November check in and chat thread
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I just finished the first week and am in love, love, love. I do feel like I could be lifting a lot heavier, but am sticking with the low weights for now, watching my form in the mirror, and following the plan to hopefully make steady progression when I get to the "big girl" weights, lol0
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Starting week 8 today, and not expecting a great performance.
I went on a very hilly trail run yesterday, my first time on the trail since before Hurricane Sandy blew through town. The trail itself got a little washed out by heavy rains, so there were more loose rocks and gullies, and there were lots of downed branches. All covered with fallen leaves. So I tripped and twisted and stumbled a lot... amazingly, I didn't fall. Why didn't I just stop and walk when I realized the terrain was so wonky??? Because I am an idiot, that's why. And... it was kind of fun. There's something about running in the woods that appeals to my inner child.
But now I have DOMS like a mofo... I feel more like I've been lifting than running. I forget that it's been three decades since that inner child was an outer child!0 -
I made it through day 5 yesterday--squats 65#, bench 55# and row 75#. Definitely feeling it today--not bad, but a little bit everywhere. I'm trying to get a friend to start with me, and wish there were mirrors in the "power pit" so I could see how bad my form is. Oh well.
Happy Monday all!0 -
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
A certain forum member's "giant wall of text" of her lifting routine really, really, REALLY makes me appreciate the simplicity of SL.
Yes, she looks great, but who the f has time for that many different moves???0 -
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
A certain forum member's "giant wall of text" of her lifting routine really, really, REALLY makes me appreciate the simplicity of SL.
Yes, she looks great, but who the f has time for that many different moves???
Seriously. I see some guys at the gym 4-6 days a week (because if I change my schedule, they're still there) doing TONS of things , millions of variations on curls and bench presses, cable rows, etc etc etc. I just don't see how its sustainable long term unless you're in college or independently wealthy or something.0 -
What Tameko said...
I've added 2 more "moves" to my SL, but with a warmup and the core work and extra exercise...I'm still in and out of the gym in 40-45 minutes. Love it.0 -
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
A certain forum member's "giant wall of text" of her lifting routine really, really, REALLY makes me appreciate the simplicity of SL.
Yes, she looks great, but who the f has time for that many different moves???
Heehee. Agreed!0 -
I've said it before and I'll say it again.
A certain forum member's "giant wall of text" of her lifting routine really, really, REALLY makes me appreciate the simplicity of SL.
Yes, she looks great, but who the f has time for that many different moves???
Heehee. Agreed!
yes! I wouldnt be lifting if it wasnt for SL. Just cant motivate myself to do anything more complex!
I am back from vaca and hope to get back to SL Friday! I was really hoping for tomorrow, but DH is working overnight so I cant go in the morning before work and same for tomorrow. Hoping I dont have to deload toooo much!0 -
OHP: 52.5...and it about killed me.
Deads: 125--like a BOSS!0 -
Hi girls,
I've been reading but never responding to this thread, and today it's time to brag.
I finally hit 40 kg on squats yesterday, after being stuck in 30sth for 4 months... (I build it up from 20 kg to 35 kg before stronglifts, then deloaded to 20 on the begging and then had to deload again on 35kg)
I can see my form is so much better, so I hope I won't plateau for a while now.
Also I did 65 kg deads yesterday (more then my BW) grip suffered a lot (mixed grip) but I made it!
My upper body is super weak, before starting strenght training I was unable to do 1 regular push up, but on Sunday I decided to try some (I don't do any as I'm always super sore form stronglifts) and I managed 3 sets of 10
thank you bench :flowerforyou: 0 -
I am back at SS for the winter, trying to alternate with running and working on my speed there. I started at the bar, 45 pounds, for everything except deadlifts, I deadlift 105. I should be able to progress 5 lbs on each squat for awhile, but overhead press is hard for me at 45 lbs! and I get shoulder impingement so back to doing my "wall angels"!0
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Felt like pushing the upper end of my limits today, so I did so after my work sets. Here's what I did (in pounds)
squat: 135 x 5
bench 100 x 2
row 105 x 5
I could have done more if I was "fresh" but was super excited to get that much 0 -
Felt like pushing the upper end of my limits today, so I did so after my work sets. Here's what I did (in pounds)
squat: 135 x 5
bench 100 x 2
row 105 x 5
I could have done more if I was "fresh" but was super excited to get that much
Openly jealous of your bench press! That's awesome.0 -
Felt like pushing the upper end of my limits today, so I did so after my work sets. Here's what I did (in pounds)
squat: 135 x 5
bench 100 x 2
row 105 x 5
I could have done more if I was "fresh" but was super excited to get that much
Openly jealous of your bench press! That's awesome.
Totally agree!!!
Yesterday workout
squat - 100 lbs
ohp - 60 lbs (need to look at this closer apparently, not sure what the hip movement is I've been reading about)
deadlift - 120 lbs
End of week three workout tomorrow
squat - 105 lbs
bench - 65 lbs
row - 85 lbs
hope I can do it!0 -
Pretty awful workout tonight - managed to deload instead of load my bench and then my rows - bleurgh. I had to have a steern talking to myself at set 3 to stop dialling it in and put some welly into it.
All in all I'm loving squats and deads and stuggling like a struggling thing on anything that requires upper body strength - I can't see how I'll ever bench 100, big respect to you BA0 -
Thanks guys! Hitting a 100 lb bench was one of my mini-goals, for sure! It helped that my (male) friend was there, pushing me and taunting me with the 2.5 lb weight haha "You don't want to quit with only 95 lbs do you!?"
I'm nervous for my OHP tomorrow. What is the hip movement you referenced, jennie? There was a Mark Rippetoe video online that I saw and he says he sort of pushes his hips forward at the end (paraphrasing here) to reach full extension overhead. The video was probably on youtube.0 -
BAnderson - I think the hip movement is just a slight thrust forward when you have the bar overhead. That's probably what he's referencing in the video. I don't do that, so I guess I need to work on that.0
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I had only intended to go 12 weeks, but I'm here at 16 and still loving it! Once I got close to squatting my own body weight I couldn't stop OHP is still terrible... and really hasn't improved since about week 4! Ugh!
Squat- 150
Bench- 105
Rows- 100
OHP- 55 (with fails)
DL- 140
Plus 6-7 sets of 10 pull-ups and 6-7 sets of 25 push-ups.0 -
I'm so glad to see that I'm not the only one struggling with OHP.0
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UGH. I washoping to get back to SL this week since I was away on vacation, now I have a horrible cold and probably wont get back to gym for a few days. Almost certainly will need to deload
Everyone else is doing well! Great job ladies!0 -
Thanks guys! Hitting a 100 lb bench was one of my mini-goals, for sure! It helped that my (male) friend was there, pushing me and taunting me with the 2.5 lb weight haha "You don't want to quit with only 95 lbs do you!?"
I'm nervous for my OHP tomorrow. What is the hip movement you referenced, jennie? There was a Mark Rippetoe video online that I saw and he says he sort of pushes his hips forward at the end (paraphrasing here) to reach full extension overhead. The video was probably on youtube.
I don't think this is the same one I saw before, but this one talks about it. If you scroll to around 3:45 you see the hip thrust they are talking about. I've started doing it and though I feel like people think I'm crazy, it helped me push past 55# after being stalled there 3x in a row.
http://startingstrength.com/index.php/site/video/platform_the_olympic_press_with_tommy_suggs0 -
Back to workset weights.
Squat 115
OHP 50
Deadlift 125 <--felt really light, might jump 15 lbs next time instead of 10.
The OHP is really frustrating me. I do it in front of a miiror to watch my form and it seems like I'm doing it right but I'm seriously struggling with it. I seem to stall just before getting full extension through my elbows. I think next time I'm going to video myself and check my form and try to figure out wth is going on. Pissed about it.
Brittany
*edit: I think my arms aren't vertical enough. Definitely going to video next time, form check, and concentrate more on this.0 -
Just made it home from the gym....and kind of kicking myself for only going twice this week instead of three times. Oh well, its better than not going at all
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I was able to squat 90 (PR)! I am moved to 55 on the OHP and had a couple fails; looking at others' numbers - I think I will be stuck here for a while. Then I deadlifted my 125 (myself, according to the scales this morning), so I am really excited! It did feel really heavy though, so I am not sure I want to move up 10 next workout or stay there for one more lift.
BA - your numbers are seriously impressive! I can't believe how much some of you ladies lift!
Small gym rant of the day - the lady with the AMAZING body, muscles and definition with a six pack - doing 5lb curls and Romanian deadlifts with the bar only. And then a bunch of weird isolation moves. I felt like I was busting my butt and don't look half as good as the "I don't break a sweat, my hair is perfectly styled, and I am wearing just a sports bra and yoga shorts to the gym on a Saturday morning", but I digress.0 -
I fell off the wagon. I haven't been to the gym in a while and I have been eating very poorly I am going back to the gym tomorrow. 0
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Oh man!
What a silly billy I was a couple of days ago...my gym addition seems poor too (read another post about it in here recently)...piled what I thought was 82 kg on the bar...um nope, it totalled 102 kg first lot of squats and then 112 kg second lot...I wondered why I was struggling...did complete sets, but gosh did it smart...I checked the bar and yeah, stupid me had not added the weights up properlt, my max lift for the day was supposed to be 93 kg...not 112...pffffffffft! Am bench pressing 60 kg pretty well now, so looking forward to pressing above that the coming week YAY!0 -
Everyone is kicking *kitten*!!
I squatted 102 yesterday and benched 72...so everything from here on out is THE HEAVIEST I'VE EVER LIFTED!! I'm so glad I got those fractional weights.
I wimped out and didn't do rows, however. I was in the "nicer" rec center (we have 4 in our area that we can go to, and I have 2 that I frequent--the older one is my favorite for lifting...) and their weights are all spread out and there's not a good spot to set up for rows. The power cage was being used (they were actually squatting) and I just didn't feel like trying to carve out a spot for it.0 -
Oh man!
What a silly billy I was a couple of days ago...my gym addition seems poor too (read another post about it in here recently)...piled what I thought was 82 kg on the bar...um nope, it totalled 102 kg first lot of squats and then 112 kg second lot...I wondered why I was struggling...did complete sets, but gosh did it smart...I checked the bar and yeah, stupid me had not added the weights up properlt, my max lift for the day was supposed to be 93 kg...not 112...pffffffffft! Am bench pressing 60 kg pretty well now, so looking forward to pressing above that the coming week YAY!
You are a MACHINE! Way to go!0 -
I haven't made it to the gym for .... a while. I haven't been doing nothing whatsoever, of course. I've been doing a little bit of bodyweight exercises at home, to try to keep my strength up. But nothing can really replace good old squats and deadlifts. I was doing Starting Strength, but I now will not be doing either programme because I don't think I can make it to the gym more than once or twice a week. I will be doing other exercise on other days. I don't know if once a week is "enough" for the big lifts? Anyway, I'll see. I'm not expecting the sort of progression that I had before, but I would like to be able to maintain some strength and the health benefits that I've experienced.
Back to the gym today, and I've dropped right down on weight because of the long gap. So these are my embarrassingly light lifts (which are still higher than when I started, so it's good to know that having a break doesn't mean restarting from the beginning). And they are nice even numbers (except when I convert them to pounds)!
Deadlift 60kg 132 lb
Squats 40 kg 88lb
OHP 20kg 45lb
Bench 30kg 66lb
I was in the 50s (kgs) for the squats but have struggled with them which is why I dropped so much.
It's great to read about everyone else's progress - well done to you all!0 -
I don't feel any pain while lifting, but holy frickin' crap... my knees, and sometimes my shoulders, snap, crackle and pop like a bowl of Rice Krispies!
If my joints hurt at all, I'd have them checked, but I've always been crackly. I think I'll treat it like I do when my car makes funny noises, and just turn up the music (or tv).0 -
My second week SL.
Weight- the same:
Waist : 29 inch to 28 inch
Hip: 36 inch to 34.5 inch
I am feeling more satisfied in eating due to increase intake on protein.
I know now that I needed more protein. I used to eat more carb,, which is not good.0
