Yay May! I think this is the first exercise program in a while I've stuck with for at least a month. I'm loving it, and I'm excited to see where I am at the end and what other kinds of lifting exercised I can try.

tameko - If it were me I would start using the fractional plates and see how far you can get there. If you're still failing then maybe deload more?

Q - You definitely can still be here! You're doing awesome with all of those other lifts! I will say though that there is really no perfect form really. As long as the basics of the exercise are down, add weight and see how it feels. Also record it and see if your form is still there with the weight. I think there is often some variation people because of height, weight, length of your legs and torso, and overall flexibility. At least, that is what I'm learning with deadlifts.

I am starting May at:

Squats: 90 lbs last time, so hopefully 95 lbs this time. Eeek... almost 100 lbs! Insane. These are getting super tough.
OHP: I am going to try 50 lbs again and see how far I get. Where I go from there depends on how terrible I fail this time.
Bench: 65 lbs last time, so up to 70 lbs today.
Row: Eff these! Haha I'm still going to try 55 lbs and fix my form. Hopefully.
Deadlift: I think I may repeat my 130 lbs this week with better form before I increase again.

I still qualify, right? Even though I can't do squats? I've been practicing goblet squats. I can get much better form with these. Of course, I'm still not doing any kind of squat with any kind of weight b/c my form sucks *kitten*. I have a love/hate relationship with squats...I love to hate them. I don't know how perfect my form has to be before I can finally add some weight.

Bench and Rows are moving up to 70 lbs. I did both of these at 65 last time. That was due to an error on my part. The previous workout, I was supposed to bench 65 and row 60...I did the opposite. d'oh! I failed rows at 65 that time, obviously. The rows feel awkward to me, but I feel sore in between my shoulders for days after. So I kind of like that.

Overhead Press...tonight is attempt #3 at 55 lbs. I may have to deload. I forget...is it deload 10%? I've never truly deloaded before. I mean, my squats are completely unloaded, really. But I haven't had to deload another exercise yet.

Deadlifts...95 last time. Moving up to 105 tonight.

Psh, of course you qualify! Hope those squats move into a more love-love relationship for ya.

Who is on a calorie deficit? I'm currently doing SL on maintenance. I would like to lowering my BF a bit more and I don't know how I'll progress strength wise if I cut calories.

I'm on a deficit. I'm trying for 500 cals daily, but I think MFP numbers are too low. So I'm technically 450 cals deficit compared to MFP numbers. I was increasing cals by 50 each week, slowly building up, embracing the eat more mentality. But I think I'll leave it unchanged this week. My weight is still bouncing around between 5 and 10 lbs higher than before I started lifting. I haven't lost anything yet. Nor have I really lost inches yet.

This week is going to be shot. We have our County Fair shows at the end of the week. I was supposed to do my sl workout yesterday but that's when my kids' mentor showed up. So, I'm not sure how I'm going to get it all in this week. I needed a small break last week so I threw sl into a circuit training-like system and added farmers walk, inverted rows, modified push ups, planks, and single leg romanian deadlifts. It made for a nice twist but I'm going back to sl and upping my cardio or adding circuit training on off days this month.

I eat at a deficit (20% below tdee) I haven't noticed a problem (yet). Most of my problems have been with form, due to being new to lifting and not having anyone to help me or upper body weakness ~~> OHP

I'm starting May off with....

squats - 85
bench press - 75
barbell rows - 95
dead lift - 135
overhead press - 65

And a bodyfat % that is 6% less than it was when I started almost a month ago!! :drinker:

Hard to believe it's May already!

Got my power rack all set up on Saturday and boy, does that Olympic bar feel alot heavy than the lighter bar I was using with extra weights. But here's what I'm doing:

Squats: 70
Bench Press: 65
Row: 70
OP: 60
Deadlift: 120

The overhead press is the absolute hardest for me. I think I may have to deload a bit since I really struggled last time and lost form completely by the end. Making progress though, as are all of you.

yay, i was waiting for may to get in on this since the april thread was already so long (yeah, i was too shy)

i started april 1 and took the week off last week, but here's where i'm at :

squat : 110
bench : 75
row : 70
OHP : 60
DL : 125

i can tell i will hit my max on that OHP soon, maybe i'll pull the 65 but i think i'll be repeating that one.
everything else is good so far. hard, but good. i look forward to the month, i think i will see some more gains and then hopefully some new challenges to overcome. is it odd that i'm kinda looking forward to 'failing' so that i can then work past it?


Q : of course you qualify ♥

and for all the other ladies : you kick *kitten* and i'm proud to be in your company.

Who is on a calorie deficit? I'm currently doing SL on maintenance. I would like to lowering my BF a bit more and I don't know how I'll progress strength wise if I cut calories.

I'm on a 200-400 calorie deficit. I am seeing if I can lose 5ish lbs without sacrificing strength. If yes, then I can lift in the 123.5 weight class...If not, then I'm actually fine being in the 132 class. I'm hovering around 129 right now. I'll see how things go by early to mid-June and bump up to maintenance (or above) before my late-July meet.

I'm also eating at a deficit, about 20% below maintenance or so. I have felt fine with strength and increasing weight on my lifts.

I didn't participate in this thread last month because I started about half-way through.

Notes: I started deadlifts with just the bar because I wanted to perfect form. Ditto only going up 5lbs instead of the recommended 10. I'm more nervous about hurting my back on this than I am the squat, because I did it wrong a few years ago and wrenched my back.
Stalled on bench first day. *sigh*
Started overhead and row with a 30lb bar

Squat: 80 lbs (stalled last time; today did 5/5/5/5/4.5 (went down, broke form getting back up)
Overhead: 45
Dead: 70
Bench: 50
Row 45

I'm in calorie deficit, working with doctor and nutritionist. I am currently 187 lbs. Doc would like me to get to 120 or so, but if I'm muscular, I'll be happy at 145.