and deleted all my history
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Squats were down to 75 from 115-120 and deads were down to 115 from 195. I completed them but they were tougher than I expected. Guess a month and a half of inconsistent workouts will do that to you! I also started OHP again but did it at 30 lbs. which was pretty easy. I need to not worry so much about progressing because my workouts are going to be interrupted for the next month or so.
*I saw that the app has an option to securely back up your data for $1.99 now - something a good program should do inherently. Way to nickel and dime, Mehdi.0 -
Did workout B today. Squats 5@45, 5@55, 5@70 (3x), OHP 5x5@45, deadlift 5@110. Did some split lunges with 30lb barbell, too.I feel great!0
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MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »
*I saw that the app has an option to securely back up your data for $1.99 now - something a good program should do inherently. Way to nickel and dime, Mehdi.
Yeah, I saw this on the same day that the app lost all my data and started me at the beginning. I think I'm done with the app!0 -
SkepticalOwl wrote: »MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »
*I saw that the app has an option to securely back up your data for $1.99 now - something a good program should do inherently. Way to nickel and dime, Mehdi.
Yeah, I saw this on the same day that the app lost all my data and started me at the beginning. I think I'm done with the app!
Me too! I like that it's simple but I hate "free" apps that turn around and charge you for basic functionality. Plus, I'm probably going to transition to 3x5 or 5/3/1 soon so the app would be harder to use (although there is a 3x5 upgrade for $1.99!).0 -
Dude! Bummer about everyone losing their history. I would be so pissed, even though I'm only 5 weeks in. I might just spend the 10 bucks and buy the whole SL 5x5 suite.
Workout A today. Holy balls, my *kitten* is kicked.
Squats: Warmups then 5x5@120. These still felt good, though my butt is feeling them now.
Bench: Warmups then 4x5 + 1x4@105. Yeesh, these were tough. I whiffed the last rep, so will repeat.
Rows: Warmups then 1x5 @95 lbs and 4x5@90 lbs. I tried to progress but hit the wall. Realized that I need to probably repeat 90 lbs a few times. Rows are so hard, not just in muscular terms, but also coordination-wise.
Accessories: 4x5 assisted pullups at 64 lbs of assistance. Didn't have time for anything else because I had to get back to work for a meeting.0 -
Workout B yesterday!
Squats - 1x5 @ 165 (because I can't rack correctly...) 4x5 @ 155lbs
OHP - 5x5 @ 70 lbs
Deadlift 1x5 @ 135, 1x5 @ 175 lbs
Everything felt pl/
Finished off with some arm work (3x12 lat pulldowns @ 50, 3x12 chest press @ 45 lbs), my lower legs was a bit... off.. as I lost my orthotics and did cardio Tuesday/Wednesday so wanted to give them a bit of a break.
Great job everyone!0 -
TGIF!
I don't have to work today, so I did an extra long workout.
Squats: 5@65,80,100,115, 3@130(PR), 8@95
Bench: 5@45,45,50,60, 3@70(PR), 8@60
Rows: 5@45,50,60,70, 3@80, 8@70
Triceps bench dip: 3x8
Barbell shrugs: 3x8 @45
Glute bridges: 3x8 @70
Good mornings: 3x8 @45
BW glute-ham raise: 3x8
I hope I'll be able to walk tomorrow. I was struggling going up the stairs lol
Have a wonderful weekend, ladies! 0 -
Nice workout today.
Workout A (Fri)
Dumbbell Side Bends - 5 x 10 - 40
Flat dumbbell flys - 5 x 10 - 40
Concentration curls - 5 x 10 - 20
Overhead Press, Barbell - 5 x 5 - 65
squats 5 X 5 - 200
Barbel Row, Bent Over - 5 x 5 - 100
Reverse curls 5 x 5 - 100
underhand bicep curls 5 x 5 - 125
Oblique crunches - 1 x 100 (each side)
Leg extensions - 5 x 5 - 45
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Weakling Friday! Which is pretty much as expected. I also went to the gym tired, hungry, unmotivated and having skipped Wed just because I was preoccupied with other projects. So you can imagine how well this went lol.
No warmup cardio. Because I didn't feel like it.
Squats - New weight 80lbs. I felt pretty weak to add new weight but I have squatted 75lbs for so long that I just needed to give it a shot. It was ok. Not bad, not great. I'm going to try to go up again on Monday after a weekend of eating lots of food.
OHP - Sigh. I did try at 50lbs but could only do 1x4. So I dropped it to 45 and still could barely finish my remaining 4x5. Weak, weak weak.
Deadlifts - My favorite, and they were so awful today
Tried my new weight of 145 and my grip was just so weak and pathetic today I could barely hold the bar. Did 2@145 then deloaded to 135 and it was still tough (and I have deadlifted 135 for a while now). Did maybe 4x135. Felt like my grip was going to slip. Felt sad.
Then I just made a bitchy face and went home. No accessories, zip, nada, zilch.
So far my hypothesis about my weakling fridays holds true, but I didn't go on Wednesday so I can't be sure. If I have a great and strong Monday I will definitely suspect I'm right. But I was not surprised to do poorly today; I haven't eaten well during the week (I really, really, really need to stop eating light on the weekdays and heavy on the weekends)0 -
@threnjen I am pretty sure you have things figured out; I find this too (when I actually manage to stick with a deficit during the week
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I have had the crappiest week I think I have had in a year and a half. I binge ate, was weak, skipped (well rearranged) workouts, didn't run, was terribly lazy in general. My plan now is to just try to get back into that groove, so logging but eating at maintenance and getting my workout in no matter how suckie it goes.
Well tonight I came home early from work, got it done before I had to get the tiny human and the not so tiny human and rocked my day 5 squats.
Warm up then 150lbs x 5, 165 lbs x 5 and 185 lbs x 6
Accessories
Straightleg deadlifts 95lbs, rear lunges 25 lbs plate x 2, burpees I did 10 reps 3 sets and I think as long as I am trying to lift in a deficit (haha) I will keep my heavy accessories to 3 sets, I might keep upper body things to 5 sets IDK we shall see.0 -
I have been lifting for a couple months now, and doing bench presses and push ups regularly for over a year. I just started stronglift today and I am wondering about setting goals. I used the 45 pound bar for squats and rows, and did my bench press at 75 to start, even though I benched 85 in longer sets a couple days ago. I did do a bunch of other strength training in addition to the strong lift exercises. I am wondering about how to set goals for myself. I want to get stronger, but I really want to avoid injury. I have osteoarthritis in my neck and upper back, and my knees tend to get sore if I overwork them. I am age 42, 5'6, 159 lbs, and approximately 29% body fat. Can someone give me advice on what sort of goals I should set for the next few months? The weights that I used today were all on the easy side and I didn't end up waiting a full 90 seconds for any of the exercises.0
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More evidence of the truth of threnjen's theory... today's lifts were pretty weak after probably not eating enough during the week.
Squats: 2x5 empty bar, 1x5 65, and squeezed in 3x5 on 105lb squats with questionable form and then failed on the last two sets getting in 4 and 3 reps.
Bench: 1x5 empty bar, 5x5 67.5lbs. These were actually okay.
Rows: 5x5 70lbs. Got tired at the end and couldn't go all the way to my chest. Dude at the gym told me to use dumbbells to stack my bar on instead of plates because my stack was still too low. Dumbbells then seemed too high and too small of a surface area to land on.
Finished with some assisted pull up machine things. I have not been able to do more reps or use less weight on this.
Then I gave up and did some stairs so I can go eat some prime rib tonight. Lots of eating planned for the weekend so next workout should be good.0 -
@sing I found the best goals to set are adherence goals and direction goals. So for me my goals are to do my 4 workouts a week and increase my 1 rm on the big lifts. I find setting more concrete goals (like bench x by Christmas) sets me up for failure or injury.0
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Hotel gym again today:
Goblet squats 5x30 lbs, 5x 50 lbs, 5x5x55 lbs.
DB OHP 5x12x15 lbs -- couldn't get more than 3 reps at 20 lbs. These are harder than the barbell OHP!
DL 1x5x135 lbs
Accessories:
Plate bicep curls 3x12x10 lbs
Weighted incline situp 3x12x25 lbs.
Not bad after my 13 mile run yesterday!0 -
Day 5 for bench
Warmup then 70lbs X5 85lbs X 5 95 X 5
I might have been able to get one more on my plus set but I really didn't feel like risking it (roll of shame is loud and the baby was sleeping).
Accessories
Assisted pull ups, tricep kickbacks and upright rows. 10 reps 3 sets.0
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