April Check in & Chat - Spring into the Squat Rack
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my bicep...and my first self-portrait!0
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my bicep...and my first self-portrait!
Macy, Beautiful!0 -
Wow! Smokin guns, ladies!! :smokin:0
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@Dani.....no worries about encouraging me to change up any programs! I was already off on that tangent awhile ago :laugh:
Where I really start to have difficulty is in the fact that I love the program......I love the simplicity and the strength gains and I love lifting heavy stuff. BUT.......I still have goals that I want to achieve in terms of my body composition and it's starting to look like I am not able to achieve those goals without eating at a bit bigger of a deficit which DOES NOT support the quick progressions of the SL program. I haven't added exercises, or messed about with the order of exercises. I concentrate on form and still on progressing.....but rather than increase weight every workout, I increase reps a couple of times and then increase weight. In all honestly most "beginner programs" that I have come across are very similar....that's pretty much why I don't feel like I'm changing it up so much. Plus it's better than just going off half-cocked creating my own workout based on a very young knowledge base.
At then end of the day I'm creating habits that I never had before....and I'm pushing myself to places I never knew I could go......I think that's pretty effing awesome
Now just to monitor the results to make sure my change in habits facilitate a body that looks smoking hot nekki 
:bigsmile: 0 -
At then end of the day I'm creating habits that I never had before....and I'm pushing myself to places I never knew I could go......I think that's pretty effing awesome Now just to monitor the results to make sure my change in habits facilitate a body that looks smoking hot nekki :bigsmile:
I love your goal. :bigsmile:
Loving these bicep pictures. My husband got a huge laugh out of finding me in the bathroom buck nekkid and trying to take pictures of my thighs. LOL He promised to do it properly for me tomorrow so that I can post them in the progress pics.0 -
Today I did yoga based on the covert peer pressure of some of you ladies. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. My gym has free classes and one that they offer is yoga so I figured I didn't have much to lose. I feel like a thousand times better after that class. Happy baby is totally different after doing a sequence then just plopping down on the floor. It made me a happy tree. I'm pretty sure I could have happy babied for like 3 happy hours. :laugh:
Vegas- You have an awesome attitude and I love reading your posts!0 -
Today I did yoga based on the covert peer pressure of some of you ladies. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. My gym has free classes and one that they offer is yoga so I figured I didn't have much to lose. I feel like a thousand times better after that class. Happy baby is totally different after doing a sequence then just plopping down on the floor. It made me a happy tree. I'm pretty sure I could have happy babied for like 3 happy hours. :laugh:
Vegas- You have an awesome attitude and I love reading your posts!
Awww thank you......I really appreciate that! You made me night :bigsmile: :blushing: :flowerforyou: And I hope I'm one of the ladies that peer pressured you into the yoga.....that's kinda what extra did for me :laugh: Happy baby is one of my favorite poses!0 -
ALL LIFTING LADIES MUST DO YOGA!!! *hee hee hee!*
I yesterday was my deadlift day:
warmup:
65, 80, 95 5 reps each
work set:
105, 120 for 5 reps 135 for 7
assistance:
weighted back extensions with 10 pounds: 3x8
planks 3 sets for 1 minute each
I was supposed to do hanging leg raises, but...eff that.
Everyone is putting up great numbers!!0 -
YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.
About time.
Just sayin. :bigsmile:
I had to look up "happy baby". I know that pose as "dead bug". And yes, it's very fun. :laugh:
@Maci -- nice guns!Plus it's better than just going off half-cocked creating my own workout based on a very young knowledge base.
That's why I did all the reading I could get my hands on (I did read Starting Strength cover to cover ... including all the intricately detailed parts I didn't really want to know about), obsessively scoured the Interwebs for beginner lifting programs and what people had to say about them, and finally settled on a routine that wasn't too far off the original after I realized that the foundational principles really aren't all that different from program to program unless you train for specific goals. Which I'm not. You have your basic stuff of strength, hypertrophy and endurance with some form of progression and your deloads, either built in or forced when stalling someplace.
I'm not a body builder so don't care for hypertrophy, and I can't imagine going for any more than 12 reps since I'm really not a fan of even the 8-10 reps now that I'm doing AllPro's, which is why I'm strongly considering going back to basic 3x5 or 5x5 and loosely follow SS/SL of sorts and focus on strength gains (but less aggressive) for a while and with a built-in deload so I can fit other stuff in that I want to do, like explore other olympic lifts outside power cleans. Also, I'd love to do some cardio-based things on my rest days and play more with my Kinect, and with the program I'm on currently (which is already a scaled down version of AllPro's, honestly) I find myself just not having the energy most days. I can't imagine how wiped out I'd be if I actually followed AllPro's to the letter. Yikes. :noway:
I'll also be very cautious about any future 3x5/5x5 approach after I hurt my lower back a bit by increasing my deadlifts too much, too soon back when I was doing 3x5 pretty aggressively. So ... this time around I will force myself to move along slower and use the heck out of my fractionals, which is going to be much better and safer for my accident-prone, pain-prone, deconditioned, uncoordinated, klutzy German Amazon tooshie. I do learn from my mistakes. And from pain. :bigsmile:
So ya see, I might sound all kinds of random cause I'm so darn long-winded, but there's actually a method to my madness, and I do put a lot of thought into these things before I attempt them. That's where my OCD keeps my ADD in check. :drinker: 0 -
Dani....I think that we have the same method to our madness but you are far better at explaining it than I am :laugh: We would probably make great training partners!
I do tons of research too. I read and read and read but I'm still a beginner lifter....getting used to my body and how everything operates when pushed like this. Beginner programs are all very similar...simple, compound lifts. Generally 3-5 sets of 5-10 or 12 reps and there is always the element of progressive load, which as mentioned before, can take place in either volume or intensity or both. Consistency and progressive load is what will create results. And diet :laugh:
For myself personally, I know that I'm not ready to progress to an intermediate program yet because there is still a lot of room for me to progress using the SL format. I will re-evaluate when I'm done cycle 2 (only 7 weeks left after Sundays workout!) but I think I would rather keep with it and maybe add a little something something than switch. But it probably isn't a horrible idea to start researching 5/3/1. It just sounds so complicated :laugh: There are a couple other books that I'm thinking about purchasing, but I'll decide on that closer to that time.
Or maybe I'll just start a workout that consists solely of barbell complexes for awhile.....I wonder how quickly that would kill me :laugh:0 -
I'm not a body builder so don't care for hypertrophy, and I can't imagine going for any more than 12 reps since I'm really not a fan of even the 8-10 reps now that I'm doing AllPro's
I knew you weren't really a marathoner. Now we can be friends again.
BUT BUT BUT
INORITE! 12 REPS!! WHAT IS THAT EVEN!?
Sometimes I ask myself if I will ever do a widowmaker. I'm pretty sure the answer is no. But. Maybe. But. No, probably not.
(A widowmaker is 20 reps of some squat weight, its usually a goal to do one at bodyweight or beyond that - so like 20 reps of 165. Its one of those weird things lifters do when they need a goal besides 'lift more weights' and they want to feel like they are going to die. Its like some kind of lifting ultra-marathon if ultramarathons were run in the Sahara. Oh wait, they are: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marathon_des_Sables)0 -
No, I just don't see the point of 20 reps of anything. I don't see the point of feeling like I'm going to die. Am I just old? Maybe this is a young person thing??0
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20 reps at bodyweight? EFF that noise!
Today I did 1x7, 1x7, 1x6 @ 125# and let me tell you....there was NO EFFING WAY I could get out that 7th rep on the 3rd set!
Blew my mind actually at how damn tough it was!0 -
I keep laughing at the thought of kira trying to photograph her thigh. It's hard to photograph yourself! Looking forward to more photos.
Thanks for the encouraging compliments...I've always thought my arms looked flabby. It's nice to see some actual muscle!
I sat on my *kitten* all day, but I needed a day like that.Tomorrow heading to WI for the Bluegrass Festival. Not my favorite music, but always fun when it's live! Gotta get in a good cardio workout before I go, then my next lifting day is Sunday. Hope to check in, but internet access is sketchy at my friend's home in WI.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!0 -
Blew my mind actually at how damn tough it was!
Iknowrite? I'm doing 2x10 right now. And the heavy days on Tuesdays are kicking my *kitten* so very badly. Three weeks ago my naive mind could not conceive of the idea of how much tougher 1x10 is than 2x5. Until I did it. Now I'm doing it twice. Because I'm obviously mental.
Next week is 11 reps, the week after is 12. I'm seriously considering telling those last 2 weeks to go jump off a cliff and start my newfangled 3x5 next week because quite frankly I'm rather terrified, and I don't know if I have enough masochism in me to power through it so I can say I did 1 full cycle. :huh:I knew you weren't really a marathoner. Now we can be friends again.
No ma'am. I'm developing a new affinity for short and sweet unless there's bubble bath and wine involved. Or sleep.BUT BUT BUT
INORITE! 12 REPS!! WHAT IS THAT EVEN!?
So forget calling you for help next week. Well ... crap. Now what am I gonna do? :huh:Sometimes I ask myself if I will ever do a widowmaker. I'm pretty sure the answer is no. But. Maybe. But. No, probably not.
I did the baby widowmaker today!!!! (yes, thats' real and an actual Fito badge so nyah) Body weight x 0.0 x 20 squats. Not going to happen with anything more than that. Maybe someday with goblets and a kettlebell if I feel particularly motivated. I cannot even conceive of lifting ~200 lbs 20 times in.a.row.with.no.break.at.all. Maybe if my kid was pinned under something or if there was a gun against my head or something was on fire and therefore had gobs of adrenaline to take over and move my body for me. Voluntary? Not so much. That's just crazy talk. 0 -
I will do an arm pic when I have that nice line like you ladies do lol mine are still cookie dough ish.. :laugh:
So I think I'm starting to get those newbie gains? I am still feeling that tinge in my left shoulder, and I go to feel it and I can feel that muscle there! Lol really weird, esp since I've never done a strength program other than doing a couple machines after some cardio,, not really knowing what I'm doing. Is this tinge I'm feeling part of the muscle fibers growing/repairing or something? I'm not really in pain, i can just feel I pulled it. Is this just what happens sometimes when lifting weights if your form breaks down? I tried to not wuss out on a rep when I probably shouldn't put the barbell back on the rack. This is new territory for me, sorry if it's a silly question.
Another weird question. I'm flat footed, so I think it may be impacting the way my legs are building right now. My quads are sticking way out while my inner thighs don't feel quite as strong. Is this genetics or can I adjust my feet placement to maybe work more inner thighs more during squats? I am wearing my custom orthotics with flat sneakers during lifting. I sure it's best to support my knees as my weight keeps increasing. Edited to add- or as women, is it harder to build those inner thighs cuz childbirth?
I hope you're all having a relaxing weekend! ;0)0 -
@Jheri ... I'd take it easy on OHP and get some rest and ibuprofen for a couple days because it sounds like maybe you strained a muscle? If that's what you mean by "tinge"? Do some gentle stretching and maybe some light dumbbell work for a few days before doing the OHP again and make sure that "tinge" is gone (or almost gone).
Please be careful with your shoulders. Rotator cuff tears and whatnot can and do happen, and the last thing you want is an injury (and possibly surgery) setting you back.
It's completely fine and often even a great idea to "wuss out" on a rep. It's not chickening when your body tells you it had enough. That's just good sense. Listen to your body. I've skipped an entire set once because my body was like "nuh uh not today", and after I tried one more rep just for kicks, turns out I should have listened because I couldn't even really do it. It happens. Respect your limits. If my form breaks down, I don't push it. That's when I slow down, take a breath and rest a bit before I do more reps. Or just call the set and move on to other things. So ... no, not a silly question, but actually an important one.
Usually your squat form is based on what should feel natural to you. Like squatting down on the toilet. There's actually quite a bit of wiggle room with what's considered "good form", depending on your body make-up and how you move naturally. If your genetics are keeping you from squatting a certain way without you contorting yourself, I'd figure out another way to target inner thighs (like goblet squats where you turn your feet out more and "sit" between your legs and go down much deeper). Basically learn to "shove your knees out" when you squat. Any leg muscles you're using to squat will eventually catch up because of the insane amount of squatting you'll be doing anyway.0 -
Thank you for the advice Dani. I've been reading and it looks like it's a mild muscle tear because it's not too painful stretching it out and massaging makes it feel better. I'm gonna go gentle on it for a week or so. I'm icing it as we speak and also been doing warm compresses. It's definitely not severe thank God, and it's enough that I've learned my lesson and i think I might even cut Zumba down to once/wk because of how high intensity it is and stick with walking esp now that most of our snow and ice has melted. I appreciate the response very much!
I've been experimenting with feet placement, where my toes point and I'm finding that pointed out is strengthening my inner thighs more now. I just felt like my quads were doing the bulk of the work due to lack of arches in my feet. Turning my toes outward is helping and strengthening my balance (i think? lol).0 -
Good morning strong ladies! Up and at em today, in the pool for dd2 swimming lesson, off to town to find the huz new glasses and some lunch, then time for workout b and those OHPs! Have fabulous days :-)0
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Cripey! Cats, biceps, home baked programmes...damn that was a lot of reading and way to go ladies.
As Tameko said, do at least 12 weeks on stronglifts and maybe even 2 lots of it before moving up and on and mixing it up. Just changing calorie intake, carb loading (or carb cycling) and all that dietary shenanigans can have a very big effect on lifts and strength, etc. I realised that properly this week. On deficit, but decided to add more carbs on the days I lift. No surprise my bench and OHP are not a problem then...but when my carbs get lower and glycogen stores go down, wham, I cannot do the upper body stuff. I know this will probably differ slightly person to person, as some like to do more carbs, etc on dead and squat days. But my legs don't seem to mind the pounding, whereas my weaker spots really do.
I am not worried if I lose less this week because of the carb cycling, etc, just wanted to test it all out. And that is another thing, don't be afraid to change your intake levels and macros to see how your body reacts. That is, if you feel confident enough, of course.
And now for something completely out of character....a bicep pic...or two...
Back
Front
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@Nex --- you are looking good !!!
P.S. In an effort to alleviate everyone's OHP woes, maybe have a look at the following chart that shows normal, realistic OHP 1RM numbers (and the difference between men and women which is quite significant), so feel free to adjust your spreadsheet accordingly:
http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifting/PressStandards.html
(I dunno if Mehdi has a different progression sheet for men than he does for women ... if he doesn't, then he should, because we're just not the same. Maybe somebody can create a progression sheet/plan for the ladies if one doesn't exist *cough*Tameko*cough* ) 0 -
Hi ladies
I have been a bit busy with starting a new job this week and also starting the whole30 (day 4!) But I'm still getting my lifts in, and I'm trying to get back into yoga, too.
Today I lifted
Squat 55 kg 5x5 (my ideal bodyweight!!)
OHP 20 kg 5x5 (finally, I've been stalling since my deload)
Deadlift 55 kg 1x5
A guy asked me if I was going to get a lifting belt since my deadlifts are heavy! I said that I could still handle the weight with good form so not yet and he agreed my form was good. Then told me to be careful not to get too bulky (reminds me, I have progress pics to post in the new thread!)
For those who do yoga, how often/how long/in a class or at home?0 -
@Nex - I find the same thing re: carbs and upper body strength. And my, my - those are some nice guns, milady!
@jheri - Definitely take it easy with your shoulder, and listen to everything Dani said. I'm glad you are finding the sweet spot for your foot placement. I tried to play around with mine yesterday, and should have just stayed with what was working.
Okay - I'm not sure if DL's at 135 are considered 'heavy' territory as in "when you start lifting heavy, you won't want to do anything else." But I am exhausted STILL! from yesterday's workout. I'm hoping that by this afternoon I'll have some more energy, because there are rocks that won't move themselves and retaining walls that won't build themselves if I don't get out there and do some work.
Have a great Saturday, all!0 -
A guy asked me if I was going to get a lifting belt since my deadlifts are heavy! I said that I could still handle the weight with good form so not yet and he agreed my form was good. Then told me to be careful not to get too bulky (reminds me, I have progress pics to post in the new thread!)
For those who do yoga, how often/how long/in a class or at home?
Um, I can squat raw 110 kg (242 lbs) and same for deads, I could probably do more with a belt, but if your core can hold, then try to go as heavy as you can before using a belt, I reckon. I am just about to buy one in a couple of weeks time. I see guys in the gym using them when they aren't even doing compound lifts, wtf?! Also a young guy had one on front squatting only 70 kg...I suppose everyone's core is different, but surely strengthening this part is important too, before using assistance?
I do yoga once per week for about an hour on a Tues evening on a rest day in a gym class.
Ladies all of our biceps are looking hot, no?! Whoooooooooooo! : ) *big grin*0 -
For those who do yoga, how often/how long/in a class or at home?
I do yoga for ~20ish minutes right before I lift. It's my warmup/stretch. Works really well for me. I foam roll after. Works really well for me also.
Everyone's different though, so fit it in when it makes the most sense to you/for you.
I do it from home and currently use a personal routine I created with the SimplyYoga app. I change it up every so often. I used to follow Yogazone DVDs and did attend some classes at the beginning and here and there but I've done mostly my own thing (for like 10 or so years now ... which is why I'm more limber now at 45 than my kids are at 20 and also why I don't have a lot of trouble with tight spots when it comes to lifting). Yoga is total win/win in my book. It's not highly uncommon to see me do a deep forward fold or downward dog at random times during the day when my lower back starts to feel tight from sitting on my *kitten* too long. 0 -
I do it 3-4 times per week, at home or in my classroom. (Yoga, obvs.) I have a yogaglo.com membership so I use a class from there or the hone practice classes from Yoga Journal. ( Yes, I subscribe to the mag.)0
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I go to a one hour yoga class at my gym once a week. And yes, I also drop in to random poses during the day. . .:)0
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I try to do yoga on all non lifting days except for my 1 full rest day.....sometimes I take 2 rest days and that leaves me for only 1 day of yoga as I lift every other day, not just 3x/week.
I do DVD's at home....Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown, Bob Harper Yoga for the Warrior, Bob Harper's Biggest Loser Yoga, Rodney Yee Daily Yoga, and an Element DVD for flexibility and stress relief.
Not going to lie though....I'm a sucker for punishment and find myself doing the hybrid JM and BH programs more often than the others lately :huh:
Speaking of which....I was supposed to do BH Warrior Yoga this morning but I went 5 days straight on the workouts and this morning my body was screaming at me.....so it's a rest day. Tomorrow is lifting so no way that gets bumped! Plus I feel like I need a day to eat....so imma eat dammit!0 -
Man, oh, man! Six pages, already! I have been slammed between work, home, family issues, taxes, and trying to get my back better. (Which it is - considerably - altho, last night I may have overdone it a hair on the squats, but OMG, it felt so GOOD to do them with more than just the bar!!!)
Everyone is doing ridiculously well!
I am still in search of SOME kind of Yoga program that I can get on board with. I tried a two week trial at one of the streaming yoga sites, but my internet connection has been so flakey the last month or so, it can’t keep up with the stream, so I am going to need to either find something on demand via my cable provider, or simply pick up a good DVD. Open to ideas, because I am yoga-clueless and a total non-bendy noob. 0 -
Another weird question. I'm flat footed, so I think it may be impacting the way my legs are building right now. My quads are sticking way out while my inner thighs don't feel quite as strong. Is this genetics or can I adjust my feet placement to maybe work more inner thighs more during squats? I am wearing my custom orthotics with flat sneakers during lifting. I sure it's best to support my knees as my weight keeps increasing. Edited to add- or as women, is it harder to build those inner thighs cuz childbirth?
Hope that your shoulder is feeling better with the ice/heat combo and with some rest Definitely take it easy for a bit until it feels better.
re:flat feet. Um, I have so many thoughts I'm going to try to make sense of them.
Can you adjust your feet placement to bias your inner thigh? Yes, by turning your feet out like a ballerina, but you won't be doing the traditional squat, and I wouldn't recommend it all the time b/c you don't walk like that so it really isn't very functional. Also it will probably be much harder to do correctly so try it without weights first, knees navigating over toes. Generally I really just wouldn't recommend it, or at least not as a replacement for traditional squat.
Do your knees travel inward as you squat? If your inner muscles are weak and/or your feet are rolling in to flat foot, you might be squatting like the picture on the right which shows inactive inner quads/adductors, squatting like the picture on the left will strengthen all of your muscles evenly.
Also if your orthotics are getting old they might not provide too much support anymore.0
