awkwardsoul Member

You certainly can cardio, though as SL goes on the sessions get longer and harder. I was doing 2 hour sessions at one point with the long warm up sets, thus more calories burned. Same advice goes for people wanting to add in accessory work. Be sure to watch your eating closely and getting lots of rest to be sure you aren't…

Untamed Strength, day 2. Bench: worked my way up to 100lbs x 8 reps, starting at 45lbs. I tried 105lbs but failed. Dips: attempted but my arms were gassed so I fell on my butt instead. Actually quite impressed, I haven't lifted since mid November but my bench seems to not of changed. Time off got me to reset habits for…

I've been gone since November and back. Why was I gone? I sprained my ankle so bad that I was on crutches for 2 weeks. Finally started lifting as I'm now stable on my feet, walking normal and have been stretching that ankle to regain movement again. Anyways, today I went in to restart Untamed Strength's program starting…

This is what I mean/ use for bench form. The top is directly over the shoulders. My starting is at my bra band, but that could look different from back arch, grip, and arm length. Straight up and down won't give you as much power and probably wreck your shoulder. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKhI-O4HI8M

For bench I start at the bra line, then press the bar up to shoulder. The bar path is an angle and not straight up and down line.

Bench day deload, so pretty uneventful. However I did a 15 minute stretch/yoga pose warm up. My back has been angry since last week and this long stretch session really help me feel taller and less crunchy. Bench 1x10 50/65/75 Dips Rows 2x10 35lbs each hand. Shrugs 3x10 75lbs for fun.

Deload week. I was looking forward to it last week, but actually running the numbers on what the weight was going to be was kinda disappointing. I did some more reps than usual to entertain myself. Squats 1x10 45/95/115/135lbs Planks R Deadlifts 3x10 95lbs - threw these in for fun.

OHP 1x10 72.5lbs (warm up 45/55/60/65) - These till failure. I got 10, probably could of gotten more if I had someone standing by the count for me. It seems massively easier for reps to failure that I just mindlessly go and someone else does the math, haahha! I had some gas left in the tank after that and I did 1x1 75 and…

Deadlift 1x10 165lbs (warm up 95/110/125/135/145) - these were to failure and I only cranked out 10. I used straps as I knew my grip would gas before I would. These totally kicked my butt, my legs were locked up after the set. Front Squats 3x10 55lbs - I know I can lift more but my legs were really tired. Planks back to…

Other than checking your eating, I'd take a week off and do a 10% deload. That small of a deload isn't long to work back up to, and that'll give you some rest time. Be sure that you are doing a good warm up and foam rolling too.

Bench 1x11 100lbs (warm up 50/60/75/80/90) - These were to failure. I had a spot (yay!) and I just completely zoned out and just benched my heart out. In my head I did 9, but turned out to be 11, yay! Dips Dumbbell Rows 3x10 35lbs Shrugs 2x10 100lbs

1RM OHP 95lbs. Track my calories for this month (OMG, I've been so incredibly bad for months) Get back to doing yoga a couple times a week, dropping some pounds. Non fitness I'm also doing NaNoWriMo, so I'm hoping to not get burnt out from writing so much.

Week 4, this is going to be a weird week as I never lifted to failure. Squats 175lbs to failure, 12 reps. (Warm up 90/110/130/145/155). I think i could of banged out a few more but I was really unsure. Kinda wished I had someone watching, I hate bailing on squats - there's a nice dent on the safety rails from me dumping…

Deadlift day! Running today on bad sleep and feeling burnt out. My diet has been questionable too - so far okay on calories but it's mostly from ice cream and crackers. Deadlift 3x8 155lbs - I'm doing very well with these finally and I'm seeing a lot of progress on my form. I banged these out easier than last week, seems…

Bench 3x8 95lbs (warm up 45/65/80) - I was supposed to have a spot for these but he was running late and I was already warmed up so I did without. I managed to not fail any reps, so that was good and these felt easier than last week. Also last week I didn't have a spot. I'm going to need one badly for bench next week so…

wahhhhahahah my legs are so tight and pumped that they feel funny! Squats 3x8 165lbs - I like wearing a tank style top, however when I get back sweaty doing squats is really scary as the barbell is slippery on my back. Yuck!!! These went good, the 8 reps are killer! Lunges - these were when my quads decided they had…

If you reddit, xxfitness has had a gym buddy matching thing a couple times, with the option of finding a local buddy. I'm sure they will do it again as it is really popular. You might want to try asking there too.

Phew, last lifting session for the week! OHP 5x8 62.5lbs. These went pretty good, tough at the end with doing 8 reps but still went smoothly. Farmer's walks 25lbs each hand. I've been meaning to start yoga again. Doing yoga before really help with my recovery and I stopped getting knots. Hopefully I won't hurt myself again.

Totally try it. Some days it'll be a lot of work to finish those 5 sets of 5 reps - the next session you've added weight and it's easy. OHP is the biggest culprit for me for that, I've even failed reps then the session it was easy that it made no sense why I had issues last time. Much of it was getting stronger or the…

Deadlift 5x8 145lbs (warm up 95/95/120). I somehow did this all while talking to my husband. Well, I can listen to him as long as he doesn't walk into my peripheral vision, then I worry I'm going to drop the bar on his foot. My grip gassed early on so I was using switch grip. I had some ugly 2 sets but my form got better…

Oy, my arms are like noodles! Bench Press 8/8/8/8/5 87.5lbs (warm up 45/65lbs). I was supposed to do 5x8 but I couldn't grind out those last 3 reps. I didn't think I should be getting failure this early in a new program on light weight, but 8 reps for bench is just rough at this high of weight. I also didn't have a spot…

I'm not sure what will kick me in the butt first - high reps or 4 times a week lifting. Squats 5x8 155lbs (warm up 45/45/95/135) Lunges. Man I suck at lunges. Planks

Today was killer! I was dreading today but I felt much more motivated today than yesterday to come after today's lifting session. Conventional Deadlift 1x8 95/115/135/145/155/160/165lbs - I did much better than I thought I would as I thought I would of gassed out around 150lbs. My deadlifts suck, I'm hoping this new…

I dislike that article as it's all personal accounts of Rippetoe with no science to back it up. He has been notorious in the past for being kinda sexist too. I'd say more of what he says is from untrained female lifters. Good chance is small sample size (as there's not many women lifters) is all new lifters, especially the…

If you need a little extra help with recovery you can go down that road and take amino acids. I don't take them. I get pretty beaten up on my rest days and I get by fine. The only suppliments I take is a multi vitamin during my period, the odd fish oil when I remember, and I do protein powder/fitness fiber as I have a hard…

I was really not feeling like lifting today, as if the motivation was not there at all. I don't know what convinced me, but I got out there and did something at least. OHP 1x8 45/55/65/70/72.5 failed 75lbs - 8 reps is particularly brutal for OHP. At 65lbs on the 6th rep I was like omg these are rough. I thought I'd stall…

Another rant on the weather in SoCal. These are my lifts from yesterday. It was so humid I was getting wet from it before the sweat started from the heat. Bench Press 1x8 45/65/75/85/90/95/100, Failed 105. I benched more than I thought I could, so I was quite happy. Dumbbell rows 3x10 35lbs. I figured this lifting day…

I take that back, I don't miss my home squat rack. SoCal really needs summer to end, it was 95F/35C outside and a few degrees hotter in my garage with squat rack...at 8pm. I was sick of this hot weather a month ago. I decided to move on from SL and onto a new program. I was eyeing juggernaut and 5/3/1, but settled on…

The extras built into the app are dips, pushups, skull crushers, standing calf raises, planks, pull ups, chin ups, curls, seated calf raises, hanging knee raises. It depends what you want to do or can do. Stuff that is extra on Ice Cream Fitness is all body building stuff, curls do nothing other than appearance. I'm more…

Last day of lifting at a mountain resort at 7000 feet of elevation ATG Squats with dumbbells 5x8 60lbs Bench machine of stupid 3x5 100lbs - stupid because I realized the range of motion on this machine is garbage. The bar starts way high above my chest, I can't lower the bar or raise myself up. Tricep pull machine 3x5…