Strength Training PR's - Brag About Your Success

Nataliaho

Is anyone doing overhead squats? I have so much trouble balancing with that. It has to be an arm or flexibility thing cause I have no issue with front and back squats.

Nope, but since watching all the olympic weightlifting, I'm thinking about getting started on either the clean and jerk or the snatch.

I have such a mental block or something with snatches. I think the most I ever did was 75lb power snatch at the gym, but today I could barely do 63 (I have a 15kg bar at home so the numbers are always odd). I was trying to do some overhead squats for reps so I have to snatch the bar to get it up. I just ended up doing my metcon with 53lbs since I know I can get that up easily.

Something about getting under the bar just scares me with the snatch i think. When I do the c&j its more controlled so it isn't so tough to get it up.

This is pretty much my experience with snatches too. They are definately against our human nature. My max is about 95lb now, but I was stuck at about 75lb for ages. We do lots of different drills that really helped with it, but I can't for the life of me think what they are. If I remember I will post.

I have actually always liked OH squats for some reason. I think its just that they always force me to hold a really perfect position, whereas a back squat I naturally end up doing too much of a good morning.

victoria4321

Is anyone doing overhead squats? I have so much trouble balancing with that. It has to be an arm or flexibility thing cause I have no issue with front and back squats.

Nope, but since watching all the olympic weightlifting, I'm thinking about getting started on either the clean and jerk or the snatch.

I have such a mental block or something with snatches. I think the most I ever did was 75lb power snatch at the gym, but today I could barely do 63 (I have a 15kg bar at home so the numbers are always odd). I was trying to do some overhead squats for reps so I have to snatch the bar to get it up. I just ended up doing my metcon with 53lbs since I know I can get that up easily.

Something about getting under the bar just scares me with the snatch i think. When I do the c&j its more controlled so it isn't so tough to get it up.

This is pretty much my experience with snatches too. They are definately against our human nature. My max is about 95lb now, but I was stuck at about 75lb for ages. We do lots of different drills that really helped with it, but I can't for the life of me think what they are. If I remember I will post.

I have actually always liked OH squats for some reason. I think its just that they always force me to hold a really perfect position, whereas a back squat I naturally end up doing too much of a good morning.

Yeah the part about good form on that is definitely true. I feel like I have to almost talk myself through it to keep everything tight.

I use to have that same mental block on cleans but I got over that much faster. I would come up too slow and crash the bar on my collar bones instead of catching it higher up.

KiltFuPanda

I've been thinking of doing overhead squats, but my bench strength is weak, so I don't trust myself to keep too much weight up there. I've been training in the push press with the axle bar, so once I get strong enough with that I'll try some squats.

PR'd on the push press at 215 lbs this Monday thanks to my training partner - I found out that he's the current lightweight (240 and under) winner of NC's Strongest Man, so if there's anyone who can help me push to my limits, I can't do much better than that

Mighty_Rabite

I'm no Atlas, but I am fairly proud of the following:

Dumbbell Bench Press - 78lb dumbbells, 8 rep set (I have plate adjustables, the handles are 3lbs each)

Barbell Bench - 205lb current max, able to do 175 6-7 times

Chest Flys (machine) - 235lb current max (dumbbells are obviously a lot lighter, I usually use 35s on an 8 rep set)

45 degree Leg Press - 710lbs, 4 rep set

45 degree Leg Press station, using it for calf presses - 890lbs, 6 rep set

Plated Hyperextensions - did an 8 rep set holding 115lbs, I felt that was pretty solid at the time

Nataliaho

I've been thinking of doing overhead squats, but my bench strength is weak, so I don't trust myself to keep too much weight up there. I've been training in the push press with the axle bar, so once I get strong enough with that I'll try some squats.

PR'd on the push press at 215 lbs this Monday thanks to my training partner - I found out that he's the current lightweight (240 and under) winner of NC's Strongest Man, so if there's anyone who can help me push to my limits, I can't do much better than that

That's awesome and will help you so much! I have a training buddy who is always just 10kg or so ahead of me. It can get frustrating but it definately keeps me striving. I'm actually now a better squatter than her though, so its good to have one up on her

kazzari

Is anyone doing overhead squats? I have so much trouble balancing with that. It has to be an arm or flexibility thing cause I have no issue with front and back squats.

These are so awkward for me. Definitely a flexibility issue. I can't stand up from a body weight squat with my arms straight overhead. I practiced with a foam roller between my hands, and even that was tough. I've done squats with dumbbells with one arm down and one overhead. More doable but still awkward.

sl4ck3r980

Before my hip surgery last month I set my PR's at

Bench 245x5
Squat 365x2
DL:435x1
Weighted Dips: 135x4 added weight (285 total)

At 150lbs, been at this for over 2 years now though.

jawheb

12 chinups at 118 lbs. I only use dumbbells
for strength training 3x's a week. Looking for
bench press now. Can't wait to see what I can
lift.

JNick77

Nice everybody, I'm jealous of all the great progress this week.

I don't have much to talk about this week; I don't even want to talk about my bench session. I got in 4 sets of 10 chin-ups at body weight +20lbs, so I'm semi satisfied with that. Tomorrow is max effort lower body day and my cycle starts over so I get to re-test my Sumo Deadlift; 330lbs is the weight for me to beat.

dzarello

Height--6'0
Weight--193lb
Bench--200x3
Squat--300x2 (most proud of this PR)
Deadlift--325x2
BB Row--175x3
Overhead Press--125x3

mikem45

I'm trying to catch up to Nataliaho

I did 80kg squats x 8 tonight.

I don't think my form was perfect for the last 2 but I'm working on it! Pushing out PB's every time I work with my trainer.

Wow, those are great numbers!! You'll have me before you know it!!

I really think working out with a trainer makes such a difference. They just have a much better guage on what is actually possible, when we might think that 50kg is our max just because it seems like heaps!

For me the trainer made all the difference especially when you have confidence in them! Nothing builds trust like training to failure on squats then having them help you with 2 forced reps during a hypertrophy phase.

chrisdavey

Nice everybody, I'm jealous of all the great progress this week.

I don't have much to talk about this week; I don't even want to talk about my bench session. I got in 4 sets of 10 chin-ups at body weight +20lbs, so I'm semi satisfied with that. Tomorrow is max effort lower body day and my cycle starts over so I get to re-test my Sumo Deadlift; 330lbs is the weight for me to beat.

good chins!

I just did this on my 10th set after doing 155kgx3x9.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlnNzKFi4dI&list=UUg5G7qUcxNgCaJQhiIxr3sA&index=1&feature=plcp


VERY Happy with that. Calculated 1rm of 186kg and my actual is 170kg so looking good for comp time in a few weeks.

sjohnny

That's outstanding!

I'm having a lot of trouble with my squats right now at weights that seem way to light for me to be having trouble. I'm thinking if I still have issues today I'm going to back off and work back up.

chrisdavey

Thanks mate Was very happy that my form didn't break down at all (I don't think) even on the very tough ones.

If you're technique is ok then it's just time under the bar and working out what works best for you in terms of volume & frequency.

I've found for me that I make my best gains with frequent squatting (smolov at the moment which is 4x a week). I was still making progress on my previous 11 week program but the gains just really come well with this frequency.

sjohnny

I'm doing Stronglifts right now but I'm also running three times a week so I think it's a recovery issue. In a couple of weeks I'm starting training for a half-marathon so I think I'm going to ease back some on the weights for a little while. I've been working at cross purposes and it's starting to be a problem.

But I love both lifting and running so I may just have to alternate times during the year when I focus on one or the other.


I looked at Smolov a few days ago. That looks absolutely brutal.

JNick77

Nice everybody, I'm jealous of all the great progress this week.

I don't have much to talk about this week; I don't even want to talk about my bench session. I got in 4 sets of 10 chin-ups at body weight +20lbs, so I'm semi satisfied with that. Tomorrow is max effort lower body day and my cycle starts over so I get to re-test my Sumo Deadlift; 330lbs is the weight for me to beat.

good chins!

I just did this on my 10th set after doing 155kgx3x9.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlnNzKFi4dI&list=UUg5G7qUcxNgCaJQhiIxr3sA&index=1&feature=plcp


VERY Happy with that. Calculated 1rm of 186kg and my actual is 170kg so looking good for comp time in a few weeks.

Nice job! Competing raw?

JNick77

I was a little nervous going into my max effort lower body today because my energy level has been poor this week. Today was Sumo Deadlifts. My previous best from 5 weeks ago was 330lbs, today I hit 340lbs for a single. I actually failed on my first attempt and got it about 3-inches off the ground. I gave it one more shot and fought it off the ground and then got an easy lock out once I got it up. I just don't think I was mentally dialed into the 1st attempt. LOL

I've decided after this dynamic effort pendulum is done I'm going to do a couple series of speed pulls Sumo style to work on getting it off the ground. My lockout is pretty good actually so I don't need a lot of work there.

chrisdavey

Jnick77: yep it's just a novice comp. Raw only.

And nice work on that DL PR. With sumo the hardest bit is getting it off the ground for sure. Once it's off it's generally all good. I'd be smashing the glutes/hammies with SLDL's, Ukranian Deadlifts, good mornings & that will help get it off the ground. Also deficit deadlifts are awesome.

sjohnny: I had the same thing with lifting & mma. Ended up very burnt out and not making progress in either at the rate I wanted. After an injury I can't do mma anymore though and since then strength has been on the rise. If you were going to prioritise running over lifting I'd still chuck in one full body strength session a week just to keep what you already have.

shakew8

Yesterday on 5/3/1 Overhead press I did 15 reps with #135. That's up 3 reps from 2 months ago.

dzarello

Adding one more that I PR'd yesterday.
Rack Pulls
325x3
365x2
375x1
Not bad for my first time doing Rack Pulls.