*dances gleefully*

I finally benched all 5x5 at 75 lbs tonight. Whee!!! *throws confetti*

Huzzah!

:smokin:

Just getting back into it after a couple of months off for military training. I'm finally out in Afghanistan and the local NATO base gym has plenty of good basic lifting equipment.

I'm usually the only girl in the weight side of the gym, but the men are pretty helpful, despite the language barriers. So, just easing back into it and trying to establish a new routine.

Finished my first June session. Had do do workout A backwards because of someone hogging the squat rack so went bench, rows, squats.

Bench: 50lb- fail. Really found this hard. Managed 5,5,5,4,5 but it was a real struggle and one or two probably didn't come low enough. Will go again next time.

Row: 50lb. Tough but managed it. Have to watch some more form videos though cos I think my body moved a bit too much on some. Will do some research and increase to 55 next time.

Squat: 55lb. Really finding these hard but got through it. Just finding the bar really heavy on my back more than anything. It can be uncomfortable just standing with it. Will go to 60 next time.

June is my final month at this for a while (get married in July and a 3 month honeymoon from Sep-December!).

What? A 3 month honeymoon? I want to hear more about this! *seethes with jealousy*

Well, 2.5 months. Starts with 10days in South Africa, then a 9 week trip from Capetown to Nairobi going through 10 countries. Can't wait! Then we're home for Xmas and off to some new foreign land come January where I hope to get back into a routine, assuming it's a country that has gyms!

You women rock! I'm still hangin'.

At present:

Squat 70#
OHP 60# stalled
CP 65# yeah...finally
Row 60#
DL 125# which I then roared! ;o) LOL

Keep lifting and fueling the machine.

ME TOO!!!! BRAND STINKIN' still have the new car smell NEW at stronglifts, but super duper excited. I was doing p90x, then tried new rules, but found them both too tedious...I just finished day 2 of stronglifts and LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!

I may get back to a 5x5 eventually but right now I'm doing this crazy powerlifting routine that starts with high (12) reps and, like, 50 percent of your 1RM and then goes down in reps up in weight until you are lifting your goal weight right before the competition. That's the IDEA anyway.

I had a hard time with the last few reps of each set in SL and I think it's because I didn't rest long enough between sets.

My lifts are now around 120/80/180 for squat/bench/deads. I am aiming for 150/100/250 but I will be stoked to get 135/100/200 at the meet. I need to up my bench, for real.

Hi ladies! To those of you I was friends with you may have seen my account was deactivated...so sorry not to have given the heads up beforehand! I just had some personal stuff going on and had to remove it and MFP couldn't change my username from my first and last name, and I needed that changed. So, new start I guess! Bummed to have lost my progress so far, but just makes me set some new goals.

My son and I both are down with pneumonia since Friday, so my numbers haven't changed, and I probably won't start up again till Monday with my routine. Right now squats are at 120, Bench 60, Deads 130, OHP 60, and rows 80.

I hope everyone is doing well! :flowerforyou:

I've been stalking this group for a while. I'm on week 8 of stronglifts. On Monday I did 145 in squats, 85 on bench, and 95 on barbell rows. On Wednesday I did 150 on quats, 60 on overheads, 145 on deadlifts. (all 5x5 except deadlifts)

I'm doing the SL 5x5 Minimalist program so the program the website has a few different exercises than what y'all are doing. I just started out so I'm looking forward to weight increases!

As of last night:
Squat: 58.8 lbs
Overhead Press: 55 lbs
Deadlifts: 95 lbs

I've been faffing about for the last couple of weeks, but have now joined a gym and am trying to stick to some sort of programme. I was planning on doing Stronglifts, but I really like the Starting Strength book, so I'm veering over to that. But on the other hand Starting Strength has deadlifts in every workout to start off with which I feel might be too much for me (at age 48).

Here are my starting weights (the weights at the gym are in kg).

Squats 22.5 kg (71 lb)
Deadlift 45 kg (99 lb)
OHP 15kg (33 lb) dumbbells
I'll hopefully add in bench press next week.

The gym said to use the Smith machine for the bench press, but I don't like it, so I think I'll ask about using dumbbells. I used dumbbells for the OHP. I'd rather use a barbell, but I'm trying to fit in with how the gym does it.

I really struggle with the OHP.

Is anyone else doing Starting Strength? I couldn't find a group. Starting Strength introduces cleans after the first couple of weeks and I'm not sure about those. They look fun, but difficult! I did ask at the gym, but they seemed to be saying not to do them, so I'd have to do them at home. If I can't manage, I'll change over to the Stronglifts and the Pendlay rows.

(edited to add weight in pounds)

Just did 100lb squats, 45 lb OHP, and 100 deads.

Not happy with myself today.

Found out my form has been off on squats for a while. I ask James all the time if I am parallel and he says yes (I explained what I meant by parallel first, too). Today I made him record it. I asked him if that's what it always looks like and he said yes. Not even CLOSE to parallel. Seriously. I was so proud that I am up to 100 pounds but I might not even be at 80 for all I know. I don't know when was the last time I went low enough for it to count!:grumble:

What do I do now? Deload to about 80 and have him tape that next time? Or keep at 100 till I can go low enough on that? Or something else? Ideas?

The OHP @ 45 was a victory for me though, first time trying it and ALMOST failed but did them all.
The 100 lb deads I did last time but the next day my back felt funny so I didn't want to raise it and tweak something so I decided to stay at 100 again and the last rep was difficult but I did it.

But what do I do about the SQUATS? I will take any and all advice, even if you say I should kick him in the balls for misleading me for weeks....

Vailara, the whole reason I switched from Starting Strength to SL is that I couldn't hack power cleans. I'm sure I could if I had a coach, but I can't get a coach right now. Maybe someday because they look so fun and badazz.

You didn't have to switch programs...BOR's were always the substitute for power cleans for those who don't have the proper equipment for doing safe power cleans. I've been watching the Starting Strength DVD after reading all three editions of the book and I'm kind of itching to try power cleans. He's got so many different age levels doing them on the DVD they seem somehow less intimidating now.

Vailara, the whole reason I switched from Starting Strength to SL is that I couldn't hack power cleans. I'm sure I could if I had a coach, but I can't get a coach right now. Maybe someday because they look so fun and badazz.

Power Cleans are part of the stronglifts 5x5 minimalist program. They're dreadful lol. I can't get them right!

Robin, I would deload. Are you able to get atg on your warm up? I know it's disappointing to have to deload but I've really learned to appreciate them.