Starting Strength WALL

adam1885282
adam1885282 Posts: 135 Member
edited December 4 in Fitness and Exercise
I'm two months in. Squats today were doable at 100lbs, up from 45. OHP was a non starter at 100 up from 45. I deloaded to 85 to get 5 sets.

I recently started losing weight again and I didn't sleep much last night. Football season has cut into my workout time. OH.P felt so crappy or I never would have posted this

Needing some advice.

Thanks

Edit: 6', 215lbs. I also cycle and yoga several times a week. I've been strength training for about 6 months so I have put on some muscle. However I'm still well overweight. My lowest in recent history was about 165 before I hurt my knee and spent two years regaining weight

Replies

  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i always find o.h.p. goes first when i'm not eating, not sleeping, or pushing too hard. i'd add 'i'm a woman so press is my hardest lift anyway' except it's exactly the same for the guys i lift with. press is the one that they can't get away with if they're depleted in any way. it's got a pretty narrow fault tolerance, so it's like i can do a bad squat or bad deadlift and somehow bull my way through. with ohp, the bar either goes up or it doesn't go up, and i've either got the strength and the form to do it, or i don't. therefore: i fail 'more often' with it because it's much harder to cheat.

    i wouldn't stress over one bad day. everyone has them and sometimes the cure is just to take a few more rest days.

    also: idk if you're lifting by rippetoe's book, but that strange little hip thing he put into the version i have was something i never got right. seems to me like it's just adding complication to an already harder-than-it-seems lift.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    Are you doing Starting Strength (SS) or Stronglifts (SL)?

    SS is based on a 3x5 (sets x reps) program and SL is based on 5x5.

    So, if you're doing SL you only need to do 3 sets of 5 for SQTs, BPs and OHPs. The only other variations are 1x5 for DLs and 5x3 for PCs (power cleans).

    With SL, you do 5x5 for SQTs, BPs, OHPs and Rows and 1x5 for DLs.

    The problem w/both 3x5 and 5x5 is that you can quickly max out at heavy weights by increasing increments by 5 or 10 lbs and if you continue to try to do multiple sets at those weights, you risk exhaustion and poor form which increases the risk of injury.

    This is especially true with OHP. There are 2 possible solutions when you plateau on OHP: 1) use pairs of fractional plates varying from 1/4 to 1 1/4 lbs (instead of 2.5 or 5) when increasing weight and/or 2) switch to an intermediate program -- like Wendler 5/3/1 or the Texas Method -- that use and varying sets/reps/wts to break thru sticking points.

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    So you cycle, yoga, lift and play football. I suspect your lifts are horrible since you don't get adequate rest. And if you have been lifting for that long, you may want to consider a more advanced program.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    adam1885282 wrote: »
    I'm two months in. Squats today were doable at 100lbs, up from 45. OHP was a non starter at 100 up from 45. I deloaded to 85 to get 5 sets.

    If you don't mind me asking - what happened to slow your squats down, so that you're only at 100 lb two months in? Barring stalling or something interfering with training, you should be up around 160. This makes me wonder - if in addition to your other activities - you aren't doing the program properly. If you were doing this 2x per week, OK - but then your OHP shouldn't be that high yet.

  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    TR0berts wrote: »
    If you don't mind me asking - what happened to slow your squats down, so that you're only at 100 lb two months in? Barring stalling or something interfering with training, you should be up around 160. This makes me wonder - if in addition to your other activities - you aren't doing the program properly. If you were doing this 2x per week, OK - but then your OHP shouldn't be that high yet.



    I've never heard of anyone having an OHP equal to their Squat. Wondering if it's a mobility and/or form issue?


  • Lizarking
    Lizarking Posts: 507 Member
    edited October 2016
    Leadfoot_Lewis wrote: »
    TR0berts wrote: »
    If you don't mind me asking - what happened to slow your squats down, so that you're only at 100 lb two months in? Barring stalling or something interfering with training, you should be up around 160. This makes me wonder - if in addition to your other activities - you aren't doing the program properly. If you were doing this 2x per week, OK - but then your OHP shouldn't be that high yet.



    I've never heard of anyone having an OHP equal to their Squat. Wondering if it's a mobility and/or form issue?


    /rasies hand.


    Anyway, squat stalling at 100lbs is p.much going to be a form issue, assuming no weird bone structure, injuries, etc.

    Post up a form video.








    Outside of injury: the top 3 reasons people can't progress in SS:

    1. Not doing the program.
    2. Form issues.
    3. Being too scared of the weight.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    psulemon wrote: »
    So you cycle, yoga, lift and play football. I suspect your lifts are horrible since you don't get adequate rest. And if you have been lifting for that long, you may want to consider a more advanced program.

    After only 6 months of lifting you suggest he move on to an advance lifting program... no way, especially with only doing 85-100lbs with OHP, at 215 lbs he should be able to get over BW on squats, around BW on bench and 0.75 on OHP before being at a level to advance from SS.
  • Leadfoot_Lewis
    Leadfoot_Lewis Posts: 1,623 Member
    erickirb wrote: »
    After only 6 months of lifting you suggest he move on to an advance lifting program... no way, especially with only doing 85-100lbs with OHP, at 215 lbs he should be able to get over BW on squats, around BW on bench and 0.75 on OHP before being at a level to advance from SS.

    Agree with this 100%-OP is fair from being advanced if he can't even squat his BW. Most people after 6 months or so on a good, progressive lifting program should be able to Squat their body weight or come close. That said, you will find very few that can OHP their bodyweight.

  • adam1885282
    adam1885282 Posts: 135 Member
    Thanks all. I looked back at my calendar and haven't been as consistent as I should have been. I am going to deload OHP and move on. Yoga is very strenuous and I think I discount how much it affects me. I will slow my progression while I am actively trying to lose weight.

    I did bench press (135), barbell row (90), and squats (105) tonight and got through everything 5x5 even though squats were difficult after yoga. Bench was doable though I considered finding a spotter for my last set.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,431 MFP Moderator
    erickirb wrote: »
    psulemon wrote: »
    So you cycle, yoga, lift and play football. I suspect your lifts are horrible since you don't get adequate rest. And if you have been lifting for that long, you may want to consider a more advanced program.

    After only 6 months of lifting you suggest he move on to an advance lifting program... no way, especially with only doing 85-100lbs with OHP, at 215 lbs he should be able to get over BW on squats, around BW on bench and 0.75 on OHP before being at a level to advance from SS.

    No, I wasn't suggesting an advanced routine, but a change in routine (going from beginner to intermediate). But I missed the part of his squat only being 105, which is really low for a guy especially of his size. I do think that he needs to work out his workout priorities if he wants to make serious improvements in strength because yoga, cycling and football can be largely leg dominant. And lifting consistency is required.
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