January Check in and Chat - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
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Hi everyone. I just joined this group, and I can't wait to start SL 5x5. I already downloaded the dreadfully long sweaty armpit pdf and read one of the member's summary of the program. Much better than anything else I could find in the internet. However, I'm still not sure about the weight part. Does it mean I have to do 5 sets (each one of 5 reps) of each exercise and add 5 lbs every new set? I think I got it, but I would like someone to confirm. I've been doing heavy (heavier than I've ever done before) weights, and my body has improved considerably (with clean eating of course!). I want to try something now more challenging and effective.
Thank you!
Feel free to add me...0 -
5 sets, 5 reps each...these are your work sets,this doesn't include your warm up sets.
You add 5 pounds the next time you do the workout. Some of us have fractional weights in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and in 1 pound increments because at a certain point, it's damn hard to go up 5 pounds each time.
Does that make sense?
For example: Monday, I do bench at 65 pounds...then the next time I do bench--Friday, I would do bench at 70 pounds.0 -
5 sets, 5 reps each...these are your work sets,this doesn't include your warm up sets.
You add 5 pounds the next time you do the workout. Some of us have fractional weights in 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and in 1 pound increments because at a certain point, it's damn hard to go up 5 pounds each time.
Does that make sense?
For example: Monday, I do bench at 65 pounds...then the next time I do bench--Friday, I would do bench at 70 pounds.
Oh I see. It's the next day I do that workout I increment the weight, not in the same workout. Thanks a lot!0 -
Sigh, my workout sucked today. I didn't progress on anything except rack pulls. I actually went backward on my deadlifts. Last time I was pulling 165 for reps, today, I couldn't get past 160, and had to deload for my last set...so it went something like 5x155, 4x160, 3x155. I would like to see it at 3x5x160...
I shouldn't have taken so many days off.
Also, I feel like I am starting to stagnate. I can't count how long I have been stuck at 60lb for the overhead press.0 -
Have backslid on my lifting. Hit a wall with squats last month and psyched myself out. My bestie (OkieinMinny) was here last weekend and she helped push me, got me back into the squat rack. Woo hoo!
So my plan is to basically start the 12 week program over, but with higher starting weights b/c I don't need to completely go back to beginning. But I want a consistent 12 weeks then decide from there what to do next.
On the upside, I pulled 170# on my deadlift Wednesday night for 3 reps!0 -
Sigh, my workout sucked today. I didn't progress on anything except rack pulls. I actually went backward on my deadlifts. Last time I was pulling 165 for reps, today, I couldn't get past 160, and had to deload for my last set...so it went something like 5x155, 4x160, 3x155. I would like to see it at 3x5x160...
I shouldn't have taken so many days off.
Also, I feel like I am starting to stagnate. I can't count how long I have been stuck at 60lb for the overhead press.
Taking time off can make it really tough to get back into the swing of things.
Do you have fractionals for the OHP? If not, can you do 65 at all? Could you do the first set at 65 and then do the others at 60? Or the first three at 65? Something like that?0 -
Sigh, my workout sucked today. I didn't progress on anything except rack pulls. I actually went backward on my deadlifts. Last time I was pulling 165 for reps, today, I couldn't get past 160, and had to deload for my last set...so it went something like 5x155, 4x160, 3x155. I would like to see it at 3x5x160...
I shouldn't have taken so many days off.
Also, I feel like I am starting to stagnate. I can't count how long I have been stuck at 60lb for the overhead press.
I have been the same way with my row.....stuck at 85 for I don't know how many workouts. Finally this morning I went down to 80 for 5 sets and it was way better. I will probably increase using my masking tape rolls (lol) to get back to 85. It wasn't the greatest feeling but we just have to push through! You can do it
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Sigh, my workout sucked today. I didn't progress on anything except rack pulls. I actually went backward on my deadlifts. Last time I was pulling 165 for reps, today, I couldn't get past 160, and had to deload for my last set...so it went something like 5x155, 4x160, 3x155. I would like to see it at 3x5x160...
I shouldn't have taken so many days off.
Also, I feel like I am starting to stagnate. I can't count how long I have been stuck at 60lb for the overhead press.
I have been the same way with my row.....stuck at 85 for I don't know how many workouts. Finally this morning I went down to 80 for 5 sets and it was way better. I will probably increase using my masking tape rolls (lol) to get back to 85. It wasn't the greatest feeling but we just have to push through! You can do it
^^ I had to do this for both OHP and rows. They're just very hard to increase.0 -
Sigh... my knee issue is getting me down. I only did 4 sets of squats today because I got way too nervous about it. It's not that it's pain I can't take, it's really not that bad, it's just scary because I don't know what it means / what could happen if I push it. I'm going to try to read some information but I'd love to hear any of your experiences, if anyone has dealt with knee problems. I can run eight miles without feeling a thing but squats are killing it.
I'm also thinking about doing one session with a trainer. Now that my weights are getting higher I'm getting more concerned about my form. I think I've got them pretty much right, but you can't really know unless someone gives it the thumbs up.
Two men decided to make suggestions to me in the gym today -- one older fella suggested that I use the neck roll (seems like a popular one!) and another guy told me I should use a spotter on the bench. <--- That one was my husband.
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So I wrapped up week 6 this morning. I'm really pleased with my progression but I think I'm having a mid-workout sad moment lol I am just having one of those days where I think it's 16 months ago and I'm still that "fat" girl
Ugh....I don't think that mindset will ever go away!
In addition, I am having a difficult time dealing with how much I have changed on the inside since my weight loss and newly found passion. I feel like I really don't have any support (except for the lovely ladies here....thank you!) and it's really starting to make me sad. Not many of my friends live the same lifestyle and I do now and I am really finding that I don't have much in common with many of my girlfriends anymore
Anyway in an attempt to focus on the positive, here are my week 6 results!
Squat 5x5 @ 115#
Bench 5x5 @ 55#
Row 5x5 @ 80#
DL 1x5 @ 125#
OHP 5x5x5x3x3 @50#
Happy Friday Ladies!0 -
Vegas, that's hard...but you *do* have us!
Sare, what oes the pain feel like? When does it hurt? I can do squats, but I can't run...that's with the knee sans cartilage. Maybe widen your stance and angle your toes out more... Can J take video of you squatting and you post it here?
I STILL haven't made it to the gym. *hangs head*0 -
Can I say I definitely have my favorites off of the two workouts - and I do not like the rows for some reason. Hate them! Even OHP is growing on me.....but rows??? i have a seriously hard time with them, which I find kinda strange....
I deloaded on the squat - I forget who's advice it was, but I took it! I really needed to focus more on form and getting lower with the squat, and I stuck at the same weight, 95, for the last two workouts and it has definitely made a difference. I feel like my form has improved and that I can lower. It even "feels" better? If that makes sense at all....though I was really digging going up to my big girl weights of the 35s!!! Making due with my 25's and fractionals now. So here's the recent -
Squat: 5x5 95 lbs.
Rows: 5x5 went down to 50 because I felt I wasn't using correct form on this either
BP: 5x5 70 (I was so happy with this!!!!) Though I'm getitng close to where I think I'm going to need a spotter. It was a little shakey on the last couple.
So I also do zumba for my cardio on the non-weights days, and I found out yestesrday after using a HRM and pedometer thingy I treated myself to for Christmas, that my zumba session is the equivalent to doing a 5K. I thought that was pretty specatcular and also explains the extreme sweatiness at the end of it.
Here's to your heavy lifting days and having lotsa cool ladies that are doing it with you!!!0 -
Sigh... my knee issue is getting me down. I only did 4 sets of squats today because I got way too nervous about it. It's not that it's pain I can't take, it's really not that bad, it's just scary because I don't know what it means / what could happen if I push it. I'm going to try to read some information but I'd love to hear any of your experiences, if anyone has dealt with knee problems. I can run eight miles without feeling a thing but squats are killing it.
I had a few weeks early on with knee issues, once it started to get heavy enough to affect it. It *was* a form issue but its hard to tell someone else what it could be because there's SO many things it could be. For me, it was that I tended to let my knees buckle - I was putting too much of the weight on them. Do make sure your toes are pointed slightly out and your knees follow along the lines that your toes make.
At different times its helped me to think of:
a) pushing the ground apart with my heels (like if you could SPREAD the floor by pushing your heels apart?)
b) squeezing hard with my butt
c) pushing my hips up
d) just plain thinking about where my knees are and NOT letting them buckle inward or outward.
Also I started setting my feet further apart. I squat with my feet a little further apart than most people do (people who aren't sumo squatting) because for whatever reason that works best for me, Its not a flexibility issue as without weight I can put my *kitten* all the way down to the ground with my feet positioned any which way at all, but with weight I just do better if my feet are a
Sometimes one thing helps and then the next time it doesn't help but something else does. Don't panic yet or anything, you aren't doing serious damage to them right now, its just that the extra strain on them is telling you that you're doing something a little wrong. Use your warm up sets to practice paying attention to those things. I find for me, in general its just about knowing what thing needs your attention at that time. Usually I spend a few sessions working on the aspect I'm having the most trouble with and then it'll eventually be something else.0 -
Can I say I definitely have my favorites off of the two workouts - and I do not like the rows for some reason. Hate them! Even OHP is growing on me.....but rows??? i have a seriously hard time with them, which I find kinda strange....
I deloaded on the squat - I forget who's advice it was, but I took it! I really needed to focus more on form and getting lower with the squat, and I stuck at the same weight, 95, for the last two workouts and it has definitely made a difference. I feel like my form has improved and that I can lower. It even "feels" better? If that makes sense at all....though I was really digging going up to my big girl weights of the 35s!!! Making due with my 25's and fractionals now. So here's the recent -
Squat: 5x5 95 lbs.
Rows: 5x5 went down to 50 because I felt I wasn't using correct form on this either
BP: 5x5 70 (I was so happy with this!!!!) Though I'm getitng close to where I think I'm going to need a spotter. It was a little shakey on the last couple.
So I also do zumba for my cardio on the non-weights days, and I found out yestesrday after using a HRM and pedometer thingy I treated myself to for Christmas, that my zumba session is the equivalent to doing a 5K. I thought that was pretty specatcular and also explains the extreme sweatiness at the end of it.
Here's to your heavy lifting days and having lotsa cool ladies that are doing it with you!!!
Ever since I hit about 95# on my squat I have actually done each weight for 2 workouts instead of just 1....just so that I really have my form down and don't go too far too fast. I also found that if I position my feet more hip width apart than wider than hip width it helped with how stable I felt going deep into the squat.0 -
Vegas, that's hard...but you *do* have us!
Thank you 0 -
Can I say I definitely have my favorites off of the two workouts - and I do not like the rows for some reason. Hate them! Even OHP is growing on me.....but rows??? i have a seriously hard time with them, which I find kinda strange....
This, this, this!!! Totally. I find myself agreeing with all your posts. The rows are the ones I dread. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it though.
Dot, the way I described it to Jesse is that it just feels like it might give out at any moment. It probably is located at the inner front of the knee. I am knocked kneed, which I'm sure has something to do with it. I've definitely hurt that knee before trying to carry both kids at the same time.
Tameko, thank you!! Those are helpful to think about. I have been focusing on thinking about pushing my knees out and not letting them buckle. If I just bend without thinking about getting my knees over my toes, they definitely go too far in.
Probably a trainer would be the way to go. Although J seems to like that we have started going to the gym at the same time so maybe he would enjoy "filming" me, lol. Last week he said he thought I go too far forward, so I decreased my forward angle slightly. Made no difference.0 -
Vegas: Sorry it makes you feel blue that your friends don't share your new interests. I can't say I have any real-life friends who are into it either. Well, my cousin is actually a personal trainer but we're not very close these days, and my SIL loves running but ... she doesn't really take any interest in other people's ... (okay I'm trying to be nice here) ...interests?
Ahem. Moving on, my husband is really interested and supported, so that helps. But honestly I get most of my "fitness support" from friends I've made on MFP.
I don't love rows, but I don't hate them. I hate squats. I love bench press and deadlifts, though.0 -
Can I say I definitely have my favorites off of the two workouts - and I do not like the rows for some reason. Hate them! Even OHP is growing on me.....but rows??? i have a seriously hard time with them, which I find kinda strange....
This, this, this!!! Totally. I find myself agreeing with all your posts. The rows are the ones I dread. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it though.
Dot, the way I described it to Jesse is that it just feels like it might give out at any moment. It probably is located at the inner front of the knee. I am knocked kneed, which I'm sure has something to do with it. I've definitely hurt that knee before trying to carry both kids at the same time.
Tameko, thank you!! Those are helpful to think about. I have been focusing on thinking about pushing my knees out and not letting them buckle. If I just bend without thinking about getting my knees over my toes, they definitely go too far in.
Probably a trainer would be the way to go. Although J seems to like that we have started going to the gym at the same time so maybe he would enjoy "filming" me, lol. Last week he said he thought I go too far forward, so I decreased my forward angle slightly. Made no difference.
Going too far forward could also put strain on your knees so the fact that he thinks that is useful, how's the arch in your lower back? Get some video for sure, watching yourself do it might help.0 -
I second Tameko about making sure your knees don't buckle forwards. My right one will do that if I'm not super-aware of it.0
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Hey Everyone! Happy New Year!
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I'm on week 6 of SL and this is what I've done so far! Moving up in everything next workout except Rows!
Squats: 145# (PR)
Bench Press: 80# (PR)
Barbell Rows: Need to repeat 85# - did 5 sets of 4 reps today
OHP: 60#
DL: 135#0
