Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

I loved Crossfit when I did it Johnny. Before that I had been mainly a runner who did the occasional kettlebell or body pump class. I couldn't afford more than a couple of months there, and for a while I tried to replicate the structure by making up my own WODs but it wasn't the same obviously. However I'd never done any barbell movements before Crossfit so I totally credit it with introducing me to strength training.

Margo About 4 years- I did Crossfit for a few years and then switched to more structured training. I wouldn't say my upper body strength is particularly good but my trainer focuses a lot on bodyweight stuff so that helps.

Johnny, you sound like you have really good upper body strength. Have you been doing weights for years?

This morning:
20 mins HIIT
Adducters - 55lb 10 x 3 wanted to do 4 sets but just didn't have it in me
Trunk Pulls - 20lb 10 x 2 on each side, so 4 sets total
Lateral Pull Downs - 50lb 10 x 2 and 45lb 10 x 2

I had to google trap bar. I've never seen one before. I like my gym but I wish we had safety squat and bench press racks as its a pain to find a spot sometimes.

Maid I had that exact same thing. It's really annoying and painful and I think because you anticipate and tense against the pain, that makes it worse. It's gone now, after I was benched for 7 weeks with my bunions, so I think it is about rest, but easier said than done.

Good session with my PT today. He's really into focusing on the harder to reach muscle groups which is great as means I don't end up with massive biceps and traps and a hole in my back where my scaps should be . Still a bit frustrating as can take us a while to get into the position where it's hard enough but not impossible and I'm not stressing my surgery, but we're figuring out more stuff that I can do. Today

• Ring holds with knees to chest (15 sec hold, 10 sec eccentric)
• Ring pulls (4 x 6). Really hard without your feet to balance you as any imbalance between your arms makes you start swinging side to side
• Parallel bar holds (basically a hollow body hold in a push up down position)
• ring push ups (4 x 10)
• Plate behind the head tricep things (15kg plate 3x10)
• Hollow body holds

Is it the sort of pain/niggle that a deep tissue massage could help?

So great to have people to talk to about this. I'm going to start keeping a record on here, as it is really interesting to see what others are lifting.
This morning:
20 mins HIIT
165lb leg press 4 x 10 reps
30lb chest press 4 x 10 (form poor by last set of 10)
50lb abdominal crunches 4 x 10
50lb thigh curl 8 x 2 (meant to do 10 x 4 but muscles screaming at me)
(All on machines, as too timid to get down the bloke end of the gym where the free weights are.)

Those nordic hamstring curls look very challenging. I don't have enough core strength to even attempt those!

Congratulations Kate. No advice though - sorry.

Do you know what the shoulder thing is Maid?

I found another squat rack at the Pure Gym on Bath street in Glasgow. So there are SIX squat racks and two Olympic platforms.

They also have a trap bar, which is a bit rare for pure gym and also a lower back hyperextension/Roman chair (good for the booty).

And my mind has just been blown by finding a safety squat bar.

This is a proper bodybuilding gym.

Maid that sounds like a good session. Hopefully your shoulder will improve soon.

I have to deadlift with a barbell as my gym doesn't have trapbars. My PT is starting to work out of a second gym and if it's got better facilities, then I'll move to that gym.

I can't move today. I didn't stretch enough after the session on Tuesday. Going to do a mass stretch and core stability session at home tonight and back in the gym for cardio in the morning.

Bit of a random session today, not helped by my gym having a mix of kg weights and lb weights, but I enjoyed it and can see what may even be a bit of definition creeping back

Quad master: 3 x 10 @50lbs
Hamstring curl: 3 x 10 x37.5lbs
Superset: 3 x 10x 5kg single arm lat raises alternating with 3 x 10 tricep dip off the bench
3x 10 x 15lbs one arm shoulder press
3 x 10 x 20lbs DB benchpress.
Accumulated 5 neutral grip pull ups with 5 second hold at the top and 3 second eccentric.
Random ab work (5 sets of superman, 5 sets hollow curls, 20 sec holds)

I do weights but never more than 2 kgs. I do lunges and follow some youtube video tutorials.

Findo they have body fat monitors & scales - I think the brand is Omron?

The first time he made me do Nordic Hamstrings, I just couldn't do it - I couldn't let my body drop, it was so unnatural! It took a good 5 minutes for me to actually do one Yesterday he told me off for doing them too fast, my reply of "I just want to get them out the way" didn't go down well

Can't help kate but congratulations!

Hey! I've been weightlifting for the past few years. Just found out I'm pregnant and was wondering how any of you adapted your routine while pregnant? Xxx

Excellent session Oogle! I tried Nordic hamstring curls once and did an actual face plant. Something to work on. Your approach to the analysis sounds good too - using it as a tool to adjust what you're doing, and not getting hung up on the numbers. How are you getting your bodyfat analysis? Is it those pincer things? I'm intrigued by those DEXA scans but they're expensive.

Also impressed by you hobbling to the gym Johnny, and the adaptations you've made while you're healing.

Hello! I managed a session at the gym Friday & Sunday. Added a bit more cardio than usual and it was hard but I did it! Had a lower body session with my PT today, it was good but I'm stiff already!
Squats 4 x 12 x 35
Walking lunges 4 x aisle x 12kg
Leg extension 4 x 12 x 20
Hamstring bridge 4 x 12
Nordic hamstring 4 x 10
Glute bridge 4 x 12 x 10
Hamstring curl 4 x 12 x 25
Lateral walk 4 x 1/2 aisle with heavy resistance band
Calf raises 3 x 21 x 60

Unfortunately my body fat analysis has gone the wrong way. 0.7% increase in body fat and only 0.1% increase in muscle mass so I need to assess my diet and increase the gym sessions from 3 to 4. Rather than being miserable, I'm feeling really motivated to get those numbers back down again.

Wow Findo, so impressed with your bench presses! Thanks also for the blubber shifting tips. I am definitely not in sufficient calorie deficit. I am very bad at 'dieting' and feel deprived almost immediately and want to stuff my face with cake. Whereas on a non-diet, I never eat or even want bloody cake.

Good luck with the foot Johnny. Great that you can find some work arounds.

Yes Findo I've definitely found that touching lower on my torso (just under my boobs) has made the press less taxing on my shoulders. I'm also hoping that the enforced time off I'm having this week with this sore throat that will-not-go-away will give my upper body some proper rest.

Thing is, I love doing the press, even though I'm not great at it. It's the lift that most makes me feel like 'raaaaar, I'm lifting heavy things!!!'

You will definitely be glad you did it!

Hi All. Have enjoyed reading the thread.

Hopping back on, 8 weeks post bi-lateral bunion correction. Been back at the gym a week. I can't do much because I can't do anything that puts pressure or impact on my feet (still on crutches and walking slower than the slowest granny) but can use machine weights, and have figured out a way to do pull ups and tricep dips off the bench. Also seeing my PT twice a week which means I can do a few other things as he can manoeuvre me into position like a sack of potatoes (so dignified!).

So not looking for big gains, but trying to offset the creeping sogginess. My mantra for the next 8 weeks is "On Jan 20th, when the casts come off, you'll be glad you did this"

Thanks both! Closet a lot of women find progress on bench to be punishingly slow so you're not alone! I've had months of actually going slightly backwards on it before improving again. And it can be hard on the shoulders too. Try a slightly narrower grip or touching slightly lower on your torso - these have helped me.

I'm impressed by your bench stats Findo! It's the lift I struggle with the most - I just can't seem to get any stronger on it and I seem very prone to tweaking my shoulders despite paying v. close attention to my form.