StrongLifts Questions

Autumnfilly2005

Hi, I'm new to stronglifts. I haven't started yet, I read the summary and the FAQ and I still have some questions. I'm 27yo, 5'5" 240lbs. My job keeps me pretty active (average 9k-12k steps/day, without outside exercise), and I'm training for a 5k in June. I'm planning to start c25k at the end of February when I start school. My plan is to walk/run 3 miles three times a week, and then do weights/cross train on a bike twice a week. My walk/run sessions would probably take an hour, biking I would plan for only 20-30 minutes. Is that too much extra cardio with the stronglifts? Will that significantly hurt my recovery time? I'm getting 1.25lbs plates so I can go up by 2.5 at a time instead of the 5lbs, and I'm going to start with a standard bar (or even a broom handle, just to practice form) instead of an Olympic bar.

What if I do 3x5 sets instead? My goal is not to lift heavy, but just to maintain muscle and slightly increase strength while I'm training for the 5k. I'm also in weight-loss mode for my calories, will that make things more difficult? Right now I'm allowed 2240 calories/day, plus I usually have anywhere from 500-800 extra exercise calories at the end of the night, which right now I don't eat back. I don't usually eat the full 2240 most days either.

Thanks for humoring a total noob! I've never even touched a barbell before, so I'm nervous about it!

DawnEmbers

Welcome!

I think the one thing basically recommended with doing cardio and a heavy lifting program is to not do much cardio right before lifting. I used to warm up on treadmill then lift but actually find I like better to do little bit of cardio after lifting. I don't do heavy cardio at the moment (30 minute slow walk) but will soon be starting the C25K as well because I'm signed up for a 5k in June. You can do cardio and such on your non-lifting days too. I sometimes get in a just cardio gym session when I attempt to jog a little, pending work schedule (I also work on my feet 8,000-16,000 steps per shift). I've seen some runners post that they will do both runs and lifting, just one in morning and one at night to separate them out when doing them on the same day.

Calorie wise, I'm on a deficit as well and have been the whole time I've been doing SL. I started MFP at 211, lifting I weighed around 198 when I started and I'm down to 175. Though I'm just under 5' tall and my calorie range is closer to 1400 without exercise, so I eat back some of that because it helps fuel me better and get in that pesky protein that is needed. Do want to make sure you're giving your body enough energy (food = energy), protein is helpful, and do get some rest. Rest days are really helpful and when you miss too many you'll notice it on both the C25k days and the lifting.


As for 3x5, maybe. I'll let someone else cover that but could be an option. I know some people also just lift 2 days a week. The progression is slower but that's fine. Goals and focus vary so not everyone will take the exact same approach.

Fittreelol

3x5 is definitely an option. Starting strength is basically the same program, but uses 3x5, and it has worked for countless individuals. If you have issues with recovery it's best to get everything out of the way on one day. So do lifting then c25k or c25k then lift depending on goals.

Autumnfilly2005

This might be a stupid question, but I was doing squats today just to practice form, and I had a hard time holding my breath. I took a big breath at the top, held it, went down, came up, and breathed. I was getting very dizzy and light-headed, and now I have a headache from that. That's not supposed to happen, is it? I did one set of five, then could only do a set of three before I had to stop because I thought I was going to pass out. What am I doing wrong here?

I also have a question about what order you do things in. Do you do 5 squats, rest, do 5 more squats, rest, etc, or are you supposed to squat 5, rest, bench press x5, rest, barbell row x5, and back to squats?

coltsgirl311

I can't really answer about the breathing, but you are supposed to do all 5 sets of 5 reps of squats, then go and do 5x5 of bench, and then 5x5 row. You can do them in a different order, for example, bench, then row, then squats, but 5 sets of 5 of one exercise before you go to the next exercise.

Jennloella

I have been doing 5x5 for about 6 months (restarted after two babies) and I also run 3 to 4 times a week. I've been seeing great gains (DL 235 now!) and am happy with my progress! I continue to run because I enjoy it and it's important to me to keep my lungs and heart strong, I'm in maintenance after gaining weight back I lost during pregnancy. I eat ALOT.

nassaugyal

Welcome!!!
In terms of breathing, I inhale at the top and exhale as I come up. It actually really helps if I'm struggling. In fact, my sister was just making fun of the noises I make as I'm exhaling on the way up.

For the order, complete all the sets of each exercise before moving on the next.

DawnEmbers

I used to inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up. Now I'm trying to do the hold breath thing during the lift but sometimes exhale on the way up still. And what they said on the order of things. Though I did find when I was trying out front squats (not part of program but spot on my back was tender from the heavy weight) that doing OHP between since was using same weight worked out pretty well. I might try that again some day as I'm going to sort of attempt NROLFW in the near future. Thinking of adding some lifts during that cause I basically want to learn many different lifts before settling long term on a program.

xcalygrl

I don't hold my breath during the whole lift. I take a breat at the top, break parallel, then exhale as I start up. If I need, I take a few seconds to catch my breath at the top before squatting down again. Try that and see if it helps.

As for running and lifting: I run a few times a week and lift 3 times a week. I run obstacle course races, so I have to keep up with my running. I found that the first few weeks (2-3) of doing Stronglifts, running and lifting heavy was hard. I could only run about a mile instead of my normal 3-5 because I was sore from lifting. Once my body got used to doing it though, it became a lot easier. I still have days where running the day after lifting feels like torture, but for the most part I can do it with no issues. If you are wanting to lift and run, I would start lifting now then start incorporating running in a few weeks (as planned). It will give your body time to adjust to the lifting before you throw another new exercise into the mix.

Also, since it sounds like your primary goal is running, I would probably only lift 2 times a week and run 3 times (as you've planned to do). I would put the biking on the same days as you lift, but do it after you're done lifting. I would also do biking intervals instead of a steady pace ride. (You'll get your steady cardio in with your running.) (Running steady and riding intervals helped me get faster last year when I was training for road races.) Intervals activate your fast twitch muscle fibers which make you faster over the long run.

Autumnfilly2005

I'm pretty good with wood working, do you think I could build a power cage?

canadianlbs

Autumnfilly2005 wrote: »

I'm pretty good with wood working, do you think I could build a power cage?

uh . . . i'm pretty sure i saw a picture of a wooden rack somewhere on here, but i can't remember which thread. maybe the person who built it can answer that one.

about cardio, i've been a bike commuter since way way before i got into lifting last year. when i started out with lifting, i was eating at a deficit and riding over 100km per week, and i lifted. didn't progress very fast or very far doing it, and i think it did take a bit of the edge off my biking. but i kind of reasoned that i've got the same finite amount of energy however i'm using it up, so any combination of both or just one of the two is perfectly do-able. it's just a matter of deciding how to allocate what i have.

i'll suggest one thing though: on the days that you lift, make sure you do feed your body a little dose of some kind of carbs an hour at the most afterwards. i've found it really does makes a critical difference the next day, if i have to get up 12 hours later and do my bike ride. i think the most successful things for me in terms of pure energy-replenishment have been either a bowl of cornflakes with milk, or (recently) a . . . well, okay. i could say 'granola bar' but really they're cookies.

Autumnfilly2005

So you recommend carbs after lifting? I heard it was protein. I've been trying to get some protein within half an hour of lifting (right now I'm just putzing around with 3lbs weights on my own, which is why I like the structure of SL 5x5

canadianlbs

Autumnfilly2005 wrote: »

So you recommend carbs after lifting? I heard it was protein.

please don't let me mislead you into taking me for an authority O_O. i'm more just providing a combination of what i've found out by reading, and my own experience. so here it is:

- protein is for rebuilding/adding muscle tissue. i tend to do the smoothie thing before bed when i lift, based on a tip some old baseball trainer gave me when he was running my kid into the ground one summer. idk if it's broscience or what, but it made sense to me. since your body uses sleep time to do rebuilding, i figure i might as well give it material to do that work with.
- carbs are for restoring the form of energy called glycogen, which is partly stored in your muscles. from what i've seen, anaerobic effort like lifting tends to use up those glycogen stores, and a quick hit of carbs afterwards can really speed up the process of refilling them.

so for me, my experience has been that protein is a Thing anyway if i'm going to lift. but with specific reference to being able to lift one day and then go running/riding/aerobic the day after that, it really makes a difference if i give myself that carb boost after i lift. i can ride anyway, but i'm just a bit short of pep on the days when i skip it or my post-lifting snack is more heavy on the protein than it is on the carbs.

and then there's rippetoe's comment somewhere on his own site that a good rule of thumb for trying to lose fat while lifting is to favour carbs on lift days, and protein while you're in recovery/rest.

coltsgirl311

Favor carbs on lift day? I guess I better make every day a lifting day!

Llamapants86

I was running 5x a week but stopped because winter. I'm trying to get back at it now because I have a 5k coming up. From previous experiences and my current go around I have a few notes, remember this is all just my n=1 so don't take it as gospel.
1) ease into it. If you're lifting add in a couple of short runs.
2) timing matters. Try to run after you lift. If that doesn't work for you (it doesn't for me) try not to run and then lift. Fuel well between your run and lifting.
3) Low carb and high activity don't work (again my n=1)
4) Carbs are important before and after lifting, not so much before/after a run but YMMV.
5) Listen to your body. Being sore is normal, being hurt is not. It is kind of hard to tell some times but an extra rest day is better than a week+ off to heal from an injury.

Autumnfilly2005

Thanks for the good advice here. I downloaded the app and have been messing around with it to get used to things. Do you recommend purchasing the extras in the app? Do you find they are worth it? Do you use all of them, or are only 1-2 of them useful?

VeryKatie

For the breathing - have you noticed how fast Mehdi does his lifts? Are you doing them much slower? Because it could simply be that you're holding your breath longer than you should, generally.

xcalygrl

Autumnfilly2005 wrote: »

Thanks for the good advice here. I downloaded the app and have been messing around with it to get used to things. Do you recommend purchasing the extras in the app? Do you find they are worth it? Do you use all of them, or are only 1-2 of them useful?

I haven't purchased any of the extras. I haven't needed them so far (after 4+ months on SL).

arabianhorselover

From what I've read, squats are always supposed to be done first, since they take the most energy.

DawnEmbers

I don't have the app at all. I just keep track of my workouts using a notebook, so I can see what I did last time easy enough. I have all 11 weeks logged so far (along with later adding them to an excel sheet on my laptop). But I never have my phone with me when I'm working out either. I prefer to have my iPod with than the phone, which is old anyways and needs an upgrade so it doesn't really do apps anyways.

annaskiski

I haven't purchased the extras either, and I heard from people who had that they regretted it.

TravelsWithHuckleberry

I have the app and the extras, and they're just OK. I wouldn't say I regret buying them, but they're not *amazing* or anything. I do like having the warmup sets.

Llamapants86

crabada wrote: »

I have the app and the extras, and they're just OK. I wouldn't say I regret buying them, but they're not *amazing* or anything. I do like having the warmup sets.

Yeah this pretty much sums up the extras for me too.

mirrim52

I bought the warm up one, mostly because I was too lazy to look in to what I should be doing for warm ups The plate calculator one seems pointless. When you touch the weight, it says how much weight to add to each side. If is says 37.5 lbs per side, I don't need an add on to tell me how to add that up.

TravelsWithHuckleberry

@Mirrim -- You must be better at math than me. I need all the help I can get. That said, I actually can't figure out how the "plate calculator" part of the app works.

mirrim52

@crabada - well, I am a bit of a nerd Who knew university math classes would prepare me for lifting? rofl

LazyFoodie

I like the warm up sets. Have not bought anything else.

katro111

Autumnfilly2005 wrote: »

I'm pretty good with wood working, do you think I could build a power cage?

Yes, yes you can. Mine is wooden (husband made it) and it works great. Plans are from here: http://www.home-gym-bodybuilding.com/homemade-power-rack.html#pdf

canadianlbs

mirrim52 wrote: »

I don't need an add on to tell me how to add that up.

eh, he probably put that one in for the [all together now] girls. erryone knows we can't brain like men can.

Autumnfilly2005

I finally got my barbell today and was fiddling around with it a little. Even though I got a standard bar that is "only" 15lbs, it was still heavier than I expected! I'm really, really glad I stuck with this one instead of going for a full olympic. If I had a full 45lbs olympic, I can almost guarantee that I wouldn't be able to do the exercises. I was also practicing squats today, and my left hip joint popped. Is this common? Are there any exercises I can do to help with flexibility and stuff?

TravelsWithHuckleberry

@Autumn -- Google "Limber 11," which is a routine that I've seen posted and discussed in other threads here.

I'd also take a few minutes to look at the other threads in this group -- there are a handful of "I'm new and have a question" topics that you might find interesting and helpful. Which certainly isn't to imply that you shouldn't keep asking questions -- definitely ask away! -- but there might be some overlap.