violet976 Member

Bumping since this is one of my prime target areas. I finished my 3rd week of stronglifts and then some recurring knee pains slowed me down. This topic is my motivation to heal and get right back into it. I've been foam rolling and cycling to get my knees back on track, doing a 2 mile uphill/downhill walk every other day…

Definitely no other spot in out house as I work from home and have taken over most of the house, and with 10 pets, this was probably the only spot we could have fit this beast. Personally, I'd much rather just shorten the barbell to a more convenient length. If I ever get to the point of actually *needing* a 7 foot barbell…

Because the shorter ones were said to not fit correctly on the power rack. When I was shopping, I couldn't find a 6 foot barbell with a wide enough grip area to line up with the j-hooks. I researched online and everything I found said that most 6 foot barbells were not going to work for a rack.

Yes, I'm definitely looking into shortening the barbell. For the space we have available, it's definitely long, and for the weights I lift currently (ranging from 40 pounds to 100 pounds) I simply have no need for a barbell that long. Ideally, I wanted slightly over a 6 foot barbell. I'm working with standard weights so…

@massage97: Glad to see someone else with this rack. What are your thoughts on the longer j-hooks? Did you get used to them over time or do you also wish they were shorter. For squats especially, I find it awkward to have the bar move so much when I place it on my shoulders. Definitely not a deal breaker, but if the welder…

Thanks so much for the input. I actually *just* ordered a foam roller before I read this. Due to slight back and knee pain, which usually eases with stretching, the roller is something I'm eager to try. I also do about 10-20 minutes of stretching before each workout, focusing on knees and shoulders. My hope is to begin…

I'm a very large carb eater. I don't gain weight easily, if at all, and I *live* for carbs. I just gobble them up. So... I'll try your recommendation and see if it helps. My goal long term though is weight gain, so I'll be very sad if it turns out to be the case. I've also had a history of knee issues from falls I've taken…

Well two days of rest and my elbow has popped a few times and no longer hurts on full extension like it did. My knees are still a bit painful (just the tiniest bit, still more discomfort and a feeling of built up pressure). I'm hopeful that my knees have felt this way about a year ago and that resolved on it's own, and…

I totally get this. I don't have a weight rack yet - mine are simply all piled on the floor, but they have an exact order for each pile and I have the need to make sure they are all facing correctly when laid down (the weight marking must be facing down, easy to read, and always with the lbs facing up). If it were any…

I would be surprised if the results were different, as before I was doing 5 sets of 5 with about 3 minutes in between each set, and now I'm simply doing a set of 5, followed by a few minute break, then a set of 5 of another exercise, followed by a few minute break, then a set of the first exercise again. So, the rest times…

Fantastic. I'm glad to hear this is still an acceptable way to do the program. Since I'm working out at home, I don't have to worry about hogging equipment. & I've got my own power rack showing up in a few weeks. I'm definitely already looking forward to the added security for OHP and squats. I actually found my rest times…

I just finished my third week and I've been repeating squats almost every week to try and get form nailed down (due to knee issues, I want to be as careful as possible). I found that beginning with a step stool under me helped me to learn the "feel" of a proper squat, and to play around with different stances until I found…

I'm just ending week 2 and I was quite intimidated when I began. I ended up just deciding to get myself a used bench/barbell/weight set so I'd have no excuses. I have a very real fear of being in a gym with others watching and judging me, but I did end up finally caving and posting form videos here despite that fear. I…

I'm glad I asked. For the life of me I thought I was the only one out of breath at the end of each squat. Taking a breath at the top is certainly the way I was most comfortable, but I just wasn't sure if it was correct or not. & sadly, I'm only squatting 55 pounds now. I can't even imagine the weight some of you girls are…

@suremeansyes: The part that worries me is getting the hands/wrists under and out in time. In each video, that part of the bail really looks worrisome.

The squat fail is the one that scares me the most as well. I've been watching youtube videos of squat dumps, and they aren't encouraging me. I'm trying to come up with a cheaper homemade setup that would help in the event of a fail, that wont break the bank or take up tons of space. Ideally something that could work for…

Whoops, you are all absolutely right. I don't know where I got three days from. I suppose it's because I'm still just beginning that the idea of taking two days off seems disappointing - as I'm always excited to see if I could up the weight on the next workout, but I can definitely see the point in everyone's advice for…

Since I wasn't initially sure of if I would even *like* lifting, I simply purchased a used bench/barbell/weights on CL. I figured even if it was a basic/cheap bench, I could always upgrade later. I *think* the olympic bars are preferred if you want to get up to substantial weights, but I could easily be mistaken. I ended…

I just did my third day today. I consider myself to be very weak and I've no idea where everyone else started, but here is my current progress: Squats: Started at 45 pounds and am still repeating that weight. My knees are a bit out of shape so I'm making sure I can do the complete number of squats at 45 pounds…

I'm just starting the program and working out from home on a weight bench. Since I'm starting low (45 for squats/barbell rows, 25 for OHP, 65 for deadlifts) I don't yet feel the need for a spotter, but when I hit my final reps I can tell that I'm going to want some additional security to go up in weights. I cringe at the…

@girlie100: Whew. I'm glad to hear it. These squats really felt much better than my first ones, and I find if I perform each one slowly I can feel any potential knee twinge and stand back up before any issues arise. My first day I had to stand back up a few times, yesterday just once. I'm encouraged, but will be holding…

Well my 45 pound weighted squats were still feeling like an incorrect pressure on my knees. I actually decided to back off completely, since I've never been one to squat much in daily activities, and instead grabbed a small stepping stool to finally learn what type of squat feels natural for my own body. It probably seems…

@krokador: That actually makes more sense to me and gives me something to focus on. I just tried holding that position and pulling my shoulders back from where I wanted to start, and my elbows did indeed move down/forward more. Thinking of that in combination with the chest up really does change the feel of how I've been…

@girlie100 : Thanks so much for the input. I've been reading up on form positions for those with long legs/short torsos and have seen it mentioned that a wider stance is quite common, which is great to know as I just tried a narrower stance and it didn't feel nearly as comfortable. I'm definitely not at depth yet, though…

Welcome. I'm new to the group and the SL program as well. & although I didn't realize it until I moved out of state, I'm actually quite uncomfortable around new people as well. It actually took me a long time to even get into outdoor walks, as I felt as if people would be watching/judging me. Finally I got tired of…

What amazing progress! It's very encouraging to read these posts. Having just started yesterday, I simply cannot imagine being able to lift what I'm currently lifting now (45 pounds on all except OHP, and that's definitely a challenging starting point for me). I have to say that I love the outline of this program simply…

Thanks so much. I honestly couldn't understand your description for barbell row/deadlift form differences at first, but I just spend some time watching more youtube videos and finally *see* what you're saying about the straighter legs. I had to really think through the range of motion for each exercise but your explanation…

@Krokador: Hmmm. Ive never thought about it - I simply always thought of myself as very thin with really skinny legs. I have no idea how to verify that, but if it helps I'm 38" up to the highest point of my hip bone, and 27.5" from that point to the top of my head (5.5 feet total). It could also be a combination of the…

I'm truly embarrassed to be posting these but am completely new to lifting and I do feel as if I am in need of some good critique. I've been watching the video demos on the SL website, youtube and also video taping myself to try and improve, but I don't feel like I have form down yet. I'm pretty weak as well and not very…

Bumping this topic up late in the game. These are really "butter alternatives", but rather, "things I like on toast". :) - hummus. & with so many variations/flavors, this one never gets old to me. - chickpea salad (like a tuna/chicken salad, but made with chickpeas). Again, the variations are endless. - nut butters or…