The Gym Rat thread
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In the spirit of hoping other people learn from my mistakes...
I always wait too long before taking a deload week (partly as I have an ad hoc routine but mostly due to being pig-headed).
So as usual I push through the increasing fatigue stage, convince myself soreness means I'm working hard enough, ignore the warning signs of losing reps off my top weights and wait until I suddenly crash and lose a whole stack of weight off my lifts.
Bench press from the "crash" workout was 3 reps @ 176lbs and far too close to being pinned to the bench. Bench press after deload week was 12 reps @ 220lbs.
Confirmation I needed that deload!
Been doing this 40 years and still learning.
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In the spirit of hoping other people learn from my mistakes...
I always wait too long before taking a deload week (partly as I have an ad hoc routine but mostly due to being pig-headed).
So as usual I push through the increasing fatigue stage, convince myself soreness means I'm working hard enough, ignore the warning signs of losing reps off my top weights and wait until I suddenly crash and lose a whole stack of weight off my lifts.
Bench press from the "crash" workout was 3 reps @ 176lbs and far too close to being pinned to the bench. Bench press after deload week was 12 reps @ 220lbs.
Confirmation I needed that deload!
Been doing this 40 years and still learning.
I would say that the deload worked out nicely!
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Yes Sara at home! Just works out better for me as I homeschool my kids. Thanks for your inspiring story btw! It was a big motivator for me to start heavy lifting. And thanks to the info in stickies in this group I've finally been steadily losing 1#/wk. So thank you to you and sidesteel!!!0
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In the spirit of hoping other people learn from my mistakes...
I always wait too long before taking a deload week (partly as I have an ad hoc routine but mostly due to being pig-headed).
So as usual I push through the increasing fatigue stage, convince myself soreness means I'm working hard enough, ignore the warning signs of losing reps off my top weights and wait until I suddenly crash and lose a whole stack of weight off my lifts.
Bench press from the "crash" workout was 3 reps @ 176lbs and far too close to being pinned to the bench. Bench press after deload week was 12 reps @ 220lbs.
Confirmation I needed that deload!
Been doing this 40 years and still learning.
Now that's some supercompensation.0 -
Looks like swapping from conventional to sumo deadlifts is going to work wonders for me. I haven't pulled above 365 for months, and even there my lower back was extremely grumpy.
Today, only the second time I've done sumo DL, I pulled 375 for two singles, and my back is NOT angry at me. Still got some cleaning up of my form to do as I get used to the new style, but I'd say it's off to a sparkling start!0 -
Compilation vid from this week, narrated.
I didn't include all sets so the total is 5 minutes.
Tuesday workout was hypertrophy. Squat 335x8 (vol PR, probably 2 reps in the tank), 305x8,8,8,8,8 (total volume PR here). Bench: 225x8, 210x8,8,8,8,8 (total vol PR), Deads 410x5 (rep PR), 375x5.
Today was a recovery day and I needed it, I was sore as hell yesterday and today and I'm in the middle of a training block so typically soreness isn't that bad since I'm adapted. Tuesday's volume killed me.
Squat: 325x3,3,3,3,3,3 Bench 235x3,3,3,3,3,3, Front Squat 225x8,8 Face Pulls 3x a bunch.
Here are a few clips:
http://youtu.be/qonsHVSrMuE 0 -
LOL. Just realized that the first rep of the deadlift was cut out. Going to re-format and re-up.0
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Gotta admit, for a brief moment I panicked going "*kitten* did I only get four reps?!". Was definitely editing error.0
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I am on week one of stronglifts (did it a few months back and stopped - Dont ask me why I am unreasonable!!LOL)
I am perfecting my form much better than last time and all your videos are extremely helpful!!!
Maybe I can post some of my own soon...0 -
SideStreet, do you have really short arms or a really tall torso? I notice that even with sumo that you have a pretty sharp back angle, sharper than I think I've ever seen. Sharper than my own, and I have a really tall torso (have to conventional deadlift with an almost-horizontal back).
Also, I like your winter hat but shorts and t-shirt on.0 -
SideStreet, do you have really short arms or a really tall torso? I notice that even with sumo that you have a pretty sharp back angle, sharper than I think I've ever seen. Sharper than my own, and I have a really tall torso (have to conventional deadlift with an almost-horizontal back).
Also, I like your winter hat but shorts and t-shirt on.
I'm guessing it's the combination of slightly short arms and long torso but I'm honestly not sure.
This is an example though of why I had to go away from conventional, I was damn near parallel to the floor when the bar was over midfoot and under scapula.
And sadly what you're seeing in the video regarding spine angle is good for me relatively speaking.0 -
SideStreet, do you have really short arms or a really tall torso? I notice that even with sumo that you have a pretty sharp back angle, sharper than I think I've ever seen. Sharper than my own, and I have a really tall torso (have to conventional deadlift with an almost-horizontal back).
Also, I like your winter hat but shorts and t-shirt on.
I'm guessing it's the combination of slightly short arms and long torso but I'm honestly not sure.
This is an example though of why I had to go away from conventional, I was damn near parallel to the floor when the bar was over midfoot and under scapula.
And sadly what you're seeing in the video regarding spine angle is good for me relatively speaking.
Hip mobility issues I take it? I made leaps and bounds when I started getting my feet way out there (along with a bunch of hip mobility work to make it possible). Like, toes touching the plates - I use a deadlift bar to prevent my toes from getting accidentally smashed in fact. Really got my back at a better angle than it was and let me comfortably pull bigger weights.0 -
As I am pretty much sidelined from heavy squats and deads at the moment due to my knee issue I am trying to take solace in getting better at my worse lift - bench. I feel it is so far behind my other 2 main lifts. Anyhoo, I did manage to get a PR at the weekend with paused bench of 120lb x 9 (followed by 120lb x 8,8,7,7). The pause is a bit abbreviated at the beginning, which I realized partway through so made it a bit longer - but its not the most comfortable position to be in for over a minute and you kind of want to get it over with lol.
It's not that exciting but I thought I would throw a vid in for some female representation. Hopefully I can get back at it with squats and deads not too soon and post lifts that are a bit more 'up there'
https://youtu.be/Pgc2x7jA1-s 0 -
indianarose2 wrote: »Yes Sara at home! Just works out better for me as I homeschool my kids. Thanks for your inspiring story btw! It was a big motivator for me to start heavy lifting. And thanks to the info in stickies in this group I've finally been steadily losing 1#/wk. So thank you to you and sidesteel!!!
Thank you :flowerforyou:
Are you planning on doing barbell squats? They are a bit problematic without a cage/rack (both from just getting the bar on your back and for safety reasons).0 -
SideStreet, do you have really short arms or a really tall torso? I notice that even with sumo that you have a pretty sharp back angle, sharper than I think I've ever seen. Sharper than my own, and I have a really tall torso (have to conventional deadlift with an almost-horizontal back).
Also, I like your winter hat but shorts and t-shirt on.
I'm guessing it's the combination of slightly short arms and long torso but I'm honestly not sure.
This is an example though of why I had to go away from conventional, I was damn near parallel to the floor when the bar was over midfoot and under scapula.
And sadly what you're seeing in the video regarding spine angle is good for me relatively speaking.
Hip mobility issues I take it? I made leaps and bounds when I started getting my feet way out there (along with a bunch of hip mobility work to make it possible). Like, toes touching the plates - I use a deadlift bar to prevent my toes from getting accidentally smashed in fact. Really got my back at a better angle than it was and let me comfortably pull bigger weights.
I came in here to post tonight's DL session to illustrate but apparently I overestimated the vertical-ness of my back, lol.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HiCKqsdcHg
That's with my toes as far out as they can go. I'm 6'3" with a 32" inseam and only a 74" wingspan. Short arms, really tall torso. My head hits the ceiling of every vehicle on the planet. I guess I just have a strongish posterior chain.0 -
As I am pretty much sidelined from heavy squats and deads at the moment due to my knee issue I am trying to take solace in getting better at my worse lift - bench. I feel it is so far behind my other 2 main lifts. Anyhoo, I did manage to get a PR at the weekend with paused bench of 120lb x 9 (followed by 120lb x 8,8,7,7). The pause is a bit abbreviated at the beginning, which I realized partway through so made it a bit longer - but its not the most comfortable position to be in for over a minute and you kind of want to get it over with lol.
It's not that exciting but I thought I would throw a vid in for some female representation. Hopefully I can get back at it with squats and deads not too soon and post lifts that are a bit more 'up there'https://youtu.be/Pgc2x7jA1-s
Your form is beautiful at least
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Yeah you're still more vertical than I am. I suspect one big difference is stance width -- you're right about hip mobility in that I can't (yet) go toes to plates and still keep my knees out. I can barely keep them out as is, but that's something that has been improving over time and so has my deadlift (and they are probably related).
It's possible that in the future I'll look at trying to gradually widen my stance to try and get the spine angle more upright. I suspect my mobility will keep improving just from deadlifting. Not sure at this point though. Honestly I'm so happy with how things are going right now that all I'm thinking about is adding weight to the bar, but at some point it might be a logical next step.0 -
For some banter...Angry Man\Woman Deadlifts rock!! I'm currently suspended from work, have ate 3k calories in as many days...
*Turn the volume down if you have kids asleep\are in work*
https://youtu.be/1syFavj1p5k
260KG\573Lbs x 2
I'll hit some proper numbers soon. I promise...0 -
indianarose2 wrote: »Yes Sara at home! Just works out better for me as I homeschool my kids. Thanks for your inspiring story btw! It was a big motivator for me to start heavy lifting. And thanks to the info in stickies in this group I've finally been steadily losing 1#/wk. So thank you to you and sidesteel!!!
Thank you :flowerforyou:
Are you planning on doing barbell squats? They are a bit problematic without a cage/rack (both from just getting the bar on your back and for safety reasons).
Yes! I am looking now and am wondering about this cool 1/2 rack I saw at Dicks or a cage. If I get the bar before I get the rack/cage I'll either have my son spot me for squats or start split squats. Thanks for asking and making me think ahead!
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Do any of you mother *kitten* even lift?
http://youtu.be/HJscKGDnPS8 0
