Weightlifting people, here! Ongoing chat thread...

Elle would love to do more Oly lifting. I did a bit during my brief crossfit experiment and really liked it, though I'm terribly uncoordinated!

Sippingsipsmith I like Stumptuous as a starting point for basic workouts. I'm sure there are lots of other options, but these are fairly no nonsense workouts. stumptuous.com/category/training/workout_ideas

Hi All,

Glad to have found this thread. I'm getting back into training since the birth of my second child. I did keep lifting weights through both pregnancies, but dropped some lifts and with lower weights and intensity. I did struggle to get to the gym in the early baby days - well really the first 6 months, but was doing basic body composition workouts with dumbells and kettlebells in the back garden. "Baby" is now a year old so I'm able to make time to train properly again and I'm loving it.

I'm doing a mixture of body comp type stuff and also a bit of Olympic lifting. I'd love to compete in a small Oly lifting event (vets) in about a years' time. I am not strong by any means and my build is all wrong for Oly lifting (tall, long limbs), but I enjoy it and want to give myself a goal to work towards.

Last workout:
Snatch grip push press 5 x 5
Back squat - top 8 at 8RM, then 4 x 8 @ 90% of 8RM
Chin ups 3 x 3

Re the wrists - lifting straps might be a workaround, but won't build strength. I use them for some stuff. Mixing your grip too. If you have small hands using a ladies bar (if you don't already) should be easier. For strengthening grip - try using a fat grip bar if your gym has one. You can get rubber fat grips that go over a regular bar or dumbbells too.

Findo thanks. I'm bored of normal deadlifts.

Findo, what a great summary

Really glad I found this thread.

I lost 14kg with a trainer a couple of years ago - mainly weights and some body weight exercise stuff.

Put on 5kg of that since and trying to get it off using my fittness pal and one upper body, one lower body and one cardio session a week.

Body is used to all the workouts trainer gave me. Is there a good website for getting more? She gave me superset exercises which I liked.

Findo, that's really helpful, thank you.

I'll have a look about, MsMartini! "Simply" might be a bit of a stretch because you likely won't find two sites that totally agree with each other.

To start you off - To my mind, there's your standard deadlift - two subtypes of this: sumo and conventional stance. Many debates about which is best for which body type.
Your standard deadlift can be varied with:
-defecit deadlifts (having the bar nearer your feet, either by using smaller plates or a low platform for your feet)
-pause deadlifts (pausing on the way up)
-touch and go deadlifts (not letting the bar come to a complete rest between reps),
-block deadlifts (opposite of defecit deadlifts)
-Halting deadlifts (similar to pause deadlifts but you lower the bar to the floor after the pause and then do a complete rep)
-Then variants with bands and chains on the bar, to increase the difficulty at different points of the lift.

Then you've got two other main types of deadlift
-Romanian deadlifts: basically you start from the top, lower down towards the floor by pushing your hips right back. When your hips have gone back as far as they will go and you've got maximum hamstring stretch, come back up again
Straight-leg deadlifts - similar to Romanian but with a straighter leg and less hip hinge - bar doesn't stay as close to your body.

All these are mainly barbell lifts but you can do them with dumbbells or kettlebells too.

There's also one legged deadlifts which I usually do with dumbbells - these are great for working on imbalances - most of us will have a stronger side.

Solid start, Luxembourgmama! Back squats were always my weakest lift but with practice they have got better. I'm sure you'll be at 65kg in no time.

Ollivander I had to google cauda equina. Sounds an awful experience. Never used a trap bar but I can see how it would protect your back much more.

I am newish to weights and strength and mainly use weights in functional training classes. I did my first monkey bars at the weekend and then hanged (hung?) for a minute. Can just about move my arms now .

Does anyone have a link that explains the different kinds of deadlifts, simply?

I've been lifting for a few years but never really got past beginner weights i've started with a new coach and i'm finally getting better. Did a 45kg back squat last week. I'm aiming for a body weight squat ~65kg.

Thanks. Hanging is a great idea! I will try that. I do Farmers walks but again I struggle to lift as much as I'm capable of cos of the wrists. I may invest in a wrist exerciser as well.

Yes! Both.

Kettlebells are really useful for farmers walks.

Hanging and hanging knee raises if you can will hit your abs while you're up there

Wrist and grip exercises? We have a rope that you attach a weight to abdxthen wind and unwind it backwards and forwards around a peg about the thickness of a broom handle

Also finger rolls with the barbell bar

I'm sure I should know a few more, my wrists are my weak spot too and I've been working on it but suddenly I've gone blank!

MaidofStars I never have but would like to. My trouble is my wrists, even with supports, are pretty weak (and I suspect I'm getting some carpal tunnel syndrome).

Aside from wrist straps is there anyrhibg else I can do to support my wrists? I think they are what is stopping me lifting heavier.

Find - a herniated disc that was compressing my spinal cord nerves, I had cauda equina so they did emergency surgery
I can only deadlift with a trap bar, no normal reads every again as I can't risk it. No feeling in most of my right foot and part of my leg but I was probably 48hrs from paralysis so I'm just happy to be lifting!

Hi Lazyi - yes, that's it exactly. It's a way of expressing intensity of effort - it's often written like that in programmes too.

Wow Ollivander - 130kg is some serious weight! Would love to get near that. Will you be deadlifting again when you're all healed up? What was the spinal surgery for?

My deadlift max is 110kg and I feel like I have more in me but progress is s-l-o-o-w. I think I've only put 20kg on it in a year, whereas my squat has gone up loads (mainly because it was unbelievably shit to start with; now it's just average)

NC4 it's great to hear how well weight training has worked for you in terms of managing your EDS. And pretty inspiring, if that doesn't sound too corny.

Placemarking. Been lifting for a few years but never upped the intensity til this year. Up to 80-90kg deadlifts and around 50kg bench press. Cant do split squats cos of my bunion!!! Squatting around 80kg though unlikely to up this for a while.

I am a typical weightlifter build: short, squat and powerful. Way to heavy to manage even a single pull up though. Shoulders way weaker than the rest of me.