September check-in and chat.. lift like septimus prime!
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Finally back to checking in... I decided last workout to go to 3x5, even though I'm not really in huge numbers yet. I figure though, that if other respectable programs like Starting Strength have you at 3x5 from the beginning it won't hurt. Plus I'm really struggling on moving up the weights... we'll see.
Squat 3x5 x85
Bench 3x5 x85
Row 5/4/4 x650 -
Then I added in 40 pushups and a few planks.
OMG! 40 pushups?!!??
You're a beast (in the best way possible!)
I will add these are from my knees :blushing: I am not ready for "real" pushups yet. But THANK You!!!
If you can do 40 push-ups on your knees, you can do a few regular ones! The way I got myself better at it was to do as many as i could of the regular ones then dropping to my knees for the rest. Just give it a try! You have a lot less to lose by thinking you can and trying than selling yourself short and not reaping the benefits
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Bench press day.
Warm up + 85x5, 95x3, 105x2
I want to repeat the 105 again next time; rep number 2 was pitiful!
Upright rows - 2x10x65lbs, 1x10x70lbs
Bent over rows - 2x10x65lbs, 1x10x70lbs
Resistance band chest flies 2x10xred band, 1x10xred+orange band0 -
Week 4 of Madcow
Squats: warm up + 5@55,70,80,95,110
Bench: 5@45,45,45,50,60
Row: 5@45,45,50,60,700 -
SL Day 12:
Squats: Warm-up + 65 lbs. Much, much better today than last time since I found some really good hip flexor stretches online and did those beforehand. Range of motion was great and able to get way past parallel.
OHP: Warm-up + Fail! 3, 3, 4, 3, 2 @ 60 lbs. Felt heavier than $#&%!! Will try again next time.
DL: Warm-up + 115 lbs.
Sore already!0 -
5 week and DL day!
Warm up and then 145 lbs x 5, 165 lbs x5 and finally 185 lbs x5
The last one was really really effing hard and I don't know if I have 200 lbs for 3 to avoid a fail next week
I kept all of my accessories the same, but I did add more weight to everything except front squats. So that circuit looks like:
Front squats 65 lbs, calf raises 115lbs, side bends 30 lbs. 10 reps for 5 sets.
I am now so hungry that I ate a yogurt with a pen at my desk because I forgot to grab a spoon...0 -
got some kind of pinch/twist in my midback that isn't the best news i've had, but i'll just kind of see how it goes for the next little while.
workout a:
squats: 3x5@45, 1x5@55, 5x5@75. no real problems at any point. i think the investment i made in going way back to 60 or so and starting again with parallel feet and a far fiercer focus on form has been paying off. 80lbs is where i messed up my knee a few months ago but i feel much stronger and more confident this time. my knees almost never cave in any more and i spend most of my time with my focus on other stuff like back angle and hip drive now. still, i'll add sets and reps on this for the rest of the week and only do the move when i feel good and solidly ready for it.
bench: 2x5@45 or something, 6x5@ 50. WIN. again, i think the set/rep progression has been paying off. this was only supposed to be 5x5 since it's my first day at this weight, but i threw in an extra just for gee-that-was-pretty-easy.
rows: still just a mess. that twist in my back is a) probably caused by the muscle imbalance AND b) making the imbalances worse, now the twist's there. the bent-over part is at least half my problem with this stupid exercise, so i changed it up. for the hamstrings/glutes/back part, i did a few sets of 5 roumanian deadlifts instead with i dunno, 50 pound dumbbells. and then for the rows, i went one arm at a time with a bench to lean on, and did i think 6x8 with a 25lb plate. after that i also did a few sets of 8 on one of the machines with some comparable weight. i have to find something that's going to work and i feel like i'm still flailing around looking for whatever it is, atm.
and in peripheral news, i weigh 130 right now, but i don't very much care.0 -
StrongLifts 5x5 / Workout B (Day 12)
Incline Leg Press: 5x5 @ 360 lbs.
Still replacing squats with incline leg press. (Darn shoulders!) Think I'd like to go back to doing bodyweight or goblet-ish squats since it's a fuller range of motion. Though I do like the look of EIGHT giant plates on the machine.
OHP: 5x5 @ 30 lbs.
Still hard and form isn't great. I'm arching all over the place. There is no 35 bar, so I'll be sticking with these until mastered -- which might be a while given my shoulder issues -- and then moving up to 40 lbs. Maybe do them with dumbbells every once in a while, but man, I hate OHP with DB.
DL: 1x5 @ 120 lbs.
Oh, Deadlift, how I love thee! Didn't feel these in my lower back at all, which means my form was finally correct. I was supposed to do 115 lbs. tonight, but someone's math skills are terrible, so I ended up doing 120 lbs.
Wednesday is BP @ 70, Take 2. Wish me luck!0 -
Wide awake since 3am-ish. Why is it that workplaces frown upon naps? Because by 11am, I will be needing one. Going to be a long day.
Preggo Lift B
OHP 50lbs, 3x10
DL 95lbs, 3x10--hands completely tore up. May look into gloves since my skin seems to be really sensitive atm.
Accessories-goblet squat 25lb, 3x10. Plank hold 30 seconds x2.
Happy Tuesday everyone!
ETA-stupid iPad spelling 0 -
I spent quite a bit of time last night re-reading the Stronglifts site and noticing things I'd been getting wrong. Tried to right them today:
Day 12
Squat 90lb 5x5
OHP 46lb 5, 4, 3, 4, 3
DLR 145lb x3
I went a little bit later than usual today and found people a bit more chatty. I normally keep myself to myself. In particular the PTs seem to be getting interested and wanting to talk (and talk) at me.0 -
Just wanted to share a couple of small victories. I've been struggling with my OHP and finally got through 5x5 @ 50 lbs today! Doesn't sound like much but I'd been stuck there for about a month. Since I'm cutting I thought I might have to give up on seeing any improvement, but thanks to some suggestions I saw here and also paying really good attention to my form I finally did it.
Also, next time I do deadlifts I'll be able to use 45 lb plates. Woo hoo!0 -
I woke up at 5am today (actually I was up at 4am, but tried to force myself back to sleep unsuccessfully) so I figured I'd do squat day this morning.
Warm up + 150x5, 167.5x3, 185x6 <<-- PR aaaaaand that's my body weight!!!!
Resistance band hip extensions 5x10 red+orange bands0 -
Congratulations to Katro and SkepticalOwl, it's really inspiring to read about your successes 0
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Yesterday's workout:
Squat 95 5x5. I took longer rests between sets. I usually stick to 3 min, but I did 4-5 last night and it really made a difference.
OHP 60 4x5, 1x3. I really thought I would nail it this time. I got 4 sets with no problem, on the last I only made 3, and could barely re rack the bar. Again with 4-5 min rests between.
Deadlifts 100 1x5. I made my 100lb goal here! The last rep was a challenge, but I did it!
Hip thrusts 65 3x12. I change my location of these last night and it made a difference. I tried using my bench, bit it has a curve and is hard to keep stable. I tried using the swiss ball, and it wasn't really activating my glutes. Last night, I removed a cushion from the couch and used the edge of the couch as my bench. Holy smokes! Real glute work there!
I am pretty happy with my progress here.0 -
Workout A today - Day 16
Still loving SL but sad that my squats have been put on hold because of my knee which doesn't seem to be getting any better :-(
BP - 1x5 @ 60, 2x5 @ 65, 1x3 @ 70, 1x4 @ 70, 1x3 @ 70
BR - 5x5 @ 75
Squats - bodyweight + 10lb plate x 30
Straight Leg DL - bar x 30
Bicep Curls 15lb dumb bells x 30
I am going away for business on my next SL day so I will be doing some cardio at the hotel fitness center instead and picking back up with Workout B on Saturday :-)0 -
Then I added in 40 pushups and a few planks.
OMG! 40 pushups?!!??
You're a beast (in the best way possible!)
I will add these are from my knees :blushing: I am not ready for "real" pushups yet. But THANK You!!!
If you can do 40 push-ups on your knees, you can do a few regular ones! The way I got myself better at it was to do as many as i could of the regular ones then dropping to my knees for the rest. Just give it a try! You have a lot less to lose by thinking you can and trying than selling yourself short and not reaping the benefits
I DID IT! I was talking with hubby last night and he asked how many I did and he said the same thing. "If you can do x on your knees I bet you can do them from your toes", so I got down on the floor and tried. 3 regular and 3 wide before I wanted to fall on my face. And then my 4.5 yo got on the floor with me and she tried too. (it looked more like downward dog, LOL), but it was awful cute!0 -
Did my 36 minutes of HIIT sprints to burn off the pre-workout and coffee caffeine high I've been riding all morning. Now I want a nap... 0
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Deloaded 10lbs off squat to 115 and OHP to 45 and only did 3x5 of each plus warm ups. Shoulder was hurting a little bit so didn't want to push it. Tried different hand and arm placements but can't really tell what the issue is.
Tried a lateral raise with an 8lb dumb bell with my hurt shoulder and that definitely set it off. Also flexing while jabbing my elbow backwards hurts as does raising it across my body (like when taking off a shirt). Otherwise, it feels fine. I'm contemplating not squatting or doing lifts that involve the shoulders for a few days.
On the positive side, I deadlifted 165 as scheduled and did fine. Did one bonus with double overhand grip which was hard but possible. I love deadlifts!
Threw in 3x8 skull crushers at 30 lbs just to make my gym session more worthwhile.
Took some advil for my shoulder.0 -
I DID IT!
that is so cool :drinker: i envy you guys with small children. mine's 24 and past the age where i can leverage him as a quick-n-easy back cracker by lying flat and inviting him to tromp up and down on my spine. seriously, i'm almost ready to try and borrow a small child for 15 minutes or so.
you guys who have this great in-house resource available to you should give it a try.0 -
Morning all,
Some great progress going on in this thread!!
I lifted last night and am feeling it in my butt this morning! Yikes!
Squat 5x5 @ 132lbs - still working on form and getting low enough, gonna stay here for next time
Bench 5x5 @ 72lbs - I am loving me some bench lately! feels like the heavier weights are easier, so weird!
Row 5x5 @66lbs - damn rows
then some accessory stuff like lat pull downs, single leg weighted lunges, single arm thrust thingees lol0 -
OHP day for me today
warmup and then 45 lbs x 5, 55 lbs x 5 and then 60 lbs x 7
BB rows 60lbs, assisted dips, incline pushups. 10 reps for 5 sets, all in all it went pretty well. I did some sprints afterwards because I am stressing (well more nervous and excited) about some work stuff and I needed to burn that off.
I applied for a new job (same company), but the posting doesn't close until October so I think my nerves are going to be absolutely shot by the time I find out if I got it or not.0 -
Woo! So much win here!
I went right back into a 2nd cycle of Wendler (going by the Beyond Wendler Template, you only need to deload after 6 weeks. I'm fine with that! =D) Bench 5 day went a little like this:
82.5x5
95x5
107.5x10
82.5x15 (no lazy plate loading today, I had to switch the 25s out anyway lol)
Improvement on my + set of the 3s 2 weeks ago! And the first set last really helps with the bit of extra volume I think I was missing, without taking it all out of you the way BBB does
Then went on to this new program I'm pairing this with, which is shorter in duration that what I've been doing. I didn't do cleans because I wanted to make sure I could get my work in. And since this program is 5 days a week I might just alternate cleans and snatches on the days I don't do wendler. Not trying to progress here, just don't wanna lose my strength
The set-up was 3 rounds of 30/30 work/rest of
- KB Goblet squats @ 40
- Push-ups
- Recline rows
- DB RDL @ 35
- Plank holds
I feel like I short changed myself by selecting the 30/30 (program has the option of 40/20 and 50/10 as well for more advanced training but I wanted to play it safe getting into it. Only struggled with the push-ups. Which figures...). Averaged between 12-15 reps on everything and the planks were EASY
Then 4 rounds of 20/10
- Sit outs
- Hollow rocks
Now these I definitely felt the burn! Coulda gone for 6 or 8 rounds here to make it harder but honestly? 4 was more than enough xD
And I had some extra time to add in some face pulls at the end. Don't wanna neglect mah rear delts! Overall loved that first day! I'll be repeating it next week but will step up the difficulty a bit 0 -
Workout B:
Squats 110 lbs 5x5
OHP 50 lbs 4x5, 1x4 (dammit!)
Deadlift 105 lbs 2x5
Also did some bicep curls and triceps work.
Trying to decide how I should handle lifting next week being in taper for my first half marathon on the 28th. It will feel weird not to lift on my off days from running, but I don't want to fatigue myself too much before the race. Decisions, decisions!0 -
I seem to say this a lot this summer.
Back at it but only 2 days a week. With everything else I plan on doing this will work the best for me right now.
I have decided to try doing OHP and well my ego was a little bruised but I did manage a couple. You have to start somewhere to progress.
Deadlifts - 3x5x 95lbs
OHP - 3x3x35lbs (I manged to just list the barbell)
Squats - 3x8x75lbs
Then just some core work.0 -
Loving the motivation! I've been a stalker for awhile - just sucking up the positivity without giving much back. But, one of my goals is to correct that!
This morning was a bench press day (day 5 of doing SL) and I was supposed to be on 55lbs. From the very first rep it was difficult but I fought through and was able to get 5/4/5/5/4 - and I felt like it almost killed me! When I got off the bench I looked at the weights and realized that I had been lifting 65lbs - not 55, like I thought I was!
It felt so good to know that I had fought and was able to do more than I ever thought I could.
Yeah, my arms were so sore that I could barely wash my face afterward, but it still felt so good. Definitely addicted now.0 -
@nassaugyal Great job, that's an awesome feeling!
Today was running club, those ladies are super nice. They are all long distance (all have run halfs, a couple full marathons) but they put up with my slowness and really encourage me to give it my all. We did 8.3 km in just over an hour. That is my longest run ever!0 -
@ nassaugyal Ive done that, numbers are hard in the morning but awesome job on getting them up!
@krok you are super human! I dont know how you do it all!
A day.
squat 140 3x5 ive been doing 3 one day and 5 the next time. Seems to work out for me.
bench 78 5x5 felt good, only grunted on the last rep of last 2 sets.
row 88 5x5
All PR's there
SC High box squat 145 3x6 PR
one leg hyper extension 3x12 PR
hip rotation 15 each side
hip thrust feet shoulder elevated. 3x6 these were easy and i couldve/shouldve done a few more but running out of time. Just enough time to shower and eat and relax for a few mins before i work. Even though hubz thought i would have time to start supper early so he could eat earlier. LIke WTF?! I have an hour to shower and eat, not enough time to make tator tot hotdish. He sure wasn't willing to do it for himself. :grumble:
I am so glad for this group! I try to tel hubby that i PR and hes like .. um ok... Geez, could i get a WOW good job babe! :laugh:0 -
Hey ladies back at this lifting this week...
Week 2 of Wendlers.
OHP day so warm up went like this....32.5x5, 42.5x5 and 50x3
Working weight 57.5x3, 65x3 and then 75x6
Acc work Chinups 2,1,1,1,1 (some of those have halfs in there but eh)
Dips 15,15,12,12,12
Did a HIIT Workout yesterday, Walked 3 miles the day before...
was feeling kind of blech after my workout yesterday and finally realized why...no real days off all month. I took a Friday off (totally mentally drained) and then one Saturday in which I got 19k steps in between shopping for food, cooking and cleaning and dancing...not sure I can count that one.
So I am scheduling days off now...I often just get bored and want something to do so I will go for a walk...gotta rest my body.0 -
I've been doing cartweels, handstands and other tumbling moves with my kids lately.... they have joined the circus (well, they are taking classes at the circus) and I am helping them out. Turns out I remember how to do all that **** and hauling my heavy self around, surprisingly, isn't all that hard now. But I have been sore from all the new moves.
Anyway, yesterday's official workout was
30 minutes on Ye Olde Treadmill followed by
Squats
210 5,5,5,5,4
I failed the last one mostly because I just want to repeat the week. I'm eating at a defecit for once and know my strength increases will be nominal
Bench press - still at a pretty big de-load
125 5x5
Dreaded Rows
105 5x50 -
Squats: 5@60,70,80,80
OHP: 5@45,45,45,50
DL: 5@75,90,105,120
Felt good 0
