May workout check-in; May your squats be deep and plentiful
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I will practice movement barefoot with no weight for a few days!May sound silly, but try doing them barefoot. And hook your oes into the ground. Also, brace your abs and contract your butt. Makes a world of difference to just do the isometric holds at the same time.
I've been doing calf stretches every morning in the hopes that it will strengthen them. I guess this is the sign that I need to do my yoga more often!Balance starts in your feet and ends in your ears. Having strong foot/ankle/calf muscles will help because they will stabilize any movement. Being barefoot could help increase the sensory cues to the brain from the foot. Also, pick a spot on the floor just ahead of you and focus on that throughout the movement. This helps stabilize the visual aspect of balance and help your brain understand that you aren't moving all over the place.
Balance work can be tricky. Yoga poses like tree pose or anything on a single arm and leg will help. You can also do work on a balance ball or board.0 -
My main problem with squat right now is the barbell digging into my back. I think started to do low squat instead of high squat, because the barbell bothered my shoulders. Now as the bar is lower it doesn't bothers my shoulders, but the bar sitting exactly on the metal circle on my bra and it digs into my flesh. the other day my husband said to me what a hell are those red circles on you. I checked in the mirror and 1 day after the lift the bra metal circle was still deep purple It is fine for now, but in a month time, I potentially want to wear sleeveless outside and it looks terrible. any advice?
Um, yes, yes. 15-20$ for a sports bra at walmart/any dept store would solve that issue? xP I hate wearing sports bra for every day life cuz my gawd those things are constricting, but when working out it's all I want on me. And I don't even have that much in the boobage department!0 -
@ Red - Agree with Krok on the bra, get one that doesn't have any metal in it.
@ Katerina - Here is a great article with some additional ankle stability exercises: http://www.active.com/fitness/articles/12-ways-to-build-ankle-strength-for-top-performance Calve stretches are great for flexibility, but won't work the muscles that wrap the ankle much. Also for foot strength, walking barefoot can help.
Strong Curves B for me today:
Superset 1:
Bodyweight Single leg hip thrusts 3x20 - these are harder than you would think
chin-ups 3x5 - found an okay use for a smith machine.
Superset 2:
DB high steps: 3x10 (each leg) with 15 lb DB's
OHP: 3x8 @ 55
Prisoner single leg 45-deg back extensions; called for 2x12 (each leg), but I felt it more in my lower back so I got 12/10 and then 9/6
band seated abductions 1x20
straight leg sit-up 1x20
side bend 45-deg 1x20 (each side)
then I did about 5 min on the spinning bike to loosen up the legs. My hammies are a bit tight. I will be making out with the foam roller tonight. No lifting tomorrow so I'll be doing some boxing intervals with the heavy bag.0 -
Happy Tuesday ladies! (It is Tuesday right??)
@Red, third vote for a sports bra here
Great lifting ladies, there's so much awesome happening in here!
I did bench press/squats last night, my 3 week of 5/3/1.
Squats:
5 x 80 pounds
5 x 95 pounds
3 x 115 pounds
3 x 135 pounds
3 x 155 pounds
3 x 175 pounds-I got this, but holy moly was it heavy!
I also did a second set at 155 pounds (form check video) after my 175 pound set, and my form totally broke down on the 4th rep, I was tired...
If you want to see, the video is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCKhGuEoxtE
Bench Press:
5 x 45 pounds
5 x 55 pounds
3 x 65 pounds
3 x 80 pounds
3 x 90 pounds
3 x 100 pounds-I got all three, and used a spotter, otherwise I might not have pushed the last rep!
Assistance Work:
Incline Dumbbell Flyes-3 sets of 12 @ 15 pounds in each hand, I got 12, 12, 10
Unassisted Dips-3 sets of 5 with bodyweight
Assisted Pullups-3 sets of 10 @ 50 pounds supported, I got 10, 10, 5
I also did 4 sprints (20 sec on, 10 sec off) at 9 MPH, and just about puked, they're tough!0 -
Some people are naturally flexible tho - I wonder about that with myself and being new to heavy squats. I go ATG naturally - in fact ATG pause squats are my fave - and I wonder if thats just too much for my body since I haven;t been training long. Like, a couple times yoga instructors have mentioned to me that people who are naturally flexible are prone to injury at the beginning of yoga training.
Now, squatting to just parallel does not help with The Weird Pain I have, but maybe it would have if I'd started that way. What do y'all think?0 -
My bra size is 34H and there are only a handful of sportsba brands exist in this size. Walmart and similar places do not carry any bra in that cupsize. Only very few speciality lingerie stores carry H cup bra, but I mostly order online, because it is cheaper. This bra was $60 + $10 shipping from ebay, and the speciality store sells is over $100.
Um, yes, yes. 15-20$ for a sports bra at walmart/any dept store would solve that issue? xP I hate wearing sports bra for every day life cuz my gawd those things are constricting, but when working out it's all I want on me. And I don't even have that much in the boobage department!
Above a certain boob size, you need significant support and those cotton no wire no metal sports bras just do not have that level of support. I tried on some of those sports bras and my boob was at my waist. :frown: Unfortunately 3 yrs of breastfeeding made them rather huge and saggy
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My bra size is 34H and there are only a handful of sportsba brands exist in this size. Walmart and similar places do not carry any bra in that cupsize. Only very few speciality lingerie stores carry H cup bra, but I mostly order online, because it is cheaper. This bra was $60 + $10 shipping from ebay, and the speciality store sells is over $100.
Um, yes, yes. 15-20$ for a sports bra at walmart/any dept store would solve that issue? xP I hate wearing sports bra for every day life cuz my gawd those things are constricting, but when working out it's all I want on me. And I don't even have that much in the boobage department!
Above a certain boob size, you need significant support and those cotton no wire no metal sports bras just do not have that level of support. I tried on some of those sports bras and my boob was at my waist. :frown: Unfortunately 3 yrs of breastfeeding made them rather huge and saggy
I hear your. 5 years of breastfeeding over here with major weight gain/loss. Do you wear an Enell? i wear the Enell I wore when I was bigger for weights and the tight-*kitten* one for running. Nothing else works for me really and I have tried them *all*.
ETA: a lot of the other big-saggy-boob sports bras I have do have hooks in the back and are terrible for lifting (they are expensive hiking bras mainly
) 0 -
I have a few enell bras, and I used to love them, but somehow they are not a good fit right now. I am probably between sizes, as I am spilling out on the top from size 2, but size 3 is too big and offers not enough support.I hear your. 5 years of breastfeeding over here with major weight gain/loss. Do you wear an Enell? i wear the Enell I wore when I was bigger for weights and the tight-*kitten* one for running. Nothing else works for me really and I have tried them *all*.
ETA: a lot of the other big-saggy-boob sports bras I have do have hooks in the back and are terrible for lifting (they are expensive hiking bras mainly)0 -
I have a few enell bras, and I used to love them, but somehow they are not a good fit right now. I am probably between sizes, as I am spilling out on the top from size 2, but size 3 is too big and offers not enough support.I hear your. 5 years of breastfeeding over here with major weight gain/loss. Do you wear an Enell? i wear the Enell I wore when I was bigger for weights and the tight-*kitten* one for running. Nothing else works for me really and I have tried them *all*.
ETA: a lot of the other big-saggy-boob sports bras I have do have hooks in the back and are terrible for lifting (they are expensive hiking bras mainly)
What does the back of your bra look like, or what kind is it? Is there any way to slide some extra material underneath the metal circles? Anything that can add a bit of extra padding in between the circles and your skin might help with the bruising.0 -
This is my sport bra:
What does the back of your bra look like, or what kind is it? Is there any way to slide some extra material underneath the metal circles? Anything that can add a bit of extra padding in between the circles and your skin might help with the bruising.
It actually has 2 position at the back as it has a lilttle metal hook next to the metal cirlces at the back . When it hooked together, it became a racerback, or unhooked version makes a regular bra back.
When I squat, the bar sits right on those metal circles when they are unhooked. When I hook them together they position a little bit higher and the bar doesn't press on them as badly. However when they are hooked together the support shift to the shoulder and the straps dig into my shoulders. I do not like it wear unhooked for long.
Maybe I should just make it a racerback for the duration of squat , and I should go to the bathroom , unhook them for the remaining part of my workout.0 -
@redheadmommy - Shock Absorber. No wires, and the black one is $40 on Amazon right now:
http://www.amazon.com/Shock-Absorber-Womens-Sports-Support/dp/B002CA3O68/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1399404973&sr=8-7&keywords=34h+sports+bra0 -
This is my sport bra:
What does the back of your bra look like, or what kind is it? Is there any way to slide some extra material underneath the metal circles? Anything that can add a bit of extra padding in between the circles and your skin might help with the bruising.
It actually has 2 position at the back as it has a lilttle metal hook next to the metal cirlces at the back . When it hooked together, it became a racerback, or unhooked version makes a regular bra back.
When I squat, the bar sits right on those metal circles when they are unhooked. When I hook them together they position a little bit higher and the bar doesn't press on them as badly. However when they are hooked together the support shift to the shoulder and the straps dig into my shoulders. I do not like it wear unhooked for long.
Maybe I should just make it a racerback for the duration of squat , and I should go to the bathroom , unhook them for the remaining part of my workout.
Thanks for the pic! I could definitely see how that would be painful with a barbell resting on those. My best suggestion is to do the racerback for the squats, but if you can, grab a thin ankle sock or something like that, fold it in half, and see if you can slide it underneath the circles (right against your skin). If you can spread out the surface area, you might at least see a reduction in the bruising.0 -
@suremeansyes, badass front squats, especially for your first time!!
Ty ty, I used to weight lift in high school...but that was...
...some amount of years ago.
lol, but I at least have some foundation of prior knowledge that I can lift, and probably more than I think.0 -
@Liza. I think it would matter more if you were just dropping down into the squat in sort of a free fall. If you're keeping all your muscles tight you should be fine. Oh and making sure your low back isn't rounding aka butt winking (worse term ever) excessively.
@ sports bra discussion. I love Moving Comfort Maia and I'm a 38DD. Yeah I was just adding that in. Anwyway since weight lifting isn't high impact maybe you could revisit different brands/styles of bras since it will affect you way less than if you were say running. A lot of times Amazon has really popular brands of sports bras in last seasons colors or whatever super cheap.
Todays workout: I was trying to fit bench 531 in before yoga which worked out beautifully, but I'm going to be hard core T-Rexing tomorrow.
Bench
45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 110x10
DB bench
60(total) 5x10
DB Rows
30 3x10 (each arm)
Supersets x3
Curls 15 3x10
Tri rope pushdowns 60 3x100 -
I always thought ATG meant *kitten* to grass...deep as you can get.I've been doing some reading about going "deep" with squats, and my question is, when they say ATG squats, do they really mean A all the way to the Ground? Or just A to the back of the calves? Or just below parallel? Or what?0 -
Today's workout went pretty well!
Squats - 5x5 @ 145lbs
Bench - 3x5 @ 80lbs
Upright rows - 3x5 @ 45lbs
Single arm bent-over rows - 1x5 @ 35lbs, 2x5 @ 40lbs, 1x5 @ 45lbs
Weighted planks - 3x30 seconds @ 25lbs
Look ma, no butt pain! I guess rolling it out has helped, cuz my glute was fine during my squats today. So much so that I went for the full 5x5 instead of the 3x5 that I was planning on originally.
On bench press, I think I'm ready to try 85lbs again. I failed last week, but 80lbs was super easy this time around. It's also time to add some plates to the bar for my upright rows and my single-arm rows are ready to go at 45lbs.0 -
My main problem with squat right now is the barbell digging into my back. I think started to do low squat instead of high squat, because the barbell bothered my shoulders. Now as the bar is lower it doesn't bothers my shoulders, but the bar sitting exactly on the metal circle on my bra and it digs into my flesh. the other day my husband said to me what a hell are those red circles on you. I checked in the mirror and 1 day after the lift the bra metal circle was still deep purple It is fine for now, but in a month time, I potentially want to wear sleeveless outside and it looks terrible. any advice?
SPORTS bra! I like target's champion brand, the one without adjustable straps. Also I got some cotton ones at walmart...they are no good for running and jumping, but they work for lifting. Before children, I would have bruises on my shoulders...even with a sports bra.
So editing to say, even with nursing two babies I am only a B cup and barely at that so my advice sucks for you. Sorry I can't help with that more. I would wrap the circles in bandaids or athletic tape, but again, I don't pay $80 for my bras. I'm much more willing to destroy a $20 bra.0 -
Workout A today. Upping my weight, but I probably shouldn't have.
I did 4x5x55 for bench and rows, but after my fourth set of rows, my wrist hurt so bad that I deloaded and did a set of 10 at 50 for both.
Also 5x5x65 for squat...as low as I can get which is not ATG, but I hold high bar and I am well below parallel.
Ran a half mile of intervals and jogged a half mile and stretched out . I wish I had more time to run, but my day did not allow it.
For my B workout I will keep OHP at 45 but squat and DL at 65.0 -
My main problem with squat right now is the barbell digging into my back. I think started to do low squat instead of high squat, because the barbell bothered my shoulders. Now as the bar is lower it doesn't bothers my shoulders, but the bar sitting exactly on the metal circle on my bra and it digs into my flesh. the other day my husband said to me what a hell are those red circles on you. I checked in the mirror and 1 day after the lift the bra metal circle was still deep purple It is fine for now, but in a month time, I potentially want to wear sleeveless outside and it looks terrible. any advice?
SPORTS bra! I like target's champion brand, the one without adjustable straps. Also I got some cotton ones at walmart...they are no good for running and jumping, but they work for lifting. Before children, I would have bruises on my shoulders...even with a sports bra.
So editing to say, even with nursing two babies I am only a B cup and barely at that so my advice sucks for you. Sorry I can't help with that more. I would wrap the circles in bandaids or athletic tape, but again, I don't pay $80 for my bras. I'm much more willing to destroy a $20 bra.
I was going to say that I use different bras for running vs lifting. Since I don't need as much control with lifting I use less supportive bras. I'm a 34D but still have problems with needing support. Speaking of which I think I'm too small for my current running bras...0 -
Wow, just the beginning of May and everyone's putting in such great workouts already!! I feel like such a slacker...been working out just haven't been doing the reporting in part. I dropped my extra HIIT sessions on off days and have been feeling more energetic and ready to tackle that bar when I get home.
Tonight was A day - wasn't sure how it was going to go since I indulged in a few too many frosty beverages for cinco de mayo, but everything felt fantastic! Yay for beer fuel! :drinker:
Squats - 5x5 at 110 pounds
BP - 5x5 at 90 pounds
Rows - 5x5 at 95 pounds. I reviewed some form videos and these are finally "clicking" and actually feeling right. Even though I got all these I might stay at this weight for another workout because there might have been a few reps in there where the bar didn't quite make it all the way up...
Happy hump day tomorrow everyone!0
