Daily check-in: December why you started!
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Llamapants86 wrote: »I am also getting a lot of foot cramps, most noticably when I set up to DL. Any one have any ideas on how to fix that. I have been eating well and drinking plenty of water.
calcium and/or magnesium. kind of makes sense in a way, since heavy lifting prompts your body to start building more/denser bone tissue, so your requirement might actually increase on those two.
or i'm totally bro-sciencing it. but i know from the cramps and my calcium/magnesium pills do seem like they help a whole lot.
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Llamapants86 wrote: »I am also getting a lot of foot cramps, most noticably when I set up to DL. Any one have any ideas on how to fix that. I have been eating well and drinking plenty of water.
What kind of shoes are you wearing?
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I've been annoyed with myself because I've been feeling blah and unmotivated the last week or so, even after some rad workouts. I'm officially letting myself off the hook -- between the end of a strangely stressful semester and this cold, I think my mind and body were just trying to keep it together. I just need to make it through Sunday, then can relax a little. Send good vibes my way, please!
And you gals continue to kick serious *kitten*, inspire me, and teach me. Thank you.
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Good morning! Everyone is doing so brilliantly!
@Llamapants86--I used to get terrible foot cramps. I upped my "iums". I now take supplemental calcium, magnesium, and potassium. I haven't really been bothered by foot cramps for over a year now. I used to get them all the time, especially at night. Very painful!
Today's workout:
Squat: 5 x 5 @50
Press: 5 c 5 @45
Deadlift: 1 x 5 @80
After the deadlift I really felt "light", almost like there was no gravity. It's amazing to think that once upon a time I was carrying 80 lbs (and more) as excess weight!
Question--Does anyone else experience crunching sounds when they lift? I get this especially in my upper back. I have heard that it is nothing to worry about. I am not sore or haven't strained anything, just curious as to what it is. Ligaments? Tendons??
Have a great day everyone.0 -
Whew! I am a terrible, terrible workout designer. lol. This is what I put myself through today (keep in mind this is a deload-ish training session, so I wasn't aiming to go super heavy. I kept everything as crisp, clean and fast as i could)
Power clean & Jerk
65x4
75x2
85x1
95x5x1
Back squat
45x5
65x5
95x3
115x2
125x8x2 (EMOTM)
Seated single DB shoulder press @ 30lbs: 6 / 8 / 6
sueprset with
Barbell curl @ 45lbs: 10 / 8 / 7
For time: 10, 8, 6, 4, 2
- Ring rows & dips ( broken down muscle-up)
- burpouts (burpee with sitouts instead of a push-up)
- box jumps @ 18'
I didn't scrape my shin jumping, yay! I went pretty low because I was actually scared. Took me a bit over 13 minutes I think?
Anyone wants me to write them a program? lol
@scientific crunchy? I get that in my upper back too when I stretch my shoulders down a bit, but it usually goes away after 2-3 reps. Pretty much every move I make when I wake up cracks a bit - I just retain a lot of gas in my joints and when I first get them working in the morning I sound like a bowl of rice crispies xD
@llamapants any chance your calves might be stiff? Doing some bw calf raises beforehand might help just release the tension and ggive your ankles a bit of oiling up.0 -
Ugh today was a doozy but I did it. Too much prosecco last night
Squat 115 again 5x5 still hard but easier than Wednesday.
Bench 70 5x5. I de loaded from 80 because I could barely get 70 up. Will attempt 80 again next time.
Row 60 5x5 again. It was ok but will stick to it at least once more.
Now off to get Chinese food and get dolled up for a night out at the community VFW lol!
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ScientificExplorerGirl wrote: »Question--Does anyone else experience crunching sounds when they lift?
i snap and crackle quite a bit any time i rotate my shoulders, in particular. and when i get properly settled into a plank and then pull my lower abs in, my mid/lower spine kind of goes off one vertebra at a time like a string of tiny firecrackers. i had/have this great big male friend with one of those giant-sized skeletons, and when one of HIS vertebrae drops into place you can hear it from another part of the room.
in my case i'm pretty sure it's mostly just tendons/ligaments 'snapping' as they roll over some kind of bone protrusion. actual crunches scare me. i get them very occasionally and pretty much only in my knees, and they always feel like something much more serious happening, like cartilage having a fit of some kind.
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i'm officially allowed to Not Lift today. started the day with a worksite massage and ended it at the chiropractor's. he released something in my c3 or c4 vertebra that has been there for some time, and also found something in my mid-upper back which was twisted as well - probably whatever caused me the grief about a week back. the back one was pretty hard to put right and i'm supposed to not lift tonight, but he says i'm good now.
however, the really neat part was astonishing him by telling him what i mean by 'lifting' when i told him that i was doing it. guess he was thinking 8-12 reps of isolation with the machines or the little pink weights, but when i explained sl he was really a) impressed with the 'completeness' of the programme itself, b) enthusiastic about me going heavy and being ambitious, and c) supportive. all he said was that 'we' don't like people to lift when they're out of alignment because it trains you in the muscle habits of accommodation instead of the 'proper' ones. said i can go back tomorrow, but i should keep myself to 'fifty percent' of my current weights, sets and reps, in order to give my muscles a chance to retrain how it feels to lift when i'm not out of whack. other than that he was all about it. so @crabada will have a buddy for her deload-and-retrain thing, if she's still looking for one.
he also recommended stretching after the workouts as well. i like this guy a lot because he keeps adding kinesiology and sports-med degrees to his wall, and he's very into all that. according to him, what 'we' have found is that gentle stretching after lifting helps to promote building of 'healthy scar tissue', i.e. you get a better quality and alignment of fibres from your muscle growth. so okay; i'll do it.
pretty good way to spend 50 bucks. i should have done this a long time ago.0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »so @crabada will have a buddy for her deload-and-retrain thing, if she's still looking for one.
YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
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Workout B is done. Since I work mornings on Friday right now, I waited a bit after work, then went to the gym. Oddly, the weight area was less busy just after 8:30 pm on a Friday than it was after 11:00 pm on Monday. The squat rack was easy to get to and I kept it for OHP as no one was really around. I had to wait a little before deadlift but the guy didn't take long. Also, I tried just doing the non-cardio part of my warm-up first and did the treadmill at the very end. Think I like it that way so I'll try it out for a while and see how that goes.
Squats - 5x5 @ 105
OHP - 5x5 @ 55
Deadlift - 2x5 @ 125
I wasn't going to increase squats but couldn't find the 2.5 ones (found them during the set but oh well) so ended up with 105 but think I'll do this again next time. Since I kept to the squat rack for OHP I didn't have to used the other bars or lift first from the floor. Managed to increase from last weeks 50, so that was nice after Wednesday's fail on bench. And it has bugged me to do 1 set on deadlift because it is such effort to get it set up with the plates stacked under, so I did an extra set. I think I am going to try it with the 45's next time. I don't like the 35's, they are a pain to move on the bar and are worn so the edges but my hands. This weight didn't feel too hard till second set, so we'll see if I can do the regular 45's with no stacking underneath next time.
Feeling pretty good. Going to lift on Sunday instead of Monday to utilize coworker's gym since she has the day off, though I'll have to do it before work as I don't have another day off till Thursday. Maybe I can try at the 80 again since I'll have a spotter. But then I won't lift until Wednesday and might throw in a cardio day where I can try to jog longer. Can't imagine what a marathon takes or even a half one. I can barely jog for 8 minutes. I'm just doing it on occasion right now, but in spring I'll start training for a 5k once I know which one I'm going to do and when. But for now, I focus on the lifting. 0 -
Squats 5x5 @ 118lb
Bench 5x5 @ 56lb
Rows 5x5 @ I forget, but it went up.
I think these are right, in a bit of a dash today and haven't bothered to get my little book...0 -
@MissHoliday -- way to get it done, even with the prosecco! I always feel a lot better after those post-indulgence workouts than during.
Ran 1 mile to warm up
Knees bugging me again on squats but better today, so just 3x5@105.
OHP was hard but I did all 5x5@55. Will try 6x5 next time @55 before adding weight.
DL: 5@95, 5@115, 5@135, 5@155. I like these so much more when I do a couple of warmup sets starting light. The app tells me to start with 5@135 and then do my work set, but that just doesn't work for me.
Also 50 min kickboxing.0 -
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Yeah. I need to get all that aggression out that comes from a woman lifting heavy. Otherwise I might get too manly... or bulky... or just plain testosterone crazed.0 -
SkepticalOwl wrote: »@MissHoliday -- way to get it done, even with the prosecco! I always feel a lot better after those post-indulgence workouts than during.
Ran 1 mile to warm up
Knees bugging me again on squats but better today, so just 3x5@105.
OHP was hard but I did all 5x5@55. Will try 6x5 next time @55 before adding weight.
DL: 5@95, 5@115, 5@135, 5@155. I like these so much more when I do a couple of warmup sets starting light. The app tells me to start with 5@135 and then do my work set, but that just doesn't work for me.
Also 50 min kickboxing.
So true! I felt awful during. I was weak, exhausted easily, and I started sweating in strange places. After, though, I felt tired but renewed. Will try and remember this next time I'm posted up on the couch feeling like junk.
Also, were at similar weights for these lifts. Twinsies!0 -
Squats-5@45, 5@95 5x5@120
Bench press-5@45, 5x5@60 (didn't feel comfortable moving up to 65 yet)
Rows-5x5@65
Bicep curls 2x10@30
Tricep BB 2x10@15
Bench ab crunches 2x10
10 burpees to warmup
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Went to the gym last night for my workout, i was able to snag the Smith Machine for the entire workout:
Squats 2x5 @45 for warmups, then 5x5 @90
OHP 5x5 @ 60, my back was super tight during these, maybe because i'm actually using proper form (the seat i was using had a foot rest so i couldn't arch my back like i usually do when my feet are on the floor) *at least i didn't drop the bar on my face this time* other than that these felt really good
Deadlift: 1x5 @80
Somewhere between my squat reps and my OHP reps there was a guy who took the smith machine next to me and was doing some form of leg presses on it?????? and as i was starting my deadlifts he looked over at me and mumbled something and i just smiled and he was like "i see you working over there" and i just smiled, i was also super impressed at the number of females who were in the free weight area, i just switched gyms and most of the time while i was at my old gym it was just me and maybe one other female....LOVE IT!0 -
did a bit of gym time after my chiropractic experience, but feeling disappointed since the muscles round the adjusted joints mostly feel a lot worse than they did when things were not lined up right. probably unreasonable of me to be disappointed and i just need to grow up, but still. i just did a kind of general-revision-of-everything thing and even that had me strangely wiped out and tired afterwards.
squats at 45lb then 3 sets at 65, 95 totally out of the question right now (i tried). some pulldown sets at 12.5 pounds, well into the 50% zone of what i've been doing before. ohp, 3 sets of around 5 at 30 lbs, and deadlifts starting at 50 and going up to 70 for a while.
couldn't get the bench, but i think bench would have been a mistake with the state everything above and below my collarbone seems to be in right now. i did rows at 30lb for two or three sets as well. spent the day driving. not a typical activity and my neck didn't like it at all. and goofing around with an ex-colleague's pretty-new baby, same thing. bought a huge jar of whey protein powder, gonna make it into a shake with blueberries and yogurt, and go boil myself in a hot bath and then sleep.0 -
I miss you gals. I miss lifting. I miss breathing normally.0
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I'm a lil lazy today so I'm sharing my workout this way:
I was out of breath and sweating like a mofo even just after my warm-up. Spent the entire time panting during the lunges- and the rest in between sets. It was a pretty tough workout, to say the least.
As you can see, I also scratched off the last 2 rounds of tabatas I was planning to do. I was just too out of gas. I was so hungry and feeling so weak when I left the gym! lol
@crabada: We miss you too! I'm sure you'll come back stronger!
@canadianlbs: Y'know, I thought I was relentless but you really don't give up either! Haha. Good job on getting some work in despite the shoulder thing. I usually am so afraid of moving after getting adjusted I spend 2-3 days basically doing nothing, then somehwo throw it back out of alignment at some point and figure "screw it, going to the gym anyway" lol. I probably should go get the right side of my lower back fixed at some point. But hey, the only thing I have real trouble doing are crunches. Who needs to do crunches? (It does bother me when I wake up in the morning but I'm stiff overall anyway xD)0 -
MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »started sweating in strange places.
LOL!
@krokador re: the chiropractor . . . yeah, sometimes i wonder about this lifting schtick tbh. at my monthly in-person meetup, the trainer who started it was talking the last couple of times about what a 'mess' her lower back apparently is, now that she's had mri and other stuff done. and i'm not quitting or anything, but she can't be far into her thirties so the realist in me does kind of go ' . . . um?' i usually wake up with something horrible going on with my left collarbone and take a little while to get it unstuck and moving again, but it's always the hair at the back of my head that's clumped up and sticking out in all directions, so i don't know what i'm doing while i'm asleep.
feel a bit better today. going to probably follow more of your model and remind myself life won't end if i don't lift for a couple of days.
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Cardio day. At first I was supposed to go to coworker's gym and lift with her, would have been nice to have friend spotter to attempt that 80 bench again, but she cancelled. So, I went to my own gym and did a cardio day. The weight sections were quite busy from what I saw, so guess Sunday mid day won't be on my list for lifting at this point.
Managed an hour on the treadmill, barely. Wasn't tired, just found out my iPod went wonky so when I got to the gym I discovered it had no music at all on it. Am resetting and fixing now, but an hour on the treadmill without my music is not as easy to endure. I wore the wrong pants too, so jogging attempts did not work out as I had to pull them up every 30 seconds. I quit trying after 5 minutes and just walked.
Today is just not my day. Also got phone call from boss, so I'm going to work an extra hour and we're staying open till midnight from today till Christmas Eve instead of our usual 10pm.
My gym is doing some trainer workshops. Women lifting, form, etc. I wish I could go to the form workshop but it's at 6pm on a day I work 4:30-midnight. But I signed up for the one workshop that is on my one day off this week. Body fat checking... I've never had mine actually checked cause I know the number is way high since even after losing almost 30 so far this year I need to lose like 30 more to not be in the obese category. But I'm going to go and find out a rough number anyways.
As far as lower back goes, I already have arthritis and I'm only 30. I hurt my back bowling in my early 20's and guess it didn't quite heal as well as I had hoped. I have a few injuries from bowling. But now I just wanna go bowling despite that. lol0 -
I started strong lifts 1 month ago today :-)
Wednesday Dec 10th
Squat: 110 5x5
OHP: 60 5x5 ( I de-loaded from 70 to fix a problem with my form.)
Deadlift: a single lift at 140
3@ 135
5@125
Friday December 12th
Squats: 5x5@115
BP: 5x5@90 ( I de-load to 85 after 3 fails, but finally got my 5x5 @90!)
BR: 5x5 @75
I have had some mild pain in my hip after the last couple workouts. It's not too bad, but it is definitely more than just DOMS. The squats are getting pretty challenging and I think they are the cause. I took a rest day today after some upper body work yesterday. Should I put off strong lifts tomorrow if my hip still hurts, or perhaps do my squats at a lighter weight?0 -
Hey all - just checking in with yesterdays lift:
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Squat 5x5 @ 145lbs
ohp 5x5 @ 55lbs
deadlift 1x5 @ 180lbs
Felt heavy, felt tired - but got it done!0 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »As far as lower back goes, I already have arthritis and I'm only 30. I hurt my back bowling in my early 20's and guess it didn't quite heal as well as I had hoped. I have a few injuries from bowling. But now I just wanna go bowling despite that. lol
I'm 27 and have had lower back issues for years already. Ever since I was in college around 18-19 actually. Some of it was due to being overweight, my sciatic nerve and groin were twisted weird when i started working out and never got quite right again after that. And I played bowling for a few years which obviously didn't help. So I hear ya.
Oh and actually, I also managed to shift 2 of my vertebraes out of alignment when I was about 16. The pain was so unbearable I could barely walk or lay in bed. It was a massotherapist/not-too-sure-whatist that set it back in place, but my back has never been the same. I'm not 100% sure that's not what's bothering me now, albeit to a lesser degree than it did initially.
But i had this thing before lifting and I actually feel fine when doing the exercises, so the cause has to be something different.
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Busy time of year. Trying to finish up things at work this week before the holidays!
Squats 5 x 5 @50
Bench 3 x 5 @45, 2 x 3 @45
Row 5 x 5 @60
I failed on the bench--will repeat next time. Might be a while before I can go up again!
Is it only my perception or does it seem that rows with dumbbells work better for upper back than do barbell rows? I feel bbell rows more in lower back with slight upper. I think I can hold the dbells at a different angle so I feel it more in upper back. Any thoughts?
I am beginning to look forward to lifting days now :-)0 -
ScientificExplorerGirl wrote: »Is it only my perception or does it seem that rows with dumbbells work better for upper back than do barbell rows? I feel bbell rows more in lower back with slight upper. I think I can hold the dbells at a different angle so I feel it more in upper back. Any thoughts?
It's also easier to add the contraction with dumbbells because you're not restricted to the bar path and doing them with a knee on the bench helps take the lower back out of the equation. It's pretty normal to feel them differently. They won't work quite the same muscles, but if you like them better I don't see too much of an issue subbing dumbbells in instead or the bar, on a regular basis or from time to time
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got a strength traning workout in yesterday morning, still using the Smith Machine for everything:
Squats: 2x5 @45 for warmups then 5x5 @ 95 for working set, starting to get harder but still managable with the 90 second break inbetween sets
Bench: 2x5 @ 45 for warmus then 5x5 @ 70 for working sets, I used one of the steps as a bench, under the Smith Machine, worked out pretty well.... i think
Rows: 5x5 @ 85 working sets, not too terrible, starting to get hard though but form is a lot better when using the Smith Machine
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This discussion has been closed.