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! 💪🏼

Well done on mobility @RayKray - i never enjoy that!

L-sit pull ups (not L sit ups) - pull ups but with legs in an L-sit position (or drooping/bent in my case).

Ah thanks @MsMartini . See that's how tired I am I can't read!

Slightly slacking on this thread as those bastard pull ups are still evading me!!! I just bloody well want to do one😂😂😂
I know I need patience, good food and hard work. Gonna keep trying! One day!!!

Hope you’re all smashing it in the gym!

Keep going @GoTheFcukToSleep - you WILL get 'em. Such hard work but so worth it!

@MsMartini sorry I did reply before to your L pull ups explanation - I was super tired so maybe I didn't hit send right 🤷🏼‍♀️

I've been a few times since, but nothing exciting to report. Going tomorrow first thing too. I did have something I was going to ask but I've forgotten. Not the most exciting post!

@Proteinpudding keep going with the pull ups!

Sorry I mean @GoTheFcukToSleep obviously !

Two wins from me today. A kind person at the gym had found some smaller plates for me so I could put my squat up 5kg rather than 10kg, so I hit 45kg. And I failed on rep 6 and all was well, I just put the bar down on the safety bars and removed myself. So now I know I can push myself and all will be well which is super helpful.

@RayKray not sure what your gym is like but you could ask if they can get some smaller plates (small weights are inexpensive) I used to go to a bodybuilding gym, just because that was the only one with a squat rack. The smallest plates they had were 2.5kg which is a lot for me for things like bench, but wasn't really an issue for most gym goers there. I bought a set of microplates (1kg to .25g) and some 1.25s and a cheap canvas storage bag and with the agreement of the owner they kept them under the front desk for me and I'd grab them each time I went in!

I haven't been up to much this week at all, iv been feeling a bit under the weather - can't remember if I mentioned on here but I changed the contraceptive I take and think the hormone changes are what is leaving me so tired, I know I need to wait as it should settle down. I've been doing a few press ups and stretches and deadhangs just for the sake of doing something though! And still going to my martial arts classes. Hoping to try a weights session later, I hate starting back after a break!

Wow that’s impressive @RayKray! I just about a manged 1 rep with 25kg the other day😄 I’ve started doing my squats on the smyth machine now (I use it for bench pressed and deadlifts only). I don’t much like the restriction on movement on it for squats but I do really like the safety element of it😅

@Proteinpudding I have a complex multiple gym situation and I think the one I squat at will be most bureaucratic. But I can see. Hope the return goes well.

@GoTheFcukToSleep the kind gym person is also going to show me the smith machine next week. I'm hoping to try a bench press on it as I've never done one and it's what concerns me most for safety. I'll be really interested to see what I can do as I can chest press machine 40kg and it's interesting how they compare.

That’s so exciting @RayKray! I find I can bench press much more on the smyth machine because I have more confidence - I don’t have to worry I’m going to get crushed so I can do higher weights and more reps🥳🥳🥳

Went to gym this morning and hammered my upper body. Feels so good! I'm so happy I found weights and can't imagine life without it. It makes me so happy! Just wanted to share that with people that might get it as I sure wouldn't have a year ago. Why does moving heavy things around feel so good? 😃

Yep, I hear you @RayKray . I wish more women my age (50s) would try it - they just assume they are not strong, it never seems to occur to them that you train, carefully and consistently, and you get stronger! It isn't even that time-consuming especially when you start.

Rest day for me today - got boosted this morning so hope my arm is OK for PT tomorrow.

Finally did some weights today! A few sets of bench at 25kg and 35kg, and few deadlifts at 35kg and 45kg. Wanted to keep things light given I've not done weights consistently for a few weeks. Plus lots of handstand work, which for me means lots of mobility drills as well as actual practice. Feels nice to be moving again.

Hello all.

I am currently not allowed to lift heavy weights due to my blood pressure going a bit doolally.

I am on 'low impact exercise' only. I must also 'try to lose weight' - well I've been attempting that for 30 odd years and every time I lose it, it finds me with more friends.

It sucks.

Hope I'll be back soon.

@willingtolearn oh dear, I am sorry to hear that. Fingers crossed you can get it under control and carry on. Health has to come first I guess. Hope you are OK.

@Proteinpudding , felt good to be back???

I had great PT session today despite sore arm. I'm doing so many pull ups at the moment, other things are being neglected but am finally making progress, and also can train them on multiple days as conditioned.

So sorry to hear that @willingtolearn . Is it worth getting another opinion as I can imagine not all medical people get exercise?

Welcome back @Proteinpudding!

Big win for me just now - I just leg pressed 120 kg for 11 reps!!! Up from 97kg. I thought I'd try and see what happened. I also discovered I'd accidentally been taking 10g of creatine a day as the scoop wasn't the 5g it said in the tub! Maybe this explains the gains 😆

@willingtolearn sorry to hear that. Have you been given any further medical advice/support? I know that weight is about diet, but trying to lose weight or lose fat while being restricted on exercise must be difficult! Do you know if it's likely to be a short term or long term issue?

@MsMartini and @RayKray yes it's good to be back! Don't feel sore today either so that's a good start

Well done on the pull ups work MsMartini, what kind of progress have you noticed - is it just numbers or more subtle things?

@RayKray that's quite a jump! I think I'd be scared of even attempting something like that, I'll stick to my squats 😂

@Proteinpudding I was scared the first time using the leg press so I got someone who worked there so show me why it wouldn't squash me before trying.

I forgot I also tried pull ups! I did some scapular pulls (? The bit just from the bottom) then held the top position for a bit before lowering. I've definitely improved but still not anywhere near there.

I forgot I also tried pull ups! I did some scapular pulls (? The bit just from the bottom) then held the top position for a bit before lowering.

Doing them like this - as negatives - really helps.

I've had a few weeks on consistent training and am 99.9% able to pull 100 kilo deadlift. Did it 3 times today, with a tiny bit of hep from my PT. Last week, I was doing sets of 3 reps at 90kilos, so I'm just bedding in those gains!

And I did a 400 kilo sled drag - using a harness. It took forever, and I had to stop to breathe a few times (the harness feels like a permanent mammogram). Interestingly, dragging it the 10 metres back (a sled run is on a special track, measured in 2m steps to total 10m) felt easier than dragging it the first time. A kind of muscle memory, I suppose.

Should have said - I've been lifting heavy for about 4 years - not just a few weeks! But my age (64) means that after the first wonderful 6 months when I just flew up in the numbers (easily got to 70 kilo DL and 50 kg back squat) the gains are sloooow.

@BirdinaHedge , great gains. I know about age - I am 55 and notice the mostly younger blokes (so some differences could be because men....) I train with just snap back in after a break, or make great leaps forward in a week or two. Still, we can be all the more proud as we have to work so hard 😀.

@RayKray , whoooh, massive leg press, well done.

@Proteinpudding good question. When I switched up the pull up work 6/7 weeks ago, I could do 5/6 max then sets of 1,2,3, and needed several days off back/biceps after hard sets. Now I can do 7766 reasonably reliably even if tired (tho the last ones in each set are sometimes flaky/not full range), and getting some L-sit pull ups and other harder variants. Sticking at it so I can hit pull ups several times a week has really helped. so it is quite slow progress (see above 😀), but real.

@BirdinaHedge sounds awesome, well done!

A (potentially contentious?) question: I know cross fit sometimes gets a bad rap for not being great in terms of form. So, would you trust a competitive cross fitter to help with form of deadlifts, squats etc? I know they have a different approach to how they exercise, but I presuming they would know the correct form too? By correct I mean using your body properly to get the most out of it and not hurt yourself. Not an abstract idea of 'correct'

@RayKray interesting question. I wouldn't automatically not, IYSWIM, especially if I knew the person. But from what I have seen, it is a very different discipline and I find spotting and buddying works best when you barely need to speak - you have a shared understanding of what you are trying to achieve, what is safe, how much to push, etc. In my cali classes, we spot each other, but the instructor shows us how to.