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! 💪🏼

Whooop @Acerpalmatum - squats or DLs?

I have DOMS from an abrupt return to normal training after a few disrupted weeks. And unreasonably annoyed with the usual January gym rush - booking a slot is tricky, frustrating as I am often happy to train in the empty outdoor bit.

Hi @MsMartini it was 70kg in deadlifts, am v pleased, though tired! I'd love to squat that heavy I jut find them v challenging.
hope your DOMS improves!

Awesome well done @Acerpalmatum!

Well done @Acerpalmatum

Thanks for all the advice on protein, I’ve got some of the yoghurts, and just discovered my new work canteen does a protein salad, so I should be OK

Managed to hit a new DL PB today and got to 90kg, definitely feels good as i only started lifting a year ago.

Woooh, that's brilliant @DCIJackieDeering .

I spent ages last night trying to kick up into a handstand. I'm just not positioning myself right, or moving right.....

Congratulations @DCIJackieDeering and @Acerpalmatum !
I haven't managed a weights session since Saturday, so I'm going to correct that today. I have though managed three jiu jitsu and one capoeira class in this week though, so not too shabby. I'm really going to try and keep a minimum of 2 weight sessions a week though, I find it really hard to see any progress (or even maintain really) if I drop to one.

@MsMartini have you tried videoing yourself so you can see what you're doing? Personally iv found it helpful to work out what I need to correct when I don't have a spotter.

65kgx5 X5 deadlifts this lunchtime. Feels nice and solid. Think the biggest improvement from the form adjustment has come from focusing on taking the slack out of the bar before lifting, it's really helping me to drive up with my legs. That and getting my hip position/height more fixed.
Feel confident I'll be able to crack my old PB soon enough (does it still count if I was 5kg lighter back then lol!)

@Proteinpudding totally agree about frequency. For upper body, if I don't train regularly, ALL I get is the DOMS 😀.

And yes about videoing - do that a lot with training partner, is very useful - I had spotters last night and I'm not moving my upper body/hips towards the hall, just flailing my legs around. Think I need to protract more at the bottom too.

@MsMartini I'm sure you know all the cues, but in case it helps - we usually warm up with something like pike walks before doing kick ups, as it helps remind us of the position - pushing through the arms, hips high etc. Then less leg flail is needed as we tend to bring that movement into the HS practice.

Aha thanks! Not tried them but yes do other drills. I think fear kicks in tbh, and I lose the position, so perhaps I need to drill, drill and drill again. Same with banded mucle-ups - I've got 9 unassisted pulls, so I should be able to MU with a whopping great band and a spot - but I go to pieces at the top!

I totally agree re taking the slack out of the bar. It helped me loads too, yet seems like such a small thing! My form feels nice and solid now too which is great. Still training 4 times a week, loving every session, and working my way up on all my compounds 😎

@MsMartini the fear is totally understandable! Though weirdly, if I get my hips high, the HS doesn't feel as high somehow?? Less distance for the legs to move doesn't feel as scary!

@RayKray nice one, that's a good place to be! And yes re the slack it just makes everything feel lighter - presumably because it helps me lift the load with my legs/back and not letting the arms take the weight, if that makes sense.

A bit of HIIT and some bench pressing today. I suspect I didn't work hard enough at the HIIT, will try more in the coming weeks, get more comfortable with feeling uncomfortable.
I haven't benchpressed for a while and it showed, I could only manage 37 for 2 reps. I'm reminded that progress is not linear...
PB of 90kg is so good @DCIJackieDeering 👏

I'm reminded that progress is not linear...

Absolutely @Acerpalmatum. I was thinking about this today.

I take weekly progress pictures now and have done since last May. During that time, my body composition has changed a lot, and I have a lot more definition and muscle around my shoulders, arms, quads and glutes.

The last few weeks have been bad for me training-wise. Illness led to me taking 2-3 weeks off, which coincided with the Christmas break and generally eating more and moving less. I’ve gained 4lbs since early December.

I was talking to my coach about it and they showed me my progress pictures from November 2022 and January 2023 side by side. My body hasn’t really changed at all, despite having a few bad weeks. In the past this sort of thing would’ve made me give up, but actually in the grand scheme of things I’m still ‘making progress’, even if that progress is more of a mental shift than a physical one.

I’m really happy to be back training now though, although my DOMS have been horrific this week! I’m back on creatine now too so I’m hoping that’ll help.

@Work2live , glad you are feeling better and back training. The DOMS after a break is quite something!

@Proteinpudding , yes exactly - I'm not getting my hips high and not protracting so it feels scary and is ineffective!. I'm going to mess around with my feet on a box next time.

I can't remember if I've posted on here or not. Interesting thread!

I was back in the gym yesterday for first time on 4 weeks.

Squat 35kg 3x10
Hip thrusts 50kg 3x10
Various other smaller exercises.

No where near PB but actually not too far off my oct/nov programme, which has made me realise I've been recovering from covid for a looooong time now. I am 99% better now though so looking to build strength back.

Tomorrow is deadlifts - aiming for 50kg sets but will see how I feel. The DOMS are definitely present today.

Well done for getting back to it @bumpytrumpy , it's hard after a break. I had a run of illness in Nov/Dec and I feel like I'm just getting my fitness back, it's taken a few sessions. I think strength comes back quickly, it's the cardio that has taken a hit (although it's worth coming back light because of the DOMS!) @Work2live hope you've recovered from the DOMS too!

I managed to squeeze in a second weights session, switched back to doing 5x5 after spending a while doing 3x8. Managed OHP 25kgx5x5 and row 35x5x5 so that feels nice and solid, and hopefully will up the weight next time. Only did 45 for squats as I've focusing on deadlifts a lot and I'm wary of overloading my back. Lots of handstand kick up practice too, and some stretching. I filmed my stretches to see where I'm at and I have a long way to go... There's always something isn't there!

Hi @Proteinpudding I'm impressed with your OHP! I am making very slow progress on this, just doing sets with a 15kg mini bar (not minibar!), it's taken me ages to get that far. I once tried not v successfully with the barbell, perhaps I should have another go.
just a general fitness/strength routine today, trying to get my heart rate higher for longer, between 145 and 155. Then some dumbbell bench pres/farmers carries and other stuff. Tired!

Ooh I like farmers carries but don't really have space to do them now that I train at home. Great for grip strength.

Thanks re the OHP, it was one of my weakest lifts when I started, I have really narrow shoulders naturally, I'm not built for it at all. I think I started off with 4kg dumbells (many moons ago, when I first started weights in my twenties - shame I didn't consistently stick at it!) After I finally worked my way up to using a barbell I realised that I couldn't jump to 22.5kg (smallest plates in the gym were 1.25kg) so I bought a set of micro plates and the gym owner used to keep them behind the desk for me 😁

Long winded way of saying stick at it, if I can get there anyone can!

Did a new PB of 40kg for 3 on the benchpress yesterday, was so pleased! Then did it again to make sure it wasn't a fluke.
Managed 75kg DL, with no back issues after, so hopefully can build back to where I was before sciatica hit.
may start couch to 5k again today, pre lockdown I was at 25 minute stage, but I've regressed so much since then in terms of bodyweight and cardiovascular fitness. Never mind, back to week 1 run 1.

Well done all! It can feel like a long road, can't it, with injury, illness, lockdowns interrupting us.....I'm struggling to fit everything in and maintain on the things I am not training so hard on (the focus of my PT and cali classes shifts regularly, so I have to amend plans around them).

Good luck @Acerpalmatum , I am a slow but happy runner - feel it gives me basic fitness but I don't push myself and enjoy that mindset compared with my strength one, IYSWIM!

Well done on your PB @Acerpalmatum !
No PBs for me just yet, but I did equal my best deadlift, 70kg X5 X3. Annoyingly despite 65kg feeling fine, I could feel my form going when I upped the weight so I'm going to go back down next time. It wasn't anything dangerous like rounding my back, just didn't feel like I was moving efficiently, eg like my upper body and lower body weren't moving quite in sync as it should be.

Gosh, that's a lot of reps at that weight @Proteinpudding . Was it the third set your form was slipping in?

Chilly outdoor handstand class for me tonight - finally I think a teeny bit of kick up progress.....

@MsMartini I'm doing 5x5 at the moment. 65kg felt comfortable so went up to 70 and dropped back down. It wasnt linear or I would have stopped sooner, eg one good rep one that didn't feel quite as smooth then next was ok. I think it's just that my muscle memory isn't 100% so when I'm pushing my limits im finding the issues? Anyway I'm going to go back to a lighter weight at high reps to see if I can improve so that it's the right movement every time!

Im amazed that you're doing outdoor classes in winter... Glad to hear you're seeing progress with the handstands, what is it that you've noticed?

@Proteinpudding , yes that makes sense!

My gym inly has very small space indoors for classes and not very suitable for cali, but we do sometimes decamp inside. Kick ups feeling slower and more controlled and I am occasionally touching the wall. And I am more comfortable upside down with a spot. Slow slow progress though......