We Octobe(e)r moving forward! Lifting thread
krokador
Posts: 1,794 Member
No one else did it, so uh, do you guys like beer? Cuz I don't like beer much, haha. I figured, after almost everyone struggled through September, we oughta be moving forward. Keep on keeping on, ladies! 
In my case that meant going back at it yesterday after I forced myself to rest 2 days due to a neck tweak. It was the right thing to do too, cuz despite the extra rest, everything felt reeeaallyyy heavy.
EMOTM x6 of full clean + hang clean x2 (4 squat cleans / minute). did 90lbs for 3 minutes, upped to 92.5 for the last 3, but I have to say, I barely got out of the hole on all 4 reps that last minute. Who'da thunk my legs would give first, uh?
Then 4 sets of 3 push jerks: 105, 105, 107.5, 110 (last rep barely locked out, though)
superset with good mornings deadlifts, 155x8, 165x3x8
Still need work on re-finding the deadlift groove. I got so used to setting up for oly lifts, I kinda forgot what setting up for deads feels like, so I have to be careful not to yank the bar up, cuz ow, lower back. And I was on my heaviest day of TOM yesterday, too, so these really weren't fun
But it was nothing compared to the finisher. 3 rounds for time:
- 10 front squats with 2x30lbs DB (that was the easy part)
- 5 deadlifts @ 185
- 25 push-ups (had to break them down into sets of 5 or less. yuck)
last time I'd done this was with 25lbs DBs on the squats, and it took about 11.5 minutes. This one took about 13 minutes. I had tired myself deadlift-wise a bit, but push-ups were just the slowest drag of them all. I gotta find the energy to work on these a bit more. It would improve my burpee performance, too xD
My focus for October I think will be trying to get better sleep so I can maybe go back to being productive on the mornings I don't go to the gym. It's time that was valuable to my recovery that I just can't seem to recover because I'm always run into the ground. Hopefully I also get to do that sleep study I requested over 2 months ago soon. When your sleep is so restless your sleep tracker thinks you woke up at 2:30 AM and never went back to sleep... yea.
In my case that meant going back at it yesterday after I forced myself to rest 2 days due to a neck tweak. It was the right thing to do too, cuz despite the extra rest, everything felt reeeaallyyy heavy.
EMOTM x6 of full clean + hang clean x2 (4 squat cleans / minute). did 90lbs for 3 minutes, upped to 92.5 for the last 3, but I have to say, I barely got out of the hole on all 4 reps that last minute. Who'da thunk my legs would give first, uh?
Then 4 sets of 3 push jerks: 105, 105, 107.5, 110 (last rep barely locked out, though)
superset with good mornings deadlifts, 155x8, 165x3x8
Still need work on re-finding the deadlift groove. I got so used to setting up for oly lifts, I kinda forgot what setting up for deads feels like, so I have to be careful not to yank the bar up, cuz ow, lower back. And I was on my heaviest day of TOM yesterday, too, so these really weren't fun
But it was nothing compared to the finisher. 3 rounds for time:
- 10 front squats with 2x30lbs DB (that was the easy part)
- 5 deadlifts @ 185
- 25 push-ups (had to break them down into sets of 5 or less. yuck)
last time I'd done this was with 25lbs DBs on the squats, and it took about 11.5 minutes. This one took about 13 minutes. I had tired myself deadlift-wise a bit, but push-ups were just the slowest drag of them all. I gotta find the energy to work on these a bit more. It would improve my burpee performance, too xD
My focus for October I think will be trying to get better sleep so I can maybe go back to being productive on the mornings I don't go to the gym. It's time that was valuable to my recovery that I just can't seem to recover because I'm always run into the ground. Hopefully I also get to do that sleep study I requested over 2 months ago soon. When your sleep is so restless your sleep tracker thinks you woke up at 2:30 AM and never went back to sleep... yea.
1
Replies
-
cool thread title krok. 0
-
I'm here, faffing around on deload week. Wendler deloads are so ridiculously light that it almost feels pointless to go in, but I'm going. I rebelliously did not deload as far as I was supposed to for bench, just slower my presses down and tried to be explosive on the lift. I'm basically making up my own stuff this week.
Bench: 3x10 @ 52 (empty bar)
OHP: 3x10 @ 35 (17.5 dumbbells)
Bicep curls 3x12 @ 17.5
DB rows 3x15 @ 17.5
Attempted DB flies, but my upper back was too tired so I quit lol. It was also very hard to concentrate since most of the gym TVs were set to the news
2 -
decided to at least try and get serious, since i'm supposedly on this new workout pattern. my ohp was 50 max for 8 reps, so i did my first 2x8 workout on it with that weight. forgot to ask mr t how frequently you're meant to do every lift
fwiw, i used the women's bar with 5lb plates, so i was cleaning it up off the floor for every double as well.
pecs killing me after yesterday's benching with just 50 pounds. so yes, i guess there are things benching gets to that no other lift does. i'm suitably repentant. aaaand for accessory/warmup, the carries. i'm all about doing the carries these days, especially the off-weighted ones. because grip, because balance, and because dem obliques.1 -
^^^ would have done deadlifts as well, except no i'll give it another day to recover from the squats and the ems, and then go and try it tomorrow to see how it's doing. 0
-
So, I am dumb, didn't think about the October bit.... and went to my same ol spot for September to post yesterday. Actually had time to read this morning... and had a "doh!!" Moment.
But... in a manner fitting for the thread title.... I did bribe myself with a beer to accomplish anything yesterday.
Although, in terms of goals, I think after my bday next week I may be putting myself back on the wagon until turkey day.
Other goals would be breaking 200 on DL - just because that seems awesome. I think benching with big girl plates may be a bit ambitious of a goal for the month, but I'm putting it out there anyways in hopes I have it by the end of the year. If trainer has anything to do with it... I WILL be squatting with big kid plates by the end of the month I'm sure.1 -
There's a bit of dread/sadness going on on top of the happiness from two relatively heavy and overall successful sessions.
Yesterday:
full snatch + hang snatch x2, EMOTM x6
72.5lbs (repeat from last week), no missed reps this time. Heavy, but not ugly
Squats EMOTM x3 152.5x3
1 min rest
EMOTM x3 162.5x2
1 min rest
EMOTM x5 170x1
wasn't sure I'd make it all the way, but I kept pushing. Last few singles were suuuuper slow, and maybe a little shallow, but I never let myself be dragged forward. Erectors are doing their work! There was a little bit of a shadow of that lower back injury from the end of last year sort of hanging around, so I'll be careful with that.
Today:
Power Cleans EMOTM x4 107.5x2
1 min rest
EMOTM x4 115x2
Wasn't sure during the first 4 minutes I could pull doubles in the 2nd part. 115 was basically my 1RM just a month ago. But I went at it and I think my form was actually better on the heavier reps!
The bad: that shoulder/trap on the right side where I got injured doing this exact program, around 1 week into the next phase, is rearing its ugly head. I'm guessing yanking heavy weight from the ground while still sore from yesterday AND remnants of Sunday's session (rear delts come in mind. Still sore from the deadlift to a degree) has really been rubbing it the wrong way.
I made it through the OHP and pull-ups regardless, although the latter was a bit uncomfortable and the former was a wee bit more unstable than usual.
72.5x10, 75x8, 77.5x6, 82.5x45
superset with 2/2/2 with very little assistance on the pull-ups, then 8 with my "normal" assist
Came time to perform the metcon part of the workout, I looked at my 3 remaining options and I bailed. Knees to bows? Nope. Rowing? Noooope! Cleans & jerks? Oh hell no! (I have been a little backwards doing them as they are cardio/endurance types, anyway, but I swear, today was a valid bail).
I went to the cable pulley and did straight arm rope pullovers 30x15, 45x2x12
rope triceps pushdowns 45x15
ez bar curls 35x15
with 4x15 bw squats in-between sets here
2 more days left to this training phase. I'll have to see how the shoulder holds up, might just take a 2 days rest and get back to it. Or scale the weights back a bit. I had to take ibuprofen and am finding myself wishing I had a sling right now, so it's not a very good sign
Deload just turned into boring (p)rehab week, for sure. You gotta do things that are no fun sometimes, in order to keep having fun. Right?0 -
Deload just turned into boring (p)rehab week, for sure. You gotta do things that are no fun sometimes, in order to keep having fun. Right?
i remember the last time that shoulder was bad. doing the prehab made such a difference to it. so i'm hoping you can hang in and do it again, because this time around i'm thinking 'and if she catches it early . . . just imagine how much even-more good it will do!'
work is sucking right now; i feel like they said all the right things when my dad had his fall, but now that i'm actually back and their money (not, actually) has to go where their mouths are for me taking time off, suddenly i'm feeling sidelined.
so, i stopped at the gym when i was on my way home and did a 'real' workout. i.e. a programmed one. deadlifts on this new 8xn thing. my tested 8-rep max was 110 back when i did it for mr t, but i pretended i'd been actually doing the programme and added an extra 10 pounds. so, 7x2 plus 1x3. i do love deadlifts. even when i'm struggling it seems like sooner or later they come back to me.
also did my offset-kettlebell circuits, which i'm starting to question a bit because my s.i. slash lumbar zone have been tender ever since i started with them. but still, they're hard to resist because i keep thinking greedily about all the stuff they're going to do for my grip especially on the left side. today believe-it-or-not i got up to 45 pounds, and even my left hand managed to take its turn. i had to stop at the halfway point for a few seconds though, with the left.
anddd some overhead carries as well, with the next-littlest bell. more for the grip, plus that lovely feeling of having your shoulder joints packed. when i was done with the deadlifts the women's bar i'd been using felt so light suddenly that i did 3x10 ohp too, because i WANT my magical overhead press status back.
0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »Deload just turned into boring (p)rehab week, for sure. You gotta do things that are no fun sometimes, in order to keep having fun. Right?
i remember the last time that shoulder was bad. doing the prehab made such a difference to it. so i'm hoping you can hang in and do it again, because this time around i'm thinking 'and if she catches it early . . . just imagine how much even-more good it will do!'
It's actually not my shoulder, but the stupid traps (as it was back in 2015, too). It's in the same area, but *knock on wood* my shoulder girdle is actually as healthy as can be.
This time around it's hitting a bit on both sides. I should've seen the early signs (that stiff/pinched neck thing last weekend), now that I think of it. Lots of overhead work, and lots of "yanking" weight (oly lifts). Not enough recovery. As the intensity increases, muscles get tight and imbalances/weaknesses get exposed, right?
The cure will be
1. no explosive lifts for the duration of the deload. Everything slow and controlled
2. shoulder/upper back release and stability work
3. technique review
It's less acute today, but definitely around when I try to move my head, so I'll try to work on the soft tissue today, and move around a bit more tomorrow.1 -
I'm not a fan of beer, but would you ladies still be willing to accept a newbie lifter (especially considering I've already been stalking this group for awhile?)
I finally joined a gym this week - it's been a few years. Had a session with a trainer today to teach me how to use the squat cage and barbells - before now I'd used dumbbells but never used the big girl weights. I'm using today as my start date for Strong Lifts 5x5.
I'd love you join in if that's cool
1 -
-
It was pretty cool. I was always intimidated by the barbells but I'm glad I found SL 5x5 to push me into it. The trainer reviewed my form on all 5 lifts to make sure I had the basic idea and I did workout A. I wound up doing some of the lifts with some weight instead of an empty bar because I was paying more attention to the trainer and lost track of what the app said the weight should be.canadianlbs wrote: »we'd love it if you did how did the first workout go?
I think I may live in the squat cage from now on
1 -
It was pretty cool. I was always intimidated by the barbells but I'm glad I found SL 5x5 to push me into it. The trainer reviewed my form on all 5 lifts to make sure I had the basic idea and I did workout A. I wound up doing some of the lifts with some weight instead of an empty bar because I was paying more attention to the trainer and lost track of what the app said the weight should be.canadianlbs wrote: »we'd love it if you did how did the first workout go?
I think I may live in the squat cage from now on
We're always happy to have new folks joining in! Glad you enjoyed that first session!
Hey, gais, gais! I did my mobility work this morning! (and lax balled the hell out of my traps before bed last night) *gives self a star sticker*
Highlight here was the tummy to back roll. Yes, yes, I pretented to be a little baby in my living room for 8 reps per side. The first 1 on the left re-set something in my neck/trap area. Oi. Still a bit stiff, but I may be able to handle my last 2 days of this phase this weekend after all 1 -
jayemes wrote:I was always intimidated by the barbells but I'm glad I found SL 5x5 to push me into it.
they are intimidating, but oh so cool once you get past that part of it. finding a trainer right from the start is a good move.The first 1 on the left re-set something in my neck/trap area.
nice when that 'i did something and suddenly . . . 'story goes in the good direction for once. yay.
i took my muscle widget with me today when i went to do stuff for/with my dad, because mr t had expressed strong interest in checking it out.
and damn me if i mustn't have left it somewhere. i'm terribly sad but there isn't a thing i can do about it except wait for tomorrow and then go see if just MAYBE i somehow left it at his house instead of at walmart or the community centre or somewhere like that.
aside from that i didn't do much at t.day. did do an 8-rep max test session for bench, which topped out at 60 pounds, which wasn't bad. and i also got the word on how many workouts: once per week do the 'real' workout, i.e. the 8-set protocol. and eitehr the same day or on a different day - if wanted - you can also do a 'pump' version which is 3x6 with 80% of the weight. progression by adding reps to sets, just like the other one, and you add weight once you're up to 3x8 in that stream.
so now i know. still can't squat. tried and the hip muscle went nuts again. mr t thinks i should just turn my back on squatting except as a pissant recreational thing, and focus on deadlifts since they at least don't hurt me and will theoretically help me build strength.
0 -
Already October. I lifted a few times already but forgot to post. Today's workout:
bench 1x5 @ 65, 1x4 @ 75, 2x3 @ 88, 2x2 @ 99, 3x1 @ 115, 2x2 @ 99
deadlift 1x3 @ 135, 1x3 @ 159, 2x3 @ 186, 2x2 @ 215, 2x1 @ 239
db fly 5x10 @ 20
leg press 6x5 @ 240 - machine
cable abs 3x10 @ 80 - with rope
0 -
So did a daddy/daughter lifting session today before dinner to celebrate my upcoming bday.
Squats 5@45, 7@65, 5@75, 3x5@85
Deadlift 10@45 straight leg, 5@95, 5@135, 3x5@140.
OHP - 5@45, 5@50, 2x5@55, 5@60
3 -
General group question - I'm looking at lots of talk of foam rolling and @krokador doing lax ball rolling - is the general opinion that it's worth doing for all lifters? I definitely have back issues and enjoy getting a serious deep tissue massage from my tiny but brutal massage therapist so I'm thinking this may be something I should start. Any recommendations on where to start? Rollers? Smooth or high density? The ones that look like grids? Balls better or worse than roller or just for different things? I'm definitely sore today (2 days after my lifting) so I'm thinking this may be beneficial......0
-
General group question - I'm looking at lots of talk of foam rolling and @krokador doing lax ball rolling - is the general opinion that it's worth doing for all lifters? I definitely have back issues and enjoy getting a serious deep tissue massage from my tiny but brutal massage therapist so I'm thinking this may be something I should start. Any recommendations on where to start? Rollers? Smooth or high density? The ones that look like grids? Balls better or worse than roller or just for different things? I'm definitely sore today (2 days after my lifting) so I'm thinking this may be beneficial......
I think it's definitely worth it, even if maybe a bit tedious at times, but if anything, a regular plain ol' foam roller that you can get for 15-20$ on amazon is the first thing I'd get. The grid/spiky ones are much stiffer and WILL hurt a lot if you're not used to it, to a point where you'll probably not want to do it again. Start small.
I use the regular-sized roller almost every single day to reset my thoracic spine (desk job, so I end up with rounded shoulders a lot.) Lying with my upper back on it at different spots while raising arms overhead or just hanging out always makes me feel like I lifted 10-20lbs off of my shoulders. After heavy squat days, it's nice to get in there and unglue the tissue in my hamstrings, glutes, side of the hip, quads and ooohh that groin area... And definitely like rolling out the lats if they're sore.
Just the same as with the fancy rollers, the lax ball might be quite stiff when starting out, so you can find some street hockey balls, or even tennis balls for cheap and try those out first. Again, desk worker here, and I do a good bit of oly lifting, so traps get SUPER sore and I always have trigger points behind the shoulder blades. The roller can't get to that. And also if you have lower back issues, the balls can also get into the glutes area much better, and the psoas is really hard to reach with a roller. Oh, and pecs. Sore pecs are bad news. Balls can be used on a wall in a standing position, so if you're afraid of putting too much weight on by lying on it, start on the wall. Then maybe a chair. (I'll watch tv on my computer sometimes, with the ball between my back and the back of the chair, and work on those adhesions)
While we're at it, another good investment, I think, is a moderate-strength resistance band. It really changes the game when it comes to overall stretching, and if you have any injuries or nagging issues, they're a great pre/rehab tool. I think again I paid like 20$ for my set of 3 on amazon. I use them for pull-aparts, shoulder dislocations, face pulls, pull-up assist, kneeling hip flexor stretches, and all kinds of other things. But even if the only reason you get them is pull-ups, they are worth it IMO
*Edit* since I sound like an ad, I may as well just give a few examples here:
foam roller: https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-High-Density-Round-Foam-Roller/dp/B00XM2MXK8/ref=sr_1_5?s=exercise-and-fitness&ie=UTF8&qid=1507380568&sr=1-5&keywords=foam+roller&th=1 (I have a 16' and it could use an extra 2 inches when rolling on it. I think 12' would be a bit too small when it comes to the t-spine stuff, so I'd suggest going with 18' personally)
resistance bands/loops: https://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Strength-Resistance-Combo/dp/B00EVXS8UG/ref=sr_1_12?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1507380791&sr=1-12&keywords=resistance+bands+black+mountain
laxballs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TIX8QVK/ref=twister_B01CMX06OM?_encoding=UTF8&th=1
whatever set is cheaper is fine. Don't get mislead by "myofascial therapy" lax balls, they're all the same thing. So pay as little as you can! lol. These are the exact ones I got. and having 2 of them means you can get crafty with an old sock and make a peanut. And although I'm personally not a fan of it - I prefer being able to move the ball on one side freely - having 2 blue balls has allll kinds of other benefits, like making people laugh, and uh, well, when you lose one, you can usually find the other? xD
ALSO, speaking from personal experience here, there are spiky plastic-y balls you can buy relatively cheap, marketed as "massage balls"? Don't. They're torture device. Painful ones. Not helpful ones. The spiky balls need to have some give to be of any actual use. The cheap ones are just hard plastic poking at you and making your skin hurt. I bought a set of 2 at a local store once cuz they were like half price (I think 4$? I was like "why not?" and well, I tried to use 'em once. Ow.)
None of this is necessary though, of course. Some people get PVC pipes and tape them up to use as rollers. You can def get in some areas (quads for example) with just your elbow. You can always get creative with household things instead of spending more money.
Or you can be like me, go to walmart for clothes because you're failing your diet, and come back with a shiny new toy because it was just 15$ and you've been eyeing one for a while... I got an Ab Wheel! Weee!1 -
You know, I know I'm new here, but I'd really appreciate it if I could get a thorough answer to a simple question
Holy moly @krokador that was a great read. Exactly what I needed to hear. I remember years ago a boss of mine (a dentist) was using a pvc pipe to roll out his hamstrings as per his PT. He had it sitting across the arms of a desk chair and then he'd sit on it and roll back and forth. I tried it and OMG the pain! But at the same time now 10 years later my older and more sore body is thinking my husband probably has a pipe in the basement somewhere and that would feel awesome.....
I'm going to check out those links when I have time to shop later!
I did pull ups with resistance bands at the gym Thursday! I needed two red and one orange which I'm sure is a *kitten* ton of help, but I'll get better. My goal is to be able to do a pull up on my own by my 45th birthday in April.
In NSV news, I did my first ever chin up last night. I'm still nowhere near the pull up but I'll get there!0 -
@jayemes - I am very glad that @krokador helped you out.
All I could formulate for an answer is that foam rolling really seems to help me, but that usually when I need it most, I am too sore to manouver myself correctly to use it. So, I don't use mine as often as I should. And that wasn't a very useful answer, so I had left it alone and omitted said vague answer. So, I am very glad we got you better, and VERY thorough info. 0 -
more on the massage topic . . . . krok nailed the entire thing, but ima add a few hacks of my own that my muscles have prompted me to.
1. toys r us or your friendly local loonie store are terrific sources as well. head for the aisles for 'babies and kids under 3'. they sell lovely soft, forgiving plastic balls in all kinds of sizes, which are in.cred.ible for giving you the same kind of effect as the massage type known as 'compression strokes'. if your i.t. band and quads ever get tight, one of those up against a wall can change your whole life.
2. head for the 'party favours' section as well. those little hard-rubber 'super bounce' balls that are about an inch in diameter are The Bomb for getting in and around and under the borders of your shoulderblades, and any other very small, delicate muscles that lax balls just steamroll right over without pinpointing particular spots.
3. aaaaand finally, all the yes to krok's comment on the expensive spikey 'massage' balls. don't do it. go get a pair of those hippie-ecowarrier 'dryer balls' instead. the ones that i have don't get much use but when i do use them i find i can get them into the stringiest worst places around my trochanter (big bump on outside top of thigh bone) without drawing blood. those dryer balls aren't made to be sat on by someone my size so they collapse slowly under my weight instead of making big holes in my butt.
about massage techniques, i could bore you for 40 minutes. i'll just try to keep it to the basics since the internet is 30% 'how to massage your own self' content now.
1. from an ex-rmt who lifted with my club, i learned you get much better results if you release the 'ends' of the muscle first - BOTH sides of where it attaches to the bone. after that you can work into the muscle belly. i always think of it like being a little kid with a colouring book, when you outline the borders of a section and then start shading into the rest of it until you have covered it all.
2. hold on the super-sore spots. just running back and forth over the entire muscle feels great but doesn't do as much as giving those bad points 30 seconds or so to release.
3. less is usually more, in my case. i never live by it but if you come at my muscles with too much aggression, they just fight back. so being too 'strong' with massage sometimes just leaves me even more tight and sore, with new 'insulted' tissue to worry about until they get over the bad side-effects of me trying to help.
4. and movement is so much your friend. my kinesiology-geek chiropractor has been telling me for 25 years that you get much better muscle 'quality' is you stretch AFTER you work a muscle as well. not with aggression, but just to remind your body's rebuilding system which directions any new or repaired fibre are meant to lie in.0 -
You know, I know I'm new here, but I'd really appreciate it if I could get a thorough answer to a simple question
Holy moly @krokador that was a great read.
Oh wow, I didn't even realize just how big the wall of text had gotten! I'm sorry, I'm one of those super wordy people, takes me forever to get to a point, lol! Glad it was helpful!
So, the soft tissue then mobility work plan did its job in getting me through the penultimate workout of this phase. It wasn't pretty but I think it went well.
I warmed up for a snatch movement with the 45lbs bar today. Snatches were the last move I was using the woman's bar for, and I figured since this was an assistance day, I'd go and give it a try. Moved well, but having a thicker bar makes the grippy part of things a bit, well, grippier. It's a good thing the skin under my callouses had an extra day to heal! lol
main work here was a complex of 3 snatch grip behind the neck push press into 3 snatch balance into 3 overhead squat. 85, 87.5, 90lbs, then back down to 85 for the last set because my right shoulder was starting to feel a bit wonky again and I didn't want to push it.
moved on to front squats and feet elevated (18') pike presses (way too elevated, but some girl was using 75% of the space in the xfit area along with the equipment, so I had to do with the stuff I could scavenge otherwise...)
125x5, 135x5 - I almost passed out on that last rep here. Not sure why. I was struggling out the bottom and started kind of yelling à la dragonball (if you've never seen that, it's hard to paint a better picture, lol). Next thing I knew I was leaning up against the uprights/j hooks trying to rack the bar. When I did my legs went kinda jello on me. It was... interesting. I've bailed on squats before. (and had the safeties in case I needed to), but never pushed to the point where I get so disoriented as happened today. It took me a minute to get back to it!
140x3 moved ok though, so did 142.5x3
Wife called while I was setting up for the rest, so I had a bit more rest than usual here. For time:
-30 cals on rower
- 900 single rope jumps
- 30 knees to bows
- 30 alternating DB power clean and press @35lbs (5lbs heavier than last time I did this)
- repeat above for 15/450/15/15
It took me 24:20 I think? Which is faster than my last go at it, despite losing the screw to my jump rope about 200 reps in and trying to hunt it down, giving up and jumping with a single handle and my fingers while looking for the screw in between stretches of jumping. I finally found it near the 700 jump mark xD Good times.
See? I type way too much! lol.0 -
Oh wow, I didn't even realize just how big the wall of text had gotten! I'm sorry, I'm one of those super wordy people, takes me forever to get to a point, lol! Glad it was helpful!
No please! It makes me feel right at home. I watch my husband's face when I talk sometimes and his eyes glaze over and I know just when I've lost him
Your workout sounds amazing. I'm not even going to be able to get back to the gym until Tuesday
The kids are home through Monday for Columbus Day. At least the trainer at the gym took video for me of my squat, bench and deadlift so I can watch them 1000 times and be horrified at how bad my form was lol
1 -
video is a great thing, but i like it best when i set up my own webcam and film *every* set. that way i watch each one immediately afterwards and the see-on-screen//remember sensation connection is much fresher and more productive. you get so you can tell what you were doing wrong in the muscle-activity sense, just by seeing yourself make a mistake on the screen.
with that said i hate the sight of myself on a video, so i don't do it that much
i went to the gym really late. kind of nice since it was pretty empty, whereas tomorrow it might well be mobbed. did my official i'm-doing-this-programme-now workout for ohp: 6x2 plus 2x3, spotting myself credit for having done ohp sometime during last week which is probably not true. in any case i couldn't remember where i'd 8rep maxed at mr t's so i took it up to 55 pounds to make sure i was not cheating myself.
ain't gonna lie, they were hard enough that the two-rep sets were a Really Good Thing. i could not have gotten sets of 5 at that weight, i don't think. but my shoulders were pretty stiff and there is the fact that i did a lot of warmup sets pretty heavy beforehand, plus i warmed up more as the sets went along so that by the time i got to the 3 sets they were not actually any harder than the first couple doubles. i'm starting to remember how to put my boobs into it and that helped. gonna help even more if/when i ever face up to my chores and roll/release/stretch out my shoulders so they're nice and relaxed.
also did squats. no progress on the whole thing of doing them without waking up hte injury-whatever-it-is, but man it's frustrating. it feels like in every other respect i still have a fair bit of power and my form is good enough that doing them 'shouldn't' be harmful at all . . . it just is. anyway, front/back sets of 5 with the jumps, up to 2x5 at 60 and i be'd realistic and stopped it right there. felt like 60 pounds does the kind of damage i can probably fix at home since i don't have to go to work tomorrow . . . but 65 was a fair risk for messing me up good and fair, so too much.0 -
Hi all, I'm going to jump in and join you. I've been doing StrongLifts for about 3 weeks now. I've been working on my form for squats, trying to get to at least parallel or a little below parallel so I had to take some weight off to work on that. Today I finally got back up to the weight I was at before which still isn't much, 90 lb.
Overhead press and barbell row are the hardest for me. My gym doesn't have one pound plates which makes upping the weight on overhead press a little harder. They do at least have 2.5 pound plates. I did 4 sets of 5 at 55 pounds and one set of 5 at 60 pounds today for overhead press.
I did 150 lb on deadlift today so I can officially say that I can lift my own weight. I'm looking forward to when I can squat my own weight.2 -
Spent over an hour on mobility work yesterday (and some core work. My obliques are still sore xD Oops?)
Went back for the last workout of this phase (finally!) and managed to pull it together enough In truth, I still have a 20 min AMRAP to do from this cycle, but I can tack that on to my deload workouts just fine.
Squat Clean + hang squat clean x2, EMOTM x6
Had done 92.5lbs last week, so I went and tried 95. Got through it okay. Legs are still a bit upset with all the work they've had to do lately! lol. Shoulder was a bit grumpy through it all, but not to the point where I felt like I had to take it back a notch. Hopefully a week or 2 of "rest" in terms of explosive movements + extra stabilization work will do it some good.
Push Jerk
105x3, 110x3, 115x3, 115x3
superset with deadlifts:
170x8, 175x8, 180x6, 108x5 - was supposed to be 6 here, but my lower back cramped up a bit and I didn't want to grind it.
Then, to finish off: 3x3 min AMRAP (1 min rest between each round)
- 2 squat clean & jerk @ 95lbs
- 3 trx row + muscle-up transition
- 4 burpees
Made it to 2 rounds + 1 C&J + 1 power clean on the first round (just didn't have it in me to squat this one)
2 rounds with 10 seconds to spare but no juice for any more cleans
and 2 rounds + 1 C&J to finish it up
No improvement on this one here. I did a bit less work than I had previously, even. But I'm not mad at it.
My plan is to just go to the gym and do my prehab work + mostly unilateral or DB movements in a controlled fashion until I feel 100% again. Not going to say "I'm going back in a week", it'll take the time it takes. I WILL force myself to take AT LEAST a week, though. Because I know myself and I'll get antsy and stupid if I don't xDHi all, I'm going to jump in and join you.
Welcome welcome! Sets of 5 @ 60lbs on the overhead press is really nothing to scoff at! Sounds like you're doing great already! And scaling back to get the correct form on the squats is not the most fun thing, but it'll pay off in the end, trust me!
0 -
Today I finally got back up to the weight I was at before which still isn't much, 90 lb.
that's great though! and great progress too, for only three weeks of work. this second time around with better form is going to be worth so much more than the first time that you got it to there, because if you cleaned up your form then the road is clear before you. i never have totally learned that bad form is a bad investment, it just doesn't lead anywhere.
for press, if you don't have the access to micro-plates then adding reps to the sets works as well for your 'progression' component. i lift in a 2.5 zone as well unless i'm doing my presses on fridays at trainer day, so i've seen that work really well in the past.0 -
@chispaza Welcome! (I'm new too, but you're newer so I feel better)
I agree that your numbers sound great for 3 weeks in.
I just did my first OHP last week with a light bar (35lbs) I'll be happy when I get to 60!
@krokador One day I hope to comprehend the scope of your workouts! I'm not up on all the acronyms yet! The stretching sounds great. I'm ordering those things you recommended tomorrow!
Question of the day - this week my only chances to go to the gym will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Would it be terrible to do Strong Lifts two days in a row? Especially considering the fact that I'm just on the first few days of the program and I'm lifting very light? Opinions welcome!1 -
So last week I was super lazy and only hit the gym twice for a half-*kitten* deload. This week I'm back in but still recovering from a travel + heavy work weekend and that time of the month, so still working light weights.
Upper body day
OHP 5/5/5 @ 45/50/55. Super proud of this because I a) used the bigger diameter bar that I don't like, and b) did the lift without my wrist braces. It still felt light after hitting 87 the week before last, but I'm quite pleased with this.
Hanging leg raises: 3x12
Assisted pullups: went for increased volume this week. 3x7 @ 65 lb CW. First set and a half was easy, last set harder
Kneeling pushups: 3x10. These felt stupid easy--I haven't done them in forever but they felt like nothing!
Plank: 55 sec. Not easy, my abs were screaming.
I always feel a bit silly on deload weeks, because the weights are so low, but I also recognize that my body will not tolerate the heavy loads all the time without a break. I'm also hoping to meet with my trainer to try a different program for 6 weeks, AND I start a dance class this week. So excited to be back in the studio after 2.5 years off!! I'll be sore, and dance class is a full body workout ++, so I'll probably back off weights to 3 days a week while the class runs.
ETA: A super dorky, nerdy November pun just occurred to me. if no one else starts a thread then, I'll nerd you all to death 0 -
@krokador One day I hope to comprehend the scope of your workouts! I'm not up on all the acronyms yet! The stretching sounds great. I'm ordering those things you recommended tomorrow!
Question of the day - this week my only chances to go to the gym will be Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Would it be terrible to do Strong Lifts two days in a row? Especially considering the fact that I'm just on the first few days of the program and I'm lifting very light? Opinions welcome!
You can do that, but I would make a few adjustments?
1. do a lighter weight on wednesday for the squats. Or, even better, thrown in a squat variation (for the sake of simplicity, goblet/front squats would probably be the best option. Make sure the weight doesn't rest on your chest if you do goblet, so you get all the benefits of doing a front loaded movement for your upper back). Don't push the reps or the weight here at all though. Good form and speed are your friends. Even if you're not moving that much weight, these are moves your body is not quite used to yet, so recovery is still important. Stiff squats = bad movement pattern.
2. if you can make it so that workout A comes first and then B on wednesday, you'll probably be in better shape than the other way around. Deadlifts might be your worst enemy, otherwise. (In fact, if you end up with deadlifts on tuesday? I'd say switch rows & deadlifts around just this once). And maybe just don't up the weights on the 2nd pushing movement you do for that week. Unless the sets are still super easy, anyway.
Your other option (probably the smarter one, since it wouldn't be my first choice! lol) is to just take an extra day off and keep moving from there. If you can make it on Sunday instead then you're not even really losing a day. Otherwise, just get back to your regular schedule next week. Honestly? Unless you're 100% sure you can handle 2 days in a row, you probably shouldn't be trying to. It's the opposite of the bro "no pain no gain" mindset, and, like I said, I'd be guilty here, too. But I've learned not that long ago that playing it for the long run is really where the money's at.
And for reference:
EMOTM = Every minute on the minute
AMRAP = As many Reps/Rounds as Possible
0
This discussion has been closed.