Fessin' up

mamamudbug

I just posted my stats on the Lady Lifters thread. Those are my highs but I just deloaded again. I told myself it was because I needed to change things up, so I swapped things around, added a couple of accessory lifts and called it a circuit routine. I'm not saying I'm wrong but in truth, I think I did it because things were getting heavy and I lift without a spotter. So, how do I get past the nerves and self doubt?

ishtar13

I just posted my stats on the Lady Lifters thread. Those are my highs but I just deloaded again. I told myself it was because I needed to change things up, so I swapped things around, added a couple of accessory lifts and called it a circuit routine. I'm not saying I'm wrong but in truth, I think I did it because things were getting heavy and I lift without a spotter. So, how do I get past the nerves and self doubt?

I was there a couple weeks ago. I planned to deload for a week and do variations instead.

I ended up only deloading one session and going back full force.

Qarol

Things are really getting heavy for me...which is why we bought fractional plates.

The nerves and self doubt? Lemme know if you figure out a way to shut those down...I could use some tips...

mamamudbug

Q, you're suppoda give me tips ...


And wine...

Qarol

I'm better at pouring wine...

Who wants a glass?

mamamudbug

Me... but you'll have to pick. I know diddly about wine other than some taste better than others.

RunningDirty

Pinot Noir.

mamamudbug

D, I shall keep that in mind

tameko2

Wait, someone has wine?? I'm in a white phase these days, not because I don't like reds but I find myself much pickier about reds than whites - I can pretty much drink any ole pinot grigio and not be miserable. (almost any). Also there is a winery in oregon that makes a dry riesling I'm very fond of (some years its a bit too sweet for me).


oh um....lifting.

So you don't have a spotter but do you have a power rack? Because I have to say, power racks really do make things quite safe, I have failed many a time on everything and the power rack has saved me in a safe and comfortable way (except for the bench press - I don't have a way to drag one into the rack, really, so the one time I failed and didn't have a spotter a kind stranger came and rescued me. But you could also make that pretty safe.)

Despite that I still have times where I am totally freaked out and scared of the bar, almost ALWAYS squatting which is weird because I've failed on squats plenty of times, and its fine. I have days where I have to stand there and stare at the bar and really psych myself up and try to breathe evenly. Lately I've started just deloading on that set because I think part of the problem is that this is, yanno, heavy and squatting is NOT FUN AT ALL - I dislike squatting. I like what squats do for my body (And my butt) but the whole motion is weird, uncomfortable, makes you look like you have a huge fat belly (well, me anyway - and i do have a fat belly but squatting makes it worse) AND its freaking HARD. So once I start feeling really stressed out I'll tell myself "ok if this is really hard or you fail you can deload for the next set" -- sometimes its a good day and after I finish that set I have more confidence going to the next one. Sometimes its a bad day and I deload.

I feel like, before you totally give up, take a deload week, or try applying some other strategies like what I do, get a light weight on the bar (or empty bar) and set up your power rack properly then do the movement and fake a failure. SEe what it feels like when the catch bars grab the barbell and you can get out from under it. Get some trust in the equipment.

(if you DON'T have a power rack then....different issue. Not sure I'd do this much weight without a spotter for the bench and a squat rack or a power rack).

Qarol

Wait, someone has wine??

I ALWAYS have wine...always

numindan

My absolute favourite thing about my gym and the SL 5x5 program is that I can do it alone if I need to. My usual partner, my husband, is in the military and has to leave on exercises continuously. When we first started SL, he spent the time showing me how to drag a bench under the squat rack (for presses) and how to set up the rack to do the entire routine alone and safely. We also have two squat racks in our gym so usually guys will either cut me slack if I need to hog the rack or will offer to spot me to move my butt out of it if it gets busy.

We have a bunch of olympic style lifters at my gym who are always willing to help me with form for OHPs and Deadlifts and a professional football team that works out in the gym pre-season/in-season so at the moment I'm in high heaven. Those guys don't let anyone mess with me when hubs is away or I'm not with my trainer

mamamudbug

I have this. Thanks for all the tips and help... and listening. I guess I just need to deal with the nerves. I like lifting, I just don't want to get to the point where I don't enjoy it.

tameko2

I have this. Thanks for all the tips and help... and listening. I guess I just need to deal with the nerves. I like lifting, I just don't want to get to the point where I don't enjoy it.

Oooh..how much was that? Or are you renting it? Oooooh.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I really LIKE lifting - like I told my husband tonight, out of the 168 hours in the week, I really like strength training during 164 of them, but when I ACTUALLY have to go to the gym and do it I'm like "Waaaaah I dun wanna, I wanna sit on the sofaaaa"

mamamudbug

I have this. Thanks for all the tips and help... and listening. I guess I just need to deal with the nerves. I like lifting, I just don't want to get to the point where I don't enjoy it.

Oooh..how much was that? Or are you renting it? Oooooh.

I'll be honest, I'm not sure if I really LIKE lifting - like I told my husband tonight, out of the 168 hours in the week, I really like strength training during 164 of them, but when I ACTUALLY have to go to the gym and do it I'm like "Waaaaah I dun wanna, I wanna sit on the sofaaaa"

I have hard time fitting it in and I can come up with every excuse in the book to not get it done... but when I get out there I love it. Right now, the heat is already bad, but it's the humidity that kills me. There's been a couple of times that I've started and had to stop almost immediately because it was like trying to breathe through a hot, wet wash cloth.

The rack was less than $400 at Sam's a few years ago. I'm not sure if Weider even makes it anymore but they should have something comparable.

RunningDirty

I have this. Thanks for all the tips and help... and listening. I guess I just need to deal with the nerves. I like lifting, I just don't want to get to the point where I don't enjoy it.

I want this! Jealous.

mamamudbug

I'm glad I have it but it does have it's quirks. The good far outweigh the bad, though.

DeanneLea

Ok ^^^that equipment is nearly orgasm inducing for a new weight lifter lol. I so want that now!!

irridia

for squats use heavy kitchen chairs, unless you are about 4' tall that should work just fine for spotting squats. Mine could easily handle about 250lbs each and I'm not even close to 250, let alone 500.