DaveRCF

I like your sense of humour! But seriously, are you regularly reracking after somebody has just deadlifted almost 600 lbs? That must be some muscle gym you're at!

Too much cardio equipment, not enough room in the weights area, especially if you want to deadlift and need a bit of deck space outside the power rack. Otherwise, I suspect I have one of the prettiest views in North America from our gym, which is on the second floor of a racquet/sailing club that is right on a river.

In this case hip drive is lateral. You still keep your knees locked (accomplished easiest by squeezing your gluteus). Proper setup means when the bar is racked across your shoulders you are leaning back a bit with hips forward. When you press the barbell up over your head, your head moves forward and your hips move back.…

I'm in the same boat. Stalled for first time, on OHP, at 90 lbs. First set got all 5, stalled at 3 reps next 3 sets, got mad, rested 3 full minutes (2 on the stalled sets) and got 5 reps on last set. We are also the same age. Try 3 minutes and really concentrate on hip drive and see how she goes. I deloaded to 80 because I…

You're a good man. We need more "OCD plate putter-awayer" types. Confession, I'm the same way. I am usually in the gym later in the evening and by that time the place looks like a tornado has gone through. Nice and orderly, that's the way a gym should be!

Very funny thread, made my day. So many great caricatures. I dare not say which caricature I am. I'll just add two: The Grunter We aren't talking grunts to get the last one or two reps done. We are talking full on grunt for every single rep of every single exercise. I don't use an iPod while training so I occasionally have…

Being in the highest gear while only going 11 mph seems a bit odd to me. If you want to truly get a calorie-burning workout in, you will need to increase your speed to increase your heart rate. Better yet, use your bike for interval training. The "right" gear is actually the one that is easiest for the speed you are…

Interesting question. No substantive evidence, just purely anecdotal, but I think that you would get a bit less out of the workout as you prescribe. One point to remember though. As the weights get heavier, you'd be surprised by how focused you get. Try sticking your body weight on your back and then squat. That gives you…

This could be an infomercial for the compound lifts. I like it; gives me hope. I have learned though that many of these experiments are not designed particularly well.

How about working out with a partner if that is possible? Said partner could help you get the barbell in place on your back.

OP, without a doubt. Even with decent form, it's just bloody hard, especially if you are trying not to cheat by doing a little push press to get the weight up (I suspect impressive OP stats are the result of that). Just failed at 90lbs for the first time. Will need to psyche myself up to succeed next time out.

Speaking as a soon-to-be 49-yr old I feel your pain. I move a lot slower in the morning the next day but by the time I get to work the kinks have been worked out.. In your case, sounds like you need to eat more carbs. We all worry about packing on pounds but it doesn't hurt to play around with your calories and macros to…

When you are doing your warmup sets, really concentrate on making sure that the weight feels evenly distributed across your foot. I find it is one of the more important cues. What type of shoes are you using, if any. In your case, maybe try barefoot for a while to be able to really feel the weight distribution.

Congratulations on your ongoing recovery and congratulations on wanting to "lift heavy"! This is a great resource in addition to Stronglifts: startingstrength.com The forums are a bit more rough and tumble than on MFP but if you go in with the right attitude, the information on here is superb. I also downloaded two of Mark…

Pushups are a great workout but be aware to take it slowly. Part of the reason is that with hands flat on the floor, there is a fair amount of stress placed on the wrists. Also, there is a fair amount of stress placed on the muscles surrounding the shoulders if the pushup is done correctly (that is, nose pretty much…

That was quite the scintillating Saturday night:) The question is really about how you feel and how do you feel about the way you look. The tale of the tape is overrated. I bet you look juuuuuuusssssttttt fiiiiiiiiinnnne.

I'm having a great time working through the linear progressions that Stronglifts 5X5 put you through. stronglifts.com Program is free, download on the website. Also, Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe is an excellent way to understand why heavy lifting works and how to do the lifts correctly startingstrength.com Once you…

I think a 20% deload is typically recommended, and that is after two consecutive workouts when you were not able to complete all 5 sets (with good form). I am about to likely learn more about deloading shortly as my OP is getting dodgy.

This is a seriously impressive stat. Good stuff!

Try this! http://scoobysworkshop.com/pullups-for-total-beginners/ Negatives are an important and sometimes overlooked aspect of training. This guy rocks.

We have a studio at our gym that people use for stretching, skipping etc. It is also where a lot of equipment such as balance balls, and bosu balls are kept. After college let out this year in early May, there were a couple of girls who were clearly in the gym to work on their summer beach bods who would take over the…

For me, pull-ups were the holy grail of getting fit. They can be a goal but for somebody starting out, just not realistic. I'm up to 10 from not being able to do one 6 months ago but I lost 25lbs in the interim. Pull-ups are all about power to weight ratio.

Looks like this is a question you may want to move to another forum. Nutrition perhaps?

Why not just start your lifting program and see if your current diet regimen is sufficient. Without providing goals though it is hard to give any advice. Do you want to continue losing weight at the same rate as currently? Or would you be happy to give up some weight loss but add some muscle? (i.e. reduce your BF%). As for…

Weighted walking lunges. Nothing says pain after 5 sets with a 60lb barbell on your back.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Chris, I hear you on a calorie is a calorie, easy to forget this simple fact.

Beside possibly needing to start with a bar lighter than an Olympic bar (45 lbs), you should be fine. Lots of women, my wife included, are doing it. Just be careful not to overextend your lower back, as women tend to be more flexible than men in this regard.

What weight are you deadlifting currently and how much do you weigh? Your grip will strengthen but it takes time. If you are still at light weights (say, 75% of your body weight), you may want to focus on increasing grip strength through exercises before going to straps. You will see that for many of the heavy lifts, it is…

I'm still very early in the program and the weight isn't very challenging yet, but at some point, it's going to happen. I'll try to find a partner to work out with at some point, but for now, it's me and the power racks. :smile: [/quote] You should be able to get around using a spotter. Having the luxury of 1 spotter, let…

This is a great suggestion. It does require a bit of patience because Rippetoe is long-winded. But wading through the book will definitely increase your understanding of correct technique and the reasons why the lifts are done the way they are done. I really like the Stronglifts 5X5 program. Since you are starting out, you…