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! 💪🏼"

@Proteinpudding gosh not sure I can even visualise that!

Yay for deadlifts! When I was DL-ing I tried straps and could go higher but didn't find it as satisfying and felt, perhaps irrationally, that I was safer lifting what I could grip IYSWIM. The covid happened and I didn't go back.

@Proteinpudding well done on the PB!

I don't use straps for deads. When grip started to be the limiting factor I switched to mixed grip and did a lot of stuff to build grip. But a big reason for that is I can't use straps in competition and so I'd rather give my grip all the chances I can. I do sometimes use straps for accessories so I can go heavier. Although even then I try very hard to do without first.

But if competition isn't a goal then it makes sense to use straps if lifting heavier is the goal.

@RayKray , how far off is your comp now? Are you enjoying training with that in mind?

A couple of months ish 🫣. I am enjoying it cos if it's heavy and I get to pick it up I'm easily pleased. I imagine the repetitive nature could get boring, but it just doesn't bore me. And it's really good to have a goal to work to and see what I'm capable of. And to be part of something I think is just awesome!

Ooh that's exciting about comp @RayKray !

I remembered I've got some grips that I used to use when I briefly did CrossFit, can't remember what they're called but they protected the fingers a bit from friction of the bar - I might try those and see if that helps. I do want to go as far as I can with grip strength really, as I love the carry over it has to everything else.

@RayKray , totally agree. I've been to watch a few informal community cali comps and the atmosphere is amazing. I would try competing if there were more women (female category is usually tiny - 3/4 pro/PT women, or you go in male beginners - either would be demoralising I think), for the experience and to be part of it. There was one I went to which was universities from all over the UK and they had loads of women and sets suitable for all levels and it was awesome.

They put you in male beginners! Oh. My! That's hideous!

One of the things I love about powerlifting is its inclusivity. If you're the only one in your class (which happens plenty) you're still in that class, and you could win it, and get the medal. You'd be in a flight with others but you're still competing in your class. But it's so transferable, we're all lifting to the exact same rules, and it's all numbers, so you can compare yourself to anyone in any competition.

Classes are age, sex and weight.

Reading this thread with interest. I've only just begun but was thinking today one of the reasons I like it is that I found it myself 😁. I wanted to look after long term health and started swimming which led to HIIT classes which led to gym which led to a PT.

I'm just figuring out where to go with it. At the moment I have done 10 sessions. I'm quite interested in calisthenics as I have a grounding in yoga and I feel like it would combine aspects that I like. Also I have an increased risk of pneumothorax (collapsed lung) as I had one before so need to be sensible about what weight I lift to.

I totally get that feeling of finding yourself. I have never felt more happy in my skin that since I started lifting. Massively so.

Yeah, @RayKray , that's what it should be like. But cali is in its infancy in the UK and there is no structure and little funding. These comps are all grassroots ones. I've found it very inclusive on a personal community level - I really couldn't stick out more if I had two green heads - but they need a load more women to compete to make it work, and the comps have different sets, rules etc. I don't mean they would force you into male beginners, just that they don't always get multiple women and it is done with battles so you need an opponent.

@MistyTrains brilliant! What are you doing with your PT and could you do cali with him/her or are there classes locally or what? I live in a bit of a hotbed for it but that is unusual.

Ah I see if you need an opponent that makes it harder. I love it just being me and a bar 😎

I had a great night last night - two new max clean and jerks (50, then 51kg)

then I managed 3 consecutive pull ups!

amazing!

@ThursdayLastWeek absolutely brilliant!!!!

I did a bag boxing fitness class yesterday as I'm not really doing much conditioning. Was very good fun but annoyingly not at my normal gym.

Doea anyone know any cali classes in London?

@MistyTrains , DM me with roughly where you are, if you like. I live in London, in a cali hotspot, but can recommend some people and organisations to follow to find out what's available where you are.

Very proud day today. I've been watching my progress on the strength level website (for all its flaws) since I started. I remember my delight when I got something from beginner to novice. My desperation to get my lifts into intermediate and the frustration when it still called me novice. Well today I got my first advanced, for my deadlift. It says I'm now stronger than 81% of lifters of my demographic. I'm holding onto that as it certainly won't feel that way at competition. But for now, go me!

oooo, I've just tried that @RayKray
I'm Novice for bench press (I rarely train bench)
Intermediate for squat
and Advanced for my DL!

Hurrah - my favourite lift is the deadlift so it shows one does better at what one loves

Ooh that is quite a helpful site. I'm a beginner in most but I now have new lifting goals!

Brilliant @RayKray , that's so good. I like that site (would like to know how many women my age and weight doing pulls they have on there but given I hardly ever meet any, it is interesting)

I was less happy with a cross-trainer fitness test this week which, as I gazed at it thinking my chest might explode, told me I was average. I told it where it could go 😂(I am distinctly average at cardio, just didn't like the impertinence of a machine telling me so).

That's amazing @RayKray .

I had a good session today, tried a few tips I've learned. Went for the exercises I wanted to work hardest on first. Did a bit of muscle warm up first. I felt I pushed myself on the Smith Squats, I know I have more in my tank for the next session too. Also been trying different variations, I realised I have read some of the trainers instructions wrong! Been applying drop sets more. Worked on hip thrust technique- I'm novice at that 🤣, no wonder I find it hard- that is one step up from beginner and I am beginner at most things!

Really found abductor and adductor hard, wonder if that is becuase I prioritised the squats and hip thrusts.

Pleased with my lat pulldown- made it to novice at that. I can see I have a way to go on some where I am surprisingly still at entry beginner level.

I find machine bicep curls hard, I don't like the bar.

I had second half of my lunch after then really needed a banana. I've eaten all my calories except for protein so it's beef bolognaise with courgetti spaghetti for dinner. Might see what I actually burned and eat more accordingly 🤣 Rest day tomorrow then another push Wednesday. I've just come off my period so I'm in a big push forward phase.

I've hit a wall 🤣 I think writing out that update was a bit much 😂. Dinner and wind down time.

Thanks everyone!

@MistyTrains I'm always in a wall at the moment.

Your accessories will suffer if you do compounds first, but it's definitely the right way round. I always do either squat, bench or deadlift first. Some of my accessories are pathetically low at the moment as my compounds are heavy and my accessory reps are high. It doesn't mean anything. Other than that you worked hard at the start.

I never checked my hip thrusts and it says I'm elite! That's what I mean about flaws as I don't think I'm elite at all.

@MsMartini I often give the strength level site a right cross eye roll when it patronises my lifts

@RayKray I'm relatively small and strength level tells me elite hip thrust for me would be 188kg???

Congratulations to everyone who is advancing levels though! I do think one obvious flaw with strength level must be about who inputs into it - I wonder how much data they have for women in general. And the levels for pull ups and dips does seem a bit disproportionate, like @MsMartini I've not met many women who train pull ups at all. Tends to be very specific - climbers, people in the military, and a minority of cross fitters. Obviously those who do cali, but that's still niche in most parts of the UK. I tried looking for a cali class recently because I'd love to try again but there's nothing anywhere near me. The gym I used to go to closed down :( Fortunately there are some similar moves we train in capoeira.

@Proteinpudding it depends what reps/age etc you put in. I hip thrust just over double bodyweight for 8, which gives me an estimated 1RM of similar to what you've said which it says is elite. I'd never do a 1RM of a hip thrust though, which is why I've never put it in before. Hip thrusting double body weight isn't what I'd see as elite though, it's not unusual for trained women who do hip thrusts.

I watched a tiktok of a coach explaining why in powerlifting we use different techniques to compare across weight classes, that was critiquing strength level as being too simplistic. As while being heavier means you can lift more there's more nuance than that. Powerlifting has several different models to do that job. But you only see them uses for the three lifts/total (squat/bench/deadlift)

Interesting @RayKray . As I mostly don't lift weights, and in cali a tweak to form can make an exercise much harder (and mine isn't great), I only really use it to get a rough idea of what might be a reasonable goal sometimes or where to start with adding weight to pull ups, that sort of thing.