Strong Lifts

josette06

I was wondering if everyone that started added the 5 lbs of weight every session like the program says? I am just worried about hurting myself by lifting too heavy too fast. (I am sure it's all in my mind that I couldn't lift that much.) And did you start with the empty (45 lbs) bar with doing bench presses?

Can I use dumbbells and then progress to the bar for bench presses? And did anyone increase weight weekly instead of immediately at the next session? I like the way to program is set up and am not going to mind doing it for months. My goal is to lose weight and preserve muscle right now.

Thanks.

DancingMoosie

If you can find even smaller plates,they can be very helpful. Yes, start with the empty bar. It will be easy at first to add those 5lbs to squats and deadlifts, but I found it very difficult to add to OHP. I still only OHP 60lb. Increasing weekly is fine. I think it is also fine to add a set or rep if you are not comfortable increasing the weight (even if its been a whole week or even 2). If you can't bench the empty bar, ask if they have a lighter bar, or go ahead and use dumbbells for a while. I've done stronglifts for much longer than months (try years) but not always progressively. It works for strength maintenance too.

comptonelizabeth

I have been adding weights more slowly than the programme suggests and making sure the form is correct (as far as possible anyway)before moving on. And have been doing the exercises mostly with dumbbells (apart from the deadlift) as I don't have a rack at home and don't feel safe doing them with a barbell and no rack.

CipherZero

Beginners on linear progression programs (SS/SL/NROLFW) can add five pounds every session for months across the board; in a fair number of cases two pounds a session on deadlifts is very possible. The reason for this is what's been termed The Novice Effect - that any exercise stimulus applied to an untrained individual will result in a growth in strength, no matter how silly the exercise program.

OHP is a pain in the *kitten*, and it seems everyone does really well on them for a time on five pound progressions and hit a hard wall where altering the set/rep scheme or using microplates (plates smaller than 2.5 pounds each) is necessary.

Starting with dumbbells if you can't lift the bar is perfectly acceptable if there's no lighter bars available at the gym; it would be worth asking one of the staff if there's "women's bars" around - they're typically 30lbs rather than 45 but fit in all the same racks.

Meganthedogmom

Yes, start with the empty bar. Only if you can't lift that would you start wth dumbbells or a lighter bar.
I increased every session on every lift in the beginning. Overhead press and bench are the tough ones to increase. Fractional plates would've helped me greatly - I'll be ordering those in the near future.
Follow the program and what it says to do if/when you come to a stall and you'll be good to go. Don't be afraid of it being too heavy. As long as you keep good form, you're good to go.

canadianlbs

when i did stronglifts, i kept most of the concepts from it [5x5 rep x set scheme, the lineup of lifts, the principle of 'progressive overload' and the workout scheduling]. i discarded most of the details: the shaming-by-sexist-insults, the hysterical late-night-carpet-salesman tone, the specific amount of how much you add every time.

it's like buying a suit that was made for some guy twice your size, and having it altered so it fits you. weekly was exactly how i did it. and along the path to the start of a new week and another 5//10 pounds, i'd 'overload' by adding another rep to each set, or another set to the workout itself.

josette06

Thanks everyone. One more question, for barbell rows with the empty bar, do you still go all the way to the floor? I felt like my form was compromised by doing this with an empty bar.

lorrpb

I just read some of the SL info the other day. The bar should start at mid-shin for DL and rows. He suggests stacking a couple of unused plates on the floor to raise the height.

canadianlbs

josette06 wrote: »

I felt like my form was compromised by doing this with an empty bar.

good call, cause it is. it'll be the same with deadlifts - you really want the bar to always be at the same height as it would be with 45's on it, so your movements can always have the same pattern to them.

idk if you lift in a gym or at home, but if it's a gym ask them if they have 'trainer' plates. these are the same size as 45's but they usually weigh a lot less.

pondee629

josette06 wrote: »

I was wondering if everyone that started added the 5 lbs of weight every session like the program says? I am just worried about hurting myself by lifting too heavy too fast. (I am sure it's all in my mind that I couldn't lift that much.) And did you start with the empty (45 lbs) bar with doing bench presses?

Can I use dumbbells and then progress to the bar for bench presses? And did anyone increase weight weekly instead of immediately at the next session? I like the way to program is set up and am not going to mind doing it for months. My goal is to lose weight and preserve muscle right now.

Thanks.

When I started I added the 5 pounds as the program stated. I soon found several "imbalances" in my condition causing stress is various areas. I found that a voluntary "deload" was appropriate. i.e. I could Jack "Donkey" an Over Head Press at a certain but my form was crap. I dropped back to keep my form sound. I find myself repeating weights now instead of increasing then each session. I also found, on squats and dead lifts in particular, that my groin was a weaker part of my body and, although I could lift the heavier weight, that weight caused stress there and the weight needed to be scaled back. In short, the program is a guide and if your body is telling you something (hey, this hurts) you should/must listen.

Yes, you can use dumbbells in your early bench press. (You can use dumbbells for any of the exercises) You may want to try an alternating arms press where you lift your right arm with weight and then your left alternating. This supposedly helps your core as you try to maintain a balance. (This can also work with the over head press and dumbbell row). I started with the empty bar.

amyinthetardis1231

I loathe rows, but I found it more helpful to either "deadlift" the empty bar to standing up straight then lean forward into position (bar around the knee height) to start rows, or set up those aerobic step lift thingies under the bar to lift it up. I used the step thingies for actual deadlifts until I was using at least 35 lb plates.