Anyone else just starting out?
blackcoffeeandcherrypie
Posts: 486 Member
I'm super impressed by some of the weights the ladies here can lift, but I'm not at that point yet (and won't be for a while!)
I wondered if there was anyone else just starting out and, if so, what they were lifting and how it went?
I wondered if there was anyone else just starting out and, if so, what they were lifting and how it went?
0
Replies
-
I had a 3 month break, because of a shoulder injury. Then, I dead lifted up to 150lb and squatted 107lb. I struggled on my overheads but could bench and row up to 100lbs.
Because of being out for that length of time I have gone back to the beginning and have started at 45lbs on everthing except the deadlift, where I started at 88lbs. I put the weights up in increments of 5lb each time I lift because it is managable for me.
Good luck on your lifting and feel free to ask any questions.0 -
I'm brand spanking new! I'm trying to figure out how to squat correctly before I move on to the other lifts. I just tried a 45 pound bar for the first time last night. So I'm right there with you! I posted in the form check thread but no responses yet.0
-
I just started yesterday! Here's what I did:
Workout A:
Squats 5x5x45
Benchpress 5x5 45
Rows 5x5x65
I felt like my form was a little iffy on the rows, and 65 felt like a lot so I think I'm going to back it down next time I do Workout A. My plan is to do just the bar, elevated up onto stacked plates or steps so it lands at the height it would if it had plates on it. If the form feels good there, I'll move up from that point. If it still feels weird I might switch to regular barbell rows (as opposed to the pendlay rows that are meant to be used) and do those for a while.
I'm excited to do Workout B tomorrow, though I'm a little nervous about the overhead press. Hopefully I can make it work.0 -
Oh gee, I just realised that if I put it in pounds, it sounds like so much more :-D I didn't realise 20kg was 45lbs, that sounds so much better!
At the moment I am doing everything at 35lbs apart from the bench press at 45lbs. It's going well; I hoped that by starting small and building up I would avoid hurting myself in the beginning.
Well done on starting again, Graceious!
Brianna - I watched the video on Stronglifts a few times to help me with my squats. I'll be honest though - after the first time, the muscles above my knees *hated me* for a couple of days. But now we're all good again :-)
Congrats on starting jessiefrancine! 65lbs is impressive for a first go. I was such a wimp and started at about 30lbs on everything last week. But I feel like it wasn't a bad idea - my husband started heavier but has had more pulled muscles, back pain, etc. Weirdly, I really like the bench press and overhead press. I sort of feel like it's 'proper' weightlifting lol. And even though I'm only lifting a puny little bar, I feel like a hero when I get it up. Go me! :-P0 -
I'll be starting in a few weeks. Still doing lots of reading and trying to figure things out so I don't look like a total fool in the weightroom. There will be lots of other students there, maybe one of them will help me.0
-
sweetteadrinker2 wrote: »I'll be starting in a few weeks. Still doing lots of reading and trying to figure things out so I don't look like a total fool in the weightroom. There will be lots of other students there, maybe one of them will help me.
You know, I had this idea that it was going to be complicated, or intimidating but it actually wasn't. No-one bothers me. I do what I came to do and go. You could always ask the gym for an induction or a quick tour around the machines, if it makes it easier?0 -
sweetteadrinker2 wrote: »I'll be starting in a few weeks. Still doing lots of reading and trying to figure things out so I don't look like a total fool in the weightroom. There will be lots of other students there, maybe one of them will help me.
I was worried about that, too, so I went during a time of day when the weightroom is pretty much empty and I had been visually casing the joint for a few weeks beforehand figuring out where the needed equipment was and watching people use it. The form videos you can find online have helped a lot, too.
blackcoffeeandcherrypie - I always forget there are metric users here, too. I'll make sure to put the lbs on my numbers in the future to make sure we're all on the same page
Out of curiosity, if you are doing 30 lbs on the rows are you using dumbells or a ladies' olympic bar or what? Maybe I need to try whatever it is you are doing. 0 -
They have these 'fixed weight' barbells that I'm using, mainly because there is only one Olympic barbell and that's in use a lot of the time with the serious sort of lifters, so I don't want to wait for that when I'm still only on the very light weights. Plus it's quicker to just go in, grab it, and get going, rather than be putting weights on and off. They range from 10kg to 30kg so I'll good to keep using them for a while yet.
They do have a 'smith' machine but Stronglifts persuaded me that this wasn't as good, so I don't bother with it.0 -
I just started about two weeks ago. Weight lifting has been on my bucket list for a while, but I was super-intimidated. It's amazing to me how quickly I've gotten comfortable in the weight room.
My weights are still very light, as I have been focusing on form. I've mostly been using just the bar (45#). Deadlifts at 95# (because the lightest bumper plates I could find were 25# each). Overhead press I'm having to use dumbbells because the bar is too much. I'm starting to add weight now and am kind of excited about it! So far deadlifts are my favorite.
After my first workout my legs were so sore from squats that I had trouble with stairs. lol0 -
I just started in the gym with free weights - was trying to do it at home with my cable gym for a while, but wasn't seeing much progress (and wasn't able to increase in small enough increments).
Here's my first three workouts (in lbs), but I've only done straight free-weights all the way through since yesterday.
Workout A 7/30
Squat 5x5 (on a sled - squat racks were in use) @ 180 lb
Bench 5x5 @ 65lb
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 75lb
Assisted pull-ups set at 100 (so like 60-65lbs left over) - 3x8 - just to see if I could
______________
Workout B 8/2
Squat 5x5 @ 90lb (Smith machine - not counting any bar weight)
Overhead Press (sitting) 3x5 @ 45lb but it was too light so switched to 55 for another 2x5 and 1x4.
Deadlift 1x5 @ 95lb - probably a tad too light here as well - I was a little scared to overdue anything on my first go. Also, not real sure about form.
Assisted pull-ups w/100 lb assist - 4.5 (yeah, I was beat at the end there)
_________________
Workout A 8/4 (all free weights and like the program says to do it)
Squats 5x5 @ 95 lbs
Bench 5/5/5/5/3 @ 70 lbs
Row 5/5/5/5/4 @ 80 lbs
Assisted pull-ups 5/3/3 w/100 lb assist
Crunches0 -
bakerkate221 wrote: »
After my first workout my legs were so sore from squats that I had trouble with stairs. lol
Ha ha! Me too. I was fine going up the stairs but not down the stairs, nuh-uh. I screamed a little every time I sat down.
Good job Angel! :-)
0 -
I workout at home using and have a squat rack0
-
Hi everyone! I just started the first week of June. Like a few people mentioned above, I was a bit intimidated of lifting at the gym, but I started and haven't looked back. I researched as much as possible. Watched form videos over and over (and still do). It's a very simple program, get as much knowledge as possible and you'll feel more confident. Don't worry about other people because they are focused on their own thing.
0 -
So I did my third workout A today, and I'm up to 15kgs for the squats and barbell rows and 20kg for the bench press. My body actually felt tired afterwards for the first time, so I guess that shows I'm starting to feel it.
Workout A
Squats - 15kg (33lbs)
Barbell Rows - 15kg
Bench Press - 20kg (45lbs)
Hope everyone's day is going well :-)
Thanks for the good advice Jackie! You're right that they're just doing their own thing. It reminds me of that old saying 'most people are too busy worrying about what you think of them, to wonder what they think of you...'0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »bakerkate221 wrote: »
After my first workout my legs were so sore from squats that I had trouble with stairs. lol
Ha ha! Me too. I was fine going up the stairs but not down the stairs, nuh-uh. I screamed a little every time I sat down.
Good job Angel! :-)
This!
I'm a Newbee too. I started with the bar and 10kg for all of W/O A which felt pretty easy tbh, but Man! my legs hurt after the squats! I also felt a bit puny, til I realised that the bar was 20kg by itself (sorry, don't know what that is in lb...) W/O B was cool - til on my last rep of the deadline an instructor came over and corrected my former. This was ace - a freebee pt session! But my reps for the dead lift ended up being about 25 lol! At 40kg...0 -
Ouch! Lol. Glad I'm not the only one who felt the squats :-)
0 -
Hi everyone! I'm very new to free weights and stronglifts. I've just used weight machines and circuit training. I've watched a lot of how to videos to preform the exercises correctly. But when I get to the gym I cannot squat. If i take the weights out of my hands I cannot squat. The only way I can squat is with my back against a wall and going downwards.
The issue is I go on my tippy toes when lowering myself so i look and am unbalanced. So anytime I go to squat someone is helpful to point out in doing it wrong and tries to help me at my gym. But I cannot help for my feet to tip forward.
So should I do squats regardless of this and be careful when it starts to get heavy? Or fix my form before I start doing squats?
and has anyone ever heard of tippy toe squats? Its so frustrating D;0 -
Yeah I always go up on my toes too. I think it might be tight hamstrings, or excess body weight. I'm hoping it will sort itself out as I lose weight and get fitter.0
-
I can squat sans weights with my feet almost flat, almost. When I had some physical therapy for my knee a few years ago she said it was down to female anatomy. A nice way of saying my big ol' behind was unbalancing me.0
-
Fix your firm first. Most of the time it is due to not sitting back far enough. Try squatting back on to a bench. You can also try squatting with a broomstick instead of a bar. When you get to the bottom of the squat, you should be able to lift your big toes.
I'll see if I can find the Mark Rippetoe info on learning squat form.0 -
Ok, I can't find a good link to Rippetoe on my phone, I will keep looking. I found the following pic though that shows how to get used to how the bottom of the squat should be. Get down in a squat, heels on the floor, put your elbows inside your knees and push your knees out. Pushing those knees out makes room for you to squat deeper. When squatting with the bar, really concentrate on pushing your knees out.
![2kJ8p.jpg[\img]](http://i.imgur.com/2kJ8p.jpg[\img])
0 -
Ok, I can't find a good link to Rippetoe on my phone, I will keep looking. I found the following pic though that shows how to get used to how the bottom of the squat should be. Get down in a squat, heels on the floor, put your elbows inside your knees and push your knees out. Pushing those knees out makes room for you to squat deeper. When squatting with the bar, really concentrate on pushing your knees out.
I also really like that as a stretch for after a run.0 -
Brianna716 wrote: »I'm brand spanking new! I'm trying to figure out how to squat correctly before I move on to the other lifts. I just tried a 45 pound bar for the first time last night. So I'm right there with you! I posted in the form check thread but no responses yet.
about this . . . i really find that i never know if someone's done that, because it's a sticky thread so i don't get the nice little yellow highlight which is pretty much the only way i navigate in here. so please don't feel ignored. maybe just make a post (like this one) so that people will know that there's something you'd like some feedback about.
i'm not the best to advise you (totally starting from fresh after a year of guessing and goofing it up without getting any official coaching), but i'll go look.
0 -
blackcoffeeandcherrypie wrote: »Yeah I always go up on my toes too. I think it might be tight hamstrings, or excess body weight. I'm hoping it will sort itself out as I lose weight and get fitter.
I know thin and fit people who can't fully squat, it's totally a flexibility/tightness thing, not a body weight thing. I can ATG squat with heels flat and I'm not fit at all, yet.
Best to get the form sooner than later when you get injured from it.
skip to 18:00 on how to squat low and stretch for flexibility. TLDR: have proper foot wear, stretch your calves and ankles.
I also found warming up helps a lot - do some body weight squats or some goblet squats. Foam roll your legs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bs_Ej32IYgo
0 -
toe-centred squatting puts a lot of stress on my quads, which ends up translating itself to my knees and it's no fun at all.
i'm trying to fix this myself currently, and the thing i'm suspecting atm is that something in my glute complex is tight. when i hit about the halfway point for depth it's a wall. my hips just won't open/drop any further with exactly the same trajectory. i think i end up tipping forward instead and transferring the work of continuing downwards to my front hip flexors. that's my story anyway.
my best trigger point for improving that is right behind the bone of my pelvic girdle. you know how your hip bones jut out in front? find that point, and then work your way down against the back 'edge' of the bone. sooner or later you run across the place where your glutes/etc attach, and with me anyway, impressive things suddenly happen when i enter that zone. a lacrosse ball up against the wall is a good way of doing it if your own hands aren't strong enough. glutes are powerful muscles; they fight back against a touch that's too light.
0 -
I'm new...again. I had extensive foot, ankle, calf surgery 13months ago and I'm just getting back to semi-normal. I used to be super active but have been more or less sedentary since the surgery. Been back cycling for few months, and I'm starting back on Stronglifts tomorrow, I think at 45lbs for everything to see how it goes. Here goes...0
-
Good luck with your fresh start, I hope it goes well. I'm training at a gym in South Africa at the moment that has a fantastic weights section and the instructors are very keen so hopefully I will see some more improvements. Everything is at 17.5kg at the moment and building up slowly.0
-
Well, I finally got up to 20kg for my lifts, woo! Took a little longer than most people, but I feel comfortable with where I'm at.
Also, as regards the lifting up heels when squatting; the instructor gave me a good tip today. He put weights just under my heels so that I'm still pressing down through my heels when I lift. It felt good, stronger and more correct. My feet stay flat till parallel, it's just when I drop below parallel then my heels come up.0 -
NoAnalHere wrote: »Hi everyone! I'm very new to free weights and stronglifts. I've just used weight machines and circuit training. I've watched a lot of how to videos to preform the exercises correctly. But when I get to the gym I cannot squat. If i take the weights out of my hands I cannot squat. The only way I can squat is with my back against a wall and going downwards.
The issue is I go on my tippy toes when lowering myself so i look and am unbalanced. So anytime I go to squat someone is helpful to point out in doing it wrong and tries to help me at my gym. But I cannot help for my feet to tip forward.
So should I do squats regardless of this and be careful when it starts to get heavy? Or fix my form before I start doing squats?
and has anyone ever heard of tippy toe squats? Its so frustrating D;
I am not doing SL yet but plan to start soon. If you mean your heels come off the ground, I have the same issue too. You are not alone! I could hardly break parallel on my squat or squat all the way down without falling on my butt. My problem is a combination of tightness around my hips but specially my ankles/calf. Things that have helped me are stretching them really well before squatting or every time I remember, using a wider stance, and pushing the knees out as far as I can seemed to help a lot. Another thing I like to do that is shown on the video^ is holding on to the stair rail at home an squat all the way down and hold it for a few mins. I'm still not completely ATG but I have seen a lot of improvement. It does take time and like the other poster said lots of stretching, foam rolling and mobility work.
Hopefully, I will be back soon with questions or sharing my journey once I officially start the program!0 -
Just realized I posted in wrong thread. Disregard. lol 0
