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! 💪🏼"

Ah that makes sense, I think of powerlifting training as always focusing on the three lifts, which I suppose it still is but it makes sense that you have to vary it to keep progressing and reduce injury risk.
For a long time my strength training was all barbell work because I was training at home and had a rack and weights but not much else. I've really enjoyed adding some variety with dumbbell work since I got my adjustables, and being prompted to with this programme (eg recently has included windmills and Turkish get ups)

I recently listened to Julia Turshen, Built for this: the quiet strength of powerlifting. Made me think of this thread!

Yeh ultimately it's leading to the goal of the 3 lifts, but to do that you need to find the weaknesses and work on them. So I suppose it's stripping it down to components before rebuilding. And just building more strength. I do lots of repetitive stuff to build stronger back, legs, shoulders, core etc.

I find it interesting that training for powerlifting competition is less like what people see as powerlifting style training in the gym. I hardly ever test my 1RM in the gym. It's taxing and why would I when it counts on the platform. Yet powerlifting style training (as it exists on the socials anyway) really focuses on the 1RM. But doing 1RMs doesn't get you a bigger 1RM. It's all the other stuff.

@RayKray so interesting. And dead right I am sure.

Similar in cali - when I got my first pull, up, I couldn't train by doing that then going to have a lie down 😀.

@Proteinpud that's awesome, well done. It IS working!

Nice @Proteinpud it's coming back!

I got hit pretty hard with this latest cold, I think I might actually take a couple of extra rest days for a change. I am good at slogging it out when it's tough but terrible at knowing when to give my body a break.

Thanks @MsMartini ! It's taken me a while to get the training right, I think my ego didn't want to accept how much had changed so I was still working on singles or negatives when really I needed to get some assisted in otherwise the volume just wasn't there. I miss feeling comfortable on the bar!

@everycowandagain I hope you start feeling better soon. If you're struggling to stay away from training could you switch to something more restorative, like mobility or technique?

@RayKray that makes sense, and I suppose it's the same for most sports - you don't train for a marathon by running marathons every week. Social media likes to show the flashy stuff though.

Good idea @Proteinpud I could have a good stretch. I am supposed to be at the start of a deload week so that works well. My quads ache just walking round the house, I don't think leg day would go well!!

@everycowandagain , take it easy! I am 57 and find these days I have to give myself a chance to recover properly. I don't go back to the gym till I've had a day of not feeling knackered, including a walk.

@Proteinpud , yep it is hard to know what's best. I tend to mix it up - assisted (either bands or machine) for volume, weighted/L sit pulls for strength (when I'm on top form), some FL tuck and full pulls with bands, sets of normal reps, ladders.....I might progress more if I followed a strict programme like Megan Callaway's but I have to factor in weather/rig space/classes/PT so it tends to be a bit more ad hoc.
Anyway, cutting classes and focussing on reps is paying off - did big workout today and felt strong!

Good advice @MsMartini I usually get back to the gym on the first day I wake up and don't feel worse, which of course is usually too soon. I did manage a walk around the shops today and now I feel exhausted!

Just to add, if you can have a rest day than absolutely go for that - I struggle to be out of a routine for too long, as well as not being the best judge of when I'm well! So I do the equivalent of a deload by planning some mobility sessions, it keeps me in a routine without being tempted to go hard.

I have a kind of forced rest day tomorrow because I don't think I can fit a training session in around everything else. I will see how I feel as the week goes on. I might just get a deep tissue massage on Tues and then get back on it on Wednesday if I have some bounce back!

Personally I find the gym makes me feel better if I'm a little under the weather. I've been so rarely ill since starting. It's probably also a routine thing as I really need routine. But yep listen to your body.

Yes, if I am underslept or just a bit meh, or right at the end of an illness, the gym can really help. And definitely if feeling worried or stressed.

I've learned the hard way (colds that lasted a month) not to go back properly when normal activities still leave me drained, and that's got worse with age. But I have also found that if I recover properly, I then come back strong (ease in of course), feel well rested, and can really go for it. So that's why I test myself out with a walk and yes maybe some mobility or similar, and if I wake up feeling better again the next day then GYM 😀.

Had great session today - it rained for my PT (usually on outdoor bars) so we went into a bandstand and with thick bands managed to get a lot done. So that's great as an occasional option and means we don't have to faff with forecasts and short notice cancellation. Then did a gym session on top to get some pulls, dips and rows in, got that very satisfying tired/hollowed out/calm feel you don't want all the time but is just great sometimes.

Love the sound of that gym session @MsMartini well done!

Today I had a feeling I wasn't going low enough on squats - I had a bit of a break from them after a hip flexor niggle, and think I've been compensating a bit since going back to them. Alas the vid shows I'm definitely above parallel so that'll be me going lighter next time - at this rate I'm going to end up with my squat weight half that of my deadlift, its such a slow progress lift for me!

NB no criticism intended if anyone else doesn't go to parallel or lower on squats, I've got no reason to avoid it so it's something I want to aim for.

Ha my squats are significantly lower than my deadlifts too. That depth is a killer, that last little bit is much much harder than the rest. But if your squats are lots lighter than your deads it means you've got a heap of untapped potential waiting to be unlocked.

Indeed my squats are much closer to my bench than my deadlift. Ha!

Ah I hope so @RayKray !
And actually mine are closer to my bench! It's hard to get my head around because way back when I first started training weights my squats weren't bad - first time I ever tried barbell squats I was repping 40kg and I must have weighed about 55kg at the time. Martial arts gave me relatively good leg strength + the flexibility to do a deep bodyweight squat. I'm just not sure what happened with the strength training, I feel like I maxed out very early!

Once I know I'm passed this niggle, if I'm not seeing progress I might see if I can find a PT to do a couple of sessions with me on them just to see if I'm missing anything.

Yep I've still not yet got back up to what I was squatting a year ago when it wasn't to competition depth. It's a huge difference.
Things that help are getting tight in your body, using core to transfer the power from lower to upper, bar tracking over mid foot, weight distributed across foot. Do you do high or low bar? Low bar can be better for getting depth (depends on your body too though) I'm great at talking the talk!

I can obsess endlessly about squat depth!! I have the mobility to squat ATG so I have had to work on cues to know where the below parallel bottom of my squat is without going lower than I need to...

I got in and did a deload bench session this morning, first one since being ill, and honestly even with a low volume session I still feel physically really fatigued. I am going to take an extra rest day tomorrow and hopefully I will feel better and ready to squat and deadlift on Friday.

Hope you get your energy back soon @everycowandagain

I know what you mean, I used to obsess over squat depth, then tried to relax on it, but then think I've gone a bit too far lol!

@everycowandagain , hope you had a good rest. It WILL come back, but do rest if you need to, some more.

Well, cutting out handstands and some other classes is paying off I think. Got the closest I've come to a brief back lever tonight. And managed sets of 4-5 decent pull-ups at the end of the lever class, so once back fatigued. So definite progress, little by little. Which is a relief as it is taking some will power not to jump back into more classes - fun, sociable, good coaches, but just too many beginners (which I am delighted about, more people that get into cali the better!) for the pace to be right for me now. I'm loving my boxing too but just upgraded to heavier gloves - are my arms tired!!

Thanks @MsMartini and @Proteinpud I just started some stronger antibiotics today so it's definitely some more rest days on the cards for me. If I miraculously feel better tomorrow I may attempt a light session but I think it's unlikely. Trying to remind myself that rest is the quickest way to get back to it.

Oh you poor thing @everycowandagain . Honestly, I would give the antibiotics a chance to work and really rest up properly if you can - don't stress your body any more. I know it has been dragging on and how frustrating that is....

Ah, realised that my bench press is down :( I know some days the weight just feels heavy but it's definitely not where it used to be. I am trying to avoid the temptation to add in extra volume as I feel like I'm doing less frequency than I used to on this programme (it'll have bench once per week). In reality it's probably not that much difference to when I did an A/B (alternating two workouts) because by following a programme I'm usually more consistent in not missing workouts.

On the plus side I think the accessory work on this programme is making a bit of a difference to my shoulders... While I do train for strength it's nice to occasionally see that I might look like I workout!

Well I trained legs today with my coach (having not been near the gym since an easy bench session on Sunday). It wasn't too bad but I am definitely still lacking energy and now I am shattered!

I am gradually feeling better, just so tired. It's crazy how back to back viruses can wipe you out. I need to not over do it as I gradually feel better.

He did point out though, when I moaned about squatting the same weight every week for several weeks, that I have proved I can rep that weight even on a bad day and it's big progress from where I started.

Priority is still to rest and keep recovering slowly...