Daily Check-in : It's the Fitness Fever-ary
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I'm a righty, and my left hand is the one that ends up feeling more comfortable with the palm up. Kinda like the way I would be holding a hockey stick, I guess. Also happens to be my dominant configuration if I play baseball. Left hand back. I'll switch it up on back off sets just to even out the strain a little bit. Something that might be noteworthy with mixed grip is, your underhand will have to be shifted a slight bit further on the inside to be centered - always base your grip on your index finger since that's where the brunt of the weight will rest.@threnjen - Are you using the overhand grip or mixed? I found 135 was the limit for me for overhand grip. I switched to mixed grip and got 145.
I've still been doing overhand, so maybe I will try the mixed grip. Are you doing overhand or underhand with your dominant hand on the mixed grip?
So!
Today was the Garage Built Body TEST Day 25!
7 min max: 3 sets max recline rows: 16/14/13 (total 43, vs 40 back in december)
3 sets max pike press (from floor): 14/12/13 (total 39, vs 35)
While the improvement is small here, I have been eating at a deficit for the entirety of the program and am around the same weight I was the last time I did the workout. However I am a bit disappointed with the rows as I have been doing a lot of work on trying to get unassisted pull-ups and I thought it would show a little more.
8 min AMRAP - COMPLEX with a 40lbs KB
- Sumo DL x6
- Sumo Dl high pull x6
- Ground 2 overhead x6
- Goblet Squat x6
Managed 6 rounds and 1 high pull, from 7 rounds and 2 squats with 30# the last time around, which I think is a pretty good progression considering I added 10lbs. Definitely winded me more than before (I basically didn't rest at all with the 30#). The overhead part was the toughest. My upper body strength is still rubbish as opposed to my lower body.
The 400m run was 2:02 instead of 2:10. While it's an improvement I really can't wait until the weather gets a little warmer (it's 7F feels like -1 today, and that's warm compared to the previous week) to be able to run outside a bit. Treadmill runs suck.
All in all I'm fairly happy with my progress during this run. Still love the workouts and I'm pretty sure I'll be going back to them in the future!
But for now I am taking a rest/yoga day tomorrow and moving on to the Aggressive SHRED project on Monday. No deloads, no rep max tests. I am attacking this head on and will be victorious over this cut!0 -
Ran 5km yesterday, running again in a bit this morning. Taking two days off lifting but can't sit still lol0
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I deloaded today due to a neck injury/chiro appt this week. Took a few days off to heal.
Squat-10@45, 5x5@95
Bench press-5@45, 5x5@ 60
Rows-5x5@80
10 good mornings
10 split squats (5 each leg)0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »if you've been lifting for 12 weeks straight, you might be due for a rest week to let your body do more complete growth and catching up. those are serious numbers you've gotten up to as well over only 3 months, so that's something to think about as a factor as well. i mean, just think back to where you started and do the math. your body has done a LOT of adaptation in a relatively short time.
when i find that i keep going to the gym but i feel like i'm just kind of sliding backwards in terms of tiredness, neuromuscular fuzziness and a general inability to 'bounce back' between workouts, i usually start to think about taking a rest. it's amazing how hard it can be to talk myself into it sometimes, but even more amazing is how unfounded all my fears turn out to be when i go back.
Good point. It's probably about time for at least a short break, though I struggle what to do because I feel like I should do stuff to report almost every day. Plus, I need to refigure schedule and I might switch over to TDEE instead of mfp and eating back some calories. Because if I went of the calculators that guess BMR and TDEE and such, the calories mfp gives me before exercise isn't enough. But I like seeing it no red each day, so if I used this to keep track, maybe I just won't complete the days and such. Sparkpeople recommends a range of 1500-1900 based on the estimated activity level I put in, which sounds better tun 1350. Think I'll take a few days off lifting while I figure that out, my schedule, then do my sort of attempt at NROLFW combined with other lifts because I want to learn different ones. Later I'll probably do something more like SL again with accessories, but want to learn more first.
But yes, I do think a break is in order in the very near future.0 -
back again, with some deviations from the sl template now that i've been reading starting strength. workout b:
warmup: i did a whole mess of shoulder warmup and mobility stuff. practiced just standing with the broomstick in bar position and my wrists straight to give my various left-side muscles time to stretch into it, especially left teres (ouch) and left lats. hung from the smith machine bar for 10/15 seconds per time, did scapular mobility circles, more broomstick, spinal erector stretches, more smith machine, serious lat and rhomboid stretching . . .also did some lowest-point-in-squat stretch time, just hanging out down there stretching my groin muscles and activating the hamstrings/posterior chain. i had lots of time since i got lined up behind someone with a serious squat workout who was just starting out when i got there, so that part was great.
squats: 2x5@45, then (rippetoe instructions) one set each at 50, 55, 65 (math oops, shoulda been 60 first), and finally 4x5@70. i'm proud of myself for stopping at 70 and not pushing it further than that. i'm really concentrating right now on making sure my left leg/glute do their share of the work and this workout was all about that. notes: straight wrist and whole hand over the bar helped me with getting the elbows back but left wrist still has a tendency to want to break compared with the right. may be over-doing the hand position as well. legs/bum part of the form really strong and i'm really happy with that aspect of it. i feel like the hip drive and bar path are both really good atm. concentrating hard on locking out like fort knox at the top too.
ohp: that 45 bar was HEAVY when i took it out. like i-really-feel-weak-can't-quite-control-this kind of heavy, like on my day 1 in a gym. but i've been reading the ss section on 'the press' and i got in one set of 5 before my squat sets in spite of that feeling. after squats, i did the other 4x5. rippetoe's line on ohp is 'keep incrementing weight for one set of 5 each time, until the bar path starts to get shaky on the way up, and then call it a workout'. but incrementing wasn't the question today.
ohp notes: biggest help from the ss book is that 'lift your chest' part. that part has been amazing - i still can't seem to get the bar onto my front delts, but the chest lift alone somehow turns it into a whole other lift from the way i've gone at it till now. also, squeezing hell out of my glutes is a factor somehow. i can't get that whole hip-bounce thing mastered, but when my entire press energy feels like it's going into my glutes, the rep usually works. dunno why. i don't think there's any other lift that i actually feel like i have to attack like i have to do with overhead press. all the others, i work hard but i can still just kind of amble up to the bar and do them whenever i'm ready for them; it's like relations are still amiable. press i have to come at like it wants to steal my cookies and ship my kid to guantanamo bay. and also, i always seriously underestimate the amount of rest that it takes to really get over one set and ready to try the next one.
deadlifts: i skipped the deadlifts. shoulder held up through the stuff that i did, but i really didn't trust myself to find or feel the right form by the end of it all. i did half an hour of post-workout stretching of various kinds and another round of dead hangs from the smith bar. that's not gonna do my grip any harm, anyway.0 -
Good morning! I'm up way too early for how late I stayed out last night but oh well. Hotel beds are usually not the best. My favorite girl friends took me out for a night in downtown Chicago with a steak dinner and a drag queen show. I had a blast! Before we started our Saturday night, though, I did deadlifts.
5@155, 3@175, and 4@195lbs!!!
2x8 Sumo DL @ 135lbs
45 second side planks
I did some hip & ankle mobility work before and after and man did that feel great! I think that might help with my crunchy knee when I do squats...0 -
Work out B early this morning.
Squats- 5x5 at 57.5kg (127lb)
OHP 4x5 and 1x4 at 26kg (57.3lb) I only rested 90secs between sets as I didn't have much time so I probably could have managed if I had a longer break.
DL 1x5 70kg (154lb)
I stayed the same wt for DL as last time as it was heavy. I tried a mixed grip this time and had watched a load more form videos, especially looking at letting it back down. I think I will increasde next time but maybe 5lb rather than 10lb.
With the OHP should I just go for a small increase next time anyway? I have 1lb/500g plates so can do a small jump.
My diet has been horrific over the weekend after being really good for ages. Lots of family events and carbs.
I probably want to decrease bf% and increase muscle as I am probably around goal so I am not sure whether to decrease my deficit slightly and eat just below what my fitbit says (which is probably an under estimate anyway due to weights and pushing a toddler in a buggy up steep hills for several miles a day!). I suppose I am thinking recomp at this point while I can make newbie gains.
Sorry, that turned into a rambling post.0 -
Guess I'm taking a few days off from lifting. Have a cold. It's not too bad, mostly my throat, congestion and head feels bleh. But work is probably all I'll manage to make myself do for the next few days. Think I'll nap before work.
Have fun lifting.0 -
So this morning was my first 5x5 workout !! Think my shoulders are gonna ache later lol
I notice a lot of you do other workouts after the 5x5, is this recommended? How do you choose/know what exercises to do ??
On the off days in between 5x5 I will work on core exercises.
thanks!0 -
@DawnEmbers Hope you feel better soon
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Back again.
Workout A
Squats still not confident with the bar so I grabbed the 20 lb barbells and did 5 sets
Bar only barbell presses
I'll add weight next time
Barbell with 10 lb plates for rows
Slowly getting things figured out0 -
I didn't end up lifting Friday or yesterday -- still feeling kind of run down, and Wednesday was pretty much a disaster, so I'm comfortable with this decision. I did go to my first restorative yoga class this morning. It was lovely -- gentle and slow, but really good. Lots of hip work, and we all know how much I struggle with these damn hips. I'm actually thinking about going to another, similar class this afternoon at a different studio, just to compare. I'd really love to get to the point where I'm doing yoga a couple of times a week, so finding the right spot is important.
Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend!
@Katro -- Happy Birthday, and great job on those deads! Kick *kitten*, sis! xo
@Fothers -- I go up by 5 lbs. on deads, and 2.5 lbs. on OHP and BP. Or, I attempt to, at least. That 5-10 lbs. jump is just too much for me. I say give it a try. As for the recomp, I think most folks suggest you eat at maintenance vs. at a deficit. I think it will probably take some tweaking, though. Try X calories, see if you gain/lose/maintain, then adjust accordingly. I've heard there's a good thread about recomps in the Eat, Train, Progress group -- you may want to check that out.
@Dawn -- Sorry about your cold.
@Izzy -- Personally, I would concentrate on just the 5x5 program for now. Once you've got your form locked down and start to get into a groove with those, you'll just kind of know when you're ready to do accessory work. And you'll have a better understanding of what muscles you want to hit with those accessories. But if you're super eager, there's another thread in this group about additional lifts / work you can add-on. Some good advice there. And isolated core work is fine, but also be sure you're really engaging your core on all your 5x5 lifts too.
@Sumner -- Are you stacking your bar on something when you're doing your rows? You want to try to emulate the height of the bar as if it had 45 lbs. plates. Otherwise you may be bending over too far in order to pick up the bar and to touch the ground on your reps. Same with deads when you do those. And I'm a little surprised you can do OHP but not squats -- is it the weight that makes you uncomfortable on squats, or positioning, or form, or grip, or what?
xoxox,
C.0 -
Crabada I'm not sure what it is about those squats. I'm sure it's form. Part of it is being in that metal rack and not knowing how it's supposed to work.
No I'm not stacking plates. I'll try that next time. I didn't let the bar go past mid calf so I probably need to reread and adjust. Thanks for the tip.0 -
Todays workout featured multiple deloads.
Squats, back down to 90lbs. 5 X 5, plus two warmup sets.
Bench, back down to 80lbs. 5 X 5 plus two warmup sets. Ap said to go up 2lbs. My gym neg has fractionals. I think I'm just going to keep w/ 5lbs unless I plateau again. Plus, I do what I want Medhi!
Rows, warmup at 45lbs, 65lbs, working weight 85 lbs. 4/4/5/4/5. Up from 5 sets of 3 last time. Feel good about being able to hit just 3 more reps next time.0 -
I notice a lot of you do other workouts after the 5x5, is this recommended? How do you choose/know what exercises to do ??
i'm pretty casual and frivolous about that part of it. i'll do sl, until i almost-randomly decide some body part is a weak link between me and my big greedy ambitions for the main lifts. and then i'll go do some research and spend a while doing whatever supports that body part. core is a good example and actually a great choice by you, because you need a good core for back safety in the main lifts. idk, i'm kind of prone to a miracle-man mindset, a bit. 'this will get me benching a buick in 7 weeks!' but it amuses me and even if it never does, i still come out of it 7 weeks later with some part of me stronger than it was before. hamstrings and glutes are also targets for my random enthusiams, because squat power.
i've also been faffing around with various proto-pullup things for several months. something has been a bit off in one shoulder right from the start, and there's a little chunk of my mind that is always all about all the shoulder muscles.
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I did end up going to a second yoga class today. It was also good, but very different, even though it was technically the same restorative style. I may have to keep trying them both for another week or two before I figure out which one will be my regular.
Also walked to class and back, so got in almost 30 minutes at a leisurely pace.
Back to the gym for lifting tomorrow. 0 -
Great suggestions @Krokador and @DawnEmbers - I'm going to do both.
My normal schedule is Mon/Wed/Fri. But since I'm traveling tomorrow I decided to get my lifting out of the way today and then I'll rest tomorrow. It was a little hard getting my butt out the door on a Sunday night, but I'm glad I did.
Squats - stayed at 95lbs 5x5.
Bench - 70lbs 5x5
Barbell Row - 65lbs 5x5
Then I did a few sets of hip thrusts on the Smith with 25 lb plates. Not sure what the bar is on that..35?
And then I did some dumbbell presses. I do think I'm going to cut my cardio on lifting nights, now just to figure out a specific set of lifts so I don't wander aimlessly. I really wish the 5x5 app would let you add some extra exercises via free text...What other apps to people use?0 -
Nighttime lifting back again!
Squat 5x5 @ 145lbs.
OHP 5x5 @ 72lbs - gonna stay here a bit
Deadlift 1x5 @ 190lbs then 1x3 @ 210lbs.
Tired and gonna be hungry in the morning!,0 -
Such awesome lifts everyone!
@Dawn - I hope you are feeling better.
@TheMOC--"I do what I want Mehdi"--love it!!!
This mornings workout was kind of meh. I was up in squats but had to deload on the rows. I am keeping up with the carb-loading prior to lifting. I think I had too much tea with it though. Reminder to self--drink less before lifting. I also failed on my bench (while staying at the same weight from last time). I realized that my spotter was too low when it got me just above the chin. It didn't come down hard and fast so no real pain and I'm sure there won't be a bruise or anything but still...I gues I should post this in gym gaffs :-)
Squat 5x5 90 lbs
Barbell Row, Bent-over 5x5 75 lbs
Bench Press, Barbell 3x5 65 lbs then 2x4 65 lbs
Convict Conditioning Pullups Step 3: Jackknife Pullups 3x15
Maybe because I ran yesterday (it was an easy run though) I couldn't do my normal monday biceps and triceps workout...oh well. I'll add them to the list for later this week.
Hope you all have a great Monday!!0 -
I didn't take time to check in yesterday, but I did some sort of circuit training for 30 minutes, and I shoveled snow for about an hour (wearing my HRM to see if it worth logging that calorie burn, turned out I burned almost 300 cals just from the shoveling, so I did log them).
Today was workout A. I think I hurted something while shoveling that stupid snow, and I felt it a lot in my back. I'm prone to back pain because I was hit by a car when I was a kid (I was peacefully cycling in the bike lane and some jerk used the bike lane instead of the road for apparently no reason... I was not hurt that much, but I felt on my back and I had lumbar sprain, so now, my back is always a little sensitive). I deloaded all the lifts and I felt weak and sad, and even if I stretched and foam rolled like crazy, my back still feels stiff and painful. Blah.
Warm up: Elliptical - 12 minutes
Squats: 2x5 @ 45, 1x5 @ 65, 1x5 @ 85, 5x5 @ 95 (deloaded from 105, was supposed to do 110).
Row: 2x5 @ 45, 5x5 @ 50 (deloaded from 60).
Bench press: 1x5 @ 45, 5x5 @ 55 (deloaded from 60).
Accessories
Pull ups - I was not able to complete my two sets, I did four reps instead of five
65 plank on the BOSU
Then stretch and foam rolling.0 -
Deloaded on dead lifts. From 245lb. to 225 (not quite 10% but 20lb. works for me).
Going to work my way back up. I can do 225, but it is still pretty heavy feeling and the bar tears my hands up something terrible.
Squats: 172lb. (staying there for another workout) 5x5
OHP: 98 lb. some day, I'll break 100. Some day. I'll still hate OHP's, but I'll break 100.
De loading makes me feel...weak, like I'm not working hard enough, but I have to get over that s#$% and just accept that at 48, I need to listen to what my body has to say.
A year ago, 245 seemed like a HUGE number that I'd never hit. Now, I have hit it, just not for 5 reps, so I'll work on it and get back there and then blast past it.
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I'm sure you'll be there in no time. Plus, I'm really impressed by your numbers. Good job!0
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First day on the new program. I got my butt up early to go so I would beat the crowd, but I didn,t get that much sleep so I'm reporting in and will probably go take an hour nap after that haha
There's a 15 min-ish bodyweight warmup that's different from my usual, but I kinda like it so I might stick to it
Superset (with 60s rest in between each move) of Deadlifts
185x10
195x8
205x6
215x4
And OHP
55x10
65x8
70x6
75x4
I thought I was being conservative with the deadlifts but I actually barely ecked out the last 2 reps of each set. It had been a while since I last did any sort of volume OR heavy lifting at all. New shoes felt really stable on these tho! As for the OHP, I actually felt like I could've gone a bit heavier! I think 75x4 is actually a rep PR, so I'm really happy.
Then moved on to 4 rounds of 30s work/60s rest 2x25# DB
- Romanian deadlift (got close to 20 per round, rofl)
- Power cleans
- Thrusters (these were the hardest part of this. Shoulders were tired and I had a hard time stabilizing the weights)
- bent over rows (here too, close to 20 reps per round. yikes).
I might have to have 2 sets of DBs for those the next time around, if not 3. I can do a LOT more weight on RDLs than on anything else. Ah well.
Finished off with a 3 min AMRAP of burpee broad jumps. Did 20. I think I had a few more in me. I didn't really push myself and I regret it.
Then I spent about half an hour on that hip mobility routine and the core exercises that come with it. I might have to play around with my scheduling on these because I'm not sure I'll be able to squeeze that in before work in the future. Guess I'll have to push the pace a little more. We'll see.
I decided I was going to blog about this program. as such, I might stop checkin in for the next month or so, since I'll be posting these details on the blog as well (and on fitocracy. I can only do so much logging of the same thing! lol) I'll still hang around and read your reports, though!
If anyone is interested to follow the process: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/krokador0 -
DaivaSimone wrote: »I didn't take time to check in yesterday, but I did some sort of circuit training for 30 minutes, and I shoveled snow for about an hour (wearing my HRM to see if it worth logging that calorie burn, turned out I burned almost 300 cals just from the shoveling, so I did log them).
Today was workout A. I think I hurted something while shoveling that stupid snow, and I felt it a lot in my back. I'm prone to back pain because I was hit by a car when I was a kid (I was peacefully cycling in the bike lane and some jerk used the bike lane instead of the road for apparently no reason... I was not hurt that much, but I felt on my back and I had lumbar sprain, so now, my back is always a little sensitive). I deloaded all the lifts and I felt weak and sad, and even if I stretched and foam rolled like crazy, my back still feels stiff and painful. Blah.
Warm up: Elliptical - 12 minutes
Squats: 2x5 @ 45, 1x5 @ 65, 1x5 @ 85, 5x5 @ 95 (deloaded from 105, was supposed to do 110).
Row: 2x5 @ 45, 5x5 @ 50 (deloaded from 60).
Bench press: 1x5 @ 45, 5x5 @ 55 (deloaded from 60).
Accessories
Pull ups - I was not able to complete my two sets, I did four reps instead of five
65 plank on the BOSU
Then stretch and foam rolling.
Tight back is something I'm pretty familiar with as well. Working on my hips and core activation tends to do wonders for that. Hammering at it with stretches and foam rolling when it's stiff and sensitive doesn't seem to do much on the other hand. Some yoga moves might be helpful here, too? Up/down dog, chair, runner's lunge & crescent or warrior, the cat dog stretch, child's pose... Yoga xD0 -
Krokador: Nice!
Daiva: I've been at this for a while now, so the numbers are higher, but I started barely able to squat with the bar!0 -
Had a really solid workout this morning.
2x5 @ 45lbs squats + 1x3 @ 65lbs warmup, then 5x5 @ 95lbs!
2x5 @ 45lbs bench press warmup, then 5x5 @70lbs. This was tough so I'm repeating next time.
5x5 @ 90lbs barbell row. Finally felt like my form was better, but in a fit of enthusiasm I pulled so hard I smacked myself in the ribs with the barbell-whoops!
Then I did 3x8 inverse rows and a half mile on the treadmill (ran out of time to do more and had to get home).
I know it's mostly irrational, but I'm both excited and terrified to try for 100lbs on the squats next time. It just seems like such a big number to hit, and I felt fine doing the 95s so I don't fear it per se. But I had knee surgery this past september, on the same knee that I had surgery on 7 years ago. In the intervening time between the first knee injury and the second, I ran (a lot-4 1/2 marathons and more 5ks than I can remember) but I barely squatted because I just didn't have the mobility and strength in my knee. After my second knee injury, the PT I saw made me do tons of squats and lunges, and it improved things immensely, but it still blows my mind that a year ago I couldn't do a bodyweight squat without pain and I'm on the cusp of adding 100lbs.
Of course, this is all babble, and I might fail at 100s, but I feel like if I put out there why I'm excited and why they intimidate me, I'll take the mystery out of it.0 -
Jealous of all this greatness in here! Still nursing my lower back. I seem to be ok standing, but as soon as I sit (couch, desk chair, anywhere) I tighten up. Grrr...
Hope to be back at it sooner than later :-)0 -
Haven't been checking in regularly but haven't missed a 5x5 workout since December.
Squats: 140lbs 5x5
OHP: 3x5 at 65lbs, 1x4 then finished with a 1x5. I actually did 5x5 on this last week but planning on staying here for at least this week.
Deadlifts: could only do 3 reps at 170lbs so did 1x5 at 155lbs afterwards just to get some more form practice. I think it is odd that my deadlifts are stalling like crazy while my squat is still stronger every week. Can't tell why. I've been going back and forth between 160 and 170 on deadlifts since beginning of the year.
This isn't part of the workout today but I am super excited so have to share, I did my first pull up this weekend! I was just playing around at the park and decided to try a pull up just to see how far I can get, when a crazy thing happened- i actually got my chin up past the bar! So then I proceeded to do like 4 sets of like one and a half pull ups before I got too tired I couldn't do anymore. I also did a chin up thinking I might be able to to two of them since I've been told they are easier, but it actually felt harder to me than a pull up. The chin up grip pinches and really hurts my hands...
I credit this new found ability all to Stronglifts. The only pull up specific training I've done is resistance bands and negatives when I remember on the weekends, which really means I've done like a total of 3 of these sessions so I can only conclude that the strength gains on SL translated to the pull up. It is still kind of a mystery to me how I can do it though since my bench and row is only at 85lbs and 80lbs and I am having a hard time getting the full range of motion on my last reps of the rows.0 -
questionfear wrote: »
I know it's mostly irrational, but I'm both excited and terrified to try for 100lbs on the squats next time.
I get a bit scared every time I get to a squat number that seems really big in my mind- 100lbs, 135lbs etc. but it helps me to think that a 2.5lb or 5lb increase on 95lbs is a lot less than a 5lb increase on a 45lb lift. So while going up in weight on OHP feels like a whole different lift, going up in weight on squats now does not feel that much harder.
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This isn't part of the workout today but I am super excited so have to share, I did my first pull up this weekend! I was just playing around at the park and decided to try a pull up just to see how far I can get, when a crazy thing happened- i actually got my chin up past the bar! So then I proceeded to do like 4 sets of like one and a half pull ups before I got too tired I couldn't do anymore. I also did a chin up thinking I might be able to to two of them since I've been told they are easier, but it actually felt harder to me than a pull up. The chin up grip pinches and really hurts my hands...
I credit this new found ability all to Stronglifts. The only pull up specific training I've done is resistance bands and negatives when I remember on the weekends, which really means I've done like a total of 3 of these sessions so I can only conclude that the strength gains on SL translated to the pull up. It is still kind of a mystery to me how I can do it though since my bench and row is only at 85lbs and 80lbs and I am having a hard time getting the full range of motion on my last reps of the rows.
Such am awesome victory!! This is one of my goals for this year. Your post gives me hope... :-)0
This discussion has been closed.