The Bro-ctober workout thread; SUPAHSET!
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I'm starting to worry about these shoes, @DawnEmbers - not much time now!0
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Thanks for the explanation! I must be doing high bar then, does the bar not rest on anything for low bar then? When I've tried lower I feel like I have to support the weight with my arms.Thanks for the explanation! I must be doing high bar then, does the bar not rest on anything for low bar then? When I've tried lower I feel like I have to support the weight with my arms.
I just started with low bar a few weeks ago, shown by a trainer, and it does seem at first like it's not resting on anything. It's sort of - I think of it as where my wings would be, if I had some
So your arms do hold it in place against your back but your back does somehow support it. I think it'll be easier as my back muscles grow, too.
My biggest problem with the low bar is that it hurts my left arm a bit - it's quite an extension to get to that position. But I can definitely lift more than with a high bar.
Your shoulder blades are sorta/kinda what holds it when using low bar, too. You have to pinch them back so as to make a sort of shelf (similar to what you'd do for a front squat with your delts)
I was starting to have some pretty bad elbow tendonitis issues (golfer's elbow, to be exact. Pretty intense inflammation on the inside of my left arm) before my shoulder injury on the other side. I thought it was due to attempting many jumping negative chin-ups, but it didn't go away until I changed my squat set-up so that my arms are only just stabilizing the weight and not holding it in place much if at all (I'd love to try a no-hands squat at one point, actually xD lol).
This video "series" (there are 3 parts, all easy to find if you search elbow on this channel) really helped me with finding a set-up and lo-and-behold, after a few weeks of squatting like that - and still doing hanging work, btw! - the elbow pain is 99% gone! So it's worth checking out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i4Lz9CTIQM
it works for low bar just as much as high bar. And I have to amend something I recommended back in the days here while I think about it: The thumbs around grip, if you can manage it, is probably going to spare you elbow pain (and possibly wrist pain) in the future. So if your hands hurt from doing squats, check your set-up first!0 -
OMG Gais today is just... the best day ever so far!
1. I get to see my wife in less than 4 hours.
2. Squats PRs all arouuund!
"power" intervals. every 20s for 3 mins: power split jump x2/leg
185x3x4 - we all know it was meant to be 3x5, but the 4th reps were all so ugly I just didn't want to push it.
However, I still had a bit of strength left in the tank, and I know I'm headed into a deload, and nothing can stop me today. So I slapped an additional 15lbs on the bar and went for a single.
And I got it! And it wasn't even a max effort! My previous 1RM (like actual, dedicated 1rm warm-up attempt) was 195. And I just kinda breezed through this one! 200lbs! After going to near failure for 3 sets!
Edit: Here's the instagram of that one rep! =D
Needless to say I was running high for the speed shred circuit. Armed myself with a 30lbs KB and decided since at that point my legs were pretty fatigued, to regress the pistol work
4 rounds of
- goblet split squats x5/leg
- 1-arm KB russian (swing) snatch x10
- push-ups x submax: 11/10/9/11
Then did another one o those every 20s x 3min with kneeling jumps x2, set on a 45# bumper and an ab mat (so a 10# bumper less than last week). And I gotta say my hip power was running low.
Finished up with a 6 min AMRAP ladder with a 35# KB
- 1A KB power Clean x1, 2, 3...
- Burpee with lateral hop x1, 2, 3...
- Other arm and more burpees
To a total of 6 full round on the left and 1 clean on the right. And I not only finished the cleans but also finished the burpees this time. For a total of 42 burpees and 21 cleans per side in less than 7 mins!
And since I'm a bit on the clock today I called it a day. I still need to shower. But I had to share the victory!
After the deload tho I'll be attacking the fat loss again because ugh, my butt has gotten so fluffy
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That squat set-up is what the trainer, that I chatted with yesterday, suggested. Mark Rippetoe also talks about it in his video, but I think I was concentrating on another aspect and sort of glossed over the arms. I don't have pain, but I don't WANT it, either! I have noticed, that I will kind of pull down on the bar when it gets hard. Nothing like making things harder
Resting the hands and keeping the elbows back will fix that for me.
@krokador Fantastic! 200 lbs!0 -
Rest day today - 5K tomorrow!0
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Today was a bit of a drawn out session, there was a trainer in the gym using the power cage and I didn't want to go upstairs and use the scary cage in the "boys" room, so had to wait around a bit.
Squat 40kg 5x5
Bench 30kg 5x5
Pendlay rows 37.5kg 5x5 - I actually had to use the women's olympic bar for this... I *think* it weighs 15kg, if it does not then I didn't pull this weight!
Feeling pretty good, although feeling like I should be doing more definitely. I'm just going to keep on with SL until my numbers get reasonable/I start failing all over the place and then I'm going to switch to some form of 4/5 day program - probably Wendlers unless something else catches my eye.0 -
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Woot @ krokado that is awesome.
So tired. Didn't get to sleep until after 3 am, though was in bed before 2. Then got up in order to get to the gym early enough as I have work soon. Gym was busy and trainers were all occupied when I asked about caliper test before workout. After workout one lady talked to me for a moment but she was a little rude, at least the tone she used, about how it would be higher since I worked out and need to schedule in advance. She also made a comment about how I could just use weight, as if I don't already track that.
Last time the one did a measurement after workout and scheduled for a before one, but this one just irked me. Probably didn't help that I was tired and hungry. Then went to shoe store but no luck. Did managed to test bench today though no spotter but meh, it wasn't that bad fail despite having to set it on me before moving it down so I could sit up. Oddly that was easier than the incline bench fail but the weight was more. Oh well.
Bench Max Test
warm up sets followed by a couple reps at 95 then did 100, 105 and 110 for 1 rep. Tried 115 but failed.
seated row 3x8 @ 70 - nothing unusual
decline bench 3x5 @ 55 - tried just for fun
bicep curl with cabe @ 50 - eh, different
bench db fly 3x10 @ 15 - easy
skull crusher 3x8 @ bar + 10
Bench took a long time with making sure I rested several minutes. Wish I could have gotten the 115 but since I'd been failing at my sets on 100, was nice to even make 110. Last up is deadlift and I think I'll do that sunday night after work. Now to get ready and maybe eat some foods.0 -
I skipped Wednesday's workout just to give my quads a rest and it feels much better since I didn't bike or run. I guess my quads were overworked.
squats: 5x6@135lbs. I'm staying at this weight for a while. I'll probably increase reps until my quads feel better.
bench press: 5x5@95lbs. I didn't move up from last time just because I knew these were heavy. My palms are feeling the heavy weight.
bent over rows: 5x5@95lbs. I'll stay the same here too. I know can't seem to pull all the weight up so I'll working on form.
cardio: 3 mile intervals = 33 minute run.
gym workout of the day (do as many regular push-ups as you can): 20. I can't believe I can do 20 REGULAR push-ups.
food intake: so far so good. I have about 900 calories left for the rest of the day and pumpkin beer is on my treat schedule.0 -
Deena_Bean wrote: »Rest day today - 5K tomorrow!
Hope the rain eases!!0 -
@DawnEmbers I feel your tiredness. And I'm not surprised you were irked at the attitude of that woman!! Hope tomorrow is a better day.
@dcresider love the press up progress!!0 -
bench/dl day with trainer dude. failed bench twice at 77.5 and just refused to do any more sets. told trainer it was too heavy to be right, so we agreed that i'll back down to 70 next time and start working in tiiiiiiiny little increments, sigh. on the other hand, i did do one set at 70 because stubborn and just wanted something i could take home in my head. and that would have been okay if i hadn't gone to failure twice at the higher weight.
deadlifts okay though. 130 no real problem, and i did rows at 65 as accessory.
just feeling sad. all my upper-body work seems to be crapping out on me at the same time, and i wasn't expecting this to happen so soon.0 -
Great session this morning
Squat 5x5x135lbs
Bench 5x5x95lbs
Row 5x5x125lbs
3x8
Single arm rows 15kg dumbbell
Pike push-ups0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »
just feeling sad. all my upper-body work seems to be crapping out on me at the same time, and i wasn't expecting this to happen so soon.
Don't be sad..be proud. You're way stronger than you used to be. And you inspire people like me to lift.
I know there will be frustrations but you really are fab!
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kimiuzzell wrote: »Don't be sad..be proud. You're way stronger than you used to be. And you inspire people like me to lift.
I know there will be frustrations but you really are fab!
I agree! I always smile when I see you've posted, @canadianlbs, and look forward to reading it0 -
Man, I had such a good session this morning and I feel great. I'm stuffing a giant tuna sandwich in my mouth as I type... messy.
Squats - 61.5kg 5x5 - no sniggering, I have fractional plates and I'm gonna use 'em!
My arms didn't hurt, either - I thought about @krokador's video in this thread and moved my hands as dipped under, and really just used my arms to prop the bar. Hurray!
Deadlift - 61.5kg 1x 5 -- my back did not feel good on that last one so I'll take that back down a bit next time
OHP - 21kg 5/5/5/4/5 - tough, but fine
then some dips and some stretches and sit ups. And foam roller for my dodgy calf. All good!
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Good work there @Ariadnula!! hubby works in retail so after today there will be barely a day off before Christmas when we can shop, so today's workout consists of Christmas shopping. Lots of walking and bags to carry! Later we have a spa visit that someone gave us as a wedding present and my shoulders are very much looking forward to the massage!!
I'll be back in the gym tomorrow...and looking forward to upping the weight a little more. I shall get there!!0 -
Ending this "phase/cycle" on a high note!
Bench 120x5x5 - I was offered a spot by some guy I chat with randomly again xD But I told him "it's okay, I wasn't meant to try to push for an extra rep anyway". Had to use a diff bar from usual so I'm not convinced it was 45lbs, but hey, I got them all!
EMOTM x6 - 1 arm strict press @32.5lbs x3-5
I got 5 on all minutes except the 4th, where I missed a rep on the left side. So I added 2 reps on the 7th minute to compensate xD
3 rounds for each arm with 30#
- 1arm KB snatch x5
- front rack squat x5
- swing x10
- overhead lunge x5/leg
These really gassed me. I thought i,d breeze through because my legs hadn't been used aside form some lunges and bw squats during my warm-up, but they weren't fresh either!
5 min AMRAP - alt TGU
- got 9 reps per side with a 20lbs DB
After trying to do it for 1.5 min with a 30lbs KB and getting 2 reps per side and deciding it was def too heavy to work.
And I finished off with chest supported t-bar rows, as I hadn't pulled much this week
25x12, 35x10, 40x8, 45x6 + rest 20s then 4 more.
The next 2 days at least are gonna be full rest days. It'll be nice to shake out the DOMS a bit xD0
