What six months of lifting progress looks like

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  • MarineCodie
    MarineCodie Posts: 256 Member
    Oh lawd, your first squat picture made me cringe! CUDOS FOR FORM IMPROVEMENT! Also, great progress pics!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    I've been wondering about this, it seems like most people use an olympic set. Is there any particular advantage to them? (I've got enough plates to make a 335 pound bar right now which will keep me busy for a while, and then I can add more sets of 25's when needed.)

    Just the bar is a larger diameter so easier on your hands and back (when squatting). You don't need to go to an oly bar, though. Keep doing what you're doing. It's working.
    Ah ok, I thought the bars were all the same diameter in the middle. I could probably use a bigger bar with my huge hands. I will check it out next time I get a chance. :)
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    Ah ok, I thought the bars were all the same diameter in the middle. I could probably use a bigger bar with my huge hands. I will check it out next time I get a chance. :)

    Hadn't thought of that. Your bar may be the same diameter in the middle. I have only seen the really small, cheapo bars and they are skinny the entire length.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Oh lawd, your first squat picture made me cringe! CUDOS FOR FORM IMPROVEMENT! Also, great progress pics!
    LOL, srsly. Improving the mobility/strength of my knees, elbows, and shoulders was necessary to develop some decent form and also to be able to put the bar lower on my back. Thanks!

    Hadn't thought of that. Your bar may be the same diameter in the middle. I have only seen the really small, cheapo bars and they are skinny the entire length.
    Yeah the one I have is 1" which I think is standard, but the capacity is I think 300 lbs so I'll probably have to get another bar someday.:happy:
  • Vonwarr
    Vonwarr Posts: 390 Member
    Great job! Keep up the great work. Lift all the things!
  • playgun
    playgun Posts: 163 Member
    Great job! I like the squat and safety rack you have, I've been looking for something like that! Would you mind telling me more about it? I need to increase the weight of my lifts, I'm abit concerned doing it in my basement with nobody around!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Great job! I like the squat and safety rack you have, I've been looking for something like that! Would you mind telling me more about it? I need to increase the weight of my lifts, I'm abit concerned doing it in my basement with nobody around!
    This is a magnum brand, not sure of the model. We got it on cragslist for I think $250-300, someone had picked it up from a high school when they upgraded their equipment. It was an adventure getting it into a pickup truck and then into our patio door. The upright structure is all one solid piece.

    IMG_4035_zpsaf31bcf3.jpg

    It's definitely nice to have, I can do squats and bench presses safely with it. The power racks I've seen take less space and are adjustable. If they'd been the same price we would have gotten the power rack instead.
  • playgun
    playgun Posts: 163 Member
    Very nice, I'll keep my eye open for something like that. Thanks for the info! Good luck with future gains!
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Tremendous progress that you can be proud of! Improving especially quickly on the lower body exercises.

    Question: Looks like you work out at home and alone, save for your powerlifting son on occasion. With the great rack setup you have, you can squat and deadlift fearlessly and the numbers are going up steadily. Do you think it's possible that your upper body lifts are going slower because of the lack of a spotter? Is there a chance you're holding back on the bench in a way that you don't on the squat?
  • CrankMeUp
    CrankMeUp Posts: 2,860 Member
    YAAAAAAAAY!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Tremendous progress that you can be proud of! Improving especially quickly on the lower body exercises.

    Question: Looks like you work out at home and alone, save for your powerlifting son on occasion. With the great rack setup you have, you can squat and deadlift fearlessly and the numbers are going up steadily. Do you think it's possible that your upper body lifts are going slower because of the lack of a spotter? Is there a chance you're holding back on the bench in a way that you don't on the squat?
    Yep I do work out alone usually. I don't think I'm holding back since the rack allows me to fail safely and I've actually used it to do negatives (on purpose) at more than my 1RM. I suspect a lot of it is bad technique and some of it is that my forearms are so long that I have to drop my elbows farther to hit my chest with the bar. I'm going to be trying some variations on my form (with ligher weights) to see what works better as far as distributing the forces around. I was also flaring my elbows way out and that may be another contributor. I'll have to post back here after another cycle and update my progress. :)
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member

    I'm currently getting about 1.2g protein per pound of LBM.

    ;) Try Upping that to 2g's and giving yourself plenty of rest (for the muscle -- meaning don't overtrain).

    why?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
    BTW, great strength progress, as well as a hell of a difference in form and posture.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    A couple of other things have improved. I used to do this as a kid but it was kinda difficult and now (probably thanks to SLDL) it's easy as pie.
    headstand2_zpsd1c38ba3.gif
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    Great post. You mentioned moving to a new program, what is it you moved to?
  • Doone33
    Doone33 Posts: 171 Member
    I can see the difference in your legs and arms... and how your muscle has changed on your back and you lost belly! AWSOME... I have recently started lifting... Day 8 today! Hopefully next spring I will have pics!
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Oops I forgot the other one. These are pike chinups. (I'm at 5-6 of these currently.)
    Lchins1_zps4af82a9d.gif
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Great post. You mentioned moving to a new program, what is it you moved to?
    I added accessory work like shrugs, hip thrusts, curls, chins, pushups, etc depending on which muscles I think need more work. Instead of 5x5 every workout, I rotate between sets of 15, 10, 8, and 5. I also take a two week break (no heavy lifting) periodically instead of deloading when I am unable to progress.
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