April-ly Good Month to Lift
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I've noticed that glute bridges appear to make my hamstring feel better.
team hamstring \o/ yeah, mine too. i started out just getting told to do straight-legged raises - the sports doc told me to hook my heels over the edge of a couch arm or counter, and then use them to lift straight up. i couldn't do anything that asked for hip flexion so regular bridges were out.
those straight-legged things killed right at the very top of my hamstring muscles where my own whatever-is-wrong was so wrong. it hurt like heck but felt great, and i got hooked on it as the solution to my whole glute-med thing.
i went to a rec centre this morning because i had time to kill and wanted some way to put my own brain on hold. and it worked
i did do the glute work, but i also concentrated a lot on re-starting the whole scapular-control and rear-rotator training. i used to be so good at that, but it sure leaves you fast. lately my shoulderblades have been trying to crawl right up and over the top of my ribcage, my upper traps and levator scapulae have been so tight.
thing is, i've started again at the beginning and i'm doing ONE lift on a 'real' basis - my old favourite the overhead press. so right now i'm really motivated and have a context for wanting to get my shoulders right. because i want to get back to my normal routine of pressing heavy enough to daydream about 70 pounds. and i could tell yesterday that i don't have that balance.
so back to retraction work and lower-trap activation. that's another move that i tend to do only when i start needing it, but omg what a difference it makes when i do. lower-trap strength is one of those things you can gt along fine with not having. until the impingement gets started, that is. but when you do have it, omg how terrific it feels while it lasts. lower traps, lots of external rotation, that kind of thing.
one-legged deadlifts, no weight yet. but i'm doing them and i have discovered the difference between one that gets the right muscles and one that doesn't is literally about maybe an eighth of an inch. but wow, those too when i do have nothing to lose so i focus on getting them right.1 -
So, I did a real workout yesterday. Only because one of the other gym peoples made me. Between work stuff and apartment drama my head was in weird places since Friday. Like Friday was a lot of, “hey I have some major negative energy to burn off, I should maybe go to the gym” followed by my brain going “hey dummy, you haven’t ate anything since your 7 am protein bar and coffee... 110 lb bench press by yourself seems like a bad idea”
So, instead Saturday squats it was.
Squats
5 x 45
5x65
5x95 (once again escalating quickly-especially since the 45 wasn’t on the sheet, but I knew I needed it)
3 x 115
3x5 @125
These weren’t real pretty, but it was kind of neat to think I could actually maybe do a 5x5 at this weight. I do think I need to work on my weird bar rolling habit again though, because today I can feel a bruise/sore spot on my shoulder that is usually an indicator the bar was rolling.
Leg press
10 x 150
10x 175
10x175
Lunges
3x down and back w/ 15 lb dumbbells - this was a step back, but my dumb butt had the ankle brace in the washing machine, so, decided to play it safe.
Hip thrusts
3 x 10 @ 65
Was supposed to end on calf raises.... Yeah, those are still a hard no... will need to visit with pt about that.
In other news, work has me headed to a small town, for an undetermined amount of time... that as best I can tell, doesn’t have a gym.
I need to inquire if they allow public access to the school weight room... otherwise this could be sad day. 0 -
Have any of you tried Z press? Someone mentioned them in a thread about forgotten lifts.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661020/forgotten-unorthodox-exercises#latest
https://ericcressey.com/strength-exercise-of-the-week-z-press
I just did some and I can feel many more of my torso muscles working than with standing presses.0 -
Have any of you tried Z press? Someone mentioned them in a thread about forgotten lifts.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10661020/forgotten-unorthodox-exercises#latest
https://ericcressey.com/strength-exercise-of-the-week-z-press
I just did some and I can feel many more of my torso muscles working than with standing presses.
I heard about them somewhat recently and did give them a try once, but wasn't using a lot of weight, I guess, and it didn't feel all that much more challenging. I guess my bum is too big (wide base of support) and my hamstring flexibility too good to make these as challenging as they would be for someone skninier xD
Anyways, today was Squats, again. And it escalated very quickly.
Pretty much same warm-up progression as the past few workouts. Up to 135x2
3x3 low box rapid fire box jumps (~15' high)
145x10, 155x2x8, 165x4 (2 min rest max between sets)
As a comparison, last week's workout had been 135x10, 145x2x5 and 155x5. This morning really, really hurt. I was actually surprised I made it through!
Oh, right, I also did front squats. 45x8, 75x6, 95x4, 105x2x5 and 110x5
These usually feel much easier at this point, but I was so beaten up they were almost as hard as those last 2 heavier sets.
I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I'm sure that didn't help xD
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Took last week off, back at it today
Elliptical warmup and 5x5 BW squats
RDL - 3x5 @ 110 pounds
pushups - 4x8
inverted rows 4x8
Both my modified pushups and inverted rows got less modified today! I'm not loving my changed up routine though. It's short, which I need with my schedule, but I think it needs some tweaking.0 -
Who uses gloves? Pros? Cons? Just wait for calluses?0
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Who uses gloves? Pros? Cons? Just wait for calluses?
I tried a few times, but my hands are long and slim and nothing fits right, so I end up with blisters as soon as I get a bit sweaty. I have pretty hefty callouses, but if you keep them trimmed and lotioned they don't cause much of an issue. I AM eyeing gymnsatics grips, however, but I don't know that I would have better luck with them.0 -
Not the greatest workout but it's done.
My left knee was acting up and I can't tell if it's from the IT band or the bottom of the quads. So I went lighter on goblet squats.
1 x 10 @ 30 lb, 1 x 5 @ 32.5 lb, 1 x 5 @ 35 lb, 1 x 5 @ 37.5 lb, then my adductor felt a bit wonky so I stopped.
RDL 2 x 5 @ 80 lb surprised nothing acted up
Reverse grip lat pulldowns 1 x 10 @ 85 lb, 3 x 6 @ 90 lb
Single leg glute bridges with a 25-lb plate 2 x 8 on either side. Probably too much because my back acted up.
I've tried gloves, but they all bunch up when I close my hands. I just said forget it.
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Shoulder daaaay for dayyyssss
DU practice 8 min : 19 total and a very bad snap on my right leg xD
Band pull-aparts: 2 sets with black band today. Progressing!
Ball push-ups: decided to try elevating the ball on a box instead of being on my knees. It ended up actually being harder. Still need to cue myself not to look down. I did 1x4 @ 12' + 1x6 at 18', 1x5/2/3 and 1x6 at 18'
Face pulls I think I got my 2 sets of 12 at 15lbs (and did an extra set of 10 on left at 12.5)
Arm wrestlers 15x2x10 (nothing to write home about on these, except some old guy decided to do barbell curls like 2 inches away from my shoulder
)
rocking plank 2x30s and 3x20s on the floor this time. Getting there!
1 arm cable pull-overs. I think I did 15x2x12? and 10x8 on left where i was putting my hand on the front of my shoulder to avoid shifting the work there. It burned!
1 arm bottoms up KB press, 10x2x12, 15x9 (/-2 on left)
1 arm high pulls 15x15 to finish off to have a bit more of a pull focus (pull-overs are sort of a hybrid move)
And I messed around on the dip station trying athlean X's screwdrivers and some knee raises, but my upper body was not super cooperative. I'm heavy, what can I say? xD0 -
Ive been a member of this group for a while but never post. I’ve been going to the gym consistently for about 2 months now. My gym isn’t the most equipped, it’s small, but it’s inexpensive. There’s 2 squat racks and those are the only barbells, and there’s really no open space to do other lifting with a barbell other than in front of those 2 racks. I’ve been loosely following the SL program but using dumbbells for the upper body things (still using the barbell for squats and DL obviously) i could use the bar for bench press but I got self conscious because I was only able to put little tiny weights on the bar and these guys would make jokes, like “did you wanna try putting some weight on there?” it was annoying. Sigh. I’ll probably switch to a bigger gym when my membership is up in nov. on a good note I got up to 115 lbs for DL last time, I was excited to use the 35lb plates lol.1
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Short and sweet workout today, but.....first leg day in three weeks! My knee is finally feeling mostly back to form. I noticed a tiny twinge after squats but deadlifts felt good. I probably should have gone a little lighter on squats but i was so pleased to be back doing them that I went with a normal low-medium range. Maybe this time I'll work my way back to actually pushing to increase squats. I've been lazy about that for awhile.
Squats 5/5/5 @ 115/125/135
Sumo DL 5/5/5 @ 115/135/135
Lots of stretching before and afterward. My legs felt like jello after warmups and working sets, so I'm glad I didn't go in planning a big heavy workout.0 -
Ive been a member of this group for a while but never post. I’ve been going to the gym consistently for about 2 months now. My gym isn’t the most equipped, it’s small, but it’s inexpensive. There’s 2 squat racks and those are the only barbells, and there’s really no open space to do other lifting with a barbell other than in front of those 2 racks. I’ve been loosely following the SL program but using dumbbells for the upper body things (still using the barbell for squats and DL obviously) i could use the bar for bench press but I got self conscious because I was only able to put little tiny weights on the bar and these guys would make jokes, like “did you wanna try putting some weight on there?” it was annoying. Sigh. I’ll probably switch to a bigger gym when my membership is up in nov. on a good note I got up to 115 lbs for DL last time, I was excited to use the 35lb plates lol.
Those guys are *kitten*. We all start somewhere. If they're harassing you, what about reporting them to the manager? Don't let meatheads scare you away if you enjoy lifting and want to progress with the bar! Just chuck a plate at them next time they make fun of you (don't do that).0 -
it was annoying. Sigh.
ugh. props to you for hanging in there. and damn it. that kind of *kitten* should be stopped by the management. you don't go to the gym to be used by a bunch of lunkheads to give themselves a cheap ego-boost at your expense.
buncha dicks. mpfmghlsnarl.
i'm not doing a lot. nothing but diy glute bridges, if i'm honest. project tendinopathy comes and goes, and i've settled into this for a while even though idk if it's got any bearing on any kind of a real rehab plan. other stuff is going on in my life.
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Quick check-in. I'm a bit beat up this morning. Guess I didn't sleep well. I finally got a spot to do the in-hospital sleep study, so fingers crossed they fond something more than "Go to bed earlier" to help me feel less tired all the time.
Started with 10 broad jumps for power. Lengths were similar to last week, but maybe a bit more consistent. Nothing to write home about.
Squats volume is still kind of ramping up. I did 4x5 at 155lbs (75% of 1RM) with only 2 min rest between sets. The struggle was to not let my lower back good morning the weight up. I have done 165 for 5x5 in the past (granted with more rest between sets), but I was not working the right muscles! I will get to prove that I can do it again next week as that is what the next workout is O.o
Bulgarian split squats, I did 35x5, then 50x5, 60x5, and 60x5 on left... 2.5 and 4 reps on right with quite a lot of trouble. I actually ended up stuck with my knee on the ground at the bottom of rep 3, and had to overhead press the bar to set it down in front of me to get back up. It's a good thing I have that strict overhead strength!
RDLs were up to sets of 15, so I used 95lbs.
Someone had put gymnastics tape on the pull-up bar. Made it a lot easier to hang on. I did the first 2 sets of 15 unbroken. Last one was 10-5. I think this was due more to fatigue than grip, though.0 -
Squat - 5x5 @ 40
OHP - 1x5 @ 50, 3x5 @ 40, 1x4 @ 40 - failed last rep
Narrow grip pulldown - 5x5@85
How sad is it that my upper body strength is outpacing my lower body? Or is it?0 -
Ive been a member of this group for a while but never post. I’ve been going to the gym consistently for about 2 months now. My gym isn’t the most equipped, it’s small, but it’s inexpensive. There’s 2 squat racks and those are the only barbells, and there’s really no open space to do other lifting with a barbell other than in front of those 2 racks. I’ve been loosely following the SL program but using dumbbells for the upper body things (still using the barbell for squats and DL obviously) i could use the bar for bench press but I got self conscious because I was only able to put little tiny weights on the bar and these guys would make jokes, like “did you wanna try putting some weight on there?” it was annoying. Sigh. I’ll probably switch to a bigger gym when my membership is up in nov. on a good note I got up to 115 lbs for DL last time, I was excited to use the 35lb plates lol.
*kitten*
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amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Ive been a member of this group for a while but never post. I’ve been going to the gym consistently for about 2 months now. My gym isn’t the most equipped, it’s small, but it’s inexpensive. There’s 2 squat racks and those are the only barbells, and there’s really no open space to do other lifting with a barbell other than in front of those 2 racks. I’ve been loosely following the SL program but using dumbbells for the upper body things (still using the barbell for squats and DL obviously) i could use the bar for bench press but I got self conscious because I was only able to put little tiny weights on the bar and these guys would make jokes, like “did you wanna try putting some weight on there?” it was annoying. Sigh. I’ll probably switch to a bigger gym when my membership is up in nov. on a good note I got up to 115 lbs for DL last time, I was excited to use the 35lb plates lol.
Those guys are *kitten*. We all start somewhere. If they're harassing you, what about reporting them to the manager? Don't let meatheads scare you away if you enjoy lifting and want to progress with the bar! Just chuck a plate at them next time they make fun of you (don't do that).
Well I know he was just kidding around, not harassing me, but it still makes me feel awkward lol. I have only had 2 guys joke about it. I’ve been using dumbbells but I think I may switch to the barbell because I don’t really like using the dumbbells that much.0 -
Do you guys do ab exercises or nah? I haven’t been doing any because I figure these other lifts work the core pretty good anyway.0
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Got some DOMS from squatting yesterday, but my knee feels good so I'm pleased overall. My traps were surprisingly a bit sore, which I think affected my workout today a bit. I was also pressed for time, so had to hurry my rest periods a bit.
Bench: 5/3/1+ (3) @ 87/92/97
OHP: 5/5/5 @ 67
Assisted pullup: 5/5/5 @ -75
Seated row: 6/6/6 @ 85
I also finally saw an orthopedic doc for wrist problems I've had for almost 2 years now....turns out I most likely have an occult ganglion cyst in my left wrist. Now I'll have to decide if I want surgery to remove it or just want to continue dealing with the pain and inability to put weight on it. It only hurts when I do put weight on or bend it back, but you'd be surprised how much you do those things day to day.0
