Becca hope your back continues to improve, your matress can make a massive difference!

So work out A for me today.

And it sucked, I was a little later than usual at the gym and had to wait for a rack making me even later. I squatted at 30kg which is less than last time but even doing my warm up with the bar I felt so weak and wobbly to be honest if I had tried even the extra 2.5kg that I did last time I would not have completed. That said though I think some of this is coming from working my form and therefore making my body work harder (What I am telling myself)

Bench press was a little teeny tiny ray of light. I did 5x5 at 22.5kg - nothing I know but this is the first time I have ever ever increased my weight at this. I have no spotter and a fear of looking like a fool in front of all the meatheads at the gym so I have never dared increase the weight before. I only just about was up to it but I was rushing and I think maybe next time with mroe time and longer rests I should be ok to go up again.

I ran out of time to hang about waiting for a bar to do my rows, which leads me to my next question. There are various different bars at the gym, I don't think they have a ladies oly bar - they all look and feel the same but they do have a couple which go
-v-^-v- sort of - basically shorter and wiggly. Is this likely to be a different weight? There are not generally a ton of staff around when I go and I just really want to get on and do not waste time looking for someone to ask.

Thank you. I thought it might help as it is sort of higher to start with. I have had my eye on it for ages lol.

The weighted preloaded bars go up to 20kg and my next row should have been 30kg so I binned off using those.

Also, does anybody know (I promise I won't be using one) how the weights work on the smith machine? Because I am more than a little competitive but the other people in there were using a smiths with 2x20kg plates on to squat with. Now I know the smiths sort of makes the weight easier but wrecks form, but I wondered if the smith bar worked like the oly bar and weighed 20kg on its own. If so then I shall stop trying to compete, if not then I am not so far behind

Hmm well I guess in a pinch I could weight it and use it in future. Thanks

Yeah, but there were no oly bars this morning, and plates all over the place. This is what happens when you change the bed first thing and leave the house 5 minutes later than usual, and then have to go back because you forgot your handbag and finally get to the gym 20 minutes late!

Be careful you don't overdo it and make it worse while you have painkillers. Pain is your body's way of stopping further damage. As for miracle cure, I have this snake oil enriched with the toenail shavings of a rare white tiger....

Well a girl has got to try. Ok inflammation makes sense, is it swollen?

Well done!

And that's right Ms. Kira, you had better stick around. I'm too old and tired to follow people around on other parts of the forum and/or interwebs. :laugh:

I can highly recommend bromelain for keeping down inflammation. It's a pineapple enzyme that does fabulous anti-inflammatory work without taxing your liver. I take it pretty regularly nowadays. The only side effect it has is make your poo a little softer (sorry for that bit of TMI :laugh: )

All went well today, 20 minutes elliptical and 3x8 squats @52.5, 3x8 benches @52.5 and 3x8 OHP @45.

OHPs are haaaard at 3x8 even with "just" the bar. I think I got me some shoulder impingement (acquired somewhere in this past decade pre-lifting), or super tightness someplace back there, so now I gotta figure out how to rehab myself without surgery because that's not happening.