Lifting support thread!

[Work2live]

Thought I’d start this thread as a few people thought it’d be a good idea.

It might be a nice place to support each other and talk about lifting in general, ask for tips and advice on workouts, how to get enough protein etc.

All levels very much welcome, from complete newbies to those who’ve been weightlifting for years! 💪🏼

I'd also go with the holds and lowering advice, as the sticking point is where you're switching the emphasis from arms (hard) to back (easier) - negatives and hangs give you the advantage of starting from a position where gravity will assist you past the stick in reverse, rather than work against you.

Yep, I agree. And bands don't help as much at the top.

I've posted her before but Meghan Callaway on insta has good posts on pull-ups, when to use bands, what other exercises to do.

I did loads of negatives, holds, inverted rows on bar and rings, sometimes with feet raised. Practise scapular pulls and hollow body holds on the bar. Also build lat and bicep strength however you like - lat pull down machine, bicep curls etc.

Thanks so much @Proteinpudding @NeverDropYourMooncup @MsMartini !!! Great tips, I appreciate it. Will report back!

@MsMartini I started following Meghan after you last mentioned her she’s ace😊

@Proteinpudding yes my partner is a man, that’s so interesting about the difference!

So much good pull up advice but I’ll add my 2p worth 😁 They’ve always been my ‘thing’ and I got a chin- up after only a month or so of weight training. But I’ve recently realised I wasn’t doing them quite right - the work was coming through my shoulders and deltoids rather than lats. So my shoulders were coming right up to my ears through the whole movement.
I’ve recently been doing them v slowly with a band, highish reps, focusing on keeping my shoulders down the whole time and really pulling my body behind the bar - or the bar down towards my chest - rather than zeroing in on chin over bar. It’s made it a lot harder but I think it’s using the muscles that ought to work rather than those that naturally do, if that makes sense?
My trainer recommended doing lat pull downs, standing quite far back, leaning forward with soft knees and neutral spine to help with that and it made a big difference in helping me identify which bits needed to be doing the work.

I can't do pull ups but the pulling down is what I've heard too - focus on pulling the elbows to the floor rather than going up. (If only the theory turned into the action for me!)

Yes, and Megan C always saying that - elbows to the floor, dragging bar down. Wide grip inverted rows also help target the lats and by bringing your feet in you can adjust difficulty at the end of a pull session and gets some reps in!

Thanks guys these tips are all ace! @IShouldBeSoLurky i do the shoulder thing too I think and am perhaps overly focussed on getting my chin over the bar🥵

biceps curls and wide grip lat pull downs do really help. Will keep practicing!

The other thing I always to is after my -7 pull ups (I did 3 today for the first time!), I also do a set of -14 (6 today) and -21kg (12 today). On the easier sets I’m trying to increase reps which helps with confidence as well as strength.

I'm just back from the osteopath today. I wanted to check why I was getting certain niggles and how to stop them getting worse. I'd really recommend getting that kind of input (whether osteo, physio, chiro etc) as she could tell me exactly why I was getting the pain that I was, how it was all linked, what you do about it and gave me some treatment to help. I had been faced with the choice before of either ignoring the niggles and potentially make it worse, or keep off the deadlifting. But more I seem to have a better route through. Well worth going.

Oh well done @RayKray thats positive!

Everyone is doing so well. I’m giving CrossFit a go today. It’s at lunchtime so I’m hoping to avoid the scary early morning crew. Hoping the instructor isn’t too shouty as that never works for me

How did it go @DCIJackieDeering ? I can't bear shouty instructors either, totally demotivating for me.

It was good, overall I enjoyed. Because CrossFit is new to the gym, they are spending a lot of time explaining everything to everyone, which is great. I managed most of it, there was one timed bit I didn’t get to the end of. No shouty instructors and lots of good advice on technique. I’ll do it again. It made me realise I just spend all my time doing strength work as that’s what I enjoy and not enough doing cardio/ conditioning and this should help with that.

The only bit i need to work out how to have a chat about, in the timed session I was slow and knackered, that’s fine, but a couple near me finished before me, so then started encouraging me, their heart was in the right place, but I found it a bit mortifying, I’d rather just be left on my own, need to work out how to message that politely.

@DCIJackieDeering Unfortunately, I think the 'encouraging each other' is part of the Crossfit culture.

I would hate it too and it would probably make me rush to finish rather than concentrating on the work and technique.

Could you speak to the instructor to say you found it tricky and maybe they could get them involved in something else - clearing equipment away or their own workout?

Hi to everyone else - still here, adjusting from summer to winter routine and still trying to find the right balance of strength, mobility and cardio.

I did a very high impact cardio class that is entirely my thing mentally but physically isn't great for me due to jumping/ explosive movements.

Strength work is either static or even going backwards at the moment, but I'm not feeling 100% so it might be that. I'll keep plugging on.

I just checked out Megan Callaway on youtube - Wow! Amazing strength and lots of content to work through.

@willingtolearnmegan is amazing isn’t she!

@DCIJackieDeering ohhh well done on the CrossFit! I’m totally with you on the “encouraging”, I would find this mortifying and I’m not a shy person😂😂 I’m sure it’s well intended but there’s something (unintentionally) condescending about it?! I don’t think CrossFit would be for me, I work out to get away from other people🤣😂😂😂

Yeh that would totally annoy me too. One of the things I love about weights is it's just me. I just about allow impressed comments but no 'encouragement'. I can see why it would work for others and be well meant though.

Leg pressed 97kg today. Was hard but managed a couple of sets! And still on 40kg squat but someone is going to try and dig out the 2.5kg plates I can't find so I can try 45kg as the leap to 50kg seems a big one plus no spotter.

Yayyy @RayKray !

@DCIJackieDeering , well done! I've not done cross-fit but I have done a few different strength and calisthenics classes and I think encouragement is part of their culture - not for everyone I know. I love them, when they work well. I like training on my own, or with my gym partner, but get a different buzz from the group (these are small groups of mostly regulars so you do build rapport and trust with spotting and chatting each week).

Megan C is inspiring - I keep meaning to get round to working through some of her top exercises for specific things but am anyway inspired - her slow muscle ups are amazing!

Went for a short and sloooow chest and back session yesterday and have a tiny bit of DOMS in my pecs today, but I could really feel my lats engaging rather than my arms and shoulders on diverging pulldowns. Switched to pushing moves today and the first time I've leg pressed since the ping - everything worked really, really well.

The gym's been a lot quieter both days - seems like fewer people want to go when it's raining?

Wow @RayKray thats impressive!!!
@NeverDropYourMooncup glad everything felt fine yesterday since that niggle.

I’m not feeling super strong at the moment. I think I go too often (I went to the gym most days this week which I know is too often!). I need the rest days, I usually alternate with running but I can’t bring myself to run in this weather😄

Thanks @GoTheFcukToSleep and @MsMartini . Glad the ping worked out ok @NeverDropYourMooncup.

And yes rest days are so important. I always only go 3 times a week and rest in between. I might do some flexibility stuff in between but that's the limit.

Oooh I love this weather for running.

I strength train most days but aim for one full rest day and one where I just do legs. That works fine with a push pull legs split but the classes are on specific skills and PT can be anything (mostly upper body) so doesn't quite work out like that.

Some good training this weekend. I managed some L-sit pull ups - not full range and droopy legs but have never got close before!

Haven’t done anything this weekend, but still suffering a little after last week, don’t know what I did but the muscles around my sternum are blooming killing me.

@MsMartini L-sit pull ups sound amazin

What are L sit ups?
I did upper body day yesterday and my arms and shoulders are really feeling it today. And I did mobility stuff today so am feeling very virtuous. Leg day tomorrow and then nothing (except mobility) till Friday as I'll have to rest after the osteopath 🙄