Lifting support thread 2

[RayKray]

Just noticed I was the last to post on the lifting support thread as it went to 1k so here's another.

Original thread intro post here from
@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! 💪🏼"

@AffIt , know exactly what you mean! Pull ups are not my favourite in terms of pleasure but the moves I am most attached to I think - because getting my first one took so flipping long!

@MsMartini my hips were too high before, I was almost stiff leg deadlifting it. I am pretty flexible so I didn't need to bend my knees and at lower weights it doesn't cause a problem but as I build towards that goal of 100kg+ it's going to make it harder. So now I am focusing on getting my hips down by bringing my knees forward if that makes sense.

I am still slogging towards that first pull up, and when I can finally do even just one I am going to do it all the time just because I can

@everycowandagain us combined would be perfect! My hips are too low and my knees too far forward!! My back is stronger than my legs so I pull too much with my back which is why.

@RayKray a mash up of you and me would have an amazing deadlift!! My legs are definitely stronger than my back so that does make sense.

I am also still using double overhand grip at the moment which at some point will become my limiting factor and I will need to change to mixed grip but I don't want to change everything at once.

@everycowandagain I thought switching to mixed grip would really mess with my head (it's easily done) but it didn't. And that reminds me I had zero grip issues at deadlift comp, I had been having a few recently so that's great I didn't! I'd forgotten about that.

Ah that's good to know @RayKray. Maybe it won't be as big a change as I think. My deadlift set up always feels like a complex chain of actions and changing it throws me off until it becomes automatic again.

Glad your comp went well!!

@everycowandagain yeh mine has lots of steps, lots of them in my head and if I get disturbed I go back and start again. It's interesting watching my competition back and some people just come out and lift, but I take my time. Same with what people do after, it's fascinating how different we are.

😁deadlift mash up!!

Interesting and good about the comp @RayKray .

@everycowandagain I get it! Don't DL any more but I remember that about hips, and how everyone looks slightly different at their own sweet spot.

@RayKray I really noticed that when I watched the live stream of my coach's comp, some people walk onto the platform and pick up the bar whereas others have more of a routine.

I sent a training clip to my coach earlier this week and on the first rep I started my set up and it felt wrong so you can see me shake my head, go "nope" and start again

I like the ones who pace in the background sizing up the bar. I do stand and look at the bar for a bit and then get everything just so. No shouting or anything. I don't think I'll ever do that. It's all in my head. As I lift I pick a fixed point to look at and I noticed at comp I kept staring at the same guy dead in the face with my fierce lifting gaze.

My coach has told me to rerack a squat before when I've felt something isn't just so. I've re racked when people have come too close before, one of the drawbacks of not being in a powerlifting gym I think that people don't realise not to get near my bar path or set up behind me.

I think I've said this before but I love the way Joy Nnamani comes out with a big smile and wave then flicks into lifting mode.

I managed 3 sessions of 'Stronger by the day' this week, which is still one short but it's one more than I did last week so it's progress.

NC here (for some reason MN locked me out of my old "Dolly" account). @Proteinpud I'm glad you're enjoying MegSquats - her philosophy of training is very much in line with the approach my PT has. I use the 3 day version, to supplement 2 PT sessions a week.

But while I'm still (very slowly) kneehabbing, I'm not getting much done at all.

My PT is using this time when I can't squat heavy or do much metcon to look at lots of other stuff under the heading of "Moving well." So crawling, sideways, upside down, backwards (shredding my arms in the process). Simple sled drags, and light pushes (no more than 150-200 kg), and balancing on one leg on a Bosu ball while catching a tennis ball with my non-dominant hand, or doing a roll down to touch the floor on the opposite side.

And @MsMartini , I thought of you this week as on Monday we did some prep work for calisthenics: it was really really hard. Hanging from a pull up rail and raising my legs to waist/hip height for 5 reps at a time. V hard.

Then using those handstand hand rail thingies (what are they called?) starting in a high plank/press up position & swinging my legs through to land in an L-sit position, with lots of variations eg only landing one heel, or rotating the torso to land one leg on top of the other. Or not landing the heels, but hovering in an L-sit position.

Really basic stuff for you, I should think, but tough to learn!

Then yesterday, it was more crawling & dead hangs for 60 seconds at a time, as well as farmer's carry of a minute, using kettlebells going up to a total of 64 kilos. Grip strength - I think I can still see the pump in my forearms!

I am pretty flexible so I didn't need to bend my knees and at lower weights it doesn't cause a problem but as I build towards that goal of 100kg+ it's going to make it harder. So now I am focusing on getting my hips down by bringing my knees forward if that makes sense.

I'm very flexible, so ALWAYS need to cue "hips back, hinge, descend" in a DL. It takes me till I'm lifting around 70-75 kilos before I can feel my hamstrings because of that flexibility. I've also been working on not letting my hips lift before my shoulders on the way up in a really heavy lift - my tendency to use my back rather than my legs or glutes ...

I love deadifts, but they are the most technical lift - so much detail!

Nah, @WhickDittington , those are hard moves I think😂. Did you enjoy your bar session?

Yes I did. It’s interesting learning new skills. And my grip strength is being tested! My PT says that everyone should be able to carry the equivalent of their body weight for 1 minute. It’s hard!

Yes, I really like the way it challenges you across the board - grip strength, mobility, balance, power, coordination, even being creative with how you use the bars - as well as strength.

@WhickDittington those are hard moves! I have tried to learn L sits in the past, I get awful cramp in my quads when attempting them though. I think it's good to try moving in different ways, I do get irritated by the 'functional movement' trend the way it's portrayed on social media but the idea behind it is sound, especially for those of us who are in sedentary jobs.

Re stronger by the day, I will probably switch to the three day in the new year as hopefully I'll be back in my capoeira & jiu jitsu routine by then. Am I right in thinking 3 day is full body, whereas the 4 and 5 are splits? I know a lot of people prefer splits, I always worry about whether I'm consistent enough to do a split for any length of time, eg if work or illness get in the way.

Loving reading everyone’s updates. The callisnetics sounds really interesting.

I’m just tootling away trying to get my 4 sessions in. This term at school has been hectic and I’ve been unwell a few times. So I’m happy that I’m back in the gym, getting my numbers up and seeing some muscle!

I need to get back to running as my cardio had suffered. I’m on a new asthma inhaler so hopefully that will help. I love mountain climbing so plan to get back into that- hopefully in these holidays, weather permitting.

I’m going to get my SAD lamp out as I’ve found the darkness and rain tough on my mood.

Happy Sunday everyone!

Maybe try quick HIIT training for cardio, @redfacebigdisgrace ? It’s tough but it’s quick! Try 15 minutes of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off on the treadmill building up to a fast speed - start at something comfortable (for me that’s about 8kph) then each interval take it 0.5 higher till you just can’t do it (for me, I start feeling that at about 13 kph) then take it back down again.

Then die.

Yes, a little bit of HIIT goes a long way doesn't it? I enjoy running round a park slowly but am not sure it does much me for that a brisk walk in gym kit and trainers doesn't. Whereas now I've gone back boxing (which includes intervals tho varying intensity) I can see progress on my fitness.

Just had a PT session and went back to flag training for the first time since my back niggle and they felt fine! Very pleased about that - I thought I might need physio.

I'm struggling to fit everything in though. PT, 2/3 classes, stuff to practice between classes, bit of solo training where I can do reps, and boxing....Haven't managed a full rest day this week.

@AffIt I've had a 3 year break after surgery, then busy and a total of routine so I've made some big career changes in life to be able to train again.

So happy to see others coming back to it as well and I lurk on this thread to see the amazing numbers.

I trained for over 8 years prior to surgery so excited to see what my peri body will think of exercise and if my stubborn belly with finally vanish.

I'd like to aim for unaided pull ups again, bench of about 40-50, squats of 80+ for reps and I'm not a deadlift fan but did used to manage 110. I might focus more on met-cons, kettlebells and mobility work as I get back to training, before hitting any big weights, my back feels weak and I'll get my hips up to speed!

What are your aims?

@whyamiawakestill hello! Brilliant to hear of someone getting back into it.

I think your plan for easing in sounds great. I started my strength training at 50 with small group circuit classes using weights and cardio for conditioning (not super high reps/low weights like pump, but not heavy either, and with a focus on form). I think it really helped condition me and drill form before I started on squats and DLs for strength.

My aims? Dunno....want to keep doing pull ups and really work on my flag. Because most of my classes are for moves I will never get (planche for eg), it is really a case of seeing how far I can go. As a 57 year old woman built like a pit pony, I don't really fit the cali mould so it is hard to know......Mainly I just want to get better at some things at a time, stay uninjured and healthy and keep enjoying it.

I started proper strength + metcon training just before my 59th birthday. Still going at 65. I'll never hit the really big numbers, except on the sled where I've dragged 400kilos, very slowly, in a harness on my hands & feet! But I've DLifted 100, and benched 45, and squatted 70, so I'm doing well.

I doubt I'll ever be able to do an unassisted pull up though ...

My 2024 resolution is to try to get to the gym 6 days a week. At the moment w*rk gets in the way. But I have to put the gym first and fit work around it.

My aims are simply to get a bigger squat, bench and deadlift. The next milestone I want to hit is the qualifying total for the British Masters Powerlifting Championships. Doing that in 2024 would be awesome. It's so hard to know how far off I am until closer to comp as I don't train near 1RM at the moment. I'm definitely getting stronger and my muscles are getting bigger. I have lots of mini goals all the time of move up to the next dumbbell, add another 2.5kg to a lift etc.

Oooooh @RayKray that is so exciting!

@WickDittington , I've probably said this before but from being able to DL and squat my bodyweight to first unassisted pull up (training pulls maybe 1/2 a week???? can't remember) was about 3 months. That was without a PT though, just me and gym partner working it out, so I am sure it could have been more efficient.

Chuffed I managed 3 sets 12 RDLs 62.5kg which is 3kg heavier than my bodyweight. With decent form.

I’m much better later in the day, especially on a non working day. Amazing the difference it makes.