natecooper75 Member

I second the advice that blobby10 is giving with the exception of the Smith Machine portion. The smith machine doesn't provide the correct movement pattern to complete the squat. In some cases, you have to put your body in some weird positions in order to complete the movement. Stick with the barbell squat. The improved…

The popular opinion when it comes to questions like this is to just pick a program and stick with it. What you will be asked a lot of times is if you have maxed out on the program you are currently using. It is typically advocated that you get everything you can out of your current program before changing. Boredom is…

I have had some success with holding the last rep of the set at the top. I learned this from watching some powerlifters on YouTube. I think they suggested a 10 count if you can but since you are just starting, you should probably build up your count as you go.

Choosing a federation to go by is hard though because of the subtle difference between them. If you go by the IPF which is probably the largest in the world, they allow knee sleeves. The best one to go by can be argued for ages with no one coming out the winner. I always just like to hear if squats were done with or…

Wouldn't the key here be if the OP was high or low bar squatting and/or what stance they squat is being utilized? Bar placement and stance width have some impact on the muscles that are activated during the movement. I would think that that posterior chain is activated more during a low bar squat because of the torso and…

I can't think of a federation that doesn't allow chalk. Most feds that I have heard of don't let you wear knee support during deadlift. Definitely no lifting straps.

I would say it is more to keep myself under control while maintaining a deficit. Sometimes I have issues not snacking but I feel like if I can tell myself that this is the time to eat and other times are off limits, I will have much better focus.

Not to threadjack, but 5/3/1 doesn't have a specific end point. It could go on forever if you follow it to the letter. Make sure you read some of the additional stuff on T-Nation and check out the 5/3/1 forum on that site as well. Tons of good info there.

Your concerns look they would be solved by using the Stronglifts 5x5 program. You will learn basic barbell movements and you start off with the bar on all lifts and progress from there. This is the safest way I can think of to start using freeweights on your own. The bar should give you a fairly solid load to learn the…

Your trainer will know your needs and what will work for you better than we would on a message board (hopefully). I see nothing wrong with approaching training this way. There are methods used by some lifters that cycle weights this way during a one week period, such as with the Cube Method and Westside Barbell. I would…

While I agree with the majority of respondents that you would be best served by a beginner strength program like Starting Strength, Stronglifts, or Ice Cream Fitness, I'm going to take a different angle that I don't see discussed on here very often. If you have the time and money to potentially join a gym with a coach that…

What are you trying to accomplish with your routine? What ever the answer to that question is, I think you need to rethink how you are approaching the weight portion of your routine. Machines are great in moderation but they have a static movement pattern that sometime neglects the development of supportive muscles that…

I would honestly stay away from either of those options. Go with a powerlifting belt from a reputable manufacturer. Try the sites listed below to check out there options. http://www.roguefitness.com/ http://www.elitefts.net/Default.asp http://www.bestbelts.net/…

After looking up what a sumo squat was because it seems like we have different definitions of what that is, I needed to ask a question. Why would you not count a lift if you are moving it through the correct range of motion? In powerlifting terms, which this thread seems to be more geared toward that, you just have to have…

I think that an extra bar other than one that is for a specific purpose is a waste of money. They do make bars that are specific for squat and deadlift that make sense to use in some cases if you have the money to buy those. I think it comes with the territory that the bar has to be unloaded and loaded. Just consider it…

I think the key to this is the width of your stance and bar placement. These two things will impact which muscles are firing the most and where they are activated during the exercise. Check out this link ( http://70sbig.com/blog/2012/01/low-bar-vs-high-bar-squatting/ ) and read the differences. After that, determine where…

I'm not a doctor, but if you actually tore your pec in May, it may be a little soon to throw front squats into your workout. There is a lot of flexibility involved with the set up for front squat, especially if you do it with a clean grip. Even the cross armed grip may cause you some problems as you start to go heavier. If…

When I see someone doing sets of 10+ reps, I don't say that it is training for strength. You will get stronger by doing this, especially if you have never lifted before, but I wouldn't say that your main goal from your workout plan would be gaining strength. There is a place for this in your program, but if getting…

Do you feel that it is necessary to do this only for core work? I would say that doing some ab work on your off days would get you some core work without the additional strain of adding another compound movement to you workout just to help build your core. PwrLftr82's response gives you a good option as well if you are…

Your primary tool to reach your goal is going to be diet. The weights will help you maintain existing muscle mass while you are eating at a calorie deficit, which is what you will need to be doing to lose weight. So to answer your real question, it will probably be enough for now as it seems you are just beginning to…

I have read some brief descriptions of this program before but never done it myself. I have performed other programs in the past so I'm not a rookie. I said all that to ask, is this program designed to be customizable? When it comes to these beginner lifting programs, I would think that they should be done as written until…

If you are trying to lose 80 lbs, diet is going to be your best friend in this situation. You can't just exercise and expect that to be enough. I personally don't believe in doing "hard" exercise everyday. This is most likely because I believe I'm allergic to running any distance over 100 yards. If I was in your situation…

I have a couple of questions that would help point you in the right direction for an answer. 1) What are your goals? and 2) What do you mean by plateau? I think these are important for helping you get good answers to your question. Do you just do a 3x10 rep scheme for all your weight lifting sessions? I do commend you for…

I already posted once, but I would agree with Kyla as long as you have the additional equipment necessary to perform all the compound movements. This is why I asked if you had a power rack or a bench at home. It isn't the best option to squat without a power rack or bench without some sort of bench. In order to do shoulder…

You sound like a good candidate for either Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5. Since you are in the beginning stages of lifting, you will get the best of both worlds in terms of strength and hypertrophy(muscle building) by using this program. The downside to this at this point is that is a high start up cost for working…

All though I like the idea of deadlifting like Pete Rubish, I think very few people on this planet can match his intensity. But to your question, do you only have a barbell and dumbbells at home? Do you have a bench or power rack to go with that? Those two pieces of equipment open up more options for your exercise needs.…

E-cigs worked for me. I slowly transitioned through the nicotine levels by using them. Once I got to where I was using the no nicotine version, I was finally able to rationalize that I was really wasting my money. While the nicotine addiction was strong, a lot of my issue was just breaking the habit of the smoking routine.…

If you have the chance, pick up the Beyond 5/3/1 ebook. I think it will answer a lot of the questions you may have with the program and it addresses some issues that Wendler himself said needed to be fixed. Since you are interested in powerlifting, there is also a 5/3/1 for Powerlifting version. I haven't read that one but…

Are you trying to build strength in your chest or build up your chest muscles? There are different ways to handle both and also a way to get the best of both worlds. One thing that I see here is that you say you are cutting at the moment. You can build strength on a cut, but most likely you aren't going to gain much, if…

I have recently started trying to do some yoga moves that help target the lower back. It seems to help some but I haven't been doing it long enough or regularly enough to give you a definitive answer. I would suggest giving it a try. As long as you don't try to do any moves that are too advanced (you will be able to tell…