M(ar)uch Lifting is good for you!
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Got a DEXA scan today. The last one I had was April 2016. I had gotten fatter (and knew it) but wanted to know if I had at least gained some muscle.
Since April 2016:
Body fat went from 30.4% to 33.5%
Legs: gained 3.4 lb fat but also gained 3.8 lb LBM
Arms: gained 1 lb fat but also gained 1.4 lb LBM
Trunk: gained 3 lbs fat and lost 2.3 lb LBM (the trunk LBM keeps jumping up and down by 2 lb each time I get a scan, this is my fourth - I'd had a couple of scans in 2015)
Gynoid (hips): gained 1.4 lb fat and 1.2 lb LBM
Android (spare tire area): gained 0.8 lb fat and 0.4 lb LBM
I don't know if all of that LBM is really muscle or if fat carries some water with it, or if I was just better hydrated.
My trunk loss might be from my upper back from those months with my shoulder was at its worst.
I wish I'd gotten at least one DEXA between April of last year and now, because my most consistent lifting was since October 2016.
I'm going to lose slowly (around 0.5 lb per week or less) and keep on lifting, with plenty of protein (I range from 90-150 g/day - hey, I love MEEEEEEAT! and fishies and cheese).
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What made you switch to wendler?
rage?
i was doing 3x5 for a while but then even that turned into a grind. my trainer moved me on actually, after i did one set of stupid-heavy bench press one day and said 'i am not doing the other two sets'. no reason why i couldn't have, physically. i just didn't bleeping want to. because what was the point? it would be some kind of bitter struggle, i'd do it, and all the reward i was going to get was going to be another five fecking pounds and the same fecking struggle the next time bench day came.
you can see i can still call back the mood i was in
it just got to feeling like the way ry cooder described his 'career' at one point in his life: "more records, and more records. it was just this tremendous burden of nothing at all. "
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bike left at repair shop for the semi-major servicing i should have had done quite a long time ago. new cables, brakes, tubes, bottom bracket cleanup coming up, along with a new cassette and new chain. expensive but satisfying. i feel like i've paid my dues with the tough-it-out stuff.
did my workout in one of the less-familiar gyms. and wow, i was clunky and disoriented. brought the wrong shoes and realised i still had to do my 3's week real sets for deadlift and ohp, so i did them in my street boots. i'm blaming the footwear for this one.
deadlifts 125/145/165. four for the top set, and like i said. ima blame the boots and say i was pulling from a half-inch or so deficit. naturally, if i'd had my real shoes i would have got zillions for that last set 165 is still haaaahd. **
press idk . . . 55 60 65? except i never did the 65 set. there were no racks going and once i'd cleaned 65 i wasn't foolish enough to try pressing it too. i did a static hold, hung around for a while hoping to get a second try from a rack, and gave up.
actually, i'm clawing for any little ego-shreds here. i was using the women's bar and i want to suddenly conveniently 'remember' that it weighs 33lbs instead of 30. that way i get an extra three pounds and i can feel just a tiny bit more up myself.2 -
canadianlbs wrote: »What made you switch to wendler?
rage? i was doing 3x5 for a while but then even that turned into a grind. my trainer moved me on actually, after i did one set of stupid-heavy bench press one day and said 'i am not doing the other two sets'. no reason why i couldn't have, physically. i just didn't bleeping want to. because what was the point? it would be some kind of bitter struggle, i'd do it, and all the reward i was going to get was going to be another five fecking pounds and the same fecking struggle the next time bench day came.
you can see i can still call back the mood i was in it just got to feeling like the way ry cooder described his 'career' at one point in his life: "more records, and more records. it was just this tremendous burden of nothing at all. "
Haha I can feel the rage0 -
canadianlbs wrote: »What made you switch to wendler?
rage? i was doing 3x5 for a while but then even that turned into a grind. my trainer moved me on actually, after i did one set of stupid-heavy bench press one day and said 'i am not doing the other two sets'. no reason why i couldn't have, physically. i just didn't bleeping want to. because what was the point? it would be some kind of bitter struggle, i'd do it, and all the reward i was going to get was going to be another five fecking pounds and the same fecking struggle the next time bench day came.
you can see i can still call back the mood i was in it just got to feeling like the way ry cooder described his 'career' at one point in his life: "more records, and more records. it was just this tremendous burden of nothing at all. "
Haha I can feel the rage
Its actually how I'm starting to feel.im grinding out the same weight on most of the lifts week in week out and feel like I'm close to the maximum I'll ever lift lol. On a positive note I've lost more inches and my weight is still 123 lbs so recomp is finally working.2 -
Its actually how I'm starting to feel.im grinding out the same weight on most of the lifts week in week out and feel like I'm close to the maximum I'll ever lift lol. On a positive note I've lost more inches and my weight is still 123 lbs so recomp is finally working.
i can definitely say that when i moved to wendler it was worth it just for the new lease on life that it gave my attitude. it was just such a relief. all of a sudden i was back to working with humane levels of weight, and it was part of a programme so i didn't feel like i was slacking or skipping out.
for me that was huge psychologically, and i think it did make an objective difference in my progress. in theory, there's nothing stopping you from focusing on your form when you deload with linear formats, but all i can say is that with the linear nx5 sets that never really happened for me. i'd deload with great intentions, but it was like there was nowhere clear for me to go, you know? it was very binary in my mind. so i always either felt like i 'should' get back on the upward path as soon as i had a viable form once again, or i resisted that feeling and then i felt like i was just turning in circles and copping out. majoring in the minors, yanno
that's starting to happen for me now (again) with wendler as well. i think it's partly on me and then there's also the injury/maladjustment stuff i'm working out. but in the beginning, something about that format made it so i'd do actually meaningful work on my form with the lighter weights. imo it did give me a dramatic new impetus at least with some of the lifts.
i switched in april last year, and iirc at the time i was fighting to feel good about my form with 45 or 50 on ohp, and i think with deadlifts 120 was about the most i felt confident of 'pretty much always' being able to get. so on those ones i made dramatic progress: before xmas and Stuff, i was confident of 165 for deadlift and 65 for press - i.e. looking forward to the next increase and confident that i'd get them too. bench has pretty much stayed where it was weight-wise but i gained composure and inherent strength all the same. and squats also did great when they were great, but that's the one where i keep hitting additional walls.
i'm just one person and i always feel like i'm a bit of an outlier, but for what it's worth.
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canadianlbs wrote: »Its actually how I'm starting to feel.im grinding out the same weight on most of the lifts week in week out and feel like I'm close to the maximum I'll ever lift lol. On a positive note I've lost more inches and my weight is still 123 lbs so recomp is finally working.
i can definitely say that when i moved to wendler it was worth it just for the new lease on life that it gave my attitude. it was just such a relief. all of a sudden i was back to working with humane levels of weight, and it was part of a programme so i didn't feel like i was slacking or skipping out.
for me that was huge psychologically, and i think it did make an objective difference in my progress. in theory, there's nothing stopping you from focusing on your form when you deload with linear formats, but all i can say is that with the linear nx5 sets that never really happened for me. i'd deload with great intentions, but it was like there was nowhere clear for me to go, you know? it was very binary in my mind. so i always either felt like i 'should' get back on the upward path as soon as i had a viable form once again, or i resisted that feeling and then i felt like i was just turning in circles and copping out. majoring in the minors, yanno
that's starting to happen for me now (again) with wendler as well. i think it's partly on me and then there's also the injury/maladjustment stuff i'm working out. but in the beginning, something about that format made it so i'd do actually meaningful work on my form with the lighter weights. imo it did give me a dramatic new impetus at least with some of the lifts.
i switched in april last year, and iirc at the time i was fighting to feel good about my form with 45 or 50 on ohp, and i think with deadlifts 120 was about the most i felt confident of 'pretty much always' being able to get. so on those ones i made dramatic progress: before xmas and Stuff, i was confident of 165 for deadlift and 65 for press - i.e. looking forward to the next increase and confident that i'd get them too. bench has pretty much stayed where it was weight-wise but i gained composure and inherent strength all the same. and squats also did great when they were great, but that's the one where i keep hitting additional walls.
i'm just one person and i always feel like i'm a bit of an outlier, but for what it's worth.
I totally get where you're coming from.i put my numbers into madcow and liked the low weight days and the different reps.i feel liked I'd complete the sessions easier and not feel fed up failing and deloading..ive got a little addicted to lifting and surprised at how mentally it's affecting me when I can't finish my sets lol.2 -
Stronglifts yesterday.
Did my squats warm-up set and started my sets at 40kg (85lbs). First time at this weight. The first 2 reps felt more or less ok but I could feel I was bending forward on the 3rd and 4th rep, didn’t even attempt a 5th.
Up comes a trainer from the gym with another guy saying I should deload and work on my form. I'm bending too much forward. Told him I could feel it and that it was the first time at this weight. He says to first get my form right before going up in weight. So I went back to 30kg and asked him to watch. Still not good, bending forward and the other guys says my knees are caving in, probably my core isn't strong enough and/or ankle issue. Now the 2nd guy, I see him often in the gym, very tall, a lot of muscle always working in the “light” weights area doing body weight exercises, some dumbbells, sandbags etc but never in the “heavy weight” corner. He looks like he knows what he’s doing though.
So those 2 guys now have me doing squats, without the bar, with plates under by feet, wide stance, smaller stance, front barbell squats, …trying to get my form right. In the meantime 2 other people join the party and both tell me they saw me doing those squats with bad form and thought I was going to hurt myself.
Turns out I’m one of the people with bad form other people talk about
2nd guy told me he saw me often and did want to come up and tell me but didn’t think it was appropriate and he doesn’t want to go criticize people. We get talking and turn out he was a private trainer before, changed his career as he didn’t like it anymore but tells me he’s happy to write me up a program, for free…
So now here I am, I really liked stronglifts as it’s nice and simple but another part of me also wants to be able to do my exercises with good form, get stronger and build some – preferably visible – muscle. And I didn’t have the impression I was getting it at the moment with SL. Sure the weight did get up but I didn’t see or feel much of a change. I mostly liked the fact that I was doing my own thing, headphones in and ignore the world, I might have to change that now
Tomorrow I should get my program from this guy and I think I will give it a go. From what I understand it will be compound exercises but not necessarily heavy, set-up more as HIIT. Not sure yet how it’s going to work, whether he will guide me the first sessions and we do a check-in or if I actually hire him as a trainer.
So I’ll probably put the SL program in the cupboard for the moment and give this new program a chance.
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@Stella014 it is a great idea to have a trainer teach correct form. I also agree that as women we have to adapt the SL program to fit for us. Also if you are working at losing weight it is very difficult to build muscle during a deficit. It really helps to maintain your muscle through losing though. I had my squats all the way up to 130 pounds and saw myself in the mirror and realized I was not going parallel. My form was off. I did a serious download down to 65 pounds and I am now at 90 pounds. I am working on building strength in all of the compound lifts and doing them correctly. 1 pound at a time! I am actually waiting to lose 10 percent more body fat before I really work at muscle gain. It sounds like the trainer may be wanting to strengthen your muscles needed to do the strong lift routine. Hopefully! Stick with us no matter what your routine!3
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Stronglift Rest Day
Kettlebell Swing
Goblet squat-6X5X 35
Russian kettle bell swing-20X 10 X 35
40lbs loss by May 27th Challenge
It's going to rain today! I am still walking! Getting ready for the first of my 2- 2 mile walks.
I'm still losing weight. Just a little slower lately. I dropped 0.2 pounds yesterday and another 0.4 pounds today. I am going to do a carb re-feed on Saturday.
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So... I havent' done anything this week. The idea of going to the gym on Tuesday had me in tears. I'm so exhausted between work and my hip not quite being right. I've been going to physio, she gave me a few things to work on to help keep my body balanced (she thinks that maybe one side is stronger, so I'm driving through that side, and then when the weights got higher... the other side is all "nooo *kitten* you!!"). My chiropractor is out of town this week... so yeah. I should go tonight, but I'd rather go to bed. So we'll see.
I'm looking into booking a DEXA exam here. I heard that it's not as expensive as I thought it would be, and it looks like it will be a good reference point, especially because I'm not trying to drop weight, rather recomp. But I also want to spend an hour with a PT when I get clearance to squat again, and there is only so much money...
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Today's workout
Squats 1x5@45,85,3@106 then 3x5@118lbs
Ohp 1x5@15,40 then 5x5@50lbs
Deadlift 1x5@85,105,128 then 1x5@150lbs.
Bulgarian split squats 30 each leg.
Decided to drop to 3x5 on squats,it feels like a low number to drop on tbh but I'm struggling with the last 2 sets.wasnt sure whether to deload or drop sets.
3x5 and now 3x3 has made such a difference for me with squats! I feel like I can actually recover between workouts now. No shame in the low rep game
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Stronglifts day off! Ran 6mi.
Hope your hips get better @Katiebear_81. Better to rest and recoop then re-injure yourself.1 -
amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Today's workout
Squats 1x5@45,85,3@106 then 3x5@118lbs
Ohp 1x5@15,40 then 5x5@50lbs
Deadlift 1x5@85,105,128 then 1x5@150lbs.
Bulgarian split squats 30 each leg.
Decided to drop to 3x5 on squats,it feels like a low number to drop on tbh but I'm struggling with the last 2 sets.wasnt sure whether to deload or drop sets.
3x5 and now 3x3 has made such a difference for me with squats! I feel like I can actually recover between workouts now. No shame in the low rep game
3x3 sounds even better haha.ive been so tired in between workouts.gonna stick to lower sets☺1 -
3x3 feels great as I get closet to bodyweight! This week I'm doing 3x3, the 3x4, then 3x5 at 150 before trying for 155 next week. 5x5 is a ton of volume, esp with warm up sets!1
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Went to gym before work for bench day.
band pull aparts 3x15
bench 2x10 @ 45, 1x8 @ 65 and 2x8 @ 85 (tried one set with plates on floor for feet)
cgbp 2x8 @ 70 - challenging and didn't do pause ones
incline bench 1x10 @ 45 and 2x8 @ 60
abs ish, leg raises from the chair thing 2x8
walked 30 minutes on treadmill on a 4 incline and 3 speed
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amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »3x3 feels great as I get closet to bodyweight! This week I'm doing 3x3, the 3x4, then 3x5 at 150 before trying for 155 next week. 5x5 is a ton of volume, esp with warm up sets!
I felt like I was cheating by dropping sets but I'm close to bodyweight too and was getting so tired.i did 5x5 then Deadlifts a few weeks ago and I was wiped out. That looks like a good set up when moving up.your numbers are really good!1 -
amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »3x3 feels great as I get closet to bodyweight! This week I'm doing 3x3, the 3x4, then 3x5 at 150 before trying for 155 next week. 5x5 is a ton of volume, esp with warm up sets!
I felt like I was cheating by dropping sets but I'm close to bodyweight too and was getting so tired.i did 5x5 then Deadlifts a few weeks ago and I was wiped out. That looks like a good set up when moving up.your numbers are really good!
I felt like it was cheating at first, but the app offers the option to drop to lower reps (you have to buy the power pack) so then I felt better about it. I think I'll be able to progress a little longer in squats with the lower reps, and it's not worth risking a fatigue related injury just to keep doing 5x5.1 -
DawnEmbers wrote: »abs ish
this made me laugh.
@Katiebear_81, stay home if you don't feel it, especially if you're waiting to get a hip thing looked at. this ain't the marines.
@lkpducky, that sounds like a difficult day. maybe picking one person to work with and working on stuff with just that one person will be helpful though.
i'm feeling overwhelmed and cranky after more than 12 hours away from home. picked up my bike, bought a helmet - which took forever, who even knew. and fiiiiiinally got myself home. feeling like showing the world what i think of it by not doing my stretchign/foam rolling homework.
bleh.
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^^^ oops, i meant @Stella014 , not ducky. sorry. it's overwhelming when everyone piles on to try and be helpful, and i struggle with defensiveness and demoralization too when it all gets to be too much. so i'm impressed with you for actually stepping into it and asking the first guy to watch you and give you feedback. i would have wanted to flee.
about not feeling it, with sl . . . and also about having to give up your headphone time, i know how you feel but people will not be facetiming you all the time. for myself, i found that investing in t-day once a week really pays off in focus, just because now i'm much more informed and conscious about what to 'feel' for while i'm doing something. it's just that that's hard when you're trying to work on it but don't really feel like you have a plan or an idea of what you're working on specifically.
keep us updated about it, anyway.2 -
Stronglift Workout B
Squats-1X5X 55/65/75/85, 5X5X 90
OHP- 1X5X 45/50, 5X5X 55
DL- 15X 95/105/115/120
Kettlebell Swing
Goblet squats-3X5X 35
Russian kettle bell swing-16X 7X 35
40lbs loss by May 27 Challenge
Walk every day! Hopefully it won't rain today like yesterday! I got a little wet! Today I am taking a minimum of 2 - 2 mile walks rain or shine!
Measurement day! - 8 inches loss last 4 weeks for a total of 22 inches.
Weight loss- 5.2 lbs last 4 weeks for a total of 22 lbs since January 1st.3 -
Stronglifts day
5x5 Squats 115 - felt much easier this time!
55553 bench 65 - still weak
5x5 row 80
Felt much easier than on Wednesday overall. This is perhaps because I've been eating everything in sight the past two days. Next step is to clean up my diet!5 -
I forgot to note my Weds workout this week, but I did do it Today's workout was short and a bit rushed because I had an appt after the gym and it was more crowded than usual.
Squats: 2x5 @ 150, 1x3 @ 150
Benchpress: 5x5 @ 82.
Wretched rows: Didn't have time. Aw, shucks!3 -
@amyinthetardis1231 The same thing nearly happened to me today. I had an appointment after my gym time and someone did not re-rack their weights after finishing with the squat rack leading me to think it was occupied and waiting over nothing.1
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I hadn't lifted since Monday. Everything has gone upside down. My brother-in-law was diagnosed with liver cancer that had metastasized to the lungs last Friday night - and by Saturday he was gone
we are all in shock. He looked gaunt and awful when I saw him at the end of January (mom's birthday) but he kept refusing to go to the doctor.
The funeral was yesterday. I'm doing whatever I can for my sister and trying to deal with my own thoughts. Half the time it doesn't feel real and other times I just freak out/crash. They moved far away 3 years ago so I rarely see them.
I did manage to feel well enough to walk to the gym and do lifting today. As I see my relatives aging (mom's generation late 80s early 90s), more and more I see working out as something life-affirming. Take that, death! *shakes fist*
OHP 6 x 5 @ 30 lb
Bench press 1 x 10 @ 45 lb, 2 x 5 @ 65 lb That weight was not difficult but I felt wobbly! I had a hard time keeping the bar balanced. Finally said f--- this for a game of soldiers, and did barbell rows instead. 5 x 5 @ 70 lb.
Squats - down to 45 lb to work on form. Back is straight now, and I'm feeling it much more in the mid quads. 5 sets of 5.
Deadlift 2 sets of 95 lb.
The lady next to me was also doing deadlifts. It looked to me like her head was below her butt when she started the pull, and her legs were almost straight. I have no idea how I can pull a weight up if my legs are straight and butt sticking up in the air. I have to bend my legs and have my butt slightly below my head and I don't know if that's right.
Then tried again with bench press, with db this time. 32.5 lb 1 x 5, 2 x 4, 2 x 53 -
Half the time it doesn't feel real and other times I just freak out/crash.
how awful. and yes, it's like that. it's like you have to figure out a whole new relationship with 'normal' and how you feel about it.
i had t-day, so i'll report for 3's week. bench 55/65/73 and i got five. squats meh. i can recognize mr t being tactful at me from a mile off and i diagnose that my depth isn't anywhere near where it should be. i just can't get that sit-back-and-down thing back atm.
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hehehe. Yeah, if it's not obvious, not a fan of abs in a workout. I rarely do them.
Today was shoulders. Had a short workout but gym also closed for a fire safety testing thing so had to leave before could do anything else.
db shoulder press 2x12 @ 20
side lateral raise 2x8 @ 12.5
front plate raise 2x8 @ 25
bent over raises 2x8 @10
assisted pullup 2x5 @ 7
Nothing else which is sad cause wanted to use the dry sauna. Should write as I've finished chapter 3 in List 13 and need to get 4 going but am sleepy. Should have time tomorrow as have day off, then work Sunday 7 am then Monday off (still have a weird schedule that will change a bit soon to get exposure to pharmacy on a different day).2 -
Today's workout
Squats 1x5@45,85,105 then 5 4 4@118lbs.
Bench 1x5@40,60, then 55545@67lbs.
Rows 1x5@60 then 5x5@75 lbs.
Bulgarian split squats 30 each leg.
Even though I failed on the last 2 sets in squats they felt easier than last time.going to stay at 118 till I can get all 3 sets.1 -
Stronglift Rest Day
Kettlebell Swing
Goblet squat-6X5X 35
Russian kettle bell swing-38X 10 X 35
40lbs loss by May 27th Challenge
I'll be out and about most of the weekend. I will be getting a lot of walking done today.
I may be MIA for the weekend. Grandson's basketball tournament. Of course I brought my kettle bell and tennis shoes! Have a great weekend everyone!
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@lkpducky I'm so sorry for your loss.0
This discussion has been closed.