Lifting Support Thread 3

[Proteinpud]

Continuing from @Work2live 's original thread, with the following intro post

"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! 💪🏼"

Thanks everyone, I am sure it will all work out. I can keep using the London one of the chain until my 12 month membership runs out in the new year and in the meantime try a few near home and see what works. Ideally I need somewhere close to home that always has free squat racks! Suspect I may end up with 2 memberships ie one near work and one near home. Thankfully we live on the edge of a city and there are a lot of gym options here - which is probably why my home gym is closing :-(

I did remember a few others on this thread having to find new gyms and it gave me hope!!

@ProteinPud yay for arm muscles!!

Thanks @everycowandagain , tbh it's kinda just nice to know someone saw them as muscles and not just that I just look 'big' - I know in theory there's nothing wrong with that, but after being usually the skinniest person in the room until I was in my thirties, I still find it a bit difficult when I see pictures now and I look rather, well, stocky! Sturdy perhaps. I like my body for what it can do and I'm proud of that, but when I see myself in group photos it's a little uncomfortable still.

Anyway, today I had a lazy day, little bit hungover after a rare night out, ate all the food, and got fidgety in the evening so did a gym sesh and got several PBs (dumbbell overhead press, one armed row, hip thrust) Feels good!

Ah love this thread, some strong women here! Love reading about PBs.

I'm venturing in here as have been cardio sport based for years (though always loved lifting weights even when doing competitive cycling), then got into Olympic lifting through a Crossfit style gym, and now am starting my powerlifting journey as have realised lifting heavy stuff is what makes me happy.

Also struggling with finding the right gym at the moment, but still making progress so all good.

Welcome @2andadog . Yeh lifting weights makes me happy too 💪

Me too, hello @2andadog !

Lovely compliment @Proteinpud . I've never been particularly slim so now I am the same size or smaller but with muscles, it is probably easier to adjust to. Funny the way the men at gyms all talk about wanting to get bigger! Your capoeira gym sounds fab - is it a chain?

@MsMartini I think i'd find it easier to be bigger if I had the frame for it, but alas I am short and apple shaped... but fuckit, I'm stronger and healthier than when I was underweight so that's what I'll focus on!
The gym is cool, it's an independent martial arts gym - the type that has lots of different martial arts and related strength and conditioning for a set monthly fee. We're very lucky that the owner allows us to just do capoeira and pay our teacher directly as long as he keeps a certain number of spaces for the gym members - they understand that he's had to set up from scratch and i think they appreciate having it on their list as there aren't that many people teaching it outside of London

Also, welcome @2andadog ! Good to see a new face in here!

@Proteinpud your gym sounds brilliant.

I just got a "huge arms" compliment at my class - thought of you 😂.

@MsMartini haha, excellent!

Welcome @2andadog!

So I have joined another budget gym to replace the gym that closed. It's super cheap and reasonably well equipped and my PT has been able to arrange to train me there so we will try it for now and see what happens. The squat racks are very limited but not heavily used, it seems to be a lot of recreational gym goers so hopefully I can get the equipment I need. Lots of people have come over from the old gym so it's already feeling like home!

Training is going OK, squats are lovely right now and long may it last :-)

Oh and when I was deadlifting this morning my PT told me I looked "jacked" which made my day!!

@everycowandagain Yayyyy!! Is it a chain gym?

I'm getting a bit dispirited. I love my gym and the yard and the friendliness but the overcrowding....it isn't just waiting for equipment, it is hard to move weights around people, or practice something on the floor, or start with the big lifts ad work down etc etc. I could go in the day more but my training partner can't and it is really working well atm. I may even take out a second sub for Dec and Jan but looking round other local ones it seems like several have this issue (even though there are loads!).

Those of you who go to gyms, do you go in the evenings? How do you find it?

@MsMartini it's an Energie gym. No other locations anywhere that will be useful to me but for £20.99 a month it's fine even if it's only once or twice a week (because I have my other membership for the gym near my office). I tend to go mid morning and it seems to be pretty quiet then.

How’s everyone’s lifting going this week? I’m a few weeks out from a comp so weights are feeling heavy this week! Dark nights/mornings aren’t the most motivating either but kind of looking forward to keeping a routine as it gets colder and darker 😁

Mine is going good. I'm far away from comp so doing variations to work on weaknesses. Hope your comp in 2 weeks goes well

I failed to overhead press an empty bar today so that was a low point!! But I had just done my secondary bench session which has lots of bench press volume and I am blaming it on that...

I am training 4 days a week instead of 5 at the moment and I love it, I feel much more recovered and always raring to go for the next session instead of slogging through it.

It’s amazing how one less session makes a huge difference. Completely agree the bench volume is most probably responsible for the fried shoulders! It’s all building! 💪🏻

Sounds very satisfying! Thank you. Squats felt awesome tonight, deads were ok but I have developed a twitchy foot which I need to solve! Very frustrating haha!

I'm having a few rest days after 3 heavy weeks.....tried hot yoga yesterday as a one-off, wiped me out 😂. How people do that three times a week even once conditioned......and the faff!

@everycowandagain interesting. I tend to have one rest day (plus a second if I feel I need it) and one day that is just legs, and that together with a bit of jumping between morning and eve (two of the heavy days are morning one day and eve the next) and holidays and other stuff interfering seems to be OK.....I find it hard to fit everything especially now I am back to doing more weights as well as some cali (lots of compound moves and skills training.

I only ever train 4 times a week. I'd train all the time but I'd knacker myself, so I limit it to 4. My coach also limits what I do so I don't burn myself and get injured. Beyond niggles I've had nothing that's turned into anything since I've been with him. I also see an osteopath and feed in what she says about any issues starting, and he then modifies my programme. Plus programmes accessories to help with where my weaknesses might be.

That makes total sense @RayKray . I'd be like that if my focus was the big compound lifts I think, and also mentally it is different I suspect. I might easily spend half an hour working on front lever form with someone else and bands, trying new things, discussing, etc. All very interesting how what probably would sound to non-gym people like minor variations in what we do plays out i think - I find that even when my own training changes as it has done recently (and time-consumingly 😀).

Today I got a fantastic single rep of bench press at 0.5kg under my max. It moved really well and felt quite comfortable. Form was perfect too!! I am hoping for a new PR next week when I have to hit a higher RPE. Exciting!!

Ah this is amazing!! Well done 👏🏻 so satisfying isn’t it!!

@2andadog I am really pleased with it. I am building up to testing one rep maxes in a couple of months, I haven't tested for about 18 months. I was going to test at Easter but I picked up a non gym related injury that affected my training for a couple of months so I am delighted to be back lifting heavy again.

Tomorrow I am doing early session before work and it's my big squat and deadlift day. I am pumped for it!!

Ahh amazing!! Even more satisfying and well done for rehabbing!

I’ve just had a week of matching PBs, the temptation to throw more on the bar was high when it felt easy, but I’m behaving and following the programme.. haha!

Argh, managed to injure myself again... By falling over at home. Hoping it doesn't last too long, but I've done something to my shoulder and I know shoulders tend to take a while to recover. Very annoying!