Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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i lost my mojo. :(

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Nyxish
Nyxish Posts: 16
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A while ago i posted that i had been doing a lot of reading on the SL 5x5 program and was working my way to trying it, and then had gotten a very disheartening reply from my gym when i asked about a trainer to help me with form (i basically got the "You'll look like a man and no one will ever love you" reply... which ok isn't what she SAID but... it's basically what she said. ANYWAY.) so i was having some trouble taking that first step.

Not long after that, life just...went nuts. We lost a cat a sudden and still unexplained illness, then a fox got into my pet hens... work schedule nutty and holiday nutty... and now here it is Jan 1st and i have done NOTHING.

i'm feeling very frustrated with myself.

Because of schedules, i won't get back to my gym until monday, and even then i have to really look and see if they do have the weight rack, or just the smith machines.

i don't have room in my house for a rack or bench or anything, really, and we don't have a barbell... but i did uncover some dumbells while cleaning today (15lbs each). Would it...i donno. Be worth starting with those at home? Or do i REALLY need a barbell?

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  • catfive1
    catfive1 Posts: 529 Member
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    I have my own equipment at home. But, my hubby has been renovating the room for a few weeks. That combined with going away for Christmas had me worried. So it was suggested that I try a program called "You are your own gym". I downloaded the app to my iPhone. You may want to consider this or another bodyweight program.
  • _TastySnoBalls_
    _TastySnoBalls_ Posts: 1,298 Member
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    hopefully your gym has a proper squat/power rack. watch the videos on youtube to get an idea as to what you'll be doing, proper form, and all that good stuff. Read the sticky threads in this group.

    If your gym has the equipment you need (crossing fingers), and you need guidance from a PT, you're gonna have to, for lack of a better word, demand you get what you want. "show me how to properly squat, deadlift, etc." "get me someone to show me....." IF they refuse then tell them you're ready to find a gym more readily available and capable of meeting your needs.

    the reality is that not many "personal trainers" in conventional gyms don't even know how to properly do these exercises, and they will try to help themselves out of looking like a noob, by talking you out of it. don't settle for that.

    get your lifting on girl. good luck to you.
  • lwoodroff
    lwoodroff Posts: 1,431 Member
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    filming yourself and comparing it to internet videos, or posting them here will provide a lot of help. All you really need to get the trainer to show you is how the squat rack works (if it's just a rack, it's easy, nothing to adjust except the height of the safety bars, if it's a cage there might be a bit more to learn). You can practise body weight squats for form or with the dumbbells, so gain confidence without being at the gym too...

    the best thing is to just start doing it, look confident until you feel confident, and get some help along the way - and that might not be from your gym, it might be from random girls on the internet! :)
  • vendygirl
    vendygirl Posts: 718 Member
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    I would say follow what lowoodroff stated. Start practicing at getting the form down with body weight squats and dumbells and then start off slowly in the rack. Ask the trainer again to show you the moves and if they start to spout off that BS that you will get bulky just tell them to stop and simply say "This is what I want to do. Either show me how to do this w/o hurting myself or go away".
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    A while ago i posted that i had been doing a lot of reading on the SL 5x5 program and was working my way to trying it, and then had gotten a very disheartening reply from my gym when i asked about a trainer to help me with form (i basically got the "You'll look like a man and no one will ever love you" reply... which ok isn't what she SAID but... it's basically what she said. ANYWAY.) so i was having some trouble taking that first step.

    What a bizzare response from a gym of all places?! Absolutely none of their business what you want to achieve with your body. If they really believe women will bulk like that I'm not sure I'd want them to show me anything, if they're misinformed on that, what else are they lacking in.

    I would turn it round on them and ask if that's because their PT's aren't capable of showing you.

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