SL only once a week? How?
yirara
Posts: 9,944 Member
The stronglifts programme looks really nice and simple. There's only one little issue I have: I can only go to the gym once a week. Is there some experience about only doing SL once a week with all the exercises? Will I still gain strength? Note: I'm only starting now, though I guess it will take a while until I reach weights that are seriously challenging for me anyway. Any idea what to do with the app? It only lets me enter numbers for one of the two days at once. Is there something similar that would work?
Btw, on other days I do bodyweight/kettlebell workouts at home.
Btw, on other days I do bodyweight/kettlebell workouts at home.
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bumpy0
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I honestly don't know how that would go. It seems like doing all 5 movements would be really really tough in one trip to the gym once the weights get a bit heavier.
Also, if you are doing other things at home I think you would be fine to do one traditional stronglifts routine a week (like a workout A OR a workout
You won't progress very quickly but it could be a good addition to your current routine.
Hopefully some one else has more knowledge, because I am not all that helpful with this.0 -
Is there a specific reason why you can't make it to the gym more than once a week? (job? kids?) The barebones workout are quick enough that if you could at least fit in a 2nd gym session you would get much better results, IMO.
Doing all the exercises at once will take a LOT out of you (I've done it once. Struggled. Hated myself for feeling like a weakling at the end...), and the last 2 exercises that you tack on will not even really be worth it at that point.
You might be better of, as llama said, to just alternate and do workout A one week, and B the next. And maybe add some form of rowing to workout B just to keep the back happy since the deadlift isn't quite back-dominant, and unless you have access to a trx and/or can do pull-ups, the bodyweight stuff doesn't work the back much at all, either.0 -
Well.. I could go to the gym more often, but I could only convince someone to be there with me once a week. Normally there's nobody at all at the gym. The thing is: I'm terribly clumsy: last time I somehow managed to kick the bar off the holders before doing bench presses and injured my shoulder. Today I did.. I have no idea to be honest, but I managed to injure my knuckles. Plus the equipment is really rubbish: the weight screws need to be fixed again after each set, the side thingies on the rack (the things that catch the weight should it fall) might or might not work, I'm not even sure if the bar (not an olympic one) can hold a certain weight. Basically: I don't want to be alone at the gym.0
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I would go at least twice a week to see progress. If you're worried about clumsiness, then I'd say just go really slow and carefully, and be careful when you add weight. You'll get more confident and learn the quirks of the machines the more you do it.
I think trying to do all 5 lifts in one day is going to be a real struggle, personally.0 -
Due to personal scheduling issues, I've only been able to do SL once a week for the last 6 weeks. Does not work! I'm barely staying at current wts, and started having small muscle pulls and strains after each session. At least 2x a week to build strength; and the real progress came with 3x a week.0
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Thanks for your opinions. I need to consider what I want to do. With once a week at the moment I'm probably not gaining strength but at least I'm progressing as the app tells me towards where things get difficult. I'm not there yet for most exercises so that's probably ok. Well... I haven't increased the weight on overhead presses yet but got better from last time, and I need to start lower with rows as my technique isn't good. But bench presses, deadlifts and squats are going up at least and are still easy.0
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Is there anyway you can go to a different gym? If it really is as crappy as you say it is? And a different gym might have more people and maybe you would make a friend who would be willing to spot you?
btw I Like your profile pic...baaa!0 -
I wish I could, but no, I can't.
I'm not in a western country at the moment. Your average neighbourhood gym isn't open to women, and the alternative is joining a health and spa club. Those are simply too expensive to be honest: some 2000 USD just for signing up and something similar as yearly membership fees. Yes, there are a few 'western' gyms not associated with clubs, but they are too far from where I live. So I guess I continue what I'm doing, ask here if I have some technique questions - and when the moment arrives where I run out of weights then I reconsider what my options are.0 -
Ah shoot, I saw this thread and got excited since I also can only use a gym once a week since I'm bumming off my boyfriend's gym and they have a limit of 4 times a month.
I was thinking - maybe do workout A or B once a week and then supplement with You Are Your Own Gym (Calisthenics) a few times a week at home?0
