Help for my wife please

longblog

Hello Ladies, I would like some advice for my wife. She's really stoked about stronglifts 5x5 (which I'm also doing), but she's pretty weak. We're using the bars that already have weights attached permanently to them right now for her, since she can't use the 45 lb Olympic bar yet. The problem we're encountering is that the bars are quite narrow for her grip on squats, and they only go up in 10lb increments, which is more than she's able to add each workout. Stronglifts 5x5 is supposed to be about progressive gains on each workout, and I'm worried she's going to get burned out too quickly.

Do you suggest she starts on dumbells or something? There are no smaller bars in our gym than the Olympic ones, except for these fixed weight bars which only go up ten pounds at a time. Should she just work out a few times on a single bar until she can move up? Not really sure how to advance her, since I'm fairly new to working out myself.

She can't use a power rack or anything right now. I have to lift the weights up for her, and then she gets under them, since these fixed weight bars are more narrow than the racks for the Olympic bars.

Any guidance would be helpful at this point. She's still really motivated, but I'm worried about her progression, and future motivation if she keeps stalling.

Edit:

She's using the following weights for her workouts...

Squat: started at 20, moved to 30, stalled at 40 and went back to 30.

Row: 20, then 30

Bench, 20, then 30

Deads: 45 (woot, Official Olympic bar! I stacked weights for her to raise the height)

Overhead Press: 20, then stalled at 30, went back to 20.

Also, she has a sturdy frame, but is only 4' 11" and 109 lbs (in case that info helps for advice).

vicmonster

If you can, think about investing in a set of plate mates (smaller, magnetic weights). You can bring them with you to the gym and then she can increase in smaller increments. Good luck!

Martucha123

I have started with dumbbells, once I was able to do 55 lbs I have moved to empty bar (droped 10 lbs to ease the transition)

siriusalien

If you can, think about investing in a set of plate mates (smaller, magnetic weights). You can bring them with you to the gym and then she can increase in smaller increments. Good luck!

I purchased my own set of 1.5 and 2.5 weights

ruststar

I think doing the same weight for a week would be fine, or use dumbbells instead. The progressions will be slower, but does it really matter as long as she is progressing? In short order she'll be able to lift the olympic bar and the point will be moot.

Xaspar

Medhi recently did a newsletter about this problem and although he replied in his characteristically obnoxious manner, he mentioned that a 'fix' could be to use dumbbells, front to back with hand grip section resting on the shoulder one on each shoulder, supported with hands to stay in place and do those.

Another option is to try Hack squats. Doesn't work Everything the same way, but it is way closer to the motion without having a rack to help. You can do these with the bar or a modification with dumbbells

Vailara

I started off using a light bar and weights that I'd bought. I'm not sure how much the bar weighs, but not much at all (I don't count it in the weight). My first squats were with less than 45lb, but it meant that I got to use a barbell and go up in smaller increments rather than using the ready-made bars. My main problem was getting it on to my back (without a rack) because I couldn't press the weight! My son had to lift it up for me. But if you can lift 30 - 40 lb up for your wife, then that might be the easiest way to do it.

hesn92

she could use dumbells until she gets up to 45 pounds She could hold one by one end kind of in between her legs. So she wouldn't have to lift it up above her shoulders or anything, Just pick it up. Just a thought.

tameko2

I would maybe do something like this, with the small bars, until she can move to the 45 (and then get fractionals so she can still move up more slowly).

So for example:
Day 1 Squats 20 lb - 5x5
Day 2 Squats 20 lb - 5 sets of 6
Day 3 Squats 20 lb - 5 sets of 7
Day 4 Squats 30 lb - 2-3 sets of 5, then 2-3 sets at 20 lbs (Whatever feels right at the time)
Day 5 -- depends how day 4 went, you might go to 3-4 sets at the 30 lb then drop for the last, or you might manage the whole 5x5 at the new weight.

The real reason dumbells are less good is, aside from the fact that it requires a lot of arm and shoulder strength to hold a dumbell (and EVERYONE'S arm strength lags behind their leg strength) is that it won't develop quite the same core strength. I'd probably add some planking if she's going to need to do dumbells - dumbbells are fine if one of the other methods don't work but you'll probably want to supplement them with core work.

(also that holding them on your shoulders thing kind of HURTS, me at least.)