Super Strong Squatters - September check in and chat
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End of week 4 madcow. I had squats 145x3, bench 123x3, rows 87x3 and then did 3x5 dips with 80# of assistance. YAY. and 40# 3x8 tricep pull downs. I'm trying to get used to using my belt and break it in. Sometimes it does not sit right and just pinches all my fat between my belly and my hip. It is so hard to concentrate on form wit that going on! :laugh:0
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Hello all
My name is Becca, I am 23 y/o just started a fulltime desk job and have been going crazy with energy when I get off work. I enjoy running, biking and swimming and did my first Triathelon in August. I am looking to maintain my muscle while losing fat (currently eating about 1600 cals/day which is TDEE-400 for me).
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Here's my day 1:
5x5@115lb squats (going to stay here for another week because my form was slipping by the last two sets)
5x5@40lb OHP (this was my first time doing that exercise and the weight felt pretty light, so next week I will try 50)
1x5@135lb deadlift (this felt pretty good but I had serveral "warm up" sets trying to figure out what weight to start with. Will bump this up to 145lb next week)
On Sunday we are doing the other workout so I will post it on here, if that is okay
Hey Becca I will say welcome even tho I am fairly new to the group as well.
And I am sure it's fine to post your workouts here..we all do...
btw I have to say...115lbs squatts..nice...:drinker: working my way up there.0 -
Welcome becca!
Stef I love that story!0 -
Such a frustrating session last night. I normally go before work but I had to be in work for 8 yesterday and decided that as I finished at 4 I would go after work. Fatal mistake! It was sooooo busy. I headed upstairs and did 20 minutes on the Arc elliptical thing and came back down hoping it would have quieted down a bit, no chance.
At the gym they have 3 different styles of bike plus spin bikes and about 20 of each, another 20 treadmills, about 10 normal ellipticals and another 10 or so arcs, plus about 10 rowing machines so that is around 100 cardio machines, of which 5 were in use. Down in the weight room they have 2 power racks, and 2 smith machines along with around 4 oly bars, and some ez curl ones and other such junk.
There was not a rack or bar to be had in the place! Most folk were working out together - one lot in a group of 3 and another 2 guys together. The 2 guys were a real pair of jerks. They were doing OHPs in the rack. I don't ever do them in the rack if it is busy as you don't _need_ the rack for them, it just helps. And they were using the exact same weights as my bench press but would not let me or another dude who asked work in. When they were resting the one who was up next would go stand in the rack and rest draped over the bar. They also had the most appalling form, really really all over the place jerky and all sorts of unlevel.
The 3 guys who were working out together were at least using the bar the whole time. They were squatting but not 1 of them got to parallel never mind a2g and using the same weight as I do (quite pleased with myself on that one
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There was a guy deadlifting who totally confused me. He warmed up with just a bar - fair enough his form was poor anyway - very arched back. He then got some 5kg plates on there, ok I would not have bothered doing a bar warm up to do 5kg plates but ok. Next were the 10kg plates and so on right up to the point where he had 80kgs on the bar. He must have done about 8 sets to get there all at 5 reps. Surely you warm up at a reasonable weight then get your bigger plates on there so you don't burn yourself out but hey what do I know!
It seemed like everyone in there had poor form, arched backs were the norm along with jerky wobbly lifts. There are a ton of personal trainers, all of whom are mainly self employed, they do a bit for the gym but their pt clients are their own. If I were in their shoes I would be in there trying to supervise a bit more of what goes on and maybe get myself some clients but they are never around unless they have an actual client. Each one has a rota'd day where they are the trainer on duty, they might walk in and look at the weight room but they never bat an eyelid at all the plates slung around or the poor form that goes on. I would add that this is a chain and I use 2 of their gyms this was the one near work which I use less than the one near home. Home is not as bad - the PTs do at least say Hi.
Anyway, I could only get my hands on a little preloaded bar and they only go up to 20kg. So I did sets of 10.
5*10 squats
4*10 bench
5*10 rows
By which time I was totally fed up so I showered and went home! Not feeling it at all today except maybe a tiny bit in my pecs. Hoping for a better day monday.0 -
that reminds me of something I saw last night. 2 bros studying their scruffy bit of paper and discussing different types of exercise, one was clearly the 'teacher'.. I wasn't paying much attention as I was actually.. you know.. working out.. unlike poor ol' you having to stare at these gonzos. Anyway I caught a snippet of conversation:
'what about deadlifts'
'oh those really work your back, you need a really strong back for those. mine isn't that strong'
in my next break I look over and the guy is DLing about 60kg with a back shaped like a 'n' and I thought 'no wonder your back isn't strong if you wreck it with form like that'! I was soooo tempted to ask if they'd tried videoing themselves to look at form, but bit my tongue!
I did go and preach the good news of Starting Strength (the book) to two people though - one lady in the changing room, and the guy who filmed my DLs from the side angle..0 -
hehehehe I am nosey - I would probably have paid attention even if I was working out!
It amazes me how people have so little awareness of their bodies. I was a riding instructor for 6 years and I am very aware of what my body is doing even without the assistance of mirrors!0 -
Ack! No time to read - but before I forget what I did:
End of my first cycle of Wendler
Squats
1x5@155
1x3@180
1x3@200 I think I had another 3 in me, but my mind psyched me out. Dangit.
Leg press
5x15@100
Good Mornings
5x10@55 - I realized that I was also doing power cleans and OHP's when I do these, LOL. 55 finally felt challenging. We'll see if I can walk tomorrow.
Off to a preschool potluck and then the International Festival at the university. Going to eat all the foods! Have a great Saturday, all!0 -
Oh - and a funny. Hubs was lifting with me, and so we were loading and unloading the bar a lot (he hasn't been lifting as long). A guy next to us asked me if I was training him (my husband). When I said no, that's my husband, the guy had the gall to say "You better make him lift more weights - it's not right that you have more on the bar than he does." Thankfully hubs wears hearing aids and had them out, and his headphones in, so he didn't hear this tool. I said, quite snarkily "I've been lifting for over 6 months. He's been lifting for 2. We each move the weight according our own ability." I say it again: Tool.0
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Ew Kira. Tool indeed! I used to have quite the mouth on me in my younger days, and I probably would have been super sarcastic. Your response was perfect!
Roxy sorry your gym was so busy. The only thing I can think about the dudes with the bench press is that there were so many people working in with them already that it would have been inefficient for them to let you both work in. Or they are just selfish tools. I have to disagree on the OHP tho, if you don't need the rack for ohp then you don't need it for squats either! You can just clean the bar, behind the neck press, then start your squats. When you finish your set then reverse. :laugh: Okay maybe a bit harder, but many people (me included) wouldn't be able to finish our sets if we had to clean the bar for each one, so understandable they are in the rack unless they had a really low weight in which case we should all point an laugh . Also not trying to be preachy, but your back should have a slight arch during most lifts. You mentioned bad form with arching (probably meaning a super arch) but I just want to make sure you're not going to hurt yourself! :flowerforyou:
Ugh my abs are so sore today. Must be that 10 pound jump in dips combined with 2 belted sets of squats. Maybe I'll do some arc and sauna to get the blood flowing. (not at the same time!)0 -
Back arching outwards, not inwards! And there were only 2 of them together doing there OHPs. For what it's worth I have been doing almost all my OHPs out of the rack (unless it is really quiet) and I squat out of the rack when I have to. Those are generally the occasions when I am stuck with a preloaded little bar at 20kg so not too difficult to switch about and yes I did a sneaky OHP at the start and end of each of my squat sets
On a side note this may be another reason I find OHP sooooo tough!
Kira, I would probably have just told him to f off and possibly called him a p-richard!
And I miss the sauna at my gym, they took it out (it was not a very nice one but still so nice to relax in)0 -
Oh wow. Well when they are in a wheel chair they won't be taking up your rack will they? I always think of that as "rounding," although I know it's quite common to refer to it as arching. Thinking of cat and cow in yoga here. "Now arch your back up like an angry cat..." Stake your claim on that power rack! OHP will be so much easier although still not easy ofc :laugh:0
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I have to disagree... I need the rack for my OHP's. This is why I go to the gym early in the morning. My gym is also a chain... Retro Fitness and we only have 1 power rack, 2 smith machines, 2 benches and a crap ton of cardio machines.
@Kira... That guy was a real tool... wow... You handled it great!0 -
Squats - stuck at 40kg, this is heavy enough that it shows up form challenges. Knees seem ok, just trying to keep the bar path straight now, and a smooth return up.
Bench - 40kg 454. Should have bailed at 4 on the second set but managed to force it up.
Pendlay rows - 47.5kg 554 - not counting the last rep as it didn't get high enough. Think I'm coming up a bit much at this weight, rather than just using my arms.0 -
So here's a question...
I squatted today a PR, 5x5 at 140. Felt heavy but appropriate.
Then, I totally failed on the OHP AND the deads at weights I've done before.
Hmmmm. Was this just muscle exhaustion from the squats? Or could it be that I don't eat enough protein? I've been eating like crap because I worked in the hospital last week- no food, then lots of crap food...and lots of 'events' before that.
I'm also chronically dehydrated since having my colon removed 3 years ago, but feel like I was ok with this today.
My weight/measurements haven't budged, sigh. I'm trying not to focus on that since I was off for 2 months+ (and gained fat, about 10 pounds - in that time-boo) and have faith that it will come...(I digress)
Or should I switch to 3X5 to save some for the other lifts now that I'm squatting close to body weight?
Just felt too weak to lift more heavy stuff after the squats (with pretty good rest in between).
Just looking for quick thoughts- I will investigate and experiment more myself.0 -
Tree I laughed so hard at that. You have no way of knowing but I do quite a passable impression of a growling cat (enough that it used to drive my cats nuts) :laugh:
6550mom, that is heavy squatting! Do you have a rest between the different exercises like between sets? I rest between sents but not exercises but today I thought that might be an idea as the weights get heavier. I do find if I don't eat well the day before it has an impact on my energy levels too. I have to be extra careful as I am eating at a deficit so I try my best to eat well and plenty of protein, usually easier in the week than at a weekend. Also, have you been lifting regular as it sounds like you have been busy recently. If you banged out a PR after a couple of weeks off I would not be surprised your body then struggled. Also how are you warming up. I often do cardio which I find is fine but if I do a couple of "lighter" warm up sets then I find 2 is enough more and I start to be too tired to finish,
Lwood, benching 40kg that seems immense. I only just squatted 40 for the first time today!
So for me today, nice quiet gym first thing and I did 2 warm up sets, one at the bar, one at 30kg then I did my 5*5 at 40kg(88lb) for the first time. Heavy enough to be difficult but not impossible! Form is not amazing but I can monitor it at this weight so I will see how I get on for the week before I add more weight.
OHP I stuck with 22.5kg (50lb) for this and glad I did as I missed a rep in my fourth set, had a big rest (2 minutes) then I finished my last set. Form is not great but as I am completing(ish) the 5*5 I shall stick with it as the reason my form is not great is a lack of just sheer strength. So I will stay with the weight until I am strong enough to keep my form assuming it does not suddenly get worse. I don't see the need to deload as without the weight on there I won't get stronger.
Deadlift. I warmed up at 40kg then tried 65kg on the basis that I did 60 last time. That baby was determined not to come up off the floor So I did 60 again but 6 times not 5 it's still 132lb and still more than I weigh in clothes and shoes so it's not bad I guess. I might stick with this to work on form for a week or two now rather than ramping more and more weight on!0 -
Ooh and one of the gym PTs was in there and he corrected a guys squats (who was less than parallel) but did not say a ****ie bird to me so I reckon I must be doing ok ish
and um really really we can't even say richardie bird on here. There is such a thing as a nanny state MFP!0 -
here's that bench! I'm rather chuffed tbh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9f2...e_gdata_player
but I'm benching what I'm squatting, and I'm rowing more than I'm squatting. this is NOT ok and something I will be changing shortly!0 -
Last Day of September...and it is hot hot hot here....
Workout B today....
Squats 5x5 @ 105 today...had my son spotting today...hehe...he didn't need to step in thank goodness..groaned out the last one on set 4 and 5
OHP 3x5 @ 60lb today, then 1x4 @ 60 then watched my form and belted out another 1x5....form is definately key here...groaned out the last on on the last set again...
DL 1x5 @ 110 today...
Feeling pretty good came out of my makeshift gym and did the army howah...man child says..."god your weird"...hehe
Funny thing happened this weekend tho...there was me and another girl and about 4 guys chatting talking about what was for supper and I said protien of course...(I was having chicken wings) and one of the guys looks at me with this smirk on his face and says "do you even lift?" and sort of laughs with the other guys...I looked at the girl beside me with a smile and said...
"Acutally yes I do....do you???".....total silence from the guys....stunned and sheepish then the other girl and I started talking about our love of barbell squats and what weight we were doing....:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0 -
haha stef that was awesome! Also wtf everyone needs protein. Boys are so silly sometimes.
I had my last workout as well. Not to get too into it, but I wasn't feeling great today. I was feeling better during gym time though so I went and warmed up. I still felt good so I did squats 145x5 and bench 123x5, then I all of a sudden didn't feel well again and skipped rows and accessory work and got a burrito. I'm still feeling a little ick, but at least I got the important lifts in :laugh:0
