Advice needed: Early lifting plateau?
lev_k
Posts: 21 Member
Hi All,
I'm a beginner who recently gotten into compound lifting (bench, OHP, deadlifts)/ I progressed linearly for about 2 months, but now I'm plateauing pretty noticeably, especially for bench, OHP and rows, even after de-loading a few times and trying to progress with micro-plates. I've had my form checked by a professionally certified trainer, and they didn't really see anything wrong.
If I had to pin point a weak area, I'd say my arms are the common denominator, since they're always the first muscle group to fatigue. So I was wondering if I should start to focus on and add some extra accessory lifts for the arms (right now I only do compounds).
Some stats:
Male, 24
Weight: 185 lbs
BF: Dunno, ~30%+?
Currently maintaining my body weight.
(Max Numbers: 3 sets, 5 reps)
Squats: 95 lbs
Bench: 130 lbs
OHP: 95 lbs
Deadlifts: 210 lbs
I really don't think I should be plateauing this early, unless I'm doing something seriously wrong/ I mean, I was already only able to progress with micro plates, which is way too early IMO. Anyone have thoughts on this?
Thanks!
I'm a beginner who recently gotten into compound lifting (bench, OHP, deadlifts)/ I progressed linearly for about 2 months, but now I'm plateauing pretty noticeably, especially for bench, OHP and rows, even after de-loading a few times and trying to progress with micro-plates. I've had my form checked by a professionally certified trainer, and they didn't really see anything wrong.
If I had to pin point a weak area, I'd say my arms are the common denominator, since they're always the first muscle group to fatigue. So I was wondering if I should start to focus on and add some extra accessory lifts for the arms (right now I only do compounds).
Some stats:
Male, 24
Weight: 185 lbs
BF: Dunno, ~30%+?
Currently maintaining my body weight.
(Max Numbers: 3 sets, 5 reps)
Squats: 95 lbs
Bench: 130 lbs
OHP: 95 lbs
Deadlifts: 210 lbs
I really don't think I should be plateauing this early, unless I'm doing something seriously wrong/ I mean, I was already only able to progress with micro plates, which is way too early IMO. Anyone have thoughts on this?
Thanks!
0
Replies
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are you on a lifting program, if not you should be ? If you want to progress in those lifts, you need spot on form and have your whole body into the lift. Most local gym trainers are clueless about proper compound lift forms, they'll get you doing the basics, but once you get past a beginner level you need someone that specializes in compound lifting. And all of those lifts benefit from lots of accessory work, For bench you say your arms are weak, I do a LOT of tricep work, and lat work for my bench. Your deadlift and squat will benefit from ham and glute accessories. Look into some strength programs , they'll detail out the accessory work you should do.0
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Odd numbers given your age and weight.
Extremely odd that your ohp equals your squat. Your ohp seem fine for a beginner your age/size but your squat should be close to 50% more than that. Micro plates may be necessary for ohp but not likely the other lifts. DL and bench look fine for a beginner your age and size.
So, the question for me is: what's wrong w/your squat?
You say you've consulted w/a trainer who found nothing wrong I don't see how you can expect anyone here to assess the "problem," especislly since it's not clear what the problem is.
One thing you DO NOT need is to stsrt doing accessory lifts. They'd be totally useless for you.
I suggest you go back to the trainer (or better yet, a power lifting instructor) to ask him/her to help you w/your squat.
IMO, given your other lifts, you should at least be able to squat about 80% of your BW or 150# (which s only 20# more than you can bench now).
Generally, your legs/hips/butt are the strongest part of your body and your arms/chest/shoulders body are the weakest. So, it makes no sense that you can BP more than you can squat, especially when you say that you think that your arms are weak.
So, focus on your squats 1st and address any other perceived problems later.
6 -
Odd numbers given your age and weight.
Extremely odd that your ohp equals your squat. Your ohp seem fine for a beginner your age/size but your squat should be close to 50% more than that. Micro plates may be necessary for ohp but not likely the other lifts. DL and bench look fine for a beginner your age and size.
So, the question for me is: what's wrong w/your squat?
You say you've consulted w/a trainer who found nothing wrong I don't see how you can expect anyone here to assess the "problem," especislly since it's not clear what the problem is.
One thing you DO NOT need is to stsrt doing accessory lifts. They'd be totally useless for you.
I suggest you go back to the trainer (or better yet, a power lifting instructor) to ask him/her to help you w/your squat.
IMO, given your other lifts, you should at least be able to squat about 80% of your BW or 150# (which s only 20# more than you can bench now).
Generally, your legs/hips/butt are the strongest part of your body and your arms/chest/shoulders body are the weakest. So, it makes no sense that you can BP more than you can squat, especially when you say that you think that your arms are weak.
So, focus on your squats 1st and address any other perceived problems later.
Yeah, I do have a bit of a trouble history with squats. I can actually do more, but I'm taking it extra slow with squats right now due to various form/flexibility issues, and some problems with the knees.
The personal trainer was actually a power lifting instructor, but the gym is quite far from me, and a session isn't cheap either.
I suppose that I'm aware that there are multiple issues that need to be addressed, so that's what I'm kinda trying to do. I get that all these exercises are full body and can affect each other, but I just assumed that there should be some room for progressing separately in the lifts.1 -
Odd numbers given your age and weight.
Extremely odd that your ohp equals your squat. Your ohp seem fine for a beginner your age/size but your squat should be close to 50% more than that. Micro plates may be necessary for ohp but not likely the other lifts. DL and bench look fine for a beginner your age and size.
So, the question for me is: what's wrong w/your squat?
You say you've consulted w/a trainer who found nothing wrong I don't see how you can expect anyone here to assess the "problem," especislly since it's not clear what the problem is.
One thing you DO NOT need is to stsrt doing accessory lifts. They'd be totally useless for you.
can you explain why you think accessories would be totally useless for him?1 -
Odd numbers given your age and weight.
Extremely odd that your ohp equals your squat. Your ohp seem fine for a beginner your age/size but your squat should be close to 50% more than that. Micro plates may be necessary for ohp but not likely the other lifts. DL and bench look fine for a beginner your age and size.
So, the question for me is: what's wrong w/your squat?
You say you've consulted w/a trainer who found nothing wrong I don't see how you can expect anyone here to assess the "problem," especislly since it's not clear what the problem is.
One thing you DO NOT need is to start doing accessory lifts. They'd be totally useless for you.
can you explain why you think accessories would be totally useless for him?
He's a beginner and can develop all the initial strength he needs by just focusing on the basic compound lifts.
Doing isolation work now on his arms will just distract him from focusing on doing the basic lifts using linear progression to build his overall body strength which is what he needs most now.
So, it is in this sense that I think doing isolation work at this time would be useless for him.
Simpler is better for beginners. That's what Stronglifts and Starting Strength (which is the kind of program the OP seems to be doing) were based on and why they have been so popular and successful.
The OP would do better sticking to the principles advanced by these programs which do not recommend the use of any isolation work for beginners.
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and your recommendation for him to break through his plateau is to just squat ?
how is squatting going to help break through a bench plateau
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and your recommendation for him to break through his plateau is to just squat ?
how is squatting going to help break through a bench plateau
I don't think it's a plateau at all.
Do you really think a 185# man will plateau at 95# doing squats? Get serious.
There 's something else going on. Maybe just a mental block. Who knows?
But there's absolutely no way he needs to do any more than more than just squats using linear progression to liftmore than 51% of his BW.
Doing extra leg work really will be useless and unnecessary to achieve that.
If/when he actually plateaus at 150% of his BW around 260# then we can talk about whether iso workwill help him to break thru beyond that.7 -
so ignore the other 3 lifts until he can squat 260 ?4
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so ignore the other 3 lifts until he can squat 260 ?
Now you're just being silly.
Of course, he continues working on the other lifts doing linear progression as he has already done.
The problem he is having is with his squat and there's no way he's plateaued physically at 95# and you know it.
You've given your suggestions to the OP as have I. No point "discussing" it further between us. We'll just have to leave it to the OP to decide how to address it.
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so ignore the other 3 lifts until he can squat 260 ?
Now you're just being silly.
Of course, he continues working on the other lifts doing linear progression as he has already done.
The problem he is having is with his squat and there's no way he's plateaued physically at 95# and you know it.
You've given your suggestions to the OP as have I. No point "discussing" it further between us. We'll just have to leave it to the OP to decide how to address it.
To be honest, IMO I think there are multiple issues here. Like I said, I'm sure I can squat more than 95 lbs, I'm just being really cautious with squats cuz that's the one I struggle with most (maybe I shouldn't have said 95 was my max). The problem that I wanted to discuss in this thread is the fact that my other lifts were plateauing, despite trying to progress with micro plates, and despite trying to de-load.
Anyways, it's probably impossible to provide support without seeing what's wrong. I've been meaning to record one of my sessions and post it to MFP for a form check, but haven't quite gotten around to it.
Thanks for the replies.0 -
Can I ask what your maintenance calories and macro split is?
It may be that you need to eat a little more or play with your macros.
Just throwing it out there. Not enough energy is a sure way to stall out.
Cheers, h.1 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Can I ask what your maintenance calories and macro split is?
It may be that you need to eat a little more or play with your macros.
Just throwing it out there. Not enough energy is a sure way to stall out.
Cheers, h.
To be honest, I'm not 100% sure what my maintenance calories are, I just know for a fact that I haven't gained or lost weight for a while now. My best guess is around 2200-2300 calories.
My macros, I make sure to get minimum 130 grams of protein per day, and the rest I don't really track.0 -
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.1 -
How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?0 -
Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
1 -
julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.2 -
julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.0 -
OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:
https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:
https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:
https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:
https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:
https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.1 -
OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
From what I saw your form looks pretty solid in my opinion, it’s at least 90% good. Ya, you could clean up and tweak your form a little here and there but it’s nothing that would limit you in your progress at this stage. Maybe someone else has a different opinion?
Again, try increasing your rest time and see if that helps (I believe it will).
Also: give us a break down of the current program you’re following. Make it as detailed as possible.0 -
ijsantos2005 wrote: »OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
From what I saw your form looks pretty solid in my opinion, it’s at least 90% good. Ya, you could clean up and tweak your form a little here and there but it’s nothing that would limit you in your progress at this stage. Maybe someone else has a different opinion?
Again, try increasing your rest time and see if that helps (I believe it will).
Also: give us a break down of the current program you’re following. Make it as detailed as possible.
Okay, to be completely honest, it's not exactly 1 specific program that I'm following 100%. But basically it's a Starting Strength/Stronglifts program with very minor tweaks. Instead of doing Pendlay rows (due to some discomfort in the shoulders), I've opted for T-bar rows, the closest alternative I could find. I also don't specifically try to do Low bar squats like as per Starting Strength instruction, but I do heavily emphasise and actively try to do the hip drive movement.
Here's what I actually do:
Workout A (In the following order):
(1) OHP - 1x5 warm-up (45lbs), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs)
(2) Deadlifts - 1x5 warm-up (135lbs), followed by 1x5 working sets (210lbs)
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
Workout B (In the following order):
(1) Bench - 1x5 warm-up (65lbs), followed by 2x5 working sets (130lbs)
(2) T-bar Rows - no warm-up (for now), only 3x5 working sets of bar+55lbs
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
I alternate the workouts, and do them every other day, 3 times/week. Resting time between working sets is usually 2-3 minutes, and I don't really rest between exercises.
I also like to sometimes add some glute exercises (resistance band) before the main workout just to help with squats. I also do a bit of light stretching during rests.
And... that's about it.0 -
your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.0
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your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate0 -
Please google ‘Alan Thrall deadlift’. He has an awesome 5 step video that you have to watch. I think it’ll help your deadlift form tremendously0
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OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
Like you mentioned, better vid will tell a lot more.
From what I can see...
Squats: Not bad at all. Drop the bar down a inch or so. This will help for better stability/balance & hip drive. Looks like your slightly pausing in the hole, I would concentrate on taking advantage of the stretch reflex of your hamstrings. Please shoot a vid directly from the side closer to knee level and one from directly behind. This is the lift you need the least amount of adjustments and could I would hazard the weight on the bar is too light.
OHP: Tighten every muscle up from ground up. Quads, glutes, abs, etc. First movement shift hips forward with vending knees to clear head from bar. At top you would benefit from full ROM and really extend the bar over head high holding with traps squeezed together.
Bench: The vid doesn't show exactly everything. A wider vid would. I hazard you are very loose with no leg drive. Need more attention to the set up and getting tight. When you are benching your body should be so rigid, that if someone bumped you...you wouldn't move. Nothing would, legs, knees, arms.
Deadlift: Please shoot vid directly from side. Loose back/lats. Take time with setup. Make sure bar is over midfoot. You might benefit from pulling your hips down with the bar a few inches until your hamstrings are fully engaged and stretched. A better vid will show a lot more.
I wouldn't advice a deload right now. The bar speed seems fine it's just your form needs adjustments. The adjustments alone will move the weight up in a progressive fashion.
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ijsantos2005 wrote: »OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
From what I saw your form looks pretty solid in my opinion, it’s at least 90% good. Ya, you could clean up and tweak your form a little here and there but it’s nothing that would limit you in your progress at this stage. Maybe someone else has a different opinion?
Again, try increasing your rest time and see if that helps (I believe it will).
Also: give us a break down of the current program you’re following. Make it as detailed as possible.
Okay, to be completely honest, it's not exactly 1 specific program that I'm following 100%. But basically it's a Starting Strength/Stronglifts program with very minor tweaks. Instead of doing Pendlay rows (due to some discomfort in the shoulders), I've opted for T-bar rows, the closest alternative I could find. I also don't specifically try to do Low bar squats like as per Starting Strength instruction, but I do heavily emphasise and actively try to do the hip drive movement.
Here's what I actually do:
Workout A (In the following order):
(1) OHP - 1x5 warm-up (45lbs), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs)
(2) Deadlifts - 1x5 warm-up (135lbs), followed by 1x5 working sets (210lbs)
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
Workout B (In the following order):
(1) Bench - 1x5 warm-up (65lbs), followed by 2x5 working sets (130lbs)
(2) T-bar Rows - no warm-up (for now), only 3x5 working sets of bar+55lbs
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
I alternate the workouts, and do them every other day, 3 times/week. Resting time between working sets is usually 2-3 minutes, and I don't really rest between exercises.
I also like to sometimes add some glute exercises (resistance band) before the main workout just to help with squats. I also do a bit of light stretching during rests.
And... that's about it.
Why only 2 sets on the bench press? Or is that a typo?
0 -
your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
The Starting Strength guidelines have you set up with the bar over mid foot, approximately 1 inch in front of your shins, and then require that you push your knees forward until your shins are touching the bar, which will result in your knees being slightly over/past the bar.
You can see for example at 0:19 in your deadlift video that you're not doing that, as your right thumb is between the bar and your shins. While this might be the camera angle, your shins look approximately vertical. The effect of this is that your hips are too high and your back too horizontal.*
Solution: Reread the deadlift chapter of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training.
*too high / horizontal relative to where they would be if the Starting Strength guidelines were followed.
EDIT: you're still well on your way to deadlifting well, just got to tweak tweak tweak!1 -
your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
Deadlift isn't following the guidelines, you are starting too close to the bar and not bending the knees far enough. You place the bar at mid-foot and bend yiur knees until the shin touches the bar. That will pull your butt down to the correct point. Also you have
Yiur right hand right in front of your leg and the other hand on the outside of your leg, you want both outside and equidistant. I think you might want to narrow your stance a bit too.
From Rippetoe himself:
You just step up to the bar with a vertical-jump stance width, with toes out and your shins about an inch from the bar, grab it just outside your stance with your knees still straight, then bend your knees forward and out a little bit until your shins touch the bar, squeeze your chest up until your back is flat, take a big breath, and drag the bar up your legs until you're standing up straight.0 -
ijsantos2005 wrote: »ijsantos2005 wrote: »OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
From what I saw your form looks pretty solid in my opinion, it’s at least 90% good. Ya, you could clean up and tweak your form a little here and there but it’s nothing that would limit you in your progress at this stage. Maybe someone else has a different opinion?
Again, try increasing your rest time and see if that helps (I believe it will).
Also: give us a break down of the current program you’re following. Make it as detailed as possible.
Okay, to be completely honest, it's not exactly 1 specific program that I'm following 100%. But basically it's a Starting Strength/Stronglifts program with very minor tweaks. Instead of doing Pendlay rows (due to some discomfort in the shoulders), I've opted for T-bar rows, the closest alternative I could find. I also don't specifically try to do Low bar squats like as per Starting Strength instruction, but I do heavily emphasise and actively try to do the hip drive movement.
Here's what I actually do:
Workout A (In the following order):
(1) OHP - 1x5 warm-up (45lbs), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs)
(2) Deadlifts - 1x5 warm-up (135lbs), followed by 1x5 working sets (210lbs)
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
Workout B (In the following order):
(1) Bench - 1x5 warm-up (65lbs), followed by 2x5 working sets (130lbs)
(2) T-bar Rows - no warm-up (for now), only 3x5 working sets of bar+55lbs
(3) Squats - warm-up (no weight, just squat and hold for 30 sec at the bottom 3-5 times), followed by 3x5 working sets (95lbs for now, but can do much more)
I alternate the workouts, and do them every other day, 3 times/week. Resting time between working sets is usually 2-3 minutes, and I don't really rest between exercises.
I also like to sometimes add some glute exercises (resistance band) before the main workout just to help with squats. I also do a bit of light stretching during rests.
And... that's about it.
Why only 2 sets on the bench press? Or is that a typo?
Yes, that should be 3x5.0 -
OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
Like you mentioned, better vid will tell a lot more.
From what I can see...
Squats: Not bad at all. Drop the bar down a inch or so. This will help for better stability/balance & hip drive. Looks like your slightly pausing in the hole, I would concentrate on taking advantage of the stretch reflex of your hamstrings. Please shoot a vid directly from the side closer to knee level and one from directly behind. This is the lift you need the least amount of adjustments and could I would hazard the weight on the bar is too light.
OHP: Tighten every muscle up from ground up. Quads, glutes, abs, etc. First movement shift hips forward with vending knees to clear head from bar. At top you would benefit from full ROM and really extend the bar over head high holding with traps squeezed together.
Bench: The vid doesn't show exactly everything. A wider vid would. I hazard you are very loose with no leg drive. Need more attention to the set up and getting tight. When you are benching your body should be so rigid, that if someone bumped you...you wouldn't move. Nothing would, legs, knees, arms.
Deadlift: Please shoot vid directly from side. Loose back/lats. Take time with setup. Make sure bar is over midfoot. You might benefit from pulling your hips down with the bar a few inches until your hamstrings are fully engaged and stretched. A better vid will show a lot more.
I wouldn't advice a deload right now. The bar speed seems fine it's just your form needs adjustments. The adjustments alone will move the weight up in a progressive fashion.
Wow, thanks. I'll try to implement these changes over the next couple of weeks, then take a few more (hopefully better) videos.your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
The Starting Strength guidelines have you set up with the bar over mid foot, approximately 1 inch in front of your shins, and then require that you push your knees forward until your shins are touching the bar, which will result in your knees being slightly over/past the bar.
You can see for example at 0:19 in your deadlift video that you're not doing that, as your right thumb is between the bar and your shins. While this might be the camera angle, your shins look approximately vertical. The effect of this is that your hips are too high and your back too horizontal.*
Solution: Reread the deadlift chapter of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training.
*too high / horizontal relative to where they would be if the Starting Strength guidelines were followed.
EDIT: you're still well on your way to deadlifting well, just got to tweak tweak tweak!your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
Deadlift isn't following the guidelines, you are starting too close to the bar and not bending the knees far enough. You place the bar at mid-foot and bend yiur knees until the shin touches the bar. That will pull your butt down to the correct point. Also you have
Yiur right hand right in front of your leg and the other hand on the outside of your leg, you want both outside and equidistant. I think you might want to narrow your stance a bit too.
From Rippetoe himself:
You just step up to the bar with a vertical-jump stance width, with toes out and your shins about an inch from the bar, grab it just outside your stance with your knees still straight, then bend your knees forward and out a little bit until your shins touch the bar, squeeze your chest up until your back is flat, take a big breath, and drag the bar up your legs until you're standing up straight.
Okay, I'll take a second look at my deadlifts
. Thanks all! 0 -
OK, here are some videos. Sorry about some of the angles, I know they aren't that great, I'm going to see if I can take some better videos.
Squats:https://youtu.be/52Kj-W7I1xs
OHP1:https://youtu.be/P0po1kCLwW0
OHP2:https://youtu.be/JwTzS3lAFlY
Bench:https://youtu.be/jp1hP6-YQCs
Deadlifts:https://youtu.be/uahR6wZFRsE
At this point, it seems like all my lifts are stalling, and I'm not quite sure why.ijsantos2005 wrote: »julie_broadhead wrote: »https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JFZWM-_JNhQ
Some good ideas here.
Wow, I've seen lotsa Untamed Strength vids, can't believe I missed this one, thanks.ijsantos2005 wrote: »How consistent are you with your workouts?
How long is your rest time between sets?
3 times per week, and resting between 2 to 3 minutes between work sets.Agreed the squat isn't s plateau'd, and does not need accessory lifts at this stage. There is absolutely no way accessories will be beneficial over practicing the actual lifts to a novice.
OP I'd be highly surprised if your flexibilty has anything to do with your form. I can get 99% of people squatting with proper form in less than 10 minutes.
If you like send me a vid or post one here of your squats we can get you moving.
Yeah, I've been meaning to create a video to post on these boards for form checking, I think I'll do it during my next session. Guess this would make it easier to give advice
Thanks.
When you’re doing hard “sets across” (3 sets x 5 reps) complete rest between sets will eventually be necessary. Complete rest can take anywhere from 5-8 minutes (or more in some cases). So try resting longer on your bench and overhead press.
Hmm, I wouldn't expect resting time to be that much of an issue at this stage and weight, I'll try to take longer rests.
Like you mentioned, better vid will tell a lot more.
From what I can see...
Squats: Not bad at all. Drop the bar down a inch or so. This will help for better stability/balance & hip drive. Looks like your slightly pausing in the hole, I would concentrate on taking advantage of the stretch reflex of your hamstrings. Please shoot a vid directly from the side closer to knee level and one from directly behind. This is the lift you need the least amount of adjustments and could I would hazard the weight on the bar is too light.
OHP: Tighten every muscle up from ground up. Quads, glutes, abs, etc. First movement shift hips forward with vending knees to clear head from bar. At top you would benefit from full ROM and really extend the bar over head high holding with traps squeezed together.
Bench: The vid doesn't show exactly everything. A wider vid would. I hazard you are very loose with no leg drive. Need more attention to the set up and getting tight. When you are benching your body should be so rigid, that if someone bumped you...you wouldn't move. Nothing would, legs, knees, arms.
Deadlift: Please shoot vid directly from side. Loose back/lats. Take time with setup. Make sure bar is over midfoot. You might benefit from pulling your hips down with the bar a few inches until your hamstrings are fully engaged and stretched. A better vid will show a lot more.
I wouldn't advice a deload right now. The bar speed seems fine it's just your form needs adjustments. The adjustments alone will move the weight up in a progressive fashion.
Wow, thanks. I'll try to implement these changes over the next couple of weeks, then take a few more (hopefully better) videos.your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
The Starting Strength guidelines have you set up with the bar over mid foot, approximately 1 inch in front of your shins, and then require that you push your knees forward until your shins are touching the bar, which will result in your knees being slightly over/past the bar.
You can see for example at 0:19 in your deadlift video that you're not doing that, as your right thumb is between the bar and your shins. While this might be the camera angle, your shins look approximately vertical. The effect of this is that your hips are too high and your back too horizontal.*
Solution: Reread the deadlift chapter of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training.
*too high / horizontal relative to where they would be if the Starting Strength guidelines were followed.
EDIT: you're still well on your way to deadlifting well, just got to tweak tweak tweak!your squat was the best form of the lifts you posted. Bench: you need to lock in your lats in WAY more. You locked them in for your set up, but as soon as you unracked, you let them go. Keep them locked , even if you have to reset after you unrack. DL, well you need to lock everything in , drop your butt lower when you start the lift, you are almost doing stiff leg. You also need to lock in your lats for your DL. Your feet seem kinda wide for conventional. You are loose in all your lifts. Once you tighten up , your numbers will jump. Its hard to see everything going on in the videos. But thats what i got out of them at first glance.
Yeah, I've been trying to focus on keeping a tighter core and back for all my lifts.
For Deadlifts, I'm actually following the Starting Strength guidelines, where if I understand correctly, you shouldn't start with a squat.
... What I'm thinking to do now is to de-load again, and put a lot more emphasis on core stability, and maybe I'll start doing 5x5 instead of 3x5, just to get more time under that bar with a lower weight...
P.S. Is there any way to change the thread title? I think "Advice needed: Early lifting plateau + Form Check" might be more appropriate
Deadlift isn't following the guidelines, you are starting too close to the bar and not bending the knees far enough. You place the bar at mid-foot and bend yiur knees until the shin touches the bar. That will pull your butt down to the correct point. Also you have
Yiur right hand right in front of your leg and the other hand on the outside of your leg, you want both outside and equidistant. I think you might want to narrow your stance a bit too.
From Rippetoe himself:
You just step up to the bar with a vertical-jump stance width, with toes out and your shins about an inch from the bar, grab it just outside your stance with your knees still straight, then bend your knees forward and out a little bit until your shins touch the bar, squeeze your chest up until your back is flat, take a big breath, and drag the bar up your legs until you're standing up straight.
Okay, I'll take a second look at my deadlifts. Thanks all!
lock your shoulders back too, work on your lat engagement. Take a second when you pull the slack out of the bar to roll them down and back and squeeze hard, that will also stop your back from rounding0
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