The august ladies' August check in and chat
Options
Replies
-
Okie doke yesterday was squats, OHP, and deadlifts. I set some new records for myself yesterday. I was so proud.
Squats 100 lbs
OHP 3 1/2 @ 60lbs (new record!!! Most i have done to this point was 58) 1@ 55
deadlifts 2@145 lbs (also new record for me)
This was followed with some leg accessory work, core work, and 15 minutes cardio. It was late or i would have tried to squeeze in a wee more cardio.0 -
Edit: just to make sure I'm on the right track eating-wise, I had been eating at a mild loss to mostly maintain and allow for splurges (TDEE -10% but I'm sure more like -5% after splurges). I don't really have more weight that I want to lose and I'm ok if I gain a little or lose a little--my main goal is to get strong and I want to eat enough to fuel my workouts. My thought is to increase calories by 100 to start and see how I feel, and add more if I feel like I need it after a week or so. Does this seem reasonable?
That will probably be fine. You could probably just set your calories to maintenance level. I have no idea how you have been eating or exercising in the past, but if you add calories make sure it is mostly protein to fuel those new muscles you're building!
I've been lifting for a year, tracking calories for 2, and am still constantly evaluating my calorie needs & nutrition!0 -
B day now ten days off!
squats 45kg as that felt plenty hard enough 3x5 and knee ok
ohp 25kg still working on timing etc but ok
Deadlift 70kg 1x5 built up from 60kg form felt better :-)
A couple of sets of 5 pullups with 35kg of assistance, a bit of a go at pressups and a minute plank, and I couldn't be asked to do any HIIT or anything else!0 -
Wednesday was my 1st time doing Workout B. Did the squats and added my little 5lbs on to the bar..
That just looked sooooooooooo lame..Trainer/owner of gym walked by and she was just smiling at me..I was too because 2.5lbs on that huge longe bar look really loneley. (I know I can squat more because it feels really easy but I want to make sure that I have the form right this time).0 -
Two workouts and a run since I last checked in.
A on tuesday
Squat - 95 lbs 5x5 = a misery. Hard, but not in a good, "rawr" way - as my technique improves, my weak little hammies feel like they are going to collapse, but my strong quads feel nothing at this weight. BOO!
Bench 70lbs 5x5 - booyah, starting to finally feel stronger!
Row - 60 lbs 5x5 - using the t-bar - not ideal, but my form feels so bad on the barbell rows and this is my solution
15 minute run last night - slow and steady. Happy to be getting back on the roads. Content with building up slowly - my race isn't until November.
B tonight
Squat - deloaded all the way down to 65 lbs. Still felt weak and wonky and the very bottom, but I can tell my form is much better. HATE HATE HATE THIS!!! But I know that this is what I must do. Hamstrings and glutes will never get stronger if I push away at heavy weights with crap form.
OHP 55 lbs - felt strong!
Deads - did 115 lbs again. Will go up next time, methinks.
Joanne0 -
First day was today.
Did Squats 5*5 at 45 (nothing on the bar)-felt like a tool
Bench press 1*5 1*3 1*2 and 2*1 all at 45 (nothing on the bar)- was concentrating to hard to feel like a tool
Barbell Row 2*5.. This is where I got pissed off and walked out of the gym, I was trying to focus on my form, and get some nice smooth movements, but my gym SUCKS and has no room for weights......like none, so I found a mat to go on.......then gym attendant dude told me I couldn't use that, but there was NO WHERE else to go. I'm going to try to hit up a different gym next time, as this was extremely frustrating, and I was clearly struggling.
As far as form goes, they don't have a squat rack (ghetto gym) so that sucked, I am looking forward to trying to do these the with the proper form, but I tend to have okay form on squats in general. Bench press.. I was really focused on my form, and found the hardest part was lifting straight up from my chest.
Overly- Can see myself falling in love with this plan, but HATE my gym. I've hated it for awhile now, it's a city rec center, has no air-conditioning, and not enough room. So I need to try going to another gym and see how I like it, I would really prefer to buy the equipment to do at home just for the comfort factor of being at home.0 -
some great workouts ladies, glad even when things are hard it's a motivation to improve
Erin please don't feel like a tool. Everyone starts somewhere, for me that was with the empty bar, for many of the ladies here it was with lower weighted bars or dumbbells. You'll soon be moving big chunks of iron around!0 -
Erin, ya, don't think about what you look like. I started very recently with just the bar, and even though I got through the 5x5 squats, I could barely go down the stairs for 3 days after. If you couldn't see how much weight I was squatting, you would have thought I was doing 150+ lbs from how much I was struggling to stand up. Haha. My bar still looks lame with the single 5kg plates, but whatever. If I don't pay my dues with these, I'll never get to the 25kg plates, right?
Also, I saw a guy quarter (or maybe even fifth) squatting way more weight... And another doing quarter lat pull-downs on the machine... If I cared to do so, I could totally think they looked more like tools than me. Take joy in doing your own thing!
But for the sucky gym, ya, sounds like you need to find one where you at least have the physical room to get in a satisfactory workout. Ambiance and overall feeling count for a lot, but not having enough room when you have to pay for a membership is eliminatory, I think.0 -
Ladies,
I am checking in and checking out. It appears my love of new rules was too much for me to part with and have decided to stick with it.
I am still going to keep my nose in here as there are some fantastically experienced lifters in here and I truly value their opinions. Plus I am a nosey cow lol
Wish you all well.
Sian
P.S Erin, don't feel like a tool, everyone starts somewhere. Keep your eyes on your own barbell and don't worry about anyone else 0 -
Thanks ladies, I'm more upset about the gym sucking than anything. I actually am really looking for the next workout, just as matter of where I'll do it, I'm thinking I might need to move to dumbbells if I stick it out there for the next month or so until I can get my own equipment, which is kind of sucky, but at least I can get work of my form more.
I'm thinking I will bite the bullet and just buy what I need towards the end of the month, mid-septemberish.0 -
I'm up to 90lbs on squats and that seems to be going well. I just really have to concentrate on all the form stuff - squeeze traps, elbows in, core tight, breathing out going down and in going up, chest up, feet pointed, knees not to pass, push up through the heels. Ugh, it really takes it out on me mentally.
I feel ready to move OHP up five pounds to 60. Will be trying that today. My BP is improving too so I'll move that up five pounds on Monday to 75.
I've been deadlifting 115lb this week and I'm having a damn hard time with grip. How do I improve my grip?0 -
I'm up to 90lbs on squats and that seems to be going well. I just really have to concentrate on all the form stuff - squeeze traps, elbows in, core tight, breathing out going down and in going up, chest up, feet pointed, knees not to pass, push up through the heels. Ugh, it really takes it out on me mentally.
I feel ready to move OHP up five pounds to 60. Will be trying that today. My BP is improving too so I'll move that up five pounds on Monday to 75.
I've been deadlifting 115lb this week and I'm having a damn hard time with grip. How do I improve my grip?
Have you tried a mixed grip??0 -
Todays workout Squat, Bench, Row-- back and bicep accessory and cardio. Although I feel yuk today due to sinuses, so we will see how far I really get tonight.0
-
I'm back! I took a few months off to do TapouT with my husband (we both hated it) and then another few months off to heal a stress fracture in my shin from running. But I'm back and loving 5x5! I never see much difference in weight/inches, but I feel strong and healthy and that matters more than anything else to me.0
-
I feel strong and healthy and that matters more than anything else to me.
QFT!0 -
Just got "Starting Strength" in the mail. "doing a happy dance"0
-
Did the overhead press today... still hate it. I failed at 55 lbs and had to deload to 50 to finish. I am not progressing at all on that lol.
My other lifts I did well, 80 lbs on squats, shrugs and rows, 100 lbs on my deadlift and 60 lbs on my machine crunches.
Rock on ladies! Everyone is doing so well! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:0 -
Workout B today plus assisted chin-ups and dips:
Squats 5x5 @100#
OHP 5x5 @45#
Dead lifts 1x5 @120# (PR)
Assisted chin-ups 3x8 @52# assisted
Dips 3x8 @52# assisted
Some days are better than others and today was pretty much status quo. But I feel good and challenged my body. Can't ask for more than that.0 -
Workout B
Squats 65lbs 5x5 (getting deeper in these, feeling better with them)
OHP 50lbs 5x5 (I got all five sets this time!!! It was so very hard, but I eked them out!)
DL 85 lbs 1x5 (this still feels easy)
I love this!!!0 -
Hi everyone and it is so nice to see so many new faces! I'm always amazed at how quickly this thread moves.
Well, after a bit of a break from the gym, I got back in this week for two days.....my schedule has been packed so I got what I could manage in at the gym.
I'm starting back with the standard SL 5x5 and will adjust when needed. Deloaded a bit for form and the fact that I lost a bit during the break.
Today I did B:
Squat 5x5 @ 85
OHP 5x5 @ 65
Deads 1x5 @ 135, 155, 175
Of course, next week I'm traveling for work most of the week and then the week after is a week at the beach so I may not make much overall progress in August.0
