Stronglifts 5x5 for Women

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warm ups?

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danirosevoelkel
danirosevoelkel Posts: 511 Member
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I'm really new and so I'm going to lucky to get through the 5x5 squats, so squatting for warm ups I'm really afraid to try. Maybe a quick jog on the treadmill? What else can I do to get my body ready to lift? Any advice is SO much needed! Jumping the gun and joining a gym today.. yikes!

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  • marylynndrake
    marylynndrake Posts: 86 Member
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    Congratulations on getting started! This is a great program and I've been so happy with how I feel with this program- energetic and focused. When I started I did cardio to warm up and it worked for a while but when the weights got heavier I began having a lot of knee pain. I used a foam roller to alleviate but it really didn't help with preparing me to lift. What worked was warmup lifts. One day as I waited for the cage to be available, I did bodyweight squats and worked on my form, and stretched. Before you pick up a weight to do warmup squats, I suggest 1) watching squat form videos to really understand how to break at the knee (sounds like incorrect but this is the way they say correct form) versus staying fully upright versus breaking at the hip and 2) doing warmup squats with just your bodyweight to focus on body awareness, form in order to increase mobility. When you feel a bit looser you can grab the bar and go for it. You can do it!
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
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    Bodyweight squats or relatively light DB goblet squats in that case would be a good way to just get primed. Warming up on the treadmill will raise your body temperature and all, but it doesn't really get your motor patterns down - ie it doesn't reduce your risk of injury or prepare your body for anything else.

    Hope that helps :)
  • spirit095
    spirit095 Posts: 1,017 Member
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    I usually do some dynamic stretching and a light set of the weight/moves I'll be doing.
  • danirosevoelkel
    danirosevoelkel Posts: 511 Member
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    marylynndrake wrote: »
    Congratulations on getting started! This is a great program and I've been so happy with how I feel with this program- energetic and focused. When I started I did cardio to warm up and it worked for a while but when the weights got heavier I began having a lot of knee pain. I used a foam roller to alleviate but it really didn't help with preparing me to lift. What worked was warmup lifts. One day as I waited for the cage to be available, I did bodyweight squats and worked on my form, and stretched. Before you pick up a weight to do warmup squats, I suggest 1) watching squat form videos to really understand how to break at the knee (sounds like incorrect but this is the way they say correct form) versus staying fully upright versus breaking at the hip and 2) doing warmup squats with just your bodyweight to focus on body awareness, form in order to increase mobility. When you feel a bit looser you can grab the bar and go for it. You can do it!

    Thanks for all of this! Okay, I've watched tons of videos and had my girls video my form which I think I have FINALLY got pretty decent. However, I've never heard of break at knees nor hips. I've heard to keep the bar parallel to the mid foot, keep you back straight and chest out, head neutral, inhale on down, exhale when back to standing. If you could explain what the breaks are that would be great.

    I'm going to do bodyweight squats for a warm up and see how I do.

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