July check in and chat: barbell-lovin' BAMFs in training
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Cpiton - What was the reason for your deload again? Was it a knee or back issue? (Too lazy to go back and look :laugh: ) You can also add single straight leg deadlifts while holding a dumbbell or kettlebell with the good arm (just shift balance and angle of the arm drop for what ever leg is going up). Also think about bench step ups, walking single arm straight leg deadlifts, standing band adductor/abductor pulls (try doing this without holding onto anything for added core work), and single leg squats (raised leg going back like a skater).
Squat and Bench day for me.
Squat 1x5 @ 115, 125, 135
Bench 3x5 @ 135
Then 2 sets of 15 inverted rows and 30 lb dumbbell pull overs.
Lost a little focus grabbing at some 5lb plates and dropped two of them onto my leg. Lucky for me, just a scratch on my shin. Very happy it wasn't a bigger plate.
OUCH! :sad: Glad it wasn't too serious, though. Awesome workout! That bench. Just WOW.
My workout today:
Squat BW 4x5, 45 (oly bar) 3x5, 80 2x5, 95 2x5, 135 5x5
(no OHP) 3 exercise superset: bicycle crunch/glute bridge 25# plate/crunches 3x20
DL 135 1x5, 185 1x3 (weak in rt arm)
Stuck ab/core stuff in everywhere. 10 minute warm up, stretches at the end. Took forever, but felt good.
It's my right elbow. Before that, my hip flexors--still an issue. I'm fallin' apart over here! lol
Thanks for the help. I always appreciate a fresh perspective.
I love the band idea! I just bought my mom a set of bodylastics bands and they're great. Going to order some.
I will definitely check out those links.
Tameko: I read those links you posted. They were great. I love that this guy trains pro ball players. My son played baseball his whole childhood--pitched for his college team. We sent him to a pro trainer for help when he was first learning to pitch so he could avoid mistakes that lead to Tommy John surgery. I might have to give my boy a call and ask for advice. lol He would LOVE that, I'm sure. :bigsmile:
OH CRAP!!! I DIDN'T BENCH 135!!! CRAP CRAP CRAP :noway: that was supposed to be 3x5 @ 110. Apparently I had a brain malfunction.
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I've got the dodgy elbow. It's always something lately. I figure once my body is healed, I'll be an expert in lifting workarounds. :laugh:
It's always been something since I started lifting. I'm becoming quite the expert at rehabbing various boo-boos.
I'm just going to lift until I can lift no more because going back to unconditioned weaksauce is no longer an option.0 -
OH CRAP!!! I DIDN'T BENCH 135!!! CRAP CRAP CRAP :noway: that was supposed to be 3x5 @ 110. Apparently I had a brain malfunction.
Still darn impressive. I'm stuck at 95lb.It's always been something since I started lifting. I'm becoming quite the expert at rehabbing various boo-boos.
I'm just going to lift until I can lift no more because going back to unconditioned weaksauce is no longer an option.
Truth.
I can't go back to being weak. I love being strong. My kids are even impressed with me. :glasses: Can't give that up. Lifting has become part of my identity; I never thought I would say something like that, but it's true.0 -
I know just what you mean. Up until a couple of years ago, thanks to a very physical job and the attitude that I am unbeatable I was incredibly strong and lean. That has fallen a bit although my core is still not bad - pike leg raises is still achievable in fact I did 20 today
My fitness has dropped too and I want to be lean again (not thin, just lean)
I squatted my bar plus 2x5kg plates today did my 5x5 So total of 30kg (I think) and considering I was totally freaked out just a week ago that a bar might be 45kg I don't think that is bad going
Then my first day on OHP I started with 6kg dumbells, did 5, then tried the bar for 5. Then back to my bells for the other 3 reps as I would never have managed 5x5 on the bar. Next time I shall try the and build the bar in to 2 if not 3 of my sets and work up that way.
Dead lifts - first time ever - I lifted the bar and 2 5kg plates for a set of 5 then went for 5x5 with a further 2 2.5 plates on there. So my deadlift was 1x5 at 35kg.
If I had needed to do 1 more set with good form of any of these I would not have been able to do it, 1 more set for £100 and who cares about form then I might have managed it :laugh:
Feeling quite happy with progress and looking forward to getting a bit more weight on next time - the gym has plates at 1.25 or 2.5 kg at the moment I am hoping to go up using the 2.5 as much as possible but we shall see...0 -
lwoodruff - I was making slow progress on 2x week 3x5 for a few months. I made better progress on 3x week, but life kept getting in the way! If you think your core is holding you back, then 2x week SL and 1x week core sounds like it would do you some real good. Or possibly a month of 2x week core to really build it interspersed with 1x week SL covering all the lifts just to keep your muscles as they are?
I forget which book it was in - it might have been Mehdi but I'm not about to reread the testosterone dump to find out - that it takes a third as much effort to maintain strength as it does to build it, so 1x a week should be enough on that basis.0 -
Any dumbbell lifters here use weight lifting hand straps? I only found out these existed today. Read a few articles about them, and - using them properly (when you absolutely need to/when fighting gravity) - they seem to be useful. I don't have a power rack or anything like that at my gym, so for my squats and bench presses, I use dumb bells. The weights are getting pretty heavy now, and soon my grip isn't going to be able to sustain them. Anyone else use these straps? Thoughts?0
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Ugh...got my labs back from the doctor yesterday and my thyroid hormones are all screwed up again. Damn antibodies! Referral to endocrinologist coming up. Boo.
I was too tired to get out of bed this morning, let alone hit the gym. Forcing myself to go tomorrow and friday (splitting the workout).
I feel like such a lazy *kitten* when I don't go to the gym on my scheduled days, even though I have a legitimate reason (my thyroid is whacking out and my antibodies are making my joints feel like sandboxes, but I digress).0 -
Finished week 4 today. I guess that means workout number 12.
Workout:
Squats 5x5 95 lbs (excited to hit 100 next time!)
OHP 5x5 70 lbs (also excited to hit 75 next time, but it is likely I will fail there)
Deadlift 1x5 140 lbs (so exciting to be able to use the real plates for once)
Then did some accessory pull up and ab work.
Good job everyone on your lifts!0 -
Any dumbbell lifters here use weight lifting hand straps? I only found out these existed today. Read a few articles about them, and - using them properly (when you absolutely need to/when fighting gravity) - they seem to be useful. I don't have a power rack or anything like that at my gym, so for my squats and bench presses, I use dumb bells. The weights are getting pretty heavy now, and soon my grip isn't going to be able to sustain them. Anyone else use these straps? Thoughts?
I don't use straps now and don't ever plan to.
I've starting doing farmers' walks with heavy dumbbells in order to train grip/forearm strength during my lifting sessions. You basically grab a heavy dumbbell with each hand and walk around. I do roughly 200 feet with 25-pound dumbbells currently (which are still plenty heavy for me). Which is doable, except on barbell complex days when I have to do sets of 5 back-to-back exercises with the 45-pound bar in my hands without a break. That's rough. But, it's getting less rough as time goes on, so there you go.
I'm after functional strength, and so if my grip strength can't sustain what I'm lifting, then it ain't getting lifted until my grip strength catches up. I'm trying to treat my body as a whole, basically. We progress together, or we don't progress at all. That's the rule.
I can imagine that strapping yourself to a dumbbell that you're trying to press up and that your body really can't sustain, is just asking for injury. I'd personally not do that to myself.
You could check into other squat varieties such as split squats and whatnot before you consider straps. Maybe supplement your bench press with push-ups and so forth to continue to challenge yourself. I'd find other exercises rather than start using props that may or may not actually help and that may or may not be safe.
If you're limited by equipment, there's always ways around that, and there's exercises out there that will give you what you're after (as far as goals go) with what you have to work with.0 -
I have been rotten and lazy (and busy socializing) and have not been on top of things at all! Last visit to the gym was nearly a week ago.
Workout A:
Squat 145 lbs 5x5
Bench 70 lb 5/5/5/5/3
Row 70 lb 5x5 - used the pre-loaded bar - which is shorter - my form is so much better with this than with the barbell.
I am really not getting close enough to parallel on squats at my working weight. Warm up sets are fine. I've diagnosed this as weak glutes/hams. I think I have no choice but to deload and build up slooowly. Waahhh! I like putting the big plates on there!! I think I will go back to 95 and build up from there, 5 lbs at a time.
Joanne0 -
Hi everyone! I'm new to the group and fairly new to SL. Today was session 5. Thought I'd share my puny numbers that I hope won't be so puny soon!
Today:
Squat - 60 pounds 5x5
Bench Press - 55 pounds 5x5
Barbell Row - 60 pounds 5x5
Barbell Bicep Curls - 30 pounds 4x8 (threw this one in just because I like them)
Weights for Monday were:
Squat - 55 pounds 5x5
Overhead Press - 40 pounds 5x5
Deadlift - 105 pounds 1x50 -
Mwuahaha - there must be *something* to that whole "eat more carbs" thing... I had my "night before" smoothie with sweet potato and banana and used whole milk rather than almond milk last night. This morning about an hour before I would be hitting the iron I had a banana. Then after the workout I had my protein shake made with whole milk rather than almond milk. Physically I felt a bit tired to start with, but was aMAZed at how much better my lifting was.
Squats - stayed at 96.5 lbs, did 5 X 5 with good form and with what seemed like much less effort than on Monday. I almost went for another set at 100 lbs but didn't want to blow my euphoria. :-)
OHP - 45.5 lbs, did at least 5 x 5, but lost track so I did another set, so maybe 6 x 5? And I felt powerful, first time EVAR on the OHP (also finally over 45, even if it was just by 1/2 a lb :-) ).
DL - 135 lbs, tough, but definitely do-able. And YAY!, I finally got to graduate to the 45 lb plates!
I think I'm going to start shooting for ~100 carbs/day, every day, and just time them differently according to my lifting plans. That's still fairly low carb, and if I start having cravings I'll adjust again.0 -
Any dumbbell lifters here use weight lifting hand straps? I only found out these existed today. Read a few articles about them, and - using them properly (when you absolutely need to/when fighting gravity) - they seem to be useful. I don't have a power rack or anything like that at my gym, so for my squats and bench presses, I use dumb bells. The weights are getting pretty heavy now, and soon my grip isn't going to be able to sustain them. Anyone else use these straps? Thoughts?
I don't use them but I have a pair of straps in my bag for when I might need them.
I wouldn't use them for the bench press though - what do you feel like the issue is there?
I can see where you might want them for squats, its just plain exhausting to have to grip something for that long, and since you're doing rows or deadlifts later you probably don't want to be too tired out before you get to em. Its also totally ok to put them down for a second or two in between reps though - if you need to reset your grip or rest for a second.0 -
Mwuahaha - there must be *something* to that whole "eat more carbs" thing... I had my "night before" smoothie with sweet potato and banana and used whole milk rather than almond milk last night. This morning about an hour before I would be hitting the iron I had a banana. Then after the workout I had my protein shake made with whole milk rather than almond milk. Physically I felt a bit tired to start with, but was aMAZed at how much better my lifting was.
Squats - stayed at 96.5 lbs, did 5 X 5 with good form and with what seemed like much less effort than on Monday. I almost went for another set at 100 lbs but didn't want to blow my euphoria. :-)
OHP - 45.5 lbs, did at least 5 x 5, but lost track so I did another set, so maybe 6 x 5? And I felt powerful, first time EVAR on the OHP (also finally over 45, even if it was just by 1/2 a lb :-) ).
DL - 135 lbs, tough, but definitely do-able. And YAY!, I finally got to graduate to the 45 lb plates!
I think I'm going to start shooting for ~100 carbs/day, every day, and just time them differently according to my lifting plans. That's still fairly low carb, and if I start having cravings I'll adjust again.
Awesome plan - and I'm glad you noticed that worked well. Carbs are fuel for exercise - no one NEEDS carbs to live but you do need them to be active.0 -
Mwuahaha - there must be *something* to that whole "eat more carbs" thing... I had my "night before" smoothie with sweet potato and banana and used whole milk rather than almond milk last night. This morning about an hour before I would be hitting the iron I had a banana. Then after the workout I had my protein shake made with whole milk rather than almond milk. Physically I felt a bit tired to start with, but was aMAZed at how much better my lifting was.
Squats - stayed at 96.5 lbs, did 5 X 5 with good form and with what seemed like much less effort than on Monday. I almost went for another set at 100 lbs but didn't want to blow my euphoria. :-)
OHP - 45.5 lbs, did at least 5 x 5, but lost track so I did another set, so maybe 6 x 5? And I felt powerful, first time EVAR on the OHP (also finally over 45, even if it was just by 1/2 a lb :-) ).
DL - 135 lbs, tough, but definitely do-able. And YAY!, I finally got to graduate to the 45 lb plates!
I think I'm going to start shooting for ~100 carbs/day, every day, and just time them differently according to my lifting plans. That's still fairly low carb, and if I start having cravings I'll adjust again.
Yeah, that's been my experience too. I used to lift, bodybuilding-style, and do low carb. It was truly hard going. Now that I eat carbs, lifting is so much better.
For carbs I stick with veggies, complex carbs, and some fruits but only the lower-sugar ones:
all veggies (that I like LOL)
corn, brown rice, beans in all forms, sweet potato, white potato if the skin is still on, oats, quinoa, buckwheat (I'm gluten free now but used to eat things like Ezekiel bread and Triscuit crackers and stuff as well) I try to not eat white grains or potatoes without the skins.
berries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, 1/2 a banana, a bit of apple butter that I made with granny smith apples0 -
Awesome plan - and I'm glad you noticed that worked well. Carbs are fuel for exercise - no one NEEDS carbs to live but you do need them to be active.Yeah, that's been my experience too. I used to lift, bodybuilding-style, and do low carb. It was truly hard going. Now that I eat carbs, lifting is so much better.
For carbs I stick with veggies, complex carbs, and some fruits but only the lower-sugar ones:
all veggies (that I like LOL)
corn, brown rice, beans in all forms, sweet potato, white potato if the skin is still on, oats, quinoa, buckwheat (I'm gluten free now but used to eat things like Ezekiel bread and Triscuit crackers and stuff as well) I try to not eat white grains or potatoes without the skins.
berries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, 1/2 a banana, a bit of apple butter that I made with granny smith apples
I'll probably stick with sweet potatoes, bananas, oatmeal (the kind you have to cook, not the instant), and berries for the most part. I already eat all of the green veggies, never met a green vegetable I didn't like!
By my figuring, using various TDEE calculators, I should be eating 1900 calories daily - I might actually have a little trouble getting them all in, but I'm not going to worry about that *too* much. The way I've done for the past year or so is track my weekly meals (roughly) and just stay low carb on the weekends without regard to calories. It's worked for me so far, I averaged 7 lbs lost per month for 7 months straight, but I've leveled out now. I'm not at "goal", but I don't really have an official goal anymore, just to get stronger and at least maintain my size/activity level/etc. I guess what I was getting around to saying is that if I'm a little on the low side during the week, I'll probably make up for it on the weekend and it'll come out a wash.0 -
Work out this morning, felt a little better as I had had a good sleep, drank lots of water yesterday and ate a bit more (I work out first thing after walking for an hour - so I just jump right in) - Think my eating is a bit mad right now... need to try and square myself up.
Squats 5x 5 @ 52.55kg (115lbs - high five!) these still feeling ok... excited to be heading towards squatting me!!
OHP 1 x4 @ 25kg(55lbs) 1x2@25kg (55lbs) 1x4@22.5kg (49.6lbs) 1x4@20(44lbs) 1x4@20(44lbs)
I am all over the place with these - should have started at 22.5, started at 25 - and basically hit 4 and I literally couldn't move the bar!! - then manged 2 squiggly/wiggly ones/ deloaded and form was still away to pot - so took it down again - 20kg feels ok
soo aaagggggghhhhhhh
Deadlift 1x 5@55kg (121lbs) - used a mixed grip - which felt good.
Then 1min plank, 45sec plank, 30sec plank, 10 jacknifes, 12 full sit ups, 7 chin ups, 51 airsquats (waiting for coffee) 6 x full push ups (really need to working on my pushing) 3x5 body weight inverted rows.
I ate low carb for a long long time - I am wheat & gluten intolerant so my carb intake is a bit lower , just down to what makes me feel ok (never want to go back to how I was!!) but realised I have also got a bit of a crazy "fruit" is bad mentality - I would have been better having 2 bananas yesterday , than 2 magnums....
Happy lifting ladies.
And please anyone saying they are lifting "little numbers" - you are lifting which makes you automatically awesome!, don't compare yourself or your progress to others - look at them as a inspiration . At the start I was all oooeee look how rubbish I am lifting 2lbs, the amazing chick is lifting 200lbs. But at the end of the day I started a journey and I'm still going... so HIGH FIVE LADIES!0 -
Yes. This. You are only in competition with yourself. Also you hit your 50 air squats. Well done!0
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You are only in competition with yourself.
QFT! And this is why every single time I have to do just a little bit heavier, press just a little higher, squat just a little lower. I can kick my *kitten* any day of the week!!! 0 -
ok, idiot moment, what does QFT mean?
eta: also, I think my HIIT on my bike (free app: Hitexercise on the android store) is a pretty good compromise for the link above: 2 min gentle warmup, 20 seconds HIIT, 1 min 50 (I think) recovery, 20 seconds HIIT, recovery, HIIT, FINISH! = around 8 mins. And kills my quads dead!0 -
Quoted for Truth - used to be a geek -
Love hiit I do it on the bikes at the gym0 -
ha ha I came up with 'quite f*in true' so not far off lol!0
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ha ha I came up with 'quite f*in true' so not far off lol!
Close enough! In fact, I think that one's better and I'll always have it mind when I see QTF from now on
First bench press day of 5/3/1. I finished this one faster than the other two I've done so far, mostly because the superset at the end was easier for me. Much easier than chin ups and hanging leg raises, anyway. 5x10 alternating BP @45 lb with 20lb dumbbell rows. I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for some heavier dumbbells on craigslist. The heavy ones are so damn expensive.
And due to the shorter, less strenuous workout, I'll probably have the energy to do a bit of cardio in the afternoon.0 -
good for you! great workout!
the other one I always misread is 'FTW' ('for the win') which I have stuck in my head as '*kitten* the world' lol!0 -
If it works for you use it lol!0
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lwoodoff - cheers I was going like the clappers - "nespresso waits for no woman to do her air squats!"
and being scottish the minute any abbreviation starts with a F - the sweary word auto enters my head!0 -
I had a very hectic two days on Monday and Tuesday, resulting in not much sleep and a totally screwed up schedule. I took Wednesday off, no exercise except for daily life running around. Back into the weight room this morning and still don't feel quite 100%.
Squat - 95lbs - Three sets of 6 and two sets of five.
OHP - 55lbs - Sometimes my arms are like "RAWR, lift all the things!" and sometimes they're like "Yeah, we're just going to hang off your shoulders and be useless." I'm trying really hard to keep my core stable on these because I have a serious tendency to over-arch my back.
Deadlift - 120lbs - Woo! New PR, redeemed myself from the OHP.0 -
Awesome work everyone!!! And just because it bares repeating. Be inspired by others, but don't compare yourself to them. We are all at different points in our lifting. What matters is getting out there and doing it. We are ALL getting stronger than we were to start with.
Taking a much needed rest day today. I'm going to drop off to 4 days a week at the gym for the next few weeks. I haven't been sleeping well and half of that is due to my muscles being so tired they get restless at night. Time to break the fatigue cycle. I'm also going to reevaluate my workout split and try to get a better workout/recovery schedule. I know it isn't a matter of calories since I'm not eating at a deficit so it's time to focus on the rest. Hopefully this will help me continue to push my numbers up.0 -
I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for some heavier dumbbells on craigslist. The heavy ones are so damn expensive.
Can you make some weighted bean/sand bags to put on the ends of the dumbbells? It would at least be a way you can continue to increase without the major cost.0 -
the other one I always misread is 'FTW' ('for the win') which I have stuck in my head as '*kitten* the world' lol!
That's what I thought it meant for the longest time. I kept seeing it used where it wouldn't make sense, though, and got completely confused. I had a mini-conniption one day: "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!?!?!" I felt dumb after I found out. :laugh:
Workout B today.
Squats: 160lbs 3x5
OHP: 70lbs (4-5-3) :grumble:
Deadlift: 190lbs 1x5--:smokin: and a PR.
They're repainting the walls at my gym, so it was all paint fumey in there today. There's also a guy that works out during the week at the same time I do and he smells bad. It permeates the whole gym. Some days, I have to decide if I want to breathe through my nose and smell it, or breathe through my mouth and taste it. :indifferent:
There were two young guys lifting today. I didn't say anthing to them about their awful form, but I probably should have: 1/4 squats on the Smith machine that looked so awkward, and rounded back deadlifts. It was making me cringe. I did start to go say something to them, but they were done and doing something else by the time I really started paying attntion. If I see them again, I will say something.0
