Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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Its June, who's still with me!?

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  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    So, I ended up only deloading one session and then went back to normal.

    Tonight I did:

    Squats: 100 lb, 5x5
    Overhead: 50 lb, 5x5 (thank goodness! I thought I'd never do that!)
    Deadlifts: 100 lb
  • britcurl
    britcurl Posts: 110 Member
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    Ok, so Last night was my first night with Stronglifts. I feel like a cheater, because I started with the preloaded weights instead of the empty barbell. I just felt like I wasn't doing them correctly so decided to drop the weight. So here is what last night looked like...

    Squats: 25lbs (Wait to light and could have done more, but was making sure I had correct form)
    Bench: 45lbs
    Row: 35lbs (Still not sure if I am doing them correctly. My husband pulled up the stronglifts web site and showed me the video they had, but I thought the pendlay rows looked different.)
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    UGH! Today was not a good day!

    For squats, I wasnt sure on my form last time at 135 pounds, so I repeated it and still not 100% sure if I am
    getting low enough. I am pretty close to 90 degrees at the lowest, but maybe not quite 90..
    OHP is where if had an epic fail! Failed first set, first rep at 65, went down to 60 and did 5,5,4,5,4 so worse than last time when I was able to do 5x5:grumble:
    Deads 115

    Lets hope next time is better! Not sure what I will do with squats, maybe go up and see what happens with form!
  • tameko2
    tameko2 Posts: 31,634 Member
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    Dawn - do you do a warmup set? Try going well below parallel with the warmup set and see how that feels. You should be able to figure out if you're doing it or not at 135.

    I failed 135 last night on the 4th set. Just tired legs - it was probably a bad idea to run on Sunday (almost everywhere around here is hilly so you end up running a slight incline for a lot of it), my legs were super tired yesterday. Deloaded to 125 for the last set.

    I did make it to 165 deadlift on Sat - only 2 of them but it counts.

    I ALMOST made the 80 lb bench last night, I was SO close. I should be able to do it next time, I think. And pendlay's went well again - I really do think I've "got" those.

    Brit- The one thing about the video on his site is that the guy demonstrating while Glen Pendlay talks is HUGE, so you don't see him flexing his back as much, but there are some pictures of a skinnier guy doing it. Basically you squat down just far enough to reach the bar wiht your hands ( I have to prop mine up on THREE plates to get it at a good height, recommend you do similar) and your back should be flat but slightly angled - shoulders slightly higher than your butt. the pull should be more or less a reverse bench press, but since you're at a slight angle it will hit below your boobs rather than right across them (unless you already bench with a Jcurve in which case it'll hit nearly the same place).
  • numindan
    numindan Posts: 163 Member
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    In May I topped out at

    Squat: 95
    Row: 65
    Bench: 60x3, 55x2
    Dead: 89*
    Overhead Press: 40

    June 3rd I was on workout B

    Squat: 105
    OH Press: 45x3, 40x2
    Dead: 97.8

    Tonight I tackle workout A once again.

    * Best NSV of the week was realizing that the weights I lift for Deads are in kgs and not lbs. So, when I thought I was barely managing 65lbs it turns out I was actually lifting 89lbs!

    I still have to drop some weights part way through to ensure I don't hurt myself (again!) but I'm happy with the progress so far. Trainer suggested purchasing fractional weights for OHP and Bench so thanks for the links. Hoping to find something local so I can save on shipping but now I know what to look for.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    *dances gleefully*

    I finally benched all 5x5 at 75 lbs tonight. Whee!!! *throws confetti*
  • dawnemjh
    dawnemjh Posts: 1,465 Member
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    Dawn - do you do a warmup set? Try going well below parallel with the warmup set and see how that feels. You should be able to figure out if you're doing it or not at 135.

    I failed 135 last night on the 4th set. Just tired legs - it was probably a bad idea to run on Sunday (almost everywhere around here is hilly so you end up running a slight incline for a lot of it), my legs were super tired yesterday. Deloaded to 125 for the last set.

    I did make it to 165 deadlift on Sat - only 2 of them but it counts.

    I ALMOST made the 80 lb bench last night, I was SO close. I should be able to do it next time, I think. And pendlay's went well again - I really do think I've "got" those.

    Brit- The one thing about the video on his site is that the guy demonstrating while Glen Pendlay talks is HUGE, so you don't see him flexing his back as much, but there are some pictures of a skinnier guy doing it. Basically you squat down just far enough to reach the bar wiht your hands ( I have to prop mine up on THREE plates to get it at a good height, recommend you do similar) and your back should be flat but slightly angled - shoulders slightly higher than your butt. the pull should be more or less a reverse bench press, but since you're at a slight angle it will hit below your boobs rather than right across them (unless you already bench with a Jcurve in which case it'll hit nearly the same place).

    I dont warm up. honestly it never really crossed my mind. I just usually do one or two squats to make sure the safety is at the right height. So what do I do for warm ups, and how much weight? Thanks!
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
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    Wow, June got here quick!

    Pendlay Row - I think I'm the only person who enjoys this lift. I'm still at 85lbs on it though. I can almost do all 5x5, the last set is still very difficult and I can't get full ROM so I call that a "fail"

    I thought I was the only one who enjoyed it. So much better to get to rest the bar on the ground between pulls than to have the barbell hanging and trying to pull my arms off!
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
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    Tonight:

    Squat - 112 (repeated after an inadvertent deload to 110 on Friday)
    BP - 82 attempted, failed. Got 2x5 and 2x3

    Deadlifts - 160 (ding, ding, ding! This was my 1RM six years ago, so a PB)

    I'm frustrated with slow progress on squat...should be a bit closer to my DL methinks. When my dl 1RM was 160, my squat 1RM was 155, so I was expecting faster progress.
  • kazzari
    kazzari Posts: 473 Member
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    if you can afford it, grab these:
    http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/equipment/fractional-plates/olympic-2-in-fractional-plates.html
    Just purchased these...I will update everyone with how it goes. I'm excited to show improvements again, but I just can't increase 5 lbs each time, anymore.

    You'll love them. I'm even using them for squats. So far I've been mostly using the one pounders.
  • nz_deevaa
    nz_deevaa Posts: 12,209 Member
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    *dances gleefully*

    I finally benched all 5x5 at 75 lbs tonight. Whee!!! *throws confetti*

    Huzzah!

    :smokin:
  • gemiwing
    gemiwing Posts: 1,525 Member
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    *dances gleefully*

    I finally benched all 5x5 at 75 lbs tonight. Whee!!! *throws confetti*
    *strikes up the band and starts making the potato salad*
  • juliespears
    juliespears Posts: 25 Member
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    Just getting back into it after a couple of months off for military training. I'm finally out in Afghanistan and the local NATO base gym has plenty of good basic lifting equipment.

    I'm usually the only girl in the weight side of the gym, but the men are pretty helpful, despite the language barriers. So, just easing back into it and trying to establish a new routine.
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
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    June is my final month at this for a while (get married in July and a 3 month honeymoon from Sep-December!). Might be able to do some in August though.

    So I want to push as much as I can this month and then have a decent place to start from when I start up properly again in January.

    Current/Goal at end of June. Not sure if it's doable, the goal weights seem huge right now but you have to aim high!

    Squat: 50/75
    Bench: 45/65
    Row: 45/65
    OHP: 30/40
    Dead: 75/ 105

    Good luck to everyone this month!
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
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    Finished my first June session. Had do do workout A backwards because of someone hogging the squat rack so went bench, rows, squats.

    Bench: 50lb- fail. Really found this hard. Managed 5,5,5,4,5 but it was a real struggle and one or two probably didn't come low enough. Will go again next time.

    Row: 50lb. Tough but managed it. Have to watch some more form videos though cos I think my body moved a bit too much on some. Will do some research and increase to 55 next time.

    Squat: 55lb. Really finding these hard but got through it. Just finding the bar really heavy on my back more than anything. It can be uncomfortable just standing with it. Will go to 60 next time.
  • Qarol
    Qarol Posts: 6,171 Member
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    June is my final month at this for a while (get married in July and a 3 month honeymoon from Sep-December!).
    What? A 3 month honeymoon? I want to hear more about this! *seethes with jealousy*
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
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    June is my final month at this for a while (get married in July and a 3 month honeymoon from Sep-December!).
    What? A 3 month honeymoon? I want to hear more about this! *seethes with jealousy*

    Well, 2.5 months. Starts with 10days in South Africa, then a 9 week trip from Capetown to Nairobi going through 10 countries. Can't wait! Then we're home for Xmas and off to some new foreign land come January where I hope to get back into a routine, assuming it's a country that has gyms!
  • juliebeannn
    juliebeannn Posts: 428 Member
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    June is my final month at this for a while (get married in July and a 3 month honeymoon from Sep-December!).
    What? A 3 month honeymoon? I want to hear more about this! *seethes with jealousy*

    Well, 2.5 months. Starts with 10days in South Africa, then a 9 week trip from Capetown to Nairobi going through 10 countries. Can't wait! Then we're home for Xmas and off to some new foreign land come January where I hope to get back into a routine, assuming it's a country that has gyms!

    omg. sounds AMAZING!!!! ::jealousssss::

    i'm jumping on the wagon and starting stronglifts in june.

    starting with an empty bar and i know i can do that much, so starting numbers are 45 across.
  • shesquats
    shesquats Posts: 91 Member
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    You women rock! I'm still hangin'.

    At present:

    Squat 70#
    OHP 60# stalled
    CP 65# yeah...finally
    Row 60#
    DL 125# which I then roared! ;o) LOL

    Keep lifting and fueling the machine. :)
  • ishtar13
    ishtar13 Posts: 528 Member
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    Today:
    Squat 105 lbs 5x5
    Bench 70 lbs: 5/5/3
    65 lbs: 5/5
    Bent Row: 65 lbs 5x5

    It's my 2nd try at 70 lbs on the bench. Last time I only did one set of 4 and one set of 3 at 70, so there's more reps there. Maybe I'll get it next time.

    I should have gone to 70 on the rows, but I just didn't feel like I could do it.

    But squats - I feel like I'm totally rocking. It was my first try at 105, and I was shocked I did it. The last rep on every set was HARD, but I managed to stand up. I'll likely stay there one more time.

    Funny thing with the squats, when I first started doing them with the bar, I felt it in my quads. When I got to around 75-80 lbs, and got the advice about pulling the floor apart with your feet, I started to feel my hamstrings more. Now? Glutes are burning. I think my notoriously flat butt is starting to get a little shape to it, even.

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