For real this time...

MscGray

Ok Ladies....I posted here a while back and then my schedule went haywire. Today I am starting SL 5x5 for really real! I have been reading up on tips and techniques, and was able to get under a bar for squats on my last gym day (which took away a lot of the anxiety I was feeling). Would it be beneficial for me to do the A schedule, and then the B schedule (on Thur.) with just the bar even if I feel I can go heavier just to get into the swing of things and make sure my form stays tight, or will that not really help/change anything? Also..I am still interested in doing about 30 minutes cardio (ie: walking, biking, rowing, etc), would you recommend lifting then cardio or cardio then lifting? And finally...crap, I just drew a blank, ugh!
Thanks for any feedback peeps!

mymodernbabylon

I started with a light weight because it gets heavy pretty quickly and I wanted to get my form as perfect as possible to start.

If you are choosing to do cardio, definitely do it afterwards, otherwise you will go into lifting tired, which is NOT a good thing.

xcalygrl

Start light. You want to get your form down before you get too heavy. If you start too heavy, you'll start failing sooner or risk injury if you don't have your form on point. If you need/want to do just the bar for a work or three, do that. It will help you get a feel for the moves and give you a couple of chances to watch your form. If you can, video yourself to see how your form is when your weight is lighter.

Lifting then cardio for the reason mymodernbabylon said. I am more likely to get sloppy or skip lifting altogether if I run then lift.

MissHolidayGolightly

Welcome back! Ditto what was said above. You could probably start higher than the bar for deadlift, though, as an exception (5x5 says 95, I believe).

I do some walking or elliptical after lifting some days. I prefer after on the same day to give myself a rest day in between. I've also run between days but it can prevent my legs from recovering fully. Just be careful. Definitely not before, you'll need your strength once your start pulling and pushing more weight!

TravelsWithHuckleberry

What everyone else said.

If you do want to start with low weights (or even just the bar) on rows and deads, just stack the bar on plates to get the correct height.

Good luck! And come by the daily check-in to tell us how it goes!

C.

canadianlbs

idk what your lifting background has been until now, but unless you've been doing bodyweight versions of the lifts and your muscles are already familiar with the motion patterns, i have a feeling that you'll be sore the next day even just with the bar. the stretching in squats alone is enough to have an impact.

coltsgirl311

Also want to add that you don't HAVE to go up 5 lbs every time you repeat the workout. If you have trouble at a certain weight, it's fine to repeat that weight next time. I do that a lot, especially with bench/OHP/rows.

ScientificExplorerGirl

I agree with everyone here. Welcome back and good luck! You will find that everyone here is very helpful.

I also find that I need to increase in reps before I can increase in weight...

TravelsWithHuckleberry

Smaller fractional plates (1.75 lbs.) are also super handy on those upper body lifts. You can get a pair for less than $20.