So I went running yesterday, and when I got in, my right knee felt funny - it didn't hurt to stand on it, but I didn't want to because it just felt... funny. I was afraid I'd hurt it, since I have a history of bad knees, but it went away before I went to bed. Then, when I woke up this morning, my left hip was (and still kind of is...) bothering me. Painful bothering.

Looks like I might have to skip squats today. Will still probably attempt OHP and deadlift, but I really don't want to irritate this hip and set back my running AND weight lifting. Oy vey. I'm too young to have hip problems!

Okay, so my hip started clearing up so I went for the squats today anyway.

Today was a totally horrible day for me, too. Haha, I have no idea what went wrong! I dunno if it's because I felt disconnected since I missed my workout Monday, or what the deal was, but I just felt off kilter when I got there. I managed to bust out squats alright, but then I tried to OHP... sigh.

1st warm up rep - I almost fell over backwards. I wish I could joke about this. After that humiliating start, I finally busted out the last of my warm ups, and then on the first set I hit my lower lip with the bar on the way up. I.. yeah.

Deadlifts went okay, but I'm not sure how much more weight I can add with such a weak grip. I switched to a mixed for my actual set, and I had to rest the bar on the ground twice in between reps for a few seconds to give my palms a break. I know this is okay to do, but I felt weak.

Hoping Friday goes better... Guess we all gotta have that off day. d:

First time in a while that I actually got in a Monday and Wednesday workout. It went very well I went up 1-1/2 lbs. On the squat (yay for fractionals!) and felt like my depth was better than Monday. I increased 2 lbs. On the OHP. Decided to do power cleans instead of BOR tonight...I think I will alternate the two as long as I'm using weights I don't have to drop on the ground.

Squat 118.5
OHP 57
Power clean 3 @45, 2@50

What a rubbish day.....

First proper fail ...Bench press at 32.5kg There were no clips free so did the press without them, managed 3 sets of 32.5kg but my arms gave way when i was putting it back on the spotter catchers on 4th set, the bar tipped, weights fell off from one end, clanked on the floor, bar squished my boobie and everybody looked!

Looks like I'm now getting into heavy territory and will have to start asking people to spot me

Also had to deload on squat from 37.5kg to 30kg as my form was terrible, couldn't get parallel at all!! it just wasn't happening today!!

Didn't even bother with rows after that

That is why you don't use clamps when you bench...so you can dump the weights off the end in such a situation. I never use them for this reason, per Rippetoe's advice. Does your bench have two sets of hooks...an upper and a lower set? I failed last week and, while I was not getting the bar high enough to reach the regular height hooks, I easily got the bar on the low hooks which left just enough room to get out from under the bar. No unintentional plate dumps yet.

Since the weight is getting heavy for me, I'm tempted to grab someone to spot me, but I feel like it will be necessary to insist on spotting in such a way as to not interfere with my sets. I don't trust anyone at my gym to know what they are doing. But I am probably going to have to soon.

Ah! Thank you! I hadn't realised I shouldn't be using clamps! Just as well I didnt yesterday! Do you use clamps on the others? I always put them on all of my lifts, am I doing it wrong? It makes sense to not use them, but I thought it may unbalance the bar if a plate moves....

Yes my rack has 3 hooks, I aim for the middle, tbh, I dont know what happened yesterday, I thought I had racked it, but apparently not! It all went a bit blank lol!

Not sure where to start next time...go back to the next weight down that I could do? and stay there a few sessions?

It may sound daft but I was gutted...I know I'll fail sooner or later (very soon I'm guessing) on all my lifts, especially as I dont have fractionals, but it did get to me Probably just the embarrassment more than anything......But you guys make it all better xx

What a rubbish day.....

First proper fail ...Bench press at 32.5kg There were no clips free so did the press without them, managed 3 sets of 32.5kg but my arms gave way when i was putting it back on the spotter catchers on 4th set, the bar tipped, weights fell off from one end, clanked on Bhthe floor, bar squished my boobie and everybody looked!

Looks like I'm now getting into heavy territory and will have to start asking people to spot me

Also had to deload on squat from 37.5kg to 30kg as my form was terrible, couldn't get parallel at all!! it just wasn't happening today!!

Didn't even bother with rows after that

That is why you don't use clamps when you bench...so you can dump the weights off the end in such a situation. I never use them for this reason, per Rippetoe's advice. Does your bench have two sets of hooks...an upper and a lower set? I failed last week and, while I was not getting the bar high enough to reach the regular height hooks, I easily got the bar on the low hooks which left just enough room to get out from under the bar. No unintentional plate dumps yet.

Since the weight is getting heavy for me, I'm tempted to grab someone to spot me, but I feel like it will be necessary to insist on spotting in such a way as to not interfere with my sets. I don't trust anyone at my gym to know what they are doing. But I am probably going to have to soon.

Ah! Thank you! I hadn't realised I shouldn't be using clamps! Just as well I didnt yesterday! Do you use clamps on the others? I always put them on all of my lifts, am I doing it wrong? It makes sense to not use them, but I thought it may unbalance the bar if a plate moves....

Yes my rack has 3 hooks, I aim for the middle, tbh, I dont know what happened yesterday, I thought I had racked it, but apparently not! It all went a bit blank lol!

Not sure where to start next time...go back to the next weight down that I could do? and stay there a few sessions?

It may sound daft but I was gutted...I know I'll fail sooner or later (very soon I'm guessing) on all my lifts, especially as I dont have fractionals, but it did get to me Probably just the embarrassment more than anything......But you guys make it all better xx

I personally do use clamps for the other lifts because my plates do shift. Rip does okay them for DL's because the weights tend to walk off the bar...otherwise he'd rather we learn to keep the bar level so the weights stay put. I'd rather not worry about it for the squat. You can use clamps on BP if you have a spotter, but it isn't necessary.

For anyone whos interested this is my routine from the competition I was in on Sunday, SL has definitely helped me build strength and improved my poleing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuK3Ae4zJuc&feature=youtu.be

Amy that's amazing! I WISH I could do that lol! Well done!

Amy: you are amazing. I've always wanted to learn how the proper pole technique! Maybe one day I'll learn. (:

So, I watched another Rippetoe video and it turns out my deadlift technique has been slightly wrong all along. D'oh! I'm going to deload to 90lbs on friday and try again.

I've spent time watching loads of the barbell row vids...but as soon as I get in the gym I forget! Wish the stronglifts app talked to me while I did it! In fact...I wonder if there's a way to get a podcast or something to listen to while doing it to keep me right???

Yeah, I've just been informed by my mom that I can't go to the gym today because I have to dog sit. Sigh. I might drive up there late tonight, but otherwise I'll just wait till next Monday to start again. Keep up the awesome work ladies!

I personally do use clamps for the other lifts because my plates do shift. Rip does okay them for DL's because the weights tend to walk off the bar...otherwise he'd rather we learn to keep the bar level so the weights stay put. I'd rather not worry about it for the squat. You can use clamps on BP if you have a spotter, but it isn't necessary.

He's got a great big gym! I am clumsy, and I don't want to risk the plates breaking a passerby's toes in my small, cramped gym .

I'm doing very good! Going super slow but I'm still going. I have only been doing 2x weekly because I'm just trying to do too much at once, but I think when the forced structure of college returns I can more easily fit 3x weekly into the schedule.

squat 70, press 45, row 50, bench 50, and deadlift 135.

it felt REALLY great to work out today. I'm planning to go again on monday after my appts in the morning

one thing you can do on the overhead press is try to make sure you're not moving the bar horizontally at all (as minimally as possible). In theory the bar goes more or less STRAIGHT up, and the thing that moves is YOU to get your head out of the way.

The other thing that sort of helps is to inflate your chest with air and THEN push up. IT makes it a lot easier BUT I say "sort of" because taking the time to do that makes the whole thing take longer (because you have to set up the breath in between reps) and your arms tend to get tired just from holdign the bar in that position. So that CAN help, but alternately it can help to try and go as fast as you can - sometimes I mix those so I blast out the first 3 reps fast and then the last two I use the inflation to help.

Had to search ages for this as now starting to struggle on the OHP too!

Yesterday I had to give a little bend in the knee push as well, is this cheating? Wouldnt have got it up otherwise!

Yesterday did 60kg squat, 32.5 row and bench again. Ready to add to squats,and may try to add to others. Wont be able to do full 5x5 on 35kg, but will build up.

I had to ask someone random to spot me for the first time yesterday, bless he was really nice and motivational . He was on the rack when I arrived and so we'd had a chat in between his sets (he was squatting around 90kg and had really good form). It was a great moment when he started deloading and I told him to leave 50 on. He was like 'you want the 15's' and I replied 'yeah, once I warm up Im gonna switch to 20's anyway' . Gave me a proud!

Thinking of taking a modified break from 5x5 for about a month. Still the same routine, but deloading a bit and doing 4x8 or even 3x10 to work on endurance for a while and adding in a couple of different moves at the end like lunges or whatever else my heart desires that day (not that my heart ever desires lunges).

Opinions?

We did clean grip deadlifts in class today! :drinker:

8x5 @ 135 (tempo: 30X0 which is down for 3 and up on 1).

I did 1x3 @ 175 with no tempo last week--just picked it up and put it down, which was my PR so far. Adding a little tempo is lift changing.

Have a great week!

I was supposed to lift this morning, but I was completely trashed from my week. Heavy lifting Friday morning then 3 hours fixing bikes in 95 degree heat. Saturday was a 3 hour run, then 2 hours of lifting bikes into a semi trailer (with no ramp! I had to physically lift the bike over my head to hand to the guy standing in the truck, in the 95 degree heat, in the sun, on the black black asphalt...it was HOT) then 4 hours fixing bikes. Sunday was 3 more hours fixing bikes and then laying in the air conditioning trying desperately to hydrate.

I was so hot on Saturday from the run + heat that I neglected to eat. I ate about 1000 calories the entire day, after burning almost 2000 running.

Long story short, I woke up this morning shaking and nauseous and so dehydrated. I didn't want to risk it. I've hydrated like mad today in hopes that I'll feel up to par tonight for some lifting.