April-ly Good Month to Lift

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  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    edited April 2018
    I'm on the Wobbly McWobbly squad too! or as my husband puts it, "Awkward Squad" I tip over if I attempt anything one-legged.

    Back squats 1 x 10 @ 45 lbs, 1 x 10 @ 55 lbs just to get form. I feel tweaks in my upper arms when I do back squats and I also felt it in my left groin.
    Goblet squats 1 x 10 @ 32.5 lb, 1 x 10 @ 35 lb, 1 x 10 @ 37.5 lb, concentrating on going deep. No hamstring problems.
    RDL 1 x 6 @ 70 lb no hamstring problems - I'll go heavier next time.
    OHP 1 x 6 @ 30 lb, 3 x 5 @ 30 lb, 1 x 6 @ 30 lb
    Glute bridges 2 x 30 with a 25-lb plate
    Reverse grip pulldowns 1 x 10 @ 70 lb, 3 x 8 @ 85 lb

    Hamstring isn't acting up now at least. It's been fine ever since Monday when I did glute bridges. I think they are helping.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    edited April 2018
    Day 3 of the squat program. Today was simple, short and sweet. Not super easy, though. Still sore from wednesday! Mah gluuuutes!

    Back squat warm-up: 45x5/5, 75x6, 95x5, 115x3
    work sets (2 min rest between each set): 135x5, 145x2x5, 155x5

    Front squat w-u: 45x8, 65x6, 85x4
    WS (~ 1 min between sets): 105x3, 110x3, 115x3, 120x3

    Over and done.

    I would normally add some core work after a session this short, but I forgot my phone at home and have an important call to make at lunch xD So I went home and showered there, lol.

    Planning on doing some running after work anyway, and some romwod, so perhaps I'll tack on an extra 10 min of core work there. Or do it tomorrow with the shoulders. Or both. *shrugs*
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    Finally managed to get back up to bench press 5 x 5 with 30 lb dbs
    Barbell rows - managed 1 x 5 @ 70 lbs, but failed on the second set. Had to go back to 5 x 5 @ 60 lbs. I think I'm stalling.
    Goblet squat 1 x 10 @ 37.5 lb, 1 x 10 @ 40 lb, 1 x 6 and 2 x 5 @ 42.5 lb, 1 x 5 @ 45 lb with good form - down to the ground practically
    Front grip lat pulldowns 1 x 12 @ 70 lb, 2 x 8 @ 75 lb
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i said - let's see if i do it - that i'm officially doing the overhead press again. hepburn programme.

    so 8x2 with 45. that was pretty much it, except i did get in some hamstring stuff too. just waiting to see how tomorrow feels about it and not making myself any promises where that's concerned.

    still feel some muscle every time i do hip abduction. i just still don't know if it's my glute medius or it's not, and i'm still so confused about that. it's not like i havent' looked it up and don't understand the theory of where it should be and how to find it. doesn't mean that that's how it's all working for me.

    le pah. but anyway: overhead press.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    More shoulder rehab stuff. Double under practice that really wasn't working well today... Not much progress per say. i think I may have added 2.5 lbs for 1 set of most of the exercises. Stumbled upon a crunchy feeling when my left shoulder was getting tired on one of the moves (that I tried to do with a pulley today instead of a resistance band. 5lbs was too much, apparently xD), so I think I'll be doing this one at least twice a week.

    Oh, and I did an EMOTM x6 of 8 crossfit burpees (10 on the last minute to make it an even 50).

    Gonna settle down a bit and then I think go for a half hour-ish run, then get all the things done, as per usual. Hey, next shoulder wokrout I get to add 1 unilateral pull and push exercise! Zwee!
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    Where has everyone disappeared to? I don't wanna be all alone in here! D:

    2nd week of the squat program now underway. Weights heavier than last week, and I think it actually felt a smidge easier (and that was after spending 10-15 minutes scraping off half a cm of ice on my car. Arm workout, sure. Still, tiring!)

    Back squat w-u: 45x5/10/15/5, 75x8/8/12, 95x6, 115x3
    working sets (max 2 min rest in between): 135x10, 145x2x5, 155x5

    Front squat w-u: 45x8, 75x5, 95x3
    work sets: 105x3x5

    Finished off session with 2x12 on the sword (I did say I was going to do this one more often, did I not?) superset with russian twists, 20 with no weight, 20 with an 8lbs medicine ball (I think it was 8. Might've been 10?) + 10 champpion sit-ups with that same ball.

    It's going to be a 5-gym-day week because of the comp on Saturday. Gonna try to get myself to bed at a decent hour tonight! lol
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
    Planned day off today to try to get some rest.

    BUT. Friday I went shopping and while I haven't really lost pounds since I started lifting, I'm down a size! I am thrilled! I don't care about weight, I ultimately want to be the heaviest size 6/8/10 I can be...'cuz food!
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    Shoulder rehab, W3D1! I finally get to add some unilateral exercises!

    Started with 5 min of animal walks to warm-up, then 5 min of, err, rope whipping myself? (as it turns out, when the handle flew off a week and some ago, I had put it back on in reverse, which means I was rotating against it since then. Explains why I've been having such a hard time with them since xD I corrected it mid-way through the workout. I think I got 9 DUs total today -_-')

    the activation band pull-aparts are getting a bit "easier", so that's good!

    basketball push-ups not so much. I'm stringing them together without a break for the most part, now, but I took a video of my last set and there's still a lot i need to correct about my form, mainly need to keep my head neutral. I think I may try to elevate the ball next week so I'm not on my knees, as that will give me less leeway to sit back to make it easier xD

    cable stuff is progressing and didn't hurt or crunch! Rocking planks I was actually able to do 1 30s straight on the floor.

    And i did incline 1 arm DB press and chest supported rows. 15x12, 17.5x12, 20x12 (+ 1 set on left x12). Finally starting to figure out why my left shoulder cracks when I do these, and it's got to do with letting my arm go up towards my head on the way down instead of down with my elbow tucked in (stabilizers in the back just shut off if I don't pay attention). This doesn't happen on barbell bench, because my right arm forces me to keep the alignment, lol.

    Oh, and I did 30s superman hold, hollow body and side planks on both sides.

    And er, I thought this was a 6 week program, but it's actually 8 xD We'll see if I shorten it or not, haha.
  • monica182
    monica182 Posts: 60 Member
    Has felt like a productive week this week :smile: Increased both my ohp (finally!) and my bench press.

    Sunday
    5x5 squats 45kg
    5x5 ohp 22.5kg
    5x5 dL 65kg

    Tonight
    5x5 squats 45kg (still working on form!)
    4x5, 1x4 bench 35kg
    5x5 rows 35kg

    Shoulder seems to be doing great. That shrug at the top of the ohp seems to have made all the difference :blush: I hope your shoulder is improving krokador.

    Have booked in 2 sessions with the pt to check my form on all lifts and hopefully get some tips to keep progressing. Feel like I can start to add some assistance exercises now so will also ask him to teach me some of those.

    Great work on losing a size Cadori! I’ve nearly finished week 8 and although have only lost 3.5kg since starting the program (been on a 500 cal deficit) I feel like I’ve tightened up heaps. Still 14kg to lose so it probably doesn’t look like it but at least it feels like it!
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    Ok, starting to feel the effects of lack of sleep + no rest day already xD

    Squat warm-ups: 45x5/10/15/5, 75x8/8/12, 95x6/4 good mornings (this was limit, not gonna try this again for a bit), 115x4, 135x2

    Broad Jumps for distance x10 (take some time between jumps)
    Made it within .5 inches of 6ft almost every jump this week. Progress is being made!

    Squats 145x4x5 (1 min rest between each set)

    barbell Bulgarian split squat 35x4, 45x5, 55x5, 60x5

    superset:
    Romanian deadlifts 3x12 @ 105 (using straps here again. My grip will acclimate in time, just not this cycle xD)
    hanging knee raises 3x15 (10/5, 12/3, 15)

    I realized after the first set (and last week) that on this one I was supposed to get 60s rest not just between sets, but moves as well. Did make a good difference on the knee raises! lol

    An hour well spent, IMO, but now I'm all wobbly, and hangry xD

  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    Well done Cadori on losing a size!

    Monica you are doing great as well.

    krokador I am feeling wobbly just reading your account.

    SL Workout B - decided to heck with ICF, not sure if I needed those accessories

    Felt weaker today because I hadn't walked much since Sunday
    Goblet squat - 1 x 10 @ 30 lb, 1 x 10 @ 35 lb, 1 x 5 @ 37.5 lb, 1 x 5 @ 40 lb, 1 x 5 @ 42.5 lb, 1 x 5 @ 45 lb
    Hamstring/adductor were acting up a bit but got better with warmup

    RDL 2 x 5 @ 80 lb. Better at keeping my shoulders and head back.

    OHP 3 x 6, 2 x 5 @ 30 lb I feel like my stomach is helping so I don't know if that's all right or not. I'm tight all over so I don't think my back is arching.

    Lat pulldown 1 x 10 @ 60 lb, 2 x 8 @ 70 lb, 1 x 7 @ 70 lb

    Glute bridges with a 45-lb plate. Big mistake, the edges dug into my legs and ribs. Then I carried the plate back to the plate rack. Yes, wrong thing to do. I couldn't carry it with both hands so I carried it with my right hand, and later my lift hip bone started bugging me.

    Meanwhile - I saw the doc today for a follow up on my HbA1c. Good news - back in normal range! My weight hadn't changed much since January though (I had and then got careless last week and gained 3 lbs back). I had told her I was doing lifting and logging in MFP. She thought the scale hadn't budged because I had gained muscle, and that I should do more cardio.
    Uh, no. Eating at a slight deficit and being in my early 50's is not going to help me build muscle over 3 months even if I am lifting 3x per week. I say it's because of eating more than I should have. dopey doctor
    I'll keep her though because she's great about everything else.
  • hanlonsk
    hanlonsk Posts: 762 Member
    Im still here.... spent a week in dc visiting the boyfriend. And then got my recovery day off taken away from me, so went to work Tuesday after getting home at 1 am.... so went home ... today, I tried... didn’t really work. Decided I was going to chalk it up to vacation, and pretend it didn’t happen, and use it as a reintroduction.
    deadlifts
    5 x 135 (since when do my opening sets involve big kid plates?)
    5 x 155
    3 x 175
    Then was supposed to be 5 x 205, 5 x 205, 5 x 225. This is where it fell apart... I KNOW I can pull 205 for 5... it wouldn’t even come off the ground.... well it did eventually... for 3 singles... barely....
    So, yeah I decided my brain wasn’t in it, and we just needed a regroup. But it maybe got me broke back into the workout thing.
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    lkpducky wrote: »
    krokador I am feeling wobbly just reading your account.

    [...]

    Meanwhile - I saw the doc today for a follow up on my HbA1c. Good news - back in normal range! My weight hadn't changed much since January though (I had and then got careless last week and gained 3 lbs back). I had told her I was doing lifting and logging in MFP. She thought the scale hadn't budged because I had gained muscle, and that I should do more cardio.
    Uh, no. Eating at a slight deficit and being in my early 50's is not going to help me build muscle over 3 months even if I am lifting 3x per week. I say it's because of eating more than I should have. dopey doctor
    I'll keep her though because she's great about everything else.

    I was a lot more stable yesterday, actually! But MAN are my glutes SORE today! Haha.

    I think your doc may not be all that wrong - you didn't put 3 whole lbs of actual muscle on in that short amount of time, but adding muscle + consistent weight-lifting does also add a level of water retention which boosts your weight (you would probably see a sudden drop in weight if you stopped working out for 5-7 days but kept your diet balanced to your activity level) more than the actual muscles do.

    I know a few people who, when they start a diet + training regimen, find themselves suddenly looking more defined / less bloated yet gaining weight. They go "I have too much testosterone and build muscle like, super quickly. I don't know that I really want to do this!". 1. Fear of getting bulky is silly, seriously. But 2. No, you're not gaining muscle all that fast, you're reducing inflammation through your diet but adding stress to parts of your body that aren't used to it. Bloody muscle repairs cause water retention. Give it more than a week and your body will get used to the stress and be less sore, and then you'll start losing some actual fat and the muscles won't keep "growing" xD


    hanlonsk wrote: »
    Im still here.... spent a week in dc visiting the boyfriend. And then got my recovery day off taken away from me, so went to work Tuesday after getting home at 1 am.... so went home ... today, I tried... didn’t really work. Decided I was going to chalk it up to vacation, and pretend it didn’t happen, and use it as a reintroduction.
    deadlifts
    5 x 135 (since when do my opening sets involve big kid plates?)
    5 x 155
    3 x 175
    Then was supposed to be 5 x 205, 5 x 205, 5 x 225. This is where it fell apart... I KNOW I can pull 205 for 5... it wouldn’t even come off the ground.... well it did eventually... for 3 singles... barely....
    So, yeah I decided my brain wasn’t in it, and we just needed a regroup. But it maybe got me broke back into the workout thing.

    Give yourself a bit of a chance to recover and hit it again. Deadlifts are notoriously hard when tired - there's a lot to focus on and not a lot of leeway for mental struggles. Traveling is EXHAUSTING. Not being able to budge a bar off the floor when you know you can is sometimes devastating. It was the right decision to try to get a few singles in, I think. But yeah, you'll get back at it and move back up ;)
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    Day 4 in a row, shoulder rehab w3d2

    I started with 5 min on the rower, 1135m total (it felt REALLY good!)

    Then band pull-aparts, they are getting easy enough that I did 1 set with my black band. Progress!

    Did 3 min of DU practice, I think I got 10 total, which is a lot better than my lousy 4 in 6 mins 2 days ago xD

    Moar progress: kneeling 1 arm arnold press. I did 1 set of 8 at 10lbs to get the feel for it, then 12.5x10 and it felt too easy. 15x10 also didn't feel *too* hard (whereas I struggle with 12 last week) :)

    Did my sword 2x12 with a green resistance band (and 1 set on left with the yellow one) and only had to break a bit on the second set on my left side!

    Lying external rotation was sucky. used 10lbs on both sets of 10, but had to break them up. I may change this up and do 1-2 sets standing with a cable on my other day to try and get a better feel for them. I know they're important.

    stability ball plank 4x15s for 2 sets was good. I think I'm ready to progress to 3x20s ^^

    And in this workout's additional unilateral move section, we add 1 arm lat pulldowns (20x15, 27.5x2x15) and low cable flyes 10x15, 10x12 and 5x10 (was running low on time so little rest). Zomg dat chest pump!

    I did sprinkle some lunges, squats and good morning in my rest periods to try and work through that tenderness in my butt and hammies, but nothing to write home about.

    I don't feel my shoulder being any different on a daily basis, but I am trusting the process here. It seems to be working!

  • dandelion39
    dandelion39 Posts: 514 Member
    Hi all--new to this thread, but not to SL...I've done it a few times off and on. Right now I'm about six weeks in to my latest go-round. I started with the bar this time, really emphasizing ATG squats and good form on everything. Consequently, my progress has been a little bit slow. Today I deloaded back to 55lbs on the OHP, because I realized I've been doing push presses, not true OHPs (ie. was using my lower body/momentum to get the bar up). I'm going to stick with 55 until I can get the bar up with totally straight legs. I bet it will take me a while! I think those fractional plates will be VERY helpful as I try to add weight on this one...

    I'm also thinking that I might take next week off from lifting and spend some quality Yoga time. My hips are so tight I'm having a hard time getting low enough on my squats. And some extra core work would probably help me with the OHP, right?

    Anyway, I've enjoyed reading all your updates!
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    edited April 2018
    Welcome @dandelion39 to the group! looks like you're doing the right thing. OHP is a giant pain to progress.

    OUCH on the glutes @krokador you earned that soreness!

    I agree on water retension from lifting, but I still think the gain was from water from two salty meals in a row - a rather salty meatloaf and onion soup dinner on Sunday and fried chicken on Monday. I'd gone down from 138 lb in mid-January to 133 last week. Should've ordered salad instead :p

    and my rhomboids have been killing me! So much so that they woke me up at 2:30 am. Finally went back to sleep. It's probably from the combined progress on bent-over rows and RDLs.
  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    i'm still doing the tweaked-by-me form of physio. which is, fundamentally, bridges because i finally seem able to do them in a way that involves that glute med. and then more bridges, and most of all bridges in which i take two or three minutes to lower once i've come up.

    and now and then hamstrings stuff, but i lost the hang of that part a few days ago and feel like i have a day or two's worth of leeway left before i hae to fix that again. the first day of repercussions from those special one-legged deadlifts where i really pushed myself into the bad quadrant . . . i can attest, that was BAAAADDDDD, but touching wood it seems like it's also paid off. so yeah; them.

    i still use the nordic-fall thing as a fixer every time the ache seems to be starting up. but i don't fall all the way; i just use that position to get into the hamstring muscle that's hurting me. it's weird. it's like that kind of thing has turned into my own personal version of foam rolling what hurts.
  • monica182
    monica182 Posts: 60 Member
    Well after my trainer appointment yesterday I have lots to work on! He picked quite a few things that I need to adjust. It was definitely worth spending the hour with him.

    OHP - I’m bringing the bar down too low, should be starting just under my chin and not on chest as I am now. Rest at the top, not down the bottom (resting on my chest again!) if I need it. Bring bar slightly further back when over head, push head further through.

    Squat - feet wider apart. Make sure body weight is towards the outside of my feet not the inside. My feet were rolling in and this was what was causing my knees to cave I think.

    Deadlifts - all good :smile:

    He has added some weighted walking lunges, other deadlift style exercises with kettlebells and stationery lunges to the program to help me with my leg strength to try and increase my squat. Also some hanging off the chin up bar while just lifting myself just up through my shoulders. I told him I eventually want to be able to do a chin up so I think this is the start of that journey :smiley: Also to help with my grip strength for my deadlifts.

    Didn’t do the whole 5x5 yesterday but came home shattered. I can’t believe how much more tired the lifting makes me than the cardio. And my Fitbit gives me so few extra calories for it :neutral: especially when I was starving last night too!
  • krokador
    krokador Posts: 1,794 Member
    monica182 wrote: »
    Well after my trainer appointment yesterday I have lots to work on! He picked quite a few things that I need to adjust. It was definitely worth spending the hour with him.

    OHP - I’m bringing the bar down too low, should be starting just under my chin and not on chest as I am now. Rest at the top, not down the bottom (resting on my chest again!) if I need it. Bring bar slightly further back when over head, push head further through.

    Squat - feet wider apart. Make sure body weight is towards the outside of my feet not the inside. My feet were rolling in and this was what was causing my knees to cave I think.

    [...]

    Actually, if you only start down at your chin level on OHP you're leaving a good amount of ROM on the table. While for strictly bodybuilding it may not necessarily make that big a difference, starting at chest height will do more for your strength in the long run, IMO. It also forces you to really pin down the shoulders to have a stable starting position, whereas you can get away with being a bit more loose if you start the reps higher. But I do agree on finishing the rep and resting at the top rather than the bottom, then you can use some fo the stretch reflex to go back into the next rep - although pause work also has its place in the OHP as well as the bench press.

    Week 2, day 3 of the squat program. I'd say things are starting to get serious, but I had a look at the upcoming workouts and things are about to get even spicier xD

    Back squat warm-up: 45x5/10/15/5, 75x8/8/12, 95x6/9, 115x4, 135x2

    1 arm DB snatch 3x3 (30s rest between sets) 25x2, 30x3 as w-u. then 40x2x3 and 45x3

    Back squat (2 min rest between sets) 145x5, 155x2x5, 165x3

    Front squat 45x6, 75x4, 95x2, 115x2x3, 120x3, 125x3

    Double alternating tabata (so 8 mins of 20/10 intervals, alternating moves)
    1. mountain climbers ( 2 sets were standing high knee sprints because my shoudlers were shot)
    2. L-sit progression (lifting 1 leg at a time. 2 rounds alternating leg lifts in that position)

    I like adding in core work :)

    So looking forward to the crossfit competition tomorrow! Doubt I'll get a ton of work in as a judge, but it won't be a sedentary day, either!
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 16,636 Member
    Have fun judging @krokador how exciting! and that's ALOT of squatting

    @canadianlbs I remember my physio making me do Nordic fall. I could NEVER go down slowly. I was so weak!

    @monica182 I could probably stand to do all those leg exercise too, although my left hip doesn't like walking lunges.

    DB bench press 4 x 5 @ 30 lb, 1 x 4 @ 30 lb failed. Had trouble getting my head in the right place.
    Bent-over rows - finally managed 5 x 5 @ 70 lb although I felt like everything, even my glutes and chest, were firing. Not sure that's the way that should feel.
    Goblet squats - legs had DOMS from last time so I deloaded and did more reps instead.
    1 x 10 @ 37.5, 2 x 10 @ 40 lb, 1 x 8 @ 40 lb
    Forward grip lat pulldowns - 1 x 12 @ 70 lb, 1 x 10 @ 75 lb, 1 x 8 @ 80 lb, 1 x 6 @ 85 lb

    I've noticed that glute bridges appear to make my hamstring feel better.

    Walked down the stairs, was a few steps from the bottom when my left knee started to hurt. Then it jolted later when I was out walking and stepped off a curb. great