Finally at a real gym!

kyleekay10

I posted a while back asking for alternate exercises for SL since I worked out at Planet Fitness, but a friend of mine just added me to his membership at LA Fitness, so I now have access to the proper equipment.

I have a few questions:

- What are the pros/cons of using a Hex/Diamond Bar versus just the Barbell? I used the hex bar yesterday and lifted 110lbs, on my first real deadlift ever. And it still felt a tad light (I only weigh ~122lbs). :huh: I guess I'm concerned that the hex bar is the easier tool of the two.

- Is it okay to do more than 1x5 on deadlifts? I found I didn't want to stop after one set.

- How can I progress with OHP?? I've been stuck at 20lbs since I've started. I'm going to try 25lbs next time since I will have a bar that I can add smaller increments too, but I'm still worried it might be too much. Does it usually take a while to progress with this one?

- Should I switch to Pendlay Rows instead of the bent over barbell rows?

- For squats, I want to be activating my hamstrings/glutes as much as possible. Which stance is best for this (ie; high/low bar, narrow feet, wide feet, etc).

Thank you!

Amazing1985RSD

Good job finding a better gym.

In my opinion normal deadlift is superior than a Hex bar because you are more likely to lift things up in this position. (i.e., a small child, furniture or a heavy box.) Jim Wendler talks about it in 5/3/1 pretty much saying it's OK to use a trap bar for deadlifts over an olympic barbell as a secondary option. He doesn't go into more detail.

I would recommend sticking to the 1x5 on deadlifts, they will start getting heavy in due time.

The OHP is by far the most difficult to progress because the muscles used in that lift are the smallest. You can either try decreasing the weight and using dumbbells and/or resting longer between sets.

Pendlay rows are really just the proper way to do barbell rows, but to answer your question: Yes.

Low bar back squats are ideal when training for strength. High bar back squats are ideal for training for weightlifting. You will want to do Low bar back squats since you are training for strength. Your feet should be about shoulder distance apart. Just enough to get you below parallel.

kyleekay10

Thank you so much!

thingo

Progressing your OHP is the hardest for sure. So don't feel bad! Adding 5lbs will seem like a big jump (let us know how you go with it!).

I am looking into buying my own fractional plates to increase my OHP ever so slightly. In the meantime, I will continue to do 5x5 OHP at the highest weight I can do, and also throw in extra sets or reps. Alternatively, I would do the more difficult weight e.g. 25lbs, and keep trying to do max reps of that, for 5 sets. Whichever option you choose to do, you are increasingly making it harder for yourself, doing more work and getting stronger. Progress!