Another question

glwerth

So, today I went and husband watched my form as I went through the stage one workouts (A and . I did two sets of both of them while he watched to check form. Turns out, having good posture overall makes form easier, so thanks Grandma!

In any case. I had been doing squats with dumbbells. I was able to get my thighs parallel to the ground easily.

With the barbell, not so much. So, do I need to push to try to do that or will it come as I get used to the weight being different? It felt super unstable and the one time I got down that far, I totally lost my balance on my way up.

Oh, another question this time on Lunges.

I have balance issues when I'm doing them, like I bobble and spend a lot of time just trying to catch my balance. Will that come eventually?

Thanks for any guideance you might have for me!

deninevi

Hi. What feels unstable on the squats-legs, back? Try the front squat with bar or kettlebell or dumbbell. With practice you will get better at squats. Make sure you pinch your shoulder blades together and you push your knees to the side when you squat.

To make lunges more stable try wider stance. But the balance will come with practice too. If you are using dumbbells for the lunges, try dropping the weight a bit and see if that helps. Good luck to you! You can do it!

glwerth

Hi. What feels unstable on the squats-legs, back? Try the front squat with bar or kettlebell or dumbbell. With practice you will get better at squats. Make sure you pinch your shoulder blades together and you push your knees to the side when you squat.

To make lunges more stable try wider stance. But the balance will come with practice too. If you are using dumbbells for the lunges, try dropping the weight a bit and see if that helps. Good luck to you! You can do it!

When I was doing dumbbell squats, I had no issue getting my thighs parallel with the ground. WIth the barbell, it just feels....like I'm going to topple over if I go down any farther. I get most of the way down, but not all the way. It is hard to describe. Maybe it is just that it was so new and I should try with a little less weight: 45 pound bar + 10 on each side was my starter weight today, I was doing 2 dumbbells at 30 pounds each before, so maybe I need to adjust the weight load to deal with a new way of doing it.

I may try the front too...see what works better.

I'll try a wider stance on the lunges, see how that goes. And, I'm usually alone at the gym early in the morning, so if I topple over, no one is there to laugh.

jsextrasmooth

Hi. What feels unstable on the squats-legs, back? Try the front squat with bar or kettlebell or dumbbell. With practice you will get better at squats. Make sure you pinch your shoulder blades together and you push your knees to the side when you squat.

To make lunges more stable try wider stance. But the balance will come with practice too. If you are using dumbbells for the lunges, try dropping the weight a bit and see if that helps. Good luck to you! You can do it!

When I was doing dumbbell squats, I had no issue getting my thighs parallel with the ground. WIth the barbell, it just feels....like I'm going to topple over if I go down any farther. I get most of the way down, but not all the way. It is hard to describe. Maybe it is just that it was so new and I should try with a little less weight: 45 pound bar + 10 on each side was my starter weight today, I was doing 2 dumbbells at 30 pounds each before, so maybe I need to adjust the weight load to deal with a new way of doing it.

I may try the front too...see what works better.

I'll try a wider stance on the lunges, see how that goes. And, I'm usually alone at the gym early in the morning, so if I topple over, no one is there to laugh.

Give it time and try the squats with the an empty barbell until you get used to the different balance. Same with the lunges. Also you shouldn't be doing the A&B workouts on the same day. You alternate the workouts between A & B so you're not doing the same workout each time.

whiskeysister510

Hi there! For you and for anyone starting this program without prior weight trainign experience, I would suggest using Mark Ripptoe's Starting Strength as an additional resource to study the basic moves like squat and deadlift in depth. There's an entire chapter dedicated to squats, with lots of pictures and details. Understanding the form--everything from grip, stance, muscles used, to where to focus your eyes, and what shoes to wear--will help you progress with this progam by getting you started with correct form and confidence. Also, go to the hardware store and get some PVC pipe cut to 7' and use it like a barbell to practice the motion without the weight. If it's not your form that's holding you back, then the bar may just be too heavy and you may need to start with a lighter (standard) bar or keep working with dumbbells until you feel good under the bar. Just be patient and focus on form! Hope this helps and good luck!

glwerth

Hi. What feels unstable on the squats-legs, back? Try the front squat with bar or kettlebell or dumbbell. With practice you will get better at squats. Make sure you pinch your shoulder blades together and you push your knees to the side when you squat.

To make lunges more stable try wider stance. But the balance will come with practice too. If you are using dumbbells for the lunges, try dropping the weight a bit and see if that helps. Good luck to you! You can do it!

When I was doing dumbbell squats, I had no issue getting my thighs parallel with the ground. WIth the barbell, it just feels....like I'm going to topple over if I go down any farther. I get most of the way down, but not all the way. It is hard to describe. Maybe it is just that it was so new and I should try with a little less weight: 45 pound bar + 10 on each side was my starter weight today, I was doing 2 dumbbells at 30 pounds each before, so maybe I need to adjust the weight load to deal with a new way of doing it.

I may try the front too...see what works better.

I'll try a wider stance on the lunges, see how that goes. And, I'm usually alone at the gym early in the morning, so if I topple over, no one is there to laugh.

Give it time and try the squats with the an empty barbell until you get used to the different balance. Same with the lunges. Also you shouldn't be doing the A&B workouts on the same day. You alternate the workouts between A & B so you're not doing the same workout each time.

Oh, both A and B today was for me to learn the moves. My husband was available to go with me and look at the book and my form as I went through the movements! Now that I've done each movement at least a few times, it will be easy for me to remember enough that I don't have to tote the book there each time. So, there was a method to my madness.

I discoverd that I cannot do the prone jacknife. At. All. But, it was, in my husband's words truly comedic to watch me try.