the exercise i crave is all about cycles into and out of intensity
― riverine (map), Saturday, 9 July 2016 01:23 (seven years ago) link
hit 275# C&J after some time off! was really surprised by that.
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Thursday, 14 July 2016 12:32 (seven years ago) link
jesus
― clouds, Thursday, 14 July 2016 13:30 (seven years ago) link
i'm doing a pretty awesome job lately
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 14 July 2016 23:30 (seven years ago) link
not hueg numbers but being able to do things i didn't used to be able to
shoulders have gone from concave to convex, i feel like this is a milestone
― clouds, Friday, 15 July 2016 22:46 (seven years ago) link
Added just 100 calories back into my diet (so 2500) and reset my squat from 195 (where I was struggling even before I cut calories) down to 180 and now I'm comfortably completing all three sets and able to progress 2.5lb per workout consistently. Everything else is also slowly increasing slowly; I'm just left with two issues I'm still banging my head into a brick wall on:
1. I can't figure out how to front squat without feeling like I'm going to snap my hands off at the wrist- I had intended front squats to be a temporary measure to get comfortable with the rack position so I could move to power cleans, which I've been ignoring for six months, but I still can't do it. I've tried getting a form check from some of the trainers, but the best I can get is "try adjusting your grip a little." No shit, really?2. I'm trying to work my way up to body weight chin-ups (or whichever it is that's done underhanded) and I'm not sure how to progress when starting from assisted chin-ups. I've been able to move from 3 sets of 8 at +60 lbs (with a brief pause in the middle, so not perfect sets) to the same performance at +55, but I don't know if I should continue like this or try something closer to the advice in the Starting Strength book to see if I can get just one chin-up out with full range of motion starting from a hanging position (last I checked: no, I cannot).
I'm down about a pound, so that seems to be going OK too. The best discovery I've made diet-wise is that I can not only stand but legitimately enjoy a giant pile of lean ground turkey if I cook it with some MSG-laden Goya taco seasoning and mix it with a bowl of vegetables.
― You guys are caterpillar (Telephone thing), Saturday, 16 July 2016 03:28 (seven years ago) link
Have you tried bar on delts, hands crossed over for front squats?
Start with free chins as much as you can do, even if it's only half of one, then move on to assisted chins imo.
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:00 (seven years ago) link
Rack is all about your elbows up, bar resting on front delts as if they are pillows, your hands are just stabilizing things, sounds like they're doing too much to me? In any case try hands xed over, no wrist flexion with it, key is still elbows up though.
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:06 (seven years ago) link
It is pretty hard to keep the rack up while you're squatting and keeping your back straight which is what makes it such a good exercise I think. I've started doing split squats with my back foot elevated on one of those bosu balls, because god my toes aren't made of rubber, and fuck they are hard, barely any weight too. they hit my ass and quads like no other. neway
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:23 (seven years ago) link
i perversely enjoy doing 3 sets of pull ups then two assisted pull up drop sets, literally all the blood in my body goes to my lats. then straight arm press downs on the cable har dee har harrr *extreme video fx* for real though i love being able to articulate my back and use it most fully in a back exercise instead of flopping around too much and i think volume really helps w being able to do that. so like do six sets of chins if you have the time, three half reps, three assisted sets of 8, you will be doing multiple free chins in no time i bet.
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:38 (seven years ago) link
also you will be kissing ur guns in the mirror.
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:41 (seven years ago) link
you know what else? rows. they're great. i am so much better at them than i used to be. ok i'm done serial shitposting. for now.
― mom us (map), Saturday, 16 July 2016 04:49 (seven years ago) link
i only just discovered i can front rack now. i could not for a long time, not for more than one rep. stretch still hurts my wrists but not bad. the problem is likely your shoulder and back mobility. i felt like my arms were too long to reach. like i literally could not get my hands there. then it just went away. sorry not sure what i did to fix it because i've been doing all kinds of stuff lately.
― assawoman bay (harbl), Saturday, 16 July 2016 11:26 (seven years ago) link
i'm going to front squat today though
i felt like my arms were too long to reach. like i literally could not get my hands there.
This is exactly it! Glad to hear you were able to push past it, though- I've had occasional good days myself but it never really lasts. I definitely have mobility concerns (my right shoulder is semi-permanently twisted forward a little bit thanks to wearing a fully loaded backpack with one strap when I was a stupid, stupid kid), and finding a good set of stretches and exercises for it is already my project for this weekend.
I've tried the cross-hand grip, and while it's easier on the wrists, it weirdly seems to make the actual balance part of a front squat harder. I'm still not working with much weight- practicing at 75 to try and just get the movement down- so it's got to be something about my stance with arms crossed throwing my balance off. And much as I wish I could, I can't really use the cross hand grip for power cleans either :(
― You guys are caterpillar (Telephone thing), Sunday, 17 July 2016 04:01 (seven years ago) link
Was able to bench 185 x 3 today. My squat I'm not trying to increase atm, really just continuing to focus on form and not going above 135, but the closer I get to what seems like proper form, the more I really feel that 135. One thing that has helped me is wider legs.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Tuesday, 19 July 2016 01:47 (seven years ago) link
hang on you bench more than you squat? are these kilos?? so confused
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 19 July 2016 08:16 (seven years ago) link
Had a squat breakthrough today- just getting my elbows higher in the low bar position made it much more stable. I didn't realize how much of my issues with what is still my least favorite lift were due to balance problems. Was able to get through a full set of 3x5 at 185 lbs today, which isn't anything to write home about but it's a slight improvement on a caloric deficit that left me feeling like I could easily add another 2.5 on Thursday, so I'm pretty happy about it.
― You guys are caterpillar (Telephone thing), Tuesday, 19 July 2016 23:29 (seven years ago) link
yeah the more you can squinch up your shoulders behind you the more stable the "platform" for the bar is
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 12:44 (seven years ago) link
I do bench more than I squat, but it's really a flexibility/form issue for me with the squat rather than leg strength. I think I could get down and back up with 185 lbs but my back would be rounding like crazy. (yes lbs, not kilos).
I have short calf muscles, tight hips and a shoulder problem that makes it hard for me to squeeze my lats/get my shoulders back. I actually think the shoulder issue might be the biggest setback in my squat because it makes it hard to keep my chest up.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 14:20 (seven years ago) link
Overheard press up again, put up a plate (135) x 3. Tried to do a second set and couldn't even do one rep, but it still felt pretty good to hit the plate milestone. Deadlift was down today though, could only do 275, and that only for 3 reps.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 21:19 (seven years ago) link
Dude that is a heavy overhead press! Amazing stuff.
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 21:47 (seven years ago) link
Thanks! Again, this is pounds, not kilos, just to be clear.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 21:49 (seven years ago) link
Feeling like my basic lifts are shaping up enough that I might try some Olympic lifts at low weights after I hit the one-year mark (September).
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Wednesday, 20 July 2016 21:52 (seven years ago) link
I really enjoy olympic lifting and I think there are a lot of benefits to it. I would just advise that you take it slow and if there is any way for you to get some instruction from someone that knows what they are doing I recommend it. They are explosive movements with a lot of technical aspects and moving parts.
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Thursday, 21 July 2016 12:53 (seven years ago) link
you'll also really need to work on flexibility
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Thursday, 21 July 2016 12:54 (seven years ago) link
Yeah I mean maybe I would just start doing progression stuff toward it, not gonna jump into the lifts.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Thursday, 21 July 2016 13:55 (seven years ago) link
lifted for the first time in a while d/t injury -- feels good, man
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Thursday, 21 July 2016 14:40 (seven years ago) link
i don't think you read it right. he said "overheard" press.
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 21 July 2016 23:13 (seven years ago) link
overheard u pressin
― mom us (map), Thursday, 21 July 2016 23:22 (seven years ago) link
yo dawg i heard u like pressin
― assawoman bay (harbl), Thursday, 21 July 2016 23:30 (seven years ago) link
lulz
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 22 July 2016 15:23 (seven years ago) link
ermagherd overherd press
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 22 July 2016 15:24 (seven years ago) link
How do I bicep? I'm like 3 months in and everything else is going great (dips are SO FUN you guyyyyys what did I do before I just did dips all the time) but I've seen barely any improvement at all in what I can curl I don't get it!
― Gravel Puzzleworth, Friday, 29 July 2016 13:30 (seven years ago) link
I've been seeing a trainer recently, had my first full session this week - it was p gruelling and intense but I enjoyed it. My bones are in bits after it though, I guess it used a lot of muscles I don't normally use. Three days later and my legs and arms are still majorly stiff and sore.
― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Friday, 29 July 2016 13:31 (seven years ago) link
back was hurting after my last couple sessions (after a couple months out after tearing my ACL) and revisited SS to analyze my form --- i was deadlifting alllllll wrong. it's really amazing what even tiny changes can do.
GP: pullups?
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Friday, 29 July 2016 13:40 (seven years ago) link
yeah i need to be very deliberate with my form when I deadlift, it's too easy for me to get all out of whack.
― (•̪●) (carne asada), Friday, 29 July 2016 14:02 (seven years ago) link
I find that widening my arms helps with deadlift form -- it keeps the upper back straighter. I also find that I can just kind of *feel* when my hips are rising too early, and sometimes that means I'm using too much weight.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 29 July 2016 14:20 (seven years ago) link
The things i always tell myself: Flat back, chest up, don't sit all the way down, pull straight up your shins
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, 29 July 2016 14:21 (seven years ago) link
Focusing on the motion of almost snapping my hips forward helps me do it right, like the second half of it almost being a pelvic thrust.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 29 July 2016 14:38 (seven years ago) link
had a string of minor injuries (calf, shoulder, then bicep)--and thus feeling old and useless and ready for the funeral pyre.
― ryan, Friday, 29 July 2016 16:32 (seven years ago) link
is there anything worse than just getting to the gym and right away feeling a twinge in a new place and going through the entire kubler ross cycle before realizing you have to cut off your workout.
― ryan, Friday, 29 July 2016 16:33 (seven years ago) link
yeah a couple weeks ago i went on a deadlift day with a hip that felt unusually stiff and creaky, said fuck it i'll soldier thru and ended up straining an old low back trouble spot. you def have to have some humility.
― goole, Friday, 29 July 2016 16:46 (seven years ago) link
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, July 29, 2016 9:21 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i found that addressing the bar in the exact order that rip recommends really helped --- get the feet in position, bend over and grab it, bend knees until they touch, lift chest w/o moving hips, pull
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Friday, 29 July 2016 17:00 (seven years ago) link
Another thing that helped me was to realize that arm length will affect your deadlift posture and not everyone should try to set up exactly the same way. I happen to have long arms so the tilt of my back is a little more upward than some when I set up. I think it was an Alan Thrall video I learned that from.
― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 29 July 2016 17:02 (seven years ago) link
i have long legs so that i am pretty much parallel to the ground when i dl and it's ok
― assawoman bay (harbl), Friday, 29 July 2016 22:53 (seven years ago) link
my deadlift is different than yours, and that's ok.
― map, Saturday, 30 July 2016 04:12 (seven years ago) link
i really love deadlifting
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Saturday, 30 July 2016 04:29 (seven years ago) link
me too. i've been in the habit of using straps but i forgot them last time, which is a good thing because now my grip ishttp://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/eastenders/images/f/f6/Under-construction.png/revision/latest?cb=20141120185311
― map, Saturday, 30 July 2016 04:49 (seven years ago) link