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! 💪🏼"

@YourPithyLilacSheep that's fantastic re the rope climb! We had one in the calisthenics gym I was in years ago but I only had chance to try it a few times and I was scared of going too high in case I burnt out my grip for getting back down. I'd be well proud if I managed that, that's ace!

@Work2live best of luck with the rehab, wishing you a quick recovery

Ugh, the ups & downs of training - on the weekend all set to lift heavy & I could barely get 87 kilos off the floor.

Only managed 2 reps in each set, and had to stop after the 3rd set. The bar just felt deathly heavy. Not sleeping enough, I think. I know there are ups & downs, but I lifted 100 kg a few weeks ago with no difficulty. Grrrrrrrr

Aah that happens sometimes @YourPithyLilacSheep I nearly failed my warm up squats yesterday! I am going to blame it on being 3 weeks into a calorie deficit. It's starting to hit my strength and recovery time :-(

Commiserations @everycowandagain I try to pretend I"m invincible and not 65 ...

Commiserations indeed, though try and remember that we need the lows to make the high points feel as good as they do...
I'm still plodding along with squats and they feel very heavy at the moment and not even bodyweight. That's with a decent amount of calories, trying now for an actual deficit so will see how that goes!

I did receive a compliment from a visiting capoeira teacher though, who asked about what training I had been doing as they saw something different in how I was moving, so that felt really good to have that (esp as I haven't been able to make the actual classes very often and this is the work I do outside of class to try and compliment it)

Keep going everyone, I'm sure you'll be celebrating successes in here soon enough! (Although part of me also thinks that if you're healthy enough to lift heavy weights in your 60s that's a success in itself...)

So I was having an ok but nothing special strength session - then at the end somehow managed 12 reps of dips! Not tested them for a long time but usually my limit is around 6, maybe 8 on a very good day, no idea where that's come from but it made me happy!

That's great @Proteinpud!!

Oooh that's brilliant @Proteinpud . Isn't it funny how that happens - you train other things and come back to something and lo!

Thanks both!

If only the same thing ever happened with pull ups lol!

Appreciate this isn't quite the right place but just wanted to share a success that I think people in here might appreciate -

My autistic brain managed to get me to a busy open mat (jiu jitsu) and be brave enough to make small talk AND ask several people to spar with me.

I'm still shit at the actual jiu jitsu bit, but the big open mats are so daunting that I'm really proud of that!

Also managed to fit in a weights session first thing so I'm feeling suitably smug now!

Hope everyone has had a good bank holiday weekend, whatever you've been up to.

@Proteinpud brilliant, well done. And thank you for sharing that with us. I think this is just the right thread 😀.

Did you enjoy the sparring?

Thanks @MsMartini ! Knew you'd understand!

I did enjoy, the irony is I've sparred lots before and I've been going to the place a long time but I have major imposter syndrome. Due to being inconsistent and not making progress in line with my peers, and because I find the lack of structure in open mats tough. In regular classes our instructor partners us up, in open mats it's just turn up and ask to spar with whoever is there. All levels and belts, often around 40 people or more with their own cliques, rules and goals. The gym has multiple classes a day most days a week so it's possible to turn up and not know many people because they go on a different schedule. So yeah, it's a bit different to my usual introvert weight lifting!

Gosh @Proteinpud that is tough!

As you know I do some boxing, which I am very bad at. I joined a little local club last summer and for the first time had to spar and we also swap partners for every combo so you never box anyone for more than a few minutes. I still find the etiquette about who you ask/wait to be asked hard but it is getting better. And it has been good to go waaaaay outside my comfort zone.

I used to do boxing in my old high street gym (no sparring just pads and gloves) and the instructor would pair us for the whole session. That didn't really work for me. As a smallish woman I often got paired with total beginners and didn't learn much but equally if someone better got me for the whole session I felt bad!

That's great @Proteinpud, well done! And thank you for sharing. That would absolutely fry my autistic brain too. One reason I like lifting is because I don't have to do any of that interaction navigation.

Well done @Proteinpud!

I enjoy the fact that I don't have to talk to anyone in the gym. The rest of my life involves a lot of talking/giving my opinion/making decisions/interacting and in the gym I put my headphones in and get in my zone.

I am plugging away at my training, my wrist injury is doing really well and I am easing back into my big lifts although my calorie deficit is making me weak. I will have a diet break this weekend when I go away, then I am back for 4 more weeks of diet until a short holiday.

Then I will be spending the rest of the year eating more and lifting more! Dieting is boring and I am glad to spend very little time doing it. Picking up heavy things is far more fun!!

Thanks all, really appreciate the messages!
I agree about lifting solo being a solace - my garage gym is my sanctuary. The open mats tbf people are really friendly, it's just that in a big group my brain overthinks, trying to make sense of what's going on, but ultimately freezes. Most people are kind if you ask them but I don't always get the words out! And being small and female people don't always ask you because they don't want to make you uncomfortable, they wait to be asked. There are some men who aren't interested in rolling with women but not many (though some who aren't interested unless you're a better match for them, and some who won't role with women for cultural reasons)

@MsMartini I hear you... Our bjj instructor is very good he picks pairs so it 'works' eg he always pairs beginners with more experienced but not every time so there's a mix. When I did kickboxing I really struggled because being small i'd get partnered with teenagers (due to height) but that really didn't help, as teenagers tend to be fast and have poor control, so light sparring would quickly get out of hand and I'm not comfortable with punching children in the face funnily enough! It was one of the reasons I switched sport.

Hi all. I wasn't sure if this would be a good place to ask this question (sorry if it's not)...

I wondered if any of you use protein powder and, if so, do you have any recommendations for the best (with the least amount of added ingredients, etc)?

I'm quite short, at a healthy BMI, but trying to lose around 7-10 pounds. I've been doing Caroline Girvan workouts for the last 3 months and tracking my calories on Nutracheck (but currently not managing to lose any weight).

I try to get my protein as much as possible from real, whole foods, but wondering if sometimes it might help to add a protein powder to yogurt or oats?

@everycowandagain I love "eating more and lifting more" 💪

@Proteinpud yeah the dynamics are complicated...my old instructor used to try to match us but I was a round peg being 150 years older than everyone else, built like welsh pit pony, and strong but incompetent 😀. I much prefer the new set up where we switch every few minutes. I wait to be asked by people I have never boxed but make eye contact and nod with people I have.....missing boxing while elbow recovers (which it does seem to be and am training cali tho not classes).

Hi @Cherryblossom81 I try to get most of my protein from food (chicken, liquid egg white etc) but I also use protein powder. I like myprotein but I know there are a lot of brands!

Hi @Cherryblossom81 . I get my protein from food, but also protein powder and yogurts/puddings. I use optimum nutrition powder. I drink it as a shake with water, or sometimes use it to make porridge.

I buy my current protein powder from Holland & Barrett (I'm a rank amateur!) & I'm trying various brands. At the moment. I'm loving the brand PhD Vanilla Creme - 2 scoops mixed into about 200 grammes of Fage Greek Yoghurt is th best pudding ever! 50g of protein for less than 300 calories. It feeds my sweet tooth craving, as well as being very satiating.

I eat a LOT of vegetables & lean meat - chicken & tuna, but supplement with protein powder as well.

I used to use protein powders a few years back, not sure what has changed but I can't stomach them now! Every so often I get a few sample sizes and add them to yogurt or porridge but I find they overpower whatever I'm adding them to (flavour and texture). I do like the protein yogurts and find one of those + a small snack, eg a babybel or a bit of marinated chicken, works much better for me.

Appreciate not everyone will eat red meat, I batch cook a chilli with lean mince most weeks and have that in the fridge as well. Either for meals if I'm stretched or just as a mini meal/snack if I need it.

Which is ironic given your name @Proteinpud 😂

Hah! Tbf I quite like the caramel protein puddings from Aldi! I'm not particularly sensitive to sweeteners usually but the protein powders seem really over the top to me.

That's interesting cos I am super sensitive taste-wise to the sweeteners but not noticed them in my powder.