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! 💪🏼"

Brilliant @Mokeytree ! And yes you progress by holder for longer.

Bands - is hard to describe in words but for the tuck you'd have it round your lower back or waist and your hands holding the band at both ends onto the bar. For full, you can use your feet and loop it over the bar and through itself. Have a look on insta under front lever. What would be ideal tho is if someone could show you. If you live in London, Steel Warriors (on insta) run free classes in a few parks. The class will probably be more sets and reps but if you took a couple of bands along someone would probably show you at the end.

Since starting weight training (about three times / week) I’ve been feeling really sleepy…
not tired as such - I could go for a run if I had to though I might rather curl up on the sofa.

I never felt like this with cardio - is it normal? I went to bed at 9 last night and could quite happily snooze now

Ignore me! Just found this very helpful thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_weights_room/5379805-does-heavy-lifting-make-you-tired?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=app_share

That was an interesting thread @JeanGabinI do feel more tired when I am working at higher weights for sure. Also nutrition... training in a deficit is soul destroying compared to a nice surplus or even maintenance. I am just wrapping up a deficit phase and looking forward to getting some more food in me, although it's great to see some muscle that I have worked so hard to build.

Thanks every cow - and yes, I think I need to look at nutrition, I generally follow a low fat diet and I suspect I’m not getting enough protein or perhaps calories. A deficit does not sound like fun!

Hello everyone!

How are you all doing? I had a really good couple of weeks and then got a cold so now everything feels hard again, especially pull ups which seem to be the first to go.....

I've switched to using the Hevy app to record workouts - anyone else? I've tried various apps before but they've all proved either unsuitable if you do any cali, or the pricing is so un-transparent with endless upgrade options it has annoyed me. So far so good with this, just trying for a couple of months on the paid version.

I'm going well. It's the grind at the moment, with some real strength gains. I pulled 106 kg deadlift a couple of weeks ago - but consistently fail at anything over that.

But last week pulled a triple 100, so 100 kilos is now becoming a standard top lift for me. Also almost got a bodyweight lat pull down yesterday. But not quite ... Also failed at a 70 kilo back squat but it's getting there - I'm not scared of the really heavy weights any more. And I"m used to failing!

My training is what it's now fashionable to call "hybrid" (and my PT races Hyrox races so I do bits of that training). So it's never just strength, and after a klnee injury, I"m getting back to running a bit - I wish I were one of those people who just loves running! I prefer the SkiErg.

I think at almost 67 I'm fitter & stronger than I've ever been. And I"m celebrating by buying a whole lot of posh gym leggings & tops.

Doing ok over here, wrapped up my deficit and now I am easing back into some heavier work. It's back to the grind as you say @YellowAsteroid but I do love it!!

Same over here with colds @MsMartini it's just that time of year I think but it's frustrating when it feels like you take a few steps backwards. I use good old Google sheets so no app experience to share unfortunately.

I started feeling like I needed to do more cardio (more being anything more than zero!) so I am trying to do a run once a week, planned around my lifting so I am not squatting/deadlifting on tired legs. I do feel like, as much as I do live lifting heavy and it will always be my priority, my body also needs some cardio and some more rotational movements. @YellowAsteroid my powerlifter coach jokes that I am becoming a hybrid athlete!!

My PT calls it 'just moving around.' We do unusual mobility work, such as different types of crawls, I balance on one leg on a Bosu ball & catch tennis balls with both left & right hands, I stand on one leg with my eyes closed and touch the floor, I climb up the rope - all sorts of stuff.

Lately, plyo box jumping - I can do the 18" easily, the 20" needs concentrated fury, and the 24" - almost - defeats me. It's really effortful work, jumping on boxes. I'd rather do heavy squats.

Yeah...cardio...mmmm.

@YellowAsteroid new kit definitely helps, and very impressed by hybrid.

I've gone the other way and not doing much atm. I'm very active in daily life, and have found my boxing, bootcamps or lots of running on top was compromising strength....so at the moment I am strength focussed, with some slow outdoor running on the side (I do 5:1 minute run/walk) and occasionally a bit of cross-trainer, that hideous bike thing, or incline walking in the gym....I walk a lot too.

I’m doing good thanks. Qualified for British again so nothing coming up till that next June. Just lots of getting stronger 💪

Congratulations @RayKray Good luck with getting strong[er] AF

Yayy @RayKray .

And meant to say @YellowAsteroid , I'm in awe of box jumping.

Some of you may remember giving me good advice about how to bench without a spotter, where to put the straps and so on. I've been mainly doing dumbbell bench press for a few weeks because I am training solo atm, but mainly because it still felt uneven - one shoulder coming up, and I thought unilateral work might help (for the top sets I go one at a time and use my free arm to stabilise the weight at the start and get it down at the end). anyway, this week, I went back to the barbell, set the straps, was planning to stick at 45 but felt strong so got 3 on 50. It isn't a pb but I've never done that without a spotter and when I've done it before it hasn't felt smooth. Taken months and months of circling 50. So thanks all!

50 for a bench press! Wow! Awesome @MsMartini

Today my training session was about balance and mobility. Variations on standing on a wobble board on one leg and touching the floor with my opposite hand; standing on two yoga bricks on one leg and touching the floor with my whole palm down, and then standing on one leg with eyes closed, and touching the floor. Interspersed with a whole lot of moving around in various crawling positions. I can feel it in my hams and glutes like billyo- but very calming - you have to breathe slowly and move deliberately. The eyes closed stuff is hard but very calming and meditative. Back to throwing heavy weights around on Saturday!

Ah so good to see the updates!

@YellowAsteroid training sounds great. Movement/mobility/gaining strength are all so important, doesn't matter on the label does it!

@MsMartini sorry you're coldy but amazing news on the bench and strength gains!

@RayKray amazing news on the Brits. When was the masters champs?

I'm back on a base building stage now. Competed about a month ago, added another 7.5kg onto my total and got 5kg PBs in Bench and Deadlift, so now working towards a 175kg deadlift to get some records in my age group next year! Doing some internationals next year so that'll be fun. Building stage is lots of supersets, a bit of cardio etc so that'll be fine!

In awe of all these numbers. Wow!!

I’ve not posted in ages. I’ve been using the Ladder app and quite enjoying trying a few different approaches. I’m currently doing a bit more mobility and conditioning rather than just the pure body building. The coach is yoga trained and a bit more holistic in her approach which I’m liking. I’m also quite enjoying not doing barbell squats at the moment which totally give me the fear! There’s loads of core and I’m seeing results there , I know it’s good for me too! I’m liking the slightly shorter workouts - 45 mins to an hour and because of that I’m training 5 times a week. Basically I would like to give up work and just gym, run and hike, sleep and eat! 🤣

@2andadogBritish masters is in June

Oh me too @redfacebigdisgrace work entirely gets in the way of all the things I would rather be doing!!

Just popping in to say I learned a new exercise this week - PT at my gym showed me how to do a weighted negative pull up or chin up using bars above a squat rack. Use a bench, the safety bars, and the barbell holder thingies at the right height so you can climb up safely to chin above bar (or just below for extra challenge - you pull the last bit before starting the neg). Then attach weight to the weight belt and off you go! Hold at the top and at forehead to bar if possible, slow controlled descent, as much weight as you can. Reckon it will help build strength at the top which is often the hardest bit to train......feel badass too 😀I got out 3 (with rests) at 15kg after my (5kg) weighted pull ups yesterday so can be a finisher.

Still using Hevy, really liking it.

Ooh @MsMartinithat sounds like a good variation!

Life is very hectic at this time of year so I am taking the training sessions as they come. Some are hard because I am tired or unexpectedly sore, some move surprisingly well despite being tired, I try not to pre judge it and just work with what I have on the day. My gym time is a lovely respite from everything else and I am not putting pressure on myself to hit particular numbers.

Hope everyone else is doing well.

@everycowandagain , pretty much my attitude at the moment too! Getting as much done as I can, without bending the rest of life out of shape, for now. My January is quieter.

I just do what I’m told although I remind my PR that I have a demanding job. He doesn’t let up on me though.

So earlier this week I got another deadlift PB at 107.5.

And it didn’t feel deathly hard. Indeed, the warm up set of 4 at 80 felt harder. It’s partly psychological- I now know I can pull 100 pretty reliably so I don’t scare myself off it.

Still hoping for more progress even at a week off 67 yo!

@YellowAsteroid that is awesome 👏

Just catching up at the end of the year to say that in the 2 weeks before Christmas I gor 3 PBs! Bench, squat, deadlift - finally squatted my bodyweight, and my deads are inching upwards - 107.5 kg. I'd love to get to 110 in 2026 - I think, after 8 years of this sort of training, I'm no longer scared of a loaded bar!

I rarely bench (my PT doesn't rate it - prefers full body compound moves) but got to bench as a Christmas treat: 47.5 kg

I don't exclusively train for powerlifting, so these PBs come in between doing mad metcons - my final day of PT training before Christmas started with a 1000m row for a 2:20 split, followed by 50 burpees, followed by 1000m SkiErg, followed by 50 upside down burpees (a particular hell) followed by 50 cals on the echo/assault bike (the devil's toy) followed by 50 lunges (bodyweight thank the goddess) followed by a 500m treadmill run at 9kph. Almost threw up during, but felt great afterwards.

Happy New Year, everyone, and I hope you all had a good "Liftmas"

Aaah that's fantastic @YellowAsteroid well done!!

I took a gentler approach to training in December, having learned in previous years that it's not the time of year for me to be testing 1RMs. With all the exhaustion of December with full time work, fairly young kids, social stuff, Christmas prep, etc etc. I kept things ticking over, did what I could when I could, and actually enjoyed my training as a break from life rather than it feeling like another demand.

I am back in the gym (literally right now!!) and the movement feels good, and I am planning some hard work up to the summer and hopefully some PBs too. My squat is stuck at just above body weight and it's on my hit list!!

Happy "liftmas" everyone!