How far have you come?

chubby_checkers

I stole this from Yoovie: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/978636--lifting-heavy-what-does-that-really-mean-for-women.

i'd like to hear from some of the women here on exactly what their progression has been. in short, to simply answer these questions:

1) starting bench press? current bench press? how long have you been doing bench presses?
2) starting squat? current squat? how long have you been doing squats?
3) starting dead lift? current dead lift? how long have you been doing dead lifts?
4) starting overhead press (OHP)? current OHP? how long have you been doing OHPs?

[/quote]

It's just another number to measure your accomplishments. I think we get caught up in our perceived lack of progress and let it drag us down.

I just finished round 1 of StrongLifts on April 30. Started Jan 31. End weights just indicate what I lifted at the end of the 12 week program because I'm not finished yet.

1. Starting squat: 80lbs
Ending squat: 165lbs----85lb increase/ 106%

2. Starting Bench: 55lbs
Ending bench: 95lbs----40lb increase/ 73%

3. Starting OHP: 45lb
Ending OHP: 75lbs---30lb increase/ 67%

4. Starting deadlift: 115lbs
Ending deadlift: 185lbs----70lb increase/ 61%

Had been doing all lifts for 12-ish weeks.

You ladies are awesome and can't be reminded of that enough. :flowerforyou: And now I really need to get back to work. :drinker:

leahartmann

A great progress you have made!! :drinker:
I´m only one month in (started april the 2.end) and had to start way lighter than you.

Squat: Start- 44 pounds (20 kg.). Current- 94 pounds (42.5 kg) Progress in an month- 50 pounds (22.5 kg)

Bench press: Start- 44 pounds (20 kg.) Current- 55 pounds (25 kg.) Progress- 11 pounds (5 kg.)

OHP: Start- 22 pounds (10 kg.) Current- 31 pounds (14 kg.) Progress- 9 pounds (4 kg.) - My arms are my biggest weakness!!

Deadlift: Start- 44 pounds (20 kg.) Current- 105 pounds (47.5 kg.) Progress- 61 pounds (27.5 kg.)

Barbell/Pendlay row: Start- 44 pounds (20 kg.) Current- 72 pounds (32.5 kg.) Progress- 28 pounds (12.5 kg.)

I´m looking forward to see what happens the next two months. And beyond that.

leahartmann

Corrected (was too late to edit):

OHP: Current 16.5 kg/ 36 pounds. Improvement- 6.5 kg/ 14 pounds.

BikerGirlElaine

I started in the second week of February, so 11 weeks

Squat bodyweight ---> 125

Bench 20 ----> 69

OHP 30 ----> 53

Deadlift 65 ----> 165

Pendlays 40 ----> 84

And I am very proud. I had doubts that I could do squats, but I am rockin' it.

Will_Thrust_For_Candy

Great thread! Although I think it would be interesting to also see how far people have come in terms of confidence, self-esteem, motivation, way of thinking, etc....since they started lifting

I am in my 9th week of cycle 2 of SL. I took one week to deload between cycles and decided to go 3x5 and progress slower this time around because I felt like I was moving so fast with the weight progressions the first time that my form was starting to suffer. Shortly after I started cycle 2 I actually did another deload on my squats because I realized that I was close to parallel, but not quite.

Squat 45>>>>135 (highest 155 cycle 1)
Bench 45>>>>63
Row 65>>>>>>95
OHP 45>>>>>>55
Deadlift 85>>>>145 (highest 160 cycle 1)


Besides the obvious strength gains that I have seen from lifting, I have to say that the biggest change has been psychological. For the first time that I can remember, I am starting to feel GOOD about my body. I feel strong and fit and sexy and healthy and am FINALLY not feeling like the token "fat girl" all the time :blushing: I feel like I can do anything if I put my mind to it! I feel like I want to inspire others and I want to take this passion and turn it into a career.....I want everyone to feel the way that I have started to feel I have learned that this won't happen overnight....it takes time and to just sit back and enjoy the ride....what's the rush??! I have learned to eat the food and that I need to fuel my body properly.....and I have no problem doing that :laugh:

So I know that I took this to a different level and while I think it's awesome to always strive for better numbers and to pull more weight, I firmly believe that your mindset and way of thinking hugely influences when and how you get there :drinker:

fishlover888

I love this thread... I get too focused on how much I still have to go sometimes! Writing this down makes me realize how far I've come.

I am on month 3, round 1.

1. Starting squat: 85lbs
Current squat: 135lbs----+50 lbs, 58% higher!

2. Starting Bench: 50lbs
Ending bench: 85lbs----+35lbs, 70% higher!

3. Starting OHP: 45lb
PR 5x5 OHP: 55lbs---+10lbs, 20% higher! (Currently back to 45. Angry shoulder.)

4. Starting deadlift: 65lbs
Current deadlift: 135 lbs---+70lbs, 107% higher! Over doubled the weight. YEAH!


And I agree with you Vegas, probably the most amazing thing about the lifting is the confidence that comes with it!! Never thought I would/could deadlift anything or throw barbells all around like this. I am pretty proud of me! :blushing:

Edited to add: 2 yrs ago I did a sprint triathlon which was super fun, thought I was in really good shape, but...couldn't bench press the 45 lb bar, couldn't do a single leg squat, and I would struggle doing a push press with 10 lb dumbells. So I came a long way even before this!

kirabob

Here goes:

Started on March 13, 2013:
Squats: 45---->125
Bench: 45

---

>90
Pendlay: 60---->100
OHP: 45

---

>70
Deadlift: 95

---

>175 (14 pounds past BW)

ETA: Absolutely - best thing about this is the crazy confidence that strength training builds. Don't get me wrong, I love fitting in to clothing sizes I haven't seen since I was a pre-teen (hello, I wore a size M skirt yesterday!), but I am more in love with being strong, finding that I enjoy challenging myself, and my overall sense of well-being. I do sometimes feel like an iron-pusher, trying to get everyone I know who struggles with their weight/body image to start lifting. But it's hard to stay quiet about something you love so much.

My profile pic is this ^^ in action. I NEVER would have posted that picture before I started lifting because it doesn't show my mid-section at it's most slender-looking. But it does show my determined jaw, my powerful legs, my hard work getting to where I could push that bar up and down. And that makes me really, really damn proud of myself.

jstout365

I had been doing more of some iso lifting before starting SL and I had done some lifting years ago. Most of the pre-SL work was done with Iso lifts, and in the 8-10 rep range.


Started squats in Body Pump class so high reps, lower weight. I got up to 50 for a working track after 5 months so that was probably where I would have started with SL.

Squat: 50 lbs --> 125 = +75 lbs 150% increase

Have been benching on and off for about a decade. This time around I started back at a working weight of 65 for 3x10 in late December 2012 and had some earlier conditioning from Body Pump and other classes.

Bench: 65 ---> 115 = + 50 lbs 77% increase

OHP, Deadlifts, and Pendlay rows started with SL Mid-Feb so just about 10-11 weeks

OHP: 45 ---> 80 = +35 77% increase
DL: 75 --> 180 = +105 140% increase
Rows: 65 --> 105 = +40 61% increase