Ninenines - I determined that the pain in my ribs/ chest were muscle spasms like many of the ladies thought. I just never experienced that pain in my rib cage and concentrated on the left side I was concerned. I had them again last night after another Kettlebell day and increasing my weight more than likely brought them on. Thanks for asking!

Squats: 5x5 @ 76 kg
OHP: 5x4 @ 23 kg - I kept thinking I would make it to 5, and then failing at 4. But still - heavier than I've managed to date
Deadlift: 1x5 @ 65 kg

canadianlbs wrote: »

ninenines wrote: »

pull ups are so much harder than chin ups!

i knowwww, and i'm so excited. because i'm not gonna say they were easy and i just barely squeaked my chin up to the bar to begin each of them . . . but i did them two weeks ago, and they were for sure easy-er. **

i really really hope the rib thing's in the past and i can get back to them. because nothing i've done has added so much upper body/back/lat strength as fast as they did. i'm convinced they're the reason why my ohp went through the roof last summer, once mr trainer had cleaned up my form.

** oh, also there is the fact i'm 5 pounds or so lighter than last time i tried. but that's not significant, right?

Pull-ups or chin-ups are amazing, seriously. I'm in awe of any female that can do one or more. I've kind of been looking at it from the other way, building up my overhead press should help with pull ups.

fanncy0626 wrote: »

I determined that the pain in my ribs was caused by the increased weight of my kettle bell. So I'm fighting back! I increased the weight to the 30 pound kettle bell for all of the sets today as well as increased the reps to nine.

I like your thinking!

I'm planning to copy you and start doing kettlebell swings on my non lifting days. I do need to get a heavier one, though - I only have smaller ones at home.

Ariadnula wrote: »

fanncy0626 wrote: »

I determined that the pain in my ribs was caused by the increased weight of my kettle bell. So I'm fighting back! I increased the weight to the 30 pound kettle bell for all of the sets today as well as increased the reps to nine.

I like your thinking!

I'm planning to copy you and start doing kettlebell swings on my non lifting days. I do need to get a heavier one, though - I only have smaller ones at home.

This is the five-week program that I started with.
http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/5-week-whole-body-single-kettlebell-workout?day=1

Thanks for sharing that @fanncy0626 , I have a kettlebell and I kind of do random stuff with it, but I'm so much better when I have a program to follow. I might give that one a try.

Stronglifts today.

SQ: 5x5 at 40kg. Watching form, feeling pretty happy with how they look.
OHP: 5x5 at 22kg. I might have done an extra set here, the app crashed and then I couldn't remember if I'd already done 3 or 4 sets. Went with 3 and did another 2.
DL: 1x3 at 72.5kg. My lower back, around the right SI joint felt off, twingy, so stopped at 3. I was recording my form and it looked OK from the side, but maybe I am leading too hard with my right leg. Feels OK now, but will take care.

doing what i can without stressing the hip: bench 75, casual ohp (sets of 5 up to 55), and some row sets at 60, and 6x1 neg chinups this time.

chinups! more progress: rec centre handles are even higher. they have two stools you can use to get up there and i took the shorter one, so i had to go up on my toes and reach quite hard to get my hands on the grips. i'm still jumping up, not even trying to pull. but at that stretch, even a jump only brings my forehead up to the grips.

so i actually did do a tiny segment of a real chinup with each one. just the final four to six inches to get my chin all the way past the bar, and then lock it in (?out) at the top. i'd hang up there to make sure i had it, and then i'd start down. the part i am no nearer getting than i ever was is at the opposite end: overcoming the dead hang right at the bottom.

andylllI wrote: »

If you hang on the bar, straight arms and try to activate your lats, sort of do the first couple degrees of a chin up/ pull up, that really helps with getting over the bottom sticking point.

thanks. i can do that with the pulldown bar not at all like the real thing.

Forgot to check in yesterday! Last one of January, of course!

As I lifted on Saturday, I did a spin class yesterday - it's a killer, but a good killer! Then went into the gym for an hour or so while hubby was lifting. As my legs had already had a good workout, and I'd done quite a bit the previous day I did some shoulder work - lat pulldowns, wide grip and underhand, seated rows, and negative shoulder presses.

Then did some negative pull ups - 5 quite good ones, and also managed (according to hubby) 3/4 of a "proper" pull up haha - I am getting there - slowly but surely, I am going to get to the full one before the year is out!

I set my alarm to get up and do kettlebells this morning but I truly am too tired. A rest day, proper rest day is in order. I walked into work this morning, but that's my lot I think.

Well done everyone on some pretty super numbers in January - let's smash February now!!