DaniH826 Member

That is outstanding !!!! I'm going to a powerlifting meet at a local high school this Saturday to watch for a little while. Super excited!!

I started off with Body Fortress from Wal-Mart which left me constipated (of course that resolved when the container was nearing its end and I had already purchased a tub of ON to replace it). I got tired of chugging milk of magnesia, so I switched to Optimum Nutrition. Doing much better on it. I use about a scoop a day in…

It happens. Thanks for clarifying!!

I'm only at 125 for my DL, but the mixed grip helps me keep my form right. Because you can't really "pull" a whole lot when you have your hands positioned like this, it forces your lower body to pick up the slack, and you won't risk hurting your lower back. I know that traditionally people switch to a mixed grip to keep…

I had to start overhead presses with dumbbells because the 45 lb bar was too heavy for me. It took a few sessions to get me up to speed because my upper body strength was so ... well, weak. You're probably not doing anything wrong. Just try a lower weight that you can do 5x5 sets with, and work your way up from there. Same…

Great squat depth! I know what you mean by "picture mess." I took self-shots the other day of me squatting, benching, DLing and OHPing, and that entire session became all about beating the camera timer and finding the right angles. :laugh:

As much as I didn't like what my husband had to say, I do trust him with my form, and I have applied his feedback. Also, form is something you get better with over time. In the beginning, aim for "decent", and focus on the basics and definitely get those correct before you add significant weight. Because good form is going…

That would be sweet! I actually bought a stop watch the last time I tried C25K which lasted about 2 weeks before I quit. I'm hoping that if I treat it as my pre-lifting warm-up, I might actually stick with it, and have something to look forward to, i.e. lifting, which I did get banged out afterwards today without much…

So instead of doing yoga pre-lifting today, I decided to start C25K. I'm going to need a PRE C25K app because jogging for 60 seconds at a time was positively killing me. Good grief. I never thought it was possible to hate the words "start running" so much. :huh: But, I'm going to incorporate running for at least a little…

I started rows at 45 lbs and focused on form for a good 2-3 weeks before I was ready to take the weight up, because they felt so awkward and I had a hard time getting the form down and keeping my back parallel and all those things you have to be mindful of. I used the empty bar and 2 recycling bins. :happy: Even now I'm…

DOMS is a very individual thing, and depending on how conditioned you are and so forth (and I really think genetics have to do with it also), you may or may not experience it. I really only got DOMS when I first started lifting. That first week was brutal for me. I don't really get it anymore except very occasionally, but…

Mixed grip did it for me. Instead of pulling, I now feel like I'm pushing the bar away from the floor with my feet. The mixed grip takes the work away from your arms and forces it more to your lower body/legs/hips, with your upper body doing more stabilizing work. Much better on my back too (which was giving me fits…

Welcome, and congrats on getting started! If that's all the equipment you have, then that's what you use. Beats not lifting. :smile: Then I'd stick with what you're doing, because as long as you're going below TDEE, you should be steadily losing fat/weight over time. You could also try eating 200 cals more on lifting days…

I flaked out after 3x10. Will be interesting to watch your progress. You can still post here and be part of the group, you know. Cuz we won't flake on you. :flowerforyou:

Ehhhh it's okay. You're going to be doing hundreds upon hundreds of squats over the next whatever months/years, so no hurry on those anyway. Plus, deadlifts are fun! :laugh:

3 is the latest and greatest. It basically has the content of 2, plus articles and whatever Mark has been adding since the others were released. I think he adds more content with each edition, and the latest is going to be the most updated, so there's really no sense getting any of the earlier ones unless you can get them…

<Ice-cream fueled 125 Deadlift PR tonight, y'all. May the 4th be with you! :flowerforyou:

I love my Fastenal washers. They work like a charm, and I use them all the time now. I have my presses set to progress by 2.5 per week, and if need be I can drop down to 1.25. Progress is progress. I'm not going to beat my head against a wall because I can't get that 5-pound increase. It's better to be realistic and go up…

Downward dog does wonders for wrist strengthening. :smile: After some practice, if you can support most of your body weight, you can certainly support a barbell and a couple plates. :flowerforyou: Unless you have some sort of congenital issue or whatever, in which case forget what I said.

Y'all should see a shrink and discuss all these complexes, really ... :laugh:

I do power cleans once a week. Owait, wrong thread ...

Conventional wisdom would dictate putting ice on it, taking some ibuprofen and taking it easy for a couple days to see if it'll calm down. If it's a strain, it ought to mend in a few days. You probably lost a bit of your warm-up by standing around for those 15 minutes. Maybe do jumping jacks or grab a couple dumbbells next…

Yep, and that's perfectly normal. I'm still experimenting 3 months into lifting. I'll probably never not experiment. To me that's all part of the fun. Long as the weights go up and I get stronger over time without hurting myself, that's all that matters. It may be several weeks yet before you hit any sort of "stride" ...…

I do yoga before I lift my barbells. I love both, and I have my yoga routine designed to support my lifting routine. You can get in serious shape with yoga and develop incredible strength, if you actually incorporate poses that make you support your own body weight in a meaningful way and therefore make you stronger over…

1. Focus on form over weight. 2. You're only as strong as your weakest muscle, so give your body a chance to catch up, and focus on strengthening your weaknesses when you're not doing the Stronglift lifts. 3. Yoga is a most excellent compliment to weight lifting because it'll help loosen up your tight spots, which will…

Hey, I don't know what your situation is and why you don't have access to a squat rack, but this made me think of you: http://freckledlifter.wordpress.com/2012/09/11/diy-squat-rack/

You'll be in great hands with Sara and SS. I just wanted to leave you with some encouragement that I'm almost 46, and have had low back issues for years since a car accident, and I'm really uncoordinated. Like, super klutzy. I fell in love with barbell training earlier this year, and it's helped my back issues and my…

I work out in my garage, and so I'm not lifting it if I can't rack/unrack and load/deload it myself. I consider those things part of my training anyway. Plus, I noticed that working with the plate springs (the thingies at the end that you have to squeeze to hold the plates in place) has done serious wonders for my grip…

When someone tells me they "lift heavy", then I assume that somehow they're talking about a barbell training program that includes some variation of the "big 4" (squats, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses) in some sort of rotation that is having them increase weights (and therefore strength) progressively. It's…

Congrats !!!!!! That's one of my May goals. Right now I'm at 120, so hopefully I'll be lifting big plates sometime this month!