Show me ur heavy lifting results please!

SpecialSundae · January 2013

5x5 you need a squat rack. Look up the madcow spreadsheet. Enter your starting weight and it does everything for you.

Thanks, although there is no way that I can afford to either buy a squat rack or join a gym which has one (my finances are stretched as it is and the only gym that is likely to have one that is near to either work or home is $100 a month).

So many amazing pictures on this thread! My husband's been freaking about my decision to start lifting heavy things and putting them back down because he's worried I'll get too hard, but these have shown him that doesn't need to be the case.

I'm starting 5x5 on Monday but my gym has free-weights and a bench but no rack. Is that going to totally screw me?

A rack is a must for stronglifts !!!

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

Jenky85 · January 2013

5x5 you need a squat rack. Look up the madcow spreadsheet. Enter your starting weight and it does everything for you.

Thanks, although there is no way that I can afford to either buy a squat rack or join a gym which has one (my finances are stretched as it is and the only gym that is likely to have one that is near to either work or home is $100 a month).

So many amazing pictures on this thread! My husband's been freaking about my decision to start lifting heavy things and putting them back down because he's worried I'll get too hard, but these have shown him that doesn't need to be the case.

I'm starting 5x5 on Monday but my gym has free-weights and a bench but no rack. Is that going to totally screw me?

A rack is a must for stronglifts !!!

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

SS, Do you know what the heaviest weight your gym has? I'm lifting heavy at home with two adjustable dumbells so i can add or take away plates as needed and it's working out great. My husband devised a plan using dumbell exercises that work each group so m getting a full body workout. Also remember you can use your own body weight to 'lift heavy' push ups and pull ups are great for arms and lunges for legs, I lunge whilst holding my dumbells at my side on the heavies weight for extra resistance

geebusuk · January 2013

I did my 5x5 workout at home on Christmas day getting two housemates to help lift the bar (when full weight) on to my shoulders.
Planning to make my own squat rack which I can store at work (self employed) - probably out of sturdy wood as not on massive numbers at the moment and have some lying about, but no power at the storage unit.

SpecialSundae · January 2013

5x5 you need a squat rack. Look up the madcow spreadsheet. Enter your starting weight and it does everything for you.

Thanks, although there is no way that I can afford to either buy a squat rack or join a gym which has one (my finances are stretched as it is and the only gym that is likely to have one that is near to either work or home is $100 a month).

So many amazing pictures on this thread! My husband's been freaking about my decision to start lifting heavy things and putting them back down because he's worried I'll get too hard, but these have shown him that doesn't need to be the case.

I'm starting 5x5 on Monday but my gym has free-weights and a bench but no rack. Is that going to totally screw me?

A rack is a must for stronglifts !!!

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

SS, Do you know what the heaviest weight your gym has? I'm lifting heavy at home with two adjustable dumbells so i can add or take away plates as needed and it's working out great. My husband devised a plan using dumbell exercises that work each group so m getting a full body workout. Also remember you can use your own body weight to 'lift heavy' push ups and pull ups are great for arms and lunges for legs, I lunge whilst holding my dumbells at my side on the heavies weight for extra resistance

I don't know off the top of my head (it is an office gym but fairly well equipped other than the lack of squat rack) but they have a range of dumbbells which, from memory, look something like this. I hadn't examined them closely, though. I'm not sure about the barbell weights either.

I have to confess I felt really disheartened to wake up this morning to the two responses I'd had. If I get a bit further down the road then I could potentially ask my gym to buy in a power/squat rack (it's a NFP gym so they happily buy in equipment if it'll be used and there's money to pay for it) but I can't from day one.

Yanicka1 · January 2013

Thread rolled weeee

4themoney · January 2013

if you have dumbbells and just want something to do, to tide you over til you can either get into a gym or get your own rack, there is a modified dumbbell version of strong lifts......
http://www.jefit.com/routines/workout-routine-database.php?id=4280

you could just do this in the mean time. but you'd have to get HEAVY dumbbells. and they are NOT cheap....... the cost could end up worse than a gym membership because the idea is you move UP in weight quite quickly.

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

SpecialSundae · January 2013

if you have dumbbells and just want something to do, to tide you over til you can either get into a gym or get your own rack, there is a modified dumbbell version of strong lifts......
http://www.jefit.com/routines/workout-routine-database.php?id=4280

you could just do this in the mean time. but you'd have to get HEAVY dumbbells. and they are NOT cheap....... the cost could end up worse than a gym membership because the idea is you move UP in weight quite quickly.

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

Thank you! That's really helpful. :-) My gym has some intensive looking dumbbells so I suspect it would take me a while to get to the biggest/heaviest ones.

I think they'd probably buy a rack if there was proof that it would be used but I think the weights are massively underused at the moment. They're constantly putting money into upgrading what there is but only when there's proof that it will be used, so I'd probably have to wait 'til the AGM and get a few more people interested in it.

There's a weight-training group at the other building but it's an hour's round trip and at really inconvenient times and I don't know if even they have a rack.

alyssa92982 · January 2013

<<<<<profile pic:)

csi4us · January 2013

9 weeks later-

Great results sir.

How nice definition! Great job!

erinsueburns · January 2013

5x5 you need a squat rack. Look up the madcow spreadsheet. Enter your starting weight and it does everything for you.

Thanks, although there is no way that I can afford to either buy a squat rack or join a gym which has one (my finances are stretched as it is and the only gym that is likely to have one that is near to either work or home is $100 a month).

So many amazing pictures on this thread! My husband's been freaking about my decision to start lifting heavy things and putting them back down because he's worried I'll get too hard, but these have shown him that doesn't need to be the case.

I'm starting 5x5 on Monday but my gym has free-weights and a bench but no rack. Is that going to totally screw me?

A rack is a must for stronglifts !!!

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

SS, Do you know what the heaviest weight your gym has? I'm lifting heavy at home with two adjustable dumbells so i can add or take away plates as needed and it's working out great. My husband devised a plan using dumbell exercises that work each group so m getting a full body workout. Also remember you can use your own body weight to 'lift heavy' push ups and pull ups are great for arms and lunges for legs, I lunge whilst holding my dumbells at my side on the heavies weight for extra resistance

I don't know off the top of my head (it is an office gym but fairly well equipped other than the lack of squat rack) but they have a range of dumbbells which, from memory, look something like this. I hadn't examined them closely, though. I'm not sure about the barbell weights either.

I have to confess I felt really disheartened to wake up this morning to the two responses I'd had. If I get a bit further down the road then I could potentially ask my gym to buy in a power/squat rack (it's a NFP gym so they happily buy in equipment if it'll be used and there's money to pay for it) but I can't from day one.

Don't feel too bad, I'm still at the lugging my own body around stage and trying to plan for initial home work stages with dumbbells. There are relatively inexpensive dumbbell sets on classifieds all around me that I think I can swing cost wise.

cld111 · January 2013

Most amazing thread ever. You all are such an inspiration. Thank you!!!

caligulala · January 2013

bump. love this stuff!

LorinaLynn · January 2013

A rack is a must for stronglifts !!!

Not a particularly helpful reply, to be honest. There is no way in the near future that I can get a squat rack. Are there any alternative programmes which don't require one?

I did stronglifts doing barbell hack squats like this: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBHackSquat.html

The biggest problem was on the days with deadlifts and squats, because my grip would give out before my muscles would.

I'm sure having a squat rack would be awesome. For one, I wouldn't have to clean the bar to do overhead presses. But I'm very happy with my results without a rack, and don't have the money or room for one at this time anyway.