Yeah, the second video is what I was thinking in terms of less "jerk" more of a controlled lift/pull.

Yeah I don't think either method is necessarily incorrect. I tend to have more of a jerk, but I am not feeling it in my upper back so I think I'm not squeezing my shoulder blades enough and/or maybe my grip is too wide. Most videos I've been watching have that jerk at the top though.

Session 1B

Squats 50#
OH Press 45#
Deadlift 75#

Over all it felt like a pretty good session. I probably could have started with a heavier deadlift but I am not feeling so great. I was wondering if anyone had seen the power racks that are built of wood and pipe? My hubs is a pretty good carpenter and I can tell I am going to need one before long. It's a lot of money for new and Craigs list isn't likely to have one within a 100 mile radius of ruralsville anytime soon. It would help if my love would come down there and spot me. He is a great guy but his idea of heavy lifting is swinging a Big Bertha. He has shown some interest in my change of tactics though so one can hope. I should show him the pole video!

Have a great weekend all.

Honestly, I'm not doing the Pedlay's; I'm doing the classic barbell row. Even elevating the bar, I can't seem to get it in position correctly.

Yeah, the second video is what I was thinking in terms of less "jerk" more of a controlled lift/pull.

Yeah I don't think either method is necessarily incorrect. I tend to have more of a jerk, but I am not feeling it in my upper back so I think I'm not squeezing my shoulder blades enough and/or maybe my grip is too wide. Most videos I've been watching have that jerk at the top though.

But then that would be a jerk row or a pendlay jerk lol
Also curious about the Shoulder Press/Strict Press/Overhead Press. Do you all do it seated or standing? I'm used to doing it standing, but there is more of a chance of the strict press becoming more of a push press as the weight increases. Wondering what the majority is doing here...

I'm fairly sure it's supposed to be done standing. Here's the SL page on it: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-overhead-press-with-correct-technique/

I guess you could do it sitting, but you would lose a lot of the effects that you get from "stabilizing" while standing. If you find the overhead press becoming more of a push press, then I think rather than sitting it might be a better idea to de-load and work on form?

I guess you could do it sitting, but you would lose a lot of the effects that you get from "stabilizing" while standing. If you find the overhead press becoming more of a push press, then I think rather than sitting it might be a better idea to de-load and work on form?

Stabilizing myself during over head is probably where I feel my abs work the most out of the whole workout.

Was just too tired and glute sore to do my lifts friday so I did them today.
Squats 125
OHP 55
Deads 140 which was really rough.

Monday going for 130 squats which will be my high school bodyweight!


Good job everybody. Don't remember for sure but I think i was at 150 on deads when I quit so almost there. except for OHP I'm at personal best for everything else IF I did 150 deads before.

That is awesome irridia!!

I did day workout b yesterday - I'm going to need a squat stand soon. Clean & Jerking each set is one thing, but lowering the weight behind my neck - my nape is bruised! I also bear the bar high on my back because of a shoulder impingement.

Squat 80
OHP 55
DL 110

during squat rest I did tricep pull down & decline row
during OHP rest I was planking: spiderman/leg lift/side/reach through

Today I'm going to try going to my box and maybe do sprint intervals on my TM at home.

Pretty new to this, I think we are on day 6. My squats, bench, and deadlift are going up like they are supposed to.

But I had to start lower at overhead press. i just now got to 45 for that. Also, our ceiling is low too, and I am tall, so with no weights I am fine, but with weights on the end of the bar, i hit through the ceiling (we have those cheap tiles). We might remove some tiles or I will have to stand outside to do them.

But the rows are killing me. We watched a ton of form videos from the stronglifts site, I am just so weak. I think I will have my husband video me tomorrow night doing them because by the 5th rep, my form sucks and my shoulder was killing afterwards.

You sound like you're in the same place I am. I am 5'10" and our ceilings are just too low for me to do a standing OH press. I do them seated on the bench inside the power rack (I also had to buy a specific shorter power rack). I also struggle with the rows quite a bit. Both the OH presses and rows are something I have a tough time increasing weight on. Just keep practicing your form and the weight will come.

End of April progress:
Squats 115
Bench - 80
Barbell Rows - 100
Overhead Press - 70 (1 Stall)
Deadlift - 150

Started on March 27th.
For once I'm glad I'm short (5'2"). My husband is doing this with me and he has the same problem with overhead press that some of you do, me I've got plenty of clearance lol.

Was just too tired and glute sore to do my lifts friday so I did them today.
Squats 125
OHP 55
Deads 140 which was really rough.

Monday going for 130 squats which will be my high school bodyweight!


Good job everybody. Don't remember for sure but I think i was at 150 on deads when I quit so almost there. except for OHP I'm at personal best for everything else IF I did 150 deads before.

That is awesome irridia!!

I did day workout b yesterday - I'm going to need a squat stand soon. Clean & Jerking each set is one thing, but lowering the weight behind my neck - my nape is bruised! I also bear the bar high on my back because of a shoulder impingement.

Squat 80
OHP 55
DL 110

during squat rest I did tricep pull down & decline row
during OHP rest I was planking: spiderman/leg lift/side/reach through

Today I'm going to try going to my box and maybe do sprint intervals on my TM at home.

When it starts getting close to your max weight you can lift at this point in time, clean and jerk just uses waaay too much energy! Get a bar pad! it will help at least a little with the nape pain.

forgot to add that I added accessory exercises on Saturday, 3 sets of 10 leg lifts. For those I lay on the bench with my toes touching the floor (barely, lol.) and holding onto the bench over my head. Then I take a deep breath and exhail while lifting my legs from the floor, securing my upper body to the bench with the overhead grip an continue to squeeze the abs until my lumbar section is off the bench. Then I sat on the floor with the lowest of the bands we have attached to the top rack and held on to that while trying to touch my chest to the floor (legs in V position) 3 sets of 10. I really felt it on Sunday walking around, feel it a little still today and gong to try to incorporate some cobra stretches thorughout the day to prep me for tonight's lifing. Tonights goals are 130 squats, I think 100 for benches and 95 for rows.

Also, I took a video of my deadlifts yesterday so my friends on here could check my form out. The advice I got was to lower my butt and lift my chest up more so I don't use my lower back as much. I didn't feel like I was really using my lower back much and then it started hurting a little afterward and now this morning there is just this dull pain in my tailbone area. Must be careful. Going to attempt to correct my form with my warmups next time, but here is the video in case anyone wants to see or has any other advice besides that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MgDEZLedEU

I will try to watch it tonight, but one thing I can tell you that I realized I was doing is make certain, when you get up under the bar in the rack that you tuck your but in to get it off the rack. If you lift it up in squat position, it puts waay to much strain on your lumbar spine. If you tend toward duck but as I do, you really really have to watch that. I only just started using the belt again because I wanted to make certain that I was tightening my abs during the lift. Now it's heavy enough that I need the support of the belt but I'm in the habit of tucking on the unracking and then "setting" my abs before I start the lift.

One really good way to think of it is get your spine completely perpendicular to the bar before you lift it out of the rack.

I think you mentioned you are really tall, so getting low may be a little harder for you, but for the most part, I'd agree, you should be 90* to the floor, and there should be a little curve in your back (less rounded).

But most importantly, you are not getting full extension at the top of your lift (there is still a bend in your knees and your hips are not extended)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjBI9qxibTc
see her hips thrust forward at the top of the lift? Her shoulder pull back, head is looking neutral/front/

Ah, yes. I noticed that too. I think when I lift my chest up more it will correct some of that at the top, but also my stance should be just a bit wider I think. You can't see my stance in my video but I think it's a little too narrow. Thanks!

I do Mon, Wed, Fri. Been doing it for 5 weeks and am now at the point were I'm pretty much failing at everything.

The last weights I finished on are:

Squats: 120lbs
Bench: 95lbs
Rows: 80lbs
Shoulder Press: 65lbs
Deads: 155lbs (with good form, I've had to deload to correct form, was at 185).

^ My post for 4/4

As of Today:
Squats: 120lbs (but deloaded and went to low bar, feeling a lot better about my form this time).
Bench: 100lbs (FINALLY, been trying all month).
Rows: 95lbs
Should Press: 65lbs (couldn't make 70, tried 3 times, deloaded back to 60lbs, trying 70 again Wed)
Deads: 175lbs

Also, I took a video of my deadlifts yesterday so my friends on here could check my form out. The advice I got was to lower my butt and lift my chest up more so I don't use my lower back as much. I didn't feel like I was really using my lower back much and then it started hurting a little afterward and now this morning there is just this dull pain in my tailbone area. Must be careful. Going to attempt to correct my form with my warmups next time, but here is the video in case anyone wants to see or has any other advice besides that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MgDEZLedEU

Just saw this. Definitely your butt is way too high. Get all the way down, like at the bottom of the squat, then stand up, raising the shoulders first, then yeah, squeeze your butt at the top and try to pinch your shoulder blades together. I need to get a new video of mine.

I'm ending April like this after starting on 04/11, nothing too impressive but I'm hoping to make a lot of progress in May.

Squat: 75
Bench: 60
Rows: 70
OHP: 50
DL: 115 (switched to sumo stance to take pressure off my lower back)

This was my 185lbs dead w/ bad form. See you nice and arched my back is to start, *kitten* lower than shoulders? Then you see me raise my *kitten* and round my back as I pick up. Bad, bad, and why I deloaded back to 155lbs to fix it.

http://youtu.be/oG78rvuVc74

Yeah I see where you lift and your butt and back round a bit. Hmm... so maybe I try to fix form with a couple of extra warm up sets and then go at 130 again instead of increasing next time? Just to make sure I have it down? Then if it's still sucky I will deload I think...

Also - is there a reason why you would drop the bar/weight instead of lowering it like I was doing? Just want to make sure I'm not missing something...