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! 💪🏼"

Still got bad glute DOMS, also adductor DOMS, which indicates I was using my inner thighs correctly in the back squats.

Another training session, and I learnt how to do one-legged burpees. Fun!

[Quakes at thought of one-legged burpees]

@YellowAsteroid I like the sandbag idea! A barbell just feels so...long! I think it's why I worry about tipping and think I am going to fall over.

@2andadog I'm one big imbalance!

Not as hard as you’d think. I’ll bet you can do pistol squats @MsMartini (I can’t).

Next challenge is one-legged upside down burpees.

😂

and nowhere near @YellowAsteroid - I can leg press plenty but lack technique. mobility, balance and everything else you need for a pistol!. I don't train them really tho.

Pistol squats are my party trick, I never specifically trained them but the first time I tried them I could do them (I suspect body proportions help with that, and strength training & capoeira)
Annoyingly I've lost the ability to do them on my left leg since I sprained my ankle, never quite got the mobility back!

Also I'm about to brave my first gym session of the week - I couldn't face a garage gym when the temperature was below freezing!

I’m currently doing 5 sessions with a PT this week to make up doing nothing for 3 weeks over Christmas. Today was deadlifts (yay!) then a really interesting focus on mobility and balance. I was balancing on a yoga brick and touching the ground. Then 2 yoga blocks, then 3. Then a yoga block on its long thin side. Really interesting training of core, breathing and proprioception. I’m very flexible for normal people (dance training) so it’s fun to get my palm flat on the floor while standing on one leg on 2 yoga blocks and not falling over. Intense concentration needed.

Not lifting but really important training for balance and flexibility.

2hour Hyrox training tomorrow- argh.

Wow @YellowAsteroid that's good going! I would love to be more flexible, we focus on it a bit in capoeira (and some capoeira moves themselves are similar to dynamic stretching) but the progress is so slow.

That is good going on the pistols and the stretching! Very impressive. My mobility is awful at the moment, really need to do some work on it. Had a week off games poorly so lying on the sofa has done nothing for flexibility either!

Did manage to get 2 sessions done though, had to bypass accessories due to sickness. However managed deadlift @ 140kg and 3 x 3 @ 120kg followed by deficit deads @ 5x5 @ 105kg. Also managed Squat at 110kg then 5x5 @ 100kg, and bench @ 52.5kg then 4 x 5 @ 45kg, then 3 second pause bench 5x5 @ 40kg. So still managed some load even with less sessions.

I'm in awe of gthe pistol squats - every time I try to do the training steps towards them, I realise just how difficult they are. I'm fine with my leg behind me (ballet training - it's just like an arabesque) but in front and supporting leg parallel - o boy!

And @2andadog your numbers are amazing, especially with having had a week on the sofa feeling poorly. You must be really strong AF.

I tried some new shoes today in the gym which was exciting! I managed to get hold of a pair of Avancus and I used them for my squats and deadlifts.

They have very thin soles so the balance was quite different to my usual metcons (apparently I don't use my toes at all when I squat!) but they felt lovely for deadlifts. I pull sumo and they are so grippy!!

Pistols are tough! I can do them with a plate under my heel occasionally, but its rare... conditions have to be perfect haha! Yeah dance training does stand you in good stead as you're demonstrating!

Thanks, I am reasonably strong but it's easy to get into a hole of comparing yourself to others on numbers. Have a few niggles at the moment I need to iron out, so training with my coach in person this month before competition.

@everycowandagain ooh they sound good! Do you squat in metcons normally too? I have to squat in lifters, have so many old leg/foot injuries from various sports I need the slight heel and solid sole. However deadlifting I love doing in socks! But I still pull conventional, didn't get on with sumo at all, as felt I couldn't get the bar close enough?

@2andadog I have been squatting in metcons for the past couple of years and they are very solid and stable which is good for my wildly mobile joints so this new barefoot style shoe is definitely challenging my balance! They are a bit of an experiment really but based on the first session they felt good. I tend to tip forward at the bottom of my squat but they seemed to help a bit because I was gripping the floor a lot better.

I haven't tried lifters but I know they are popular. My coach uses them and we did discuss them but I have good ankle mobility and they didn't offer any obvious benefit for me. Would definitely try a few squats in a pair if I had the chance though!!

I have been pulling sumo for about 6 months and am a convert! It suits my proportions and has now started to feel really natural. You do have to keep the bar really close though, if it gets away from you it's over!! When I got my 100kg PB I actually failed it the first time not on strength but because I didn't keep the bar close enough and it crept away and I lost control of it.

Ah sounds good with the barefoot shoes definitely! Yeah I realised “big toe, little toe, heel” was really a deal breaker with squatting. Have you played around with hand width on the bar/low bar/high bar too? I changed my grip width as thought closer was better, but all that happened is I tipped forward too! Went back to slightly wider and depth and tension improved, go figure! Wasn’t something I’d ever thought would have THAT much impact.

I know so many people love sumo! I had a few sessions where it felt good, but I’m so established conventional I think it was always going to feel odd!

Gosh @2andadog that is some return after sickness! So good to read about everyone's progress and all the tips too.

after year - years!! - of being pants at dips, not really understanding how to bend in the right place and shrugging instead, so doing them but not getting full range or decent form my training partner said a couple of weeks ago try to touch the bar in front (we are doing them indoors on a P bar attachment) with your nose! Suddenly it made sense and I've been doing them banded and yesterday got a couple unbanded (not quite nose to bar but that's more than needed strictly speaking). So umpteen cues haven't worked - and that one did. Got another two pull ups on 10kg on saturday, really enjoying cutting reps and using weights, form feels better.

@MsMartini thanks, it was nice to be able to keep my top sets at a decent weight even after illness. Still building this week, bench tonight was pretty abysmal on reps, but my 1rep top weight was only 2.5kg under my PB so that’s nice. Still loose tension (and slide up the bench!) when doing more than 2 reps.

Squats were good tonight though, just did some lightweight clusters to get a good rep every rep and really get some depth as that struggled a bit last sess, but actually think it was just cos I couldn’t brace as well with sore chest/stomach as tonight was back to where it needed to be!

Thats amazing on your dips! Well done, it’s crazy how slight cue changes can make a huge difference! Massive kudos on the pull-ups too.

Hello everyone. Hope I can join you? I've had a bit of a read through the thread and you seem a lovely and supportive bunch. Also, some pretty mind blowing numbers here. Congrats!

I've been lifting for several years with my PT and really enjoy it. Unfortunately, the last year has been really inconsistent due to work. However, have started the new year with good exercise resolutions - and a stint on the low carb boot camp.

Just did my first powerlifting session in a while and focused on cleans. Lifted 40kgs in 5 sets of 3 reps. That's a PB and was so pleased I decided to find others to spur me on.

This weekend I was carrying my 15kg daughter in her 5kg pram up the stairs on the tube and a big guy stopped me and told me I was "one strong lady." Patronising, but it was well meant and I was stupidly pleased. Gave me an extra impetus to get back to it.

I have 2 PT sessions a week and aim to fit in 2 (short, painful) runs too.

Welcome @BusyFrizzyLizzie ! Sounds like you are doing great! what are your favourite lifts?

I take well meant compliments in that spirit too - and appreciate that in some strength focussed gyms like mine, a lot of the blokes go out of their way to try to make women welcome and their achievements recognised. They may do it apologetically or clumsily but I don't mind as long as it is well intentioned.

@MsMartini My absolute favourite is the deadlift. Something so spectacularly simple yet satisfying in picking up something v heavy and putting back down again! When I was lifting regularly I got up to 80kgs, which is about 12kgs over my body weight. I was v pleased with myself! I also like cleans, as the catching element adds a little fun/jeopardy to the equation, but without the terror of a snatch or anything above the head.

I realise that I love lifting because I have never - and will never - be a sylph. My arms and legs are chunky. This always used to upset me. But lifting has made me realise that I am powerful and my body has utility beyond how it looks. That is a valuable lesson to realise at 39 and an invaluable one to model for my two little daughters.

Sorry, rant over. I don't actually have anyone other than my PT to talk to about this. And if I talk to much to her she adds weight and/or reps. 😂😂

@BusyFrizzyLizzie you've found your people 😀😀. Think there are several chunky but happily powerful and strong types here including me. That's a good deadlift you had there!

I used to love DLs - don't do them much these days for various reasons but I loved the (apparent) simplicity. I absolutely don't do anything with overhead weight jeopardy though😂 - starting strength training in my 50s gave me enough mental obstacles to overcome especially now I do calisthenics.

@BusyFrizzyLizzie welcome! I am also of the chunky strong variety 🤣 there’s something so satisfying about lifting heavy circles, it’s definitely my therapy!

I’m an Olympic lifter/powerlifter too. Used to be very much a hybrid athlete, did a lot of running/cycling a while back and now just focus on lifting as life responsibilities increased in my 30s and 100mile bike rides on a Saturday morning became too time consuming! Did my first powerlifting competition last year, have another in Feb and aiming for the Europeans next year..!

Lovely to be here, thank you @2andadog . Was planning a run today but my lower back is pretty sore after yesterday's cleans. Back to the weights on Friday and will see what the PT has in store for me!

Hi can I join the room?
im that lazy person that hates the gym tíl 2022 when I started with a personal trainer that changed my mind. And I loved the gym! But since last summer by brain set has gone to the wrong ways and I’ve allowed my body to rest whilst continuinf to go 1-2 times to the gym / month. I know not enough.

im changing my personal trainer. Since summer I’ve been doing CrossFit so I’ve got a new PT from this new place (I left the previous one as she went online and I couldn’t get around the idea of not having much support during the week).

tomorrow is the day I start with this person. I’ve trained with her as she’s my Fridays coach at CrossFit but it feels different. It feels like starting again and I’m so nervous. I need a shift on my brain. Not being that lazy person pre 2022 and that I can do it.

Welcome @EasterIssland! I hope your session went well. It's always nerve-wracking doing something different but feels amazing afterwards!

DD (who is 11) tried a youth strength class last night, she was youngest there and the only girl and she LOVED it. She was buzzing about her deadlifts and bench press! She was delighted to be stronger than a boy her age! It took me till my 40's to start lifting weights and I am so pleased she can start already.

It was cancelled. Trainer is under the weather and so I’m so I was glad. I’m hoping to go tomorrow to the deadlift session