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 @MsMartini - really helpful. I try to do the lower rep classes but will be vigilant! Am also working my way through this thread for pointers - thanks all!

@2andadog serious numbers! Will be interested to follow how you get on

Welcome @JeanGabin ! Lots of great advise here already. There's plenty you can do to improve health and strength over 2 sessions a week to start with, and then build up if it takes your fancy, knowing you are already doing yourself some good anyway.

Most important thing is to enjoy it. If you can focus around compound moves, using free weights (dumbbells or kettlebells to begin with) for squats, deadlift, push and pull movements you will see quick progress and get the most "bang for your buck" on each movement.

@MsMartini I am really interested in knowing peoples splits/training content hence sharing. Negative dragon splits sound painful haha, and i'm off to google zercher marching! Realised my post would probably be better placed in the powerlifting thread, pleased it's interesting for you.

@2andadog no please do keep it here at least some of the time! One of the strengths of this thread I think is that we are all following different approaches and for me, because mine is a mix and much is self-programmed, it is really useful to hear and understand more.

Last couple of sessions of zerchers have been 3 sets of 15 with only 30 secs rest on 40kg. Normally we do 60 kg (seem to have topped out at that as it does really pull on your elbows), lower reps, longer rests, more sets - so this is a way if increasing intensity. Did a core circuit last night too, f which dragon negs were part - can't laugh today IRL 😂

@MsMartini that sounds intense!! Love a good core workout... i'm feeling the same re laughing/coughing/sneezing after my alekna's, only had a 10kg plate but stayed with legs/shoulders off the ground for the entire set of 15 tempo movements, so around 1min 30 in total each set with a lot of ab control!!

@JeanGabin ah that's cool. If it's a school gym the main thing I'd be checking out is the range of equipment. If it's mainly dumbbells for example, check what range they have (eg do they have light enough for you to start with and heavy enough to progress?) Also it sounds obvious but checking about the hours they're open to the public.
If you're short like I am, if it's mainly machines I would be asking to try the different machines and seeing if you are able to set them to what you need. I'm 5ft 3 so not unusually short, but have been in enough gyms with machines and benches where my feet don't touch the ground, or leg machines don't adjust enough for my leg length, rendering them useless.

@2andadog (and @MsMartini) as you're interested in programming, yours is a lot more than mine. I'm not allowed to share mine (and as I'm neurodivergent I take rules very seriously even though I know it probably doesn't actually matter 😂). But I literally do two comp lifts a session (eg squat and bench or deads and bench) plus rows (or similar). The reps of those compounds will vary, and sometimes I'm doing variations (eg tempo, paused etc) but that's basically it. Further away from comp I might do more accessories but not in comp prep.

I can see I am doing more reps though eg I've been doing 7s at 80% of current PB. I think I do more reps than most other people I know though. (I often get asked what I've done to upset my coach 😂) Don't know why but my guess would be cos it means I can work on technique more and also I don't get bored, I love repetition. And I'm very compliant. Plus it'll be what's been working before. Programming is so individual and needs to work for both mind and body.

@JeanGabin the first gym I went to had dumbbells up to 25kg. It took me 6 months before I'd outgrown it and was goblet squatting the 25kg. I wasn't very strong to start with though.

And if you like numbers and PBs you're gonna LOVE strength training. Meg squats before the barbell is meant to be good for starting out too.

@RayKray is it so true that it is so personal!

My reps reduce as the weights go up, my last block was much higher reps but more technique based. Progressive overload from 60% up with lots of paused work, banded lifts etc. I’m still very new (5months in approx) to powerlifting as have done Olympic lifting and hybrid training before, so have a good strength base for lower body but not so much upper 🤣

@MsMartini thanks I've certainly never felt motivated enough to do it myself, a group class is definitely easier - but having had a long break it's helping me feel more confident about going to jiu jitsu and capoeira when classes start next week! Dragon flag negatives are intense, you have my respect... I think we used to do similar, albeit modified, in calisthenics class. Wish I had a set up to do progressions at home.

Also @JeanGabin I use the programme RayKray mentioned, Meg Squats (Stronger by the day) I can't justify paying much for strength training because I have memberships for my classes. I find the programme pretty good because unlike many, it allows you to set how many days you want to work out, calculates the amount of weight for you to use (based off what it knows you can do) and it allows you to substitute exercises (eg if you're injured or don't have the equipment - it will recommend similar, eg using bands if you don't have a cable machine) It's helpful for beginners as each exercise has a little video/gif to show the movement and a description with tips. I think it has a free trial to see if it's something you'd like.

@2andadog yeh my reps will reduce as we get closer to comp. But I'll only do singles either really close to comp or not at all. But I know a lot of friends test their singles every few weeks.

@2andadog I didn't start with a good strength base - I did very little before starting lifting so there's been a lot of focus on getting stronger. Maybe that's where the reps come in too. Dunno

@RayKray its so interesting. I’m interested to see how my programme will look when not in comp prep, as I literally started with her 14weeks away from comp 1, and then had another 14ish weeks for the next comp. I’m used to programming where I test 1rm every 6weeks in Oly, but just haven’t with this coach. Accessories have been so important for injury prevention for me too so that’s been nice!

@RayKray yeah that does make sense with the increased reps. Better for hypertrophy, but still high load at 80%! Kudos!

All so interesting.

I don't do many exercises in a session - eg for chest will do bench, pec fly and lateral raises, may add in some planche drills first. Or back at present is weighted pull ups, cable rows, then 2/3 of other ones. Or when cali focussed, I'd do L-sit to planche tuck, planche holds with bands, pike press ups, scap drills for a push day. So 3-5 exercises a session generally plus core. But sometimes we mix it up!

If it's of any interest to compare, todays SBTD workout was:

Push press
One armed dumbbell row
Press ups
Supinated grip lat pulldown (I switched for chin ups)
Barbell bench (main lift)
Paloff press (cable or banded)
2 variations of DB curls (I subbed for banded pull ups as I'm doing these every workout)

It's more exercises than I would pick if training on my own, so I do occasionally skip accessories to be able to focus enough on the main lift. This particular part of the cycle is unusual in putting the main lift halfway through, usually it's one or two accessories to warm up then main.

@Proteinpud gosh to main lift being in the middle. How did it feel, especially after push ups? Do you go down in weight?

@MsMartini it actually wasn't too bad, though I had dropped my training max (what it uses to calculate your numbers) a while ago due to my shoulder injury. It was set at 80% for 6 and then AMRAP, it's usually a bit lighter weights higher reps if it's programmed part way through.
I do push myself on one armed rows though as I really value that lift, so if it had been something requiring grip strength I might have struggled!

Just catching up on all the interesting chat. I got back in the gym and did a light session today, going to start my new block at the weekend. I have definitely done something to upset my coach, it's mostly tempo and or paused squats/deads/bench. It will suck but it will make me stronger!

Haha @everycowandagain I have a lot of tempo and paused stuff too.. I enjoy it now! But it is tough I agree. Hope this weekends training goes well!

I’ve picked up an annoying cough but trained yesterday.

Squat day, so 1 rep @ 105kg and then 3x5 @ 95kg.
Followed by 3 x 8-12 reps of split squats, tempo leg press, Copenhagen planks, face pulls and single leg weighted hip thrusts.

I too love tempo and paused stuff. I miss it a bit when I don't have it.

Checking in - I did noooooothing from 20 Dec to today (apart from walking all around Paris & Berlin) - and today my PT had me supersetting climbing the rope with back squats.

Got up to 3 sets of 3 at 60kg on the back squats - haven't done that weight for 18 months due to knee injury, so I was pleased. Finished off with a sled & weighted lunge combination - only 60 k on the sled & a 15 k sandbag, so pretty easy after heavy squats.

A bit tired now though.

That's good @YellowAsteroid!

I have minor DOMS but I'm sure it will ease off. My coach has me doing reverse lunges and I am trying to use a barbell instead of dumbells but I always feel like I am going to fall over!!

Depending on how much you want to weight the lunges, a sandbag can be more stable. I prefer it to dumbbells actually. Slight DOMS in my glutes today …

@YellowAsteroid sounds like a good session back!

@everycowandagain reverse lunges are always fun… love it when movements show imbalance though as least it gives us something to work on! I’ve got front foot raised dumbbell lunges in my programme now, they’re fun.. DOMs was a biggun for me post squat/leg day on Saturday. Now been struck down with a chest infection so hoping it disappears sooner rather than later so I can crack on again!