questions about stronglift 5x5

moodyfeesh14

So i did my first work out yesterday of stronglift 5x5 and now have 2 questions.
1) I did my squats using the powerbar rack since no spotter and the bar really hurt on my shoulders any ideas for pads, or if i put it lower becaus it is suppose to be a low bar squat my arms were uncomfortable on the bar. I did watch a bunch of form videos but any suggestions?
2) when benchpressign my arms do NOT want to work as one unit and push the bar up evenly my dominate arm constantly wants to take the weight. any ideas on how to train my arms to work as one unit?
THANKS!!!

jhc7324

1. Your shoulder flexibility probably isn't great enough to hold the bar as "close" as you'd like to, which means you aren't keeping as tight an upper back as is ideal. That's fine, just stick with the low bar position, and hold the bar with a wider hand grip. Each time you lift though, actively try to get a closer grip on the bar. You'll get there eventually.

2. Every new lifter goes through that. You feel super wobbly trying to do the lift. your body has probably never used some of the muscles that stabilize the bar for the lift, so they're out of shape. Just keep going through the program and focus on keeping things as even and steady as you can. Eventually it will be more smooth.

meshashesha2012

1. work on your shoulder flexibility. think of activating your upper back muscles and actively squeezing your shoulder blades together. you want that activation to happen the entire time you are holding the bar because the heavier the bar get, the more you will be making use of that stabilization to hold the bat steady. as for the use of a pad. i personally hate them because they effect my neck position or at least it feels like it does, but maybe if you have a choice of bars you can chose one that's smoother.

2. it just takes practice. eventually you will learn to use them as a unit. just keep at it

roenutrition

I started the strong lift program as well. My son is helping me with form so I don't hurt myself. I am having trouble balancing the bar for presses as well so I am using a slightly wider grip on the bar and this is helping.

MyssPhytt

Our gym has pads for the bars and I typically use them but sometimes I feel more comfortable without it. I try to remember to stick my chest out, bring my shoulder blades closer together, and have somewhat of a wider grip. And for some reason it helps me to sort of look up at the ceiling when I come up. As for the benching, I too have that problem occasionally, especially since I quit using the Smith's machine. I think its more of a concentration thing but it seems to be getting better the more I do it.

QuietBloom

You likely have a strength discrepancy between your sides, but that will diminish and you continue to bench press. It's one of the things that makes free weights such a good way to go - you can't cheat and still get the bar up there.

cpettigrew

Watch Mark Rippetoe's Start Strength series on YouTube. Same exercises as SL 5x5. I used to lift still found them informative. Second, look up an exercise called Shoulder Dislocations on YouTube as well. Less painful than it sounds. My right shoulder was dislocated several years ago, which I why I had to give up lifting for some time. I just tried to get back into SL 5x5, and found I have no backwards mobility in that shoulder. This exercise was given to my by someone in sports medicine. As far as bench press, time will even out your arm strength.

stealthq

Basically, what everyone else has said.

Oh, but don't do this:

Our gym has pads for the bars and I typically use them but sometimes I feel more comfortable without it. I try to remember to stick my chest out, bring my shoulder blades closer together, and have somewhat of a wider grip. And for some reason it helps me to sort of look up at the ceiling when I come up. As for the benching, I too have that problem occasionally, especially since I quit using the Smith's machine. I think its more of a concentration thing but it seems to be getting better the more I do it.

It kind of helps, mentally, but it's not good form and eventually, you WILL wrench the hell out of your neck. Ask me how I know. :grumble:

It most likely won't happen early on, but when you're really straining to stand up under a heavy weight. It will hurt like crazy, and take a couple of weeks to sort itself out if you're lucky like I was.

Just keep your neck and spine as neutral as you can.

MyssPhytt

Basically, what everyone else has said.

Oh, but don't do this:

Our gym has pads for the bars and I typically use them but sometimes I feel more comfortable without it. I try to remember to stick my chest out, bring my shoulder blades closer together, and have somewhat of a wider grip. And for some reason it helps me to sort of look up at the ceiling when I come up. As for the benching, I too have that problem occasionally, especially since I quit using the Smith's machine. I think its more of a concentration thing but it seems to be getting better the more I do it.

It kind of helps, mentally, but it's not good form and eventually, you WILL wrench the hell out of your neck. Ask me how I know. :grumble:

It most likely won't happen early on, but when you're really straining to stand up under a heavy weight. It will hurt like crazy, and take a couple of weeks to sort itself out if you're lucky like I was.

Just keep your neck and spine as neutral as you can.

Sorry, I should have clarified. When I say "look up", I don't mean to tilt your head up. I meant just to focus (eyes) upward. And not necessarily all the way up to the ceiling, but maybe toward the top of the wall in front of you. For some reason it helps me concentrate on control, but I guess just having any focal point anywhere (straight ahead, whatever) will work fine. I just get distracted when I lift and see things going on around me that I lose concentration of form, so if I pick an upward focal point (where nothing is going on) and try not to notice everything else around me, I do better. That's just what works for me and might not be true for everyone. Looking upward might cause you to want to tilt your head back, so if it does, don't do it. Like I said, its just what works for me. I don't always do that, but if I find that there is a lot going on around me in the gym and not able to concentrate, this is what I do. But yeah, don't crank you neck backwards. Sorry, didn't mean to confuse or make it sound that way.

danielmbuckley

Great suggestions on the squat already.. as for your bench press. I would recommend using Dumbbells to build up the strength of your weaker side. My chest is my hardest to grow body-party and in order form me to correct the symmetry, this did the trick.

LiftAndBalance

I have huge strength imbalances and I find it helpful to use dumbbells. I also do them single arm, weaker side first, and then repeat on the stronger side. It helps me with concentration and focus when doing the reps on my weaker side that this is then the only thing I need to concentrate on.

W31RD0

So i did my first work out yesterday of stronglift 5x5 and now have 2 questions.
1) I did my squats using the powerbar rack since no spotter and the bar really hurt on my shoulders any ideas for pads, or if i put it lower becaus it is suppose to be a low bar squat my arms were uncomfortable on the bar. I did watch a bunch of form videos but any suggestions?

I always have issues with the bar sitting on my neck. I have heard that working your traps help, but honestly investing in a good barbell cushion is gonna help best.

2) when benchpressign my arms do NOT want to work as one unit and push the bar up evenly my dominate arm constantly wants to take the weight. any ideas on how to train my arms to work as one unit?
THANKS!!!

I haven't started Stronglifts yet (waiting till I can move and find a non-Planet Fitness gym) but I currently do dumbbell presses. It helps to get your strength more symmetrical. I don't recommend swapping for dumbbells presses, instead consider adding them on a rest day for a few weeks until your arm strength is more balanced.