Author Topic: Strength & Fitness 2017  (Read 172615 times)

brute

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #400 on: February 11, 2017, 10:45:42 AM »
I also feel like it's important to note that MonsterMonster is an itty bitty human being, so 135lbs is pretty significant for her size. =)
I mean, I'm giant compared to my figure skating days, but yes,  I weigh 117 after I've eaten an entire pot of pasta.

With that background I bet you can eventually get to at least 150-175 on the deadlift, if not a fair amount more! There are two former college cheerleaders at my gym who in less than a year of powerlifting (with no previous background beyond their cheer training) can deadlift 255lbs at 125lbs bodyweight and 345lbs at 145lbs body-weight respectively, so it's definitely doable!

As for flexibility, I find lifting makes me more flexible, personally, although I'm not going to be doing the splits ant time soon!
I have this somewhat silly arbitrary goal of getting to DL & back squat my bodyweight by the time I'm 30 years old in July. But after that, I don't intend to stop increasing. If it interferes with flexibility goals, though, those are the most important to me because of dance.

I have bad hands/wrists thanks to arthritis so I'm not sure I'll get to my 100lbs bench press goal anymore :( But I'm not positive it's a truly important goal, it would just feel cool.

Alright, so I'm finally back and have my deadlift programs and days past in front of me.

Two options. (Do you have bumper plates? Being able to deadlift with the bar at the correct height is good)

Option 1 - raw power
Work up to 80% of your max for sets of three. Then
Week 1: 5 singles with 90% of your max in 5 minutes (time yourself and make sure they're done before the timer is up, but doing worry about doing them every minute on the minute)
Week 2: 10 singles with 85% of your max in 10 minutes

Alternate weeks for 10 weeks. Add 5 pounds a week to your singles if possible. You might not be able to get all the singles when you add weight, but try to get them all the next week. You should be able to add at least 1 rep a week if you're eating enough ( i would expect 5 pounds a week for the first month)

Option 2 - power and physique
Work up to 75% of your max for sets of 3 Then
4 sets of two at 85% of your max
1 set of 8 at 60% of  your max

Add 5 pounds a week to your sets of 2, 5 pounds every other week to your set of 8

Both of these have worked well for people I've trained in the past. If you have trouble adding weight to the bar, reassess food intake. Provided you aren't gaining fat, add an extra 150 calories per day for a week and see if it helps.

frugalwitch

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #401 on: February 12, 2017, 08:31:39 AM »
A bit late but here's my overall and very simple fitness and health goals for 2017:

- Increase my flexibility, endurance and muscle strength to do the follow yoga move: press headstand and the splits.

I usually train 3x a week but with very little improvment months after months. I've always wanted to do the splits but couldn't see real results even with trying everyday. I bought a Cody bundle (pure flexibility) and boy I was training wrong ! Hoping to see some progress as I'm now flexing all of my body instead of focusing on only a few parts.

 I'm also doing PIIT28 1.0, it's actually the only fitness program I didn't got bored off for now. I did it once in dec 2016 but I didn't followed the schedule as I was too sore/tired. Back to the normal schedule now ! So my goal right now is to train 6x/week with PIIT28 and substitute with weight training if I want to spice things a bit. Then do Pure Flexibility 5x/week as a cooldown.

frugalwitch, I've got you add to the participant tracking post. There are also some links about just the splits in the resource post (although it may be the 2016 legacy resources, which is one comment down).

Welcome to the gauntlet.

Did people actually get into the front splits with the link from the resource post? I took a look, and I do virtually ALL of those stretch exercises daily at yoga (which I've been doing consistently for almost a month now). I feel like I'm very slowly getting closer to front splits, but it seems crazy to say you could get there in 30 days by just doing a few of those stretches a day. I'd say maybe I could get them in six months? Perhaps progress on that front isn't linear, though.

My knees have been hurting a bit, and I came to the realization that while practicing front splits and I'm trying to challenge myself to go lower, I'm hyperextending my knee instead of making my hamstring muscle do the stretch, so I've been more aware of that and trying to keep a tension/bend in my front knee. Same with when I stand in a wide straddle and fold forward; I'm getting my gains toward the floor at the expense of my knees. Whoops! Now that I realize I'm doing it hopefully I can knock it off and let my sore ligaments heal.

Sorry I didn't reply to this earlier. I have to hit up Zikoris, who hasn't popped in here yet, because I think that she is the one who pointed at that. I could be wrong, and just getting her mixed up with someone else due to her benchmark photo. I'll harass her to get in here, but I know she's been pretty busy. Regardless, she is the one who comes to mind when it comes to questions about splits.

Thanks for adding me Jordanread! I read my goal but I want to achieve press headstand for now, as press handstand is too much for me right now :P

As for the splits, I have tried for the past few years to get more flexible and failed. I couldn't understand why, as I was holding the pose after every workout, 3-4x times a week. Turns out I have to consider flexibility as mush as I consider cardio or strenght training. So I actually train 30 min, 5x/week, focusing only on flexibility training. Also, splits takes a lot of flexibility from your back, hips, and of course, hamstrings. You can't only do the splits pose to achieve it.

I'm currently following a program called pure flexibility from cody app. Well worth the $$$ invested IMO. Not only I think I'll finally achieve to do the splits but this program helps the entire body, and I'm pretty stiff from my back and shoulders too.

GT

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #402 on: February 12, 2017, 02:59:19 PM »
Picked up a Masi Speciale SS bike off eBay on the weekend for next to nothing, so I can finally get back into SS riding on my commute.  I liked it when I had a SS MTB in the past (GT Peace 9r followed by a Voodoo Dambala), so easy not having to worry about what gear you're in and just smashing it hard up every hill.  Had a flow on effect for my MTB racing which was beneficial.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #403 on: February 12, 2017, 03:25:53 PM »
Picked up a Masi Speciale SS bike off eBay on the weekend for next to nothing, so I can finally get back into SS riding on my commute.  I liked it when I had a SS MTB in the past (GT Peace 9r followed by a Voodoo Dambala), so easy not having to worry about what gear you're in and just smashing it hard up every hill.  Had a flow on effect for my MTB racing which was beneficial.

What are SS and MTB? Thank you =)

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #404 on: February 12, 2017, 04:37:14 PM »
Single speed and mountain bike.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #405 on: February 12, 2017, 04:42:36 PM »
Single speed and mountain bike.

Thank you!

GT

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #406 on: February 12, 2017, 08:39:19 PM »
Single speed and mountain bike.

Thank you!
Thanks m2

BJ, maybe these will help.

Here's my MTB, it's 2012 Pivot 429 Carbon, which I still have.

http://figmentia.com/images/bikes/20121214pivot429carbon.jpg

and The GT Peace 9r ended up with a broken frame http://figmentia.com/images/bikes/20140704brokenframe.jpg, so I bought the Voodoo Dambala frame and switched everything over, here it is in SS mode.

http://figmentia.com/images/bikes/20140723voodoodambalabuilt.jpg

The Dambala, a Kypo track bike (too small for me) http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag105/geofftewierik/IMAG0248_zpse75k8eu4.jpg and a Kenevans road bike http://figmentia.com/images/bikes/20140312kenevansroadbike.jpg were replaced with my Soma Wolverine which I use for commuting and #dadlyf hauling duties.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag105/geofftewierik/IMG_20160409_152248_zpsztkw2if8.jpg

And this is the Masi Speciale I picked up on the weekend.

http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag105/geofftewierik/IMG_20170212_1418441_zps2thzvosg.jpg

So I'm back up to 3 bikes at the moment, each have a different purpose.

Longwaytogo

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #407 on: February 13, 2017, 08:58:36 AM »
Good: Got in another MTB ride Saturday

Bad: Seemed to have tweaked my back Dead-lifting this morning- I'm going to try and post a video up to see if I can get some feedback on my form. Not sure when depending on how I feel. hoping if it's not too bad maybe I'll skip it Wednesday and do the rest of my workout and then get a video Friday possibly.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #408 on: February 13, 2017, 09:33:58 AM »
I've been sticking to my couch to 5k runs. I've taken a temporary hiatus from yoga, as all the lunges/downward dog seemed to be exacerbating my knee. My right knee is an ongoing frustration for me. The initial hyperextension happened at work, combined with repetitive stress. It's off and on been an issue ever since, going on a year now. Very annoying. And I check my form on everything. Left to my own devices, I'll favor it heavily on lifts and hikes and trail runs, but it's easy enough to keep it in check since I know it's a problem.

TBH, it seems to do better the more consistently I lift- I think the more strength I develop the more stable I hold it. I definitely need to get better about sticking to my lifting routines when DH isn't home to train me. I tend to run or do yoga or just easier (indoor!) kettlebell stuff when he's gone.

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #409 on: February 13, 2017, 11:45:52 AM »
Week 2 of shoulder PT. I'm seeing increased range of motion, which the therapist noted today. He did some manipulation of the humerous to try to get my socket better aligned and was really pressing on it, so that's going to hurt like a you-know-what in a while.

One of the exercises they have me doing involves a 1lb pink dumbbell. Nothing more humiliating than getting muscle burn from a 1lb pink dumbbell!

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #410 on: February 13, 2017, 11:50:31 AM »
Week 2 of shoulder PT. I'm seeing increased range of motion, which the therapist noted today. He did some manipulation of the humerous to try to get my socket better aligned and was really pressing on it, so that's going to hurt like a you-know-what in a while.

One of the exercises they have me doing involves a 1lb pink dumbbell. Nothing more humiliating than getting muscle burn from a 1lb pink dumbbell!

No humiliation deserved here! PTs have both my immense respect and fear. Both having been a patient, and going with my own patients to see them. The amount of pain they can cause with their pinky finger, yet balanced with how utterly they can improve lives... Just crazy to me. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone to a PT program instead of nursing school. (It would have been too much school though, I'll be honest with you!) I've seen an 80lb lady make my big ol' weightlifter husband tear up just by poking his shoulder... PTs don't mess around haha.

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #411 on: February 13, 2017, 12:40:16 PM »
Week 2 of shoulder PT. I'm seeing increased range of motion, which the therapist noted today. He did some manipulation of the humerous to try to get my socket better aligned and was really pressing on it, so that's going to hurt like a you-know-what in a while.

One of the exercises they have me doing involves a 1lb pink dumbbell. Nothing more humiliating than getting muscle burn from a 1lb pink dumbbell!

No humiliation deserved here! PTs have both my immense respect and fear. Both having been a patient, and going with my own patients to see them. The amount of pain they can cause with their pinky finger, yet balanced with how utterly they can improve lives... Just crazy to me. Sometimes I wonder if I should have gone to a PT program instead of nursing school. (It would have been too much school though, I'll be honest with you!) I've seen an 80lb lady make my big ol' weightlifter husband tear up just by poking his shoulder... PTs don't mess around haha.

It's actually been quite cool to see how they are dealing with my issues. I have tendinosis in my subscapularis, which is the part that is ouchy. But I got the tendinosis because my scapula is tight and hasn't been moving properly so the trapezius and deltoid muscles have been overcompensating. Fascinating chain of causality.

I've always found jobs like fitness trainers and PTs quite interesting and actually looked up the requirements to become a PTA. Not something I'm going to pursue right now, but it sure looks like a cool, flexible career field. (And I could avoid needles and yucky stuff with the right job choice!)

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #412 on: February 13, 2017, 04:03:34 PM »
I've been sticking to my couch to 5k runs. I've taken a temporary hiatus from yoga, as all the lunges/downward dog seemed to be exacerbating my knee. My right knee is an ongoing frustration for me. The initial hyperextension happened at work, combined with repetitive stress. It's off and on been an issue ever since, going on a year now. Very annoying. And I check my form on everything. Left to my own devices, I'll favor it heavily on lifts and hikes and trail runs, but it's easy enough to keep it in check since I know it's a problem.

TBH, it seems to do better the more consistently I lift- I think the more strength I develop the more stable I hold it. I definitely need to get better about sticking to my lifting routines when DH isn't home to train me. I tend to run or do yoga or just easier (indoor!) kettlebell stuff when he's gone.

Have you done any physical therapy for your knee before? Do you have any bands at home to work with? Also, I could take a peek at your form if you'd like on your yoga poses. There are some common misalignments that could be aggravating it.

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #413 on: February 13, 2017, 04:06:16 PM »
Getting 30 minutes of activity daily is proving to be challenging during this first trimester of pregnancy. I did get in 2 hour long walks this week plus a solid 15 minutes of yoga on another day and a 45 minute bodyweight circuit in this week. I feel better today, but I'm also exhausted and just want to sleep. I will keep working on my 30 minute/daily goal. I may revise my goal to 3.5 hours/week since that seems a little more achievable for now.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #414 on: February 13, 2017, 04:21:34 PM »
I've been sticking to my couch to 5k runs. I've taken a temporary hiatus from yoga, as all the lunges/downward dog seemed to be exacerbating my knee. My right knee is an ongoing frustration for me. The initial hyperextension happened at work, combined with repetitive stress. It's off and on been an issue ever since, going on a year now. Very annoying. And I check my form on everything. Left to my own devices, I'll favor it heavily on lifts and hikes and trail runs, but it's easy enough to keep it in check since I know it's a problem.

TBH, it seems to do better the more consistently I lift- I think the more strength I develop the more stable I hold it. I definitely need to get better about sticking to my lifting routines when DH isn't home to train me. I tend to run or do yoga or just easier (indoor!) kettlebell stuff when he's gone.

Have you done any physical therapy for your knee before? Do you have any bands at home to work with? Also, I could take a peek at your form if you'd like on your yoga poses. There are some common misalignments that could be aggravating it.

No PT, no bands, and yes please that would be very helpful =) I have you on facebook right? I'll have DH take some photos and I'll send them you're way. I'm thinking downward dog is a likely culprit. It's easier to check your own form on a lunge than DD... Any other likely villains?

Jakejake

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #415 on: February 13, 2017, 08:16:52 PM »
I'm a little relieved to see the thread swerve back from people doing handstands on their fingertips. :)

It's back down to my speed for a few posts, which is a good time to say I'm working successfully through a mini challenge here. Last year I'd started working out every single day, but after a month I ditched my routine to help out my parents in Florida when my dad had a heart incident/crisis.

Jan 1st, I started fresh. And darnit, just over a month into 2017, my dad has another heart incident and here I am again in Florida. But this time I am determined to work through my own resolutions while helping them out. So I've been here 6 days now, and worked out every day - in a little space that is about 6 feet long and 3 feet wide, just enough to hold a pair of 10lb dumbells crossed together and held by both hands to do fake kettlebell swings, some planks, bench presses on the floor, etc. I had to scale back a few things, but I will NOT miss a day this time!

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #416 on: February 14, 2017, 12:14:20 PM »
Nice job Jakejake! I'm sorry about your dad, I hope he's on the road to recovery. Keep putting in the work on yourself though!

BJ, I sent you a personal message! There are all sorts of things that can be looked at on a warrior pose, and some things may be hard for you to see yourself.

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #417 on: February 14, 2017, 01:08:31 PM »
Good morning at the gym.



PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Lagom

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #418 on: February 14, 2017, 01:19:10 PM »
So ironically/sadly, given my recent comments on the topic, I have decided to leave my gym in favor of a home setup. While I stand by my previous comments on the value I found in our member fees, the realities of parenting an infant (e.g. it's harder to get to the gym regularly given that I need a solid 2-2.5 hour block of time between the travel time and workout) combined with a recent decision to go back to school (thus we're becoming a one income household while trying to avoid student loans) have made this the best choice for us.

At this point I'm pretty confident I know what I'm doing well enough to make progress solo, though my goal progress will probably slow somewhat, but I'm excited to have the flexibility to workout whenever I want. I've priced out the minimum of everything I will need, which while expensive, still represents only about six months of gym fees, so this will be a big money saver.

One question for anyone with experience: what is the best way to minimize noise while deadlifting heavy? Obviously controlling the bar is big, but does anyone have experience building a platform with sound deadening properties? I've gotten used to working out in an environment where I can be fairly noisy and no one cares, but I really don't want to annoy my neighbors!

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #419 on: February 14, 2017, 01:38:35 PM »
One question for anyone with experience: what is the best way to minimize noise while deadlifting heavy? Obviously controlling the bar is big, but does anyone have experience building a platform with sound deadening properties? I've gotten used to working out in an environment where I can be fairly noisy and no one cares, but I really don't want to annoy my neighbors!

At my old gym we lifted on rubber horse stall mats and they deadened the sound pretty well. It also helps to use bumper plates, but they are kind of $$$$ and almost impossible to find used unless a gym goes out of business near you.

Lagom

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #420 on: February 14, 2017, 01:46:17 PM »
One question for anyone with experience: what is the best way to minimize noise while deadlifting heavy? Obviously controlling the bar is big, but does anyone have experience building a platform with sound deadening properties? I've gotten used to working out in an environment where I can be fairly noisy and no one cares, but I really don't want to annoy my neighbors!

At my old gym we lifted on rubber horse stall mats and they deadened the sound pretty well. It also helps to use bumper plates, but they are kind of $$$$ and almost impossible to find used unless a gym goes out of business near you.

Yeah I have plans for a deadlift platform (basically stacked plywood with stall mats on top), which we use at my gym, but it doesn't really help that much with noise, especially if I drop the weight (which granted I do rarely, though I will set down the bar heavily on longer sets sometimes). I deadlift well over 500lbs so I can't use bumper plates (they are too bulky).

I've seen some plans for platforms that use carpet padding to deaden vibrations but so far the ones I've found have been pretty confusing to follow.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #421 on: February 14, 2017, 01:48:09 PM »
One question for anyone with experience: what is the best way to minimize noise while deadlifting heavy? Obviously controlling the bar is big, but does anyone have experience building a platform with sound deadening properties? I've gotten used to working out in an environment where I can be fairly noisy and no one cares, but I really don't want to annoy my neighbors!

At my old gym we lifted on rubber horse stall mats and they deadened the sound pretty well. It also helps to use bumper plates, but they are kind of $$$$ and almost impossible to find used unless a gym goes out of business near you.

We use stall mats AND bumper plates. As it is, our neighbors can still slightly feel some of DH's lifts in their living room. Good thing we lift at respectable hours and DH fixes shit for them all the time, haha.

One modification that helps is to do a sumo instead of conventional DL, so it's got a shorter distance to drop. But really, the DLs aren't *nearly* as bad as snatches or if you have to bail from a heavy squat.

I highly, highly recommend bumper plates.

Lagom

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #422 on: February 14, 2017, 01:51:43 PM »
We use stall mats AND bumper plates. As it is, our neighbors can still slightly feel some of DH's lifts in their living room. Good thing we lift at respectable hours and DH fixes shit for them all the time, haha.

One modification that helps is to do a sumo instead of conventional DL, so it's got a shorter distance to drop. But really, the DLs aren't *nearly* as bad as snatches or if you have to bail from a heavy squat.

I highly, highly recommend bumper plates.

Yeah bumpers are great. If I did oly lifting I would get some for overhead bailouts. But the bar runs out of room too quickly when stacking them for deadlifts, so they're not too helpful in my case.

Unfortunately I can't pull sumo. First, my leverages are terrible for it, but more importantly, I have ongoing hip issues. That's a good suggestion though in general. Now that I think about it, the sumo pullers I know all tend to be a lot quieter :)


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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #423 on: February 14, 2017, 01:59:21 PM »
Half Marathon complete. No where near a PR, but a nice run anyway. It was just a little warmer and more humid than I was prepared for given the wintery conditions I have been running in and I just didn't have it. Several others I talked to who were down from places north also had slower days than they hoped to have.

Granted this was not an all out effort due to the weather, but still faster/harder than a normal long run. It amazes me that a half marathon used to leave me feeling pretty beat up. Sunday after the race we toured the city a bit on foot and drove halfway home. Monday morning I woke up to legs that were a bit tired. Toured that town a bit by foot, drove the rest of the way home. Today my legs feel great.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #424 on: February 14, 2017, 02:04:07 PM »
Swapped out my shoes today for my running, hoping it would help my knee. NOPE. About 10x worse than normal. Ughhhhh. Need to film myself and make sure my stride/form hasn't changed >.< (Doesn't seem like it, but I still want to check)

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #425 on: February 14, 2017, 05:10:27 PM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #426 on: February 14, 2017, 05:28:50 PM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!
YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

headwinds

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #427 on: February 14, 2017, 10:11:53 PM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!
YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

You don't need straps. Your grip strength should be adequate at these levels. If your grip strength is indeed your weak point, keep practicing and it will catch up.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #428 on: February 14, 2017, 10:16:32 PM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!
YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

You don't need straps. Your grip strength should be adequate at these levels. If your grip strength is indeed your weak point, keep practicing and it will catch up.

See above in the thread- she has RA. There's only so much she can do for grip strength without modifications.

Helmet

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #429 on: February 14, 2017, 10:26:34 PM »

YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

Based on your 3x5 numbers on the deadlift I'd be surprised if you're not there already. When was the last time you tested your max? I'd recommend more heavy singles and doubles. 10 or so "work" reps in a session, but at or above 80% of your max. Edit: This is basically Brute's "raw power" option so I'll just give that a thumbs up.



monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #430 on: February 15, 2017, 07:14:53 AM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!
YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

You don't need straps. Your grip strength should be adequate at these levels. If your grip strength is indeed your weak point, keep practicing and it will catch up.

See above in the thread- she has RA. There's only so much she can do for grip strength without modifications.

Yea, honestly, this morning I have trouble holding coffee cups and opening door knobs. My grip strength varies wildly day to day and it is outside my control. Hence why the bench is hard.

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #431 on: February 15, 2017, 08:15:30 AM »
Good morning at the gym.

PR'd - Back Squat at 101.5lbs 3x5
PR'd - Deadlift at 105lbs 3x5

Shitty Bench press - got 3x5 on 65lbs and was wiped. Ugh.

Isn't that deadlift crazy close to your goal?!
YES! Goal is 117lbs (bodyweight) for both. Then I'll try to push that up past that.

Bench press goal is 100lbs (85% of bodyweight) but I'm starting to think that's never gonna happen. I need to buy wrist wraps, but I hate buying things. Argh.

You don't need straps. Your grip strength should be adequate at these levels. If your grip strength is indeed your weak point, keep practicing and it will catch up.

See above in the thread- she has RA. There's only so much she can do for grip strength without modifications.

Yea, honestly, this morning I have trouble holding coffee cups and opening door knobs. My grip strength varies wildly day to day and it is outside my control. Hence why the bench is hard.

You seem to be kind of a purist, but I would think using a bench machine would be good in your situation. The Hammer Strength bench thingy doesn't really need to be gripped, just pushed forcefully.

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #432 on: February 15, 2017, 09:06:30 AM »
You seem to be kind of a purist, but I would think using a bench machine would be good in your situation. The Hammer Strength bench thingy doesn't really need to be gripped, just pushed forcefully.
Honestly, I'm just scared of all the machines. ;) I wouldn't even know what a bench machine looks like, there's like 200 machines in my gym.

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #433 on: February 15, 2017, 09:16:07 AM »
You seem to be kind of a purist, but I would think using a bench machine would be good in your situation. The Hammer Strength bench thingy doesn't really need to be gripped, just pushed forcefully.
Honestly, I'm just scared of all the machines. ;) I wouldn't even know what a bench machine looks like, there's like 200 machines in my gym.

That's what the staff are for :)

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #434 on: February 15, 2017, 09:18:58 AM »
You seem to be kind of a purist, but I would think using a bench machine would be good in your situation. The Hammer Strength bench thingy doesn't really need to be gripped, just pushed forcefully.
Honestly, I'm just scared of all the machines. ;) I wouldn't even know what a bench machine looks like, there's like 200 machines in my gym.

That's what the staff are for :)
They're useless. Damn Megagym. They didn't even know the weight of the bar and I had to carry it over to the bathroom scale. I do go at off-peak times, so it's usually the 5:15AM staff or the 8PM staff when I'm there. Maybe peak time there's more smart people there.

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #435 on: February 15, 2017, 10:11:24 AM »
They're useless. Damn Megagym. They didn't even know the weight of the bar and I had to carry it over to the bathroom scale. I do go at off-peak times, so it's usually the 5:15AM staff or the 8PM staff when I'm there. Maybe peak time there's more smart people there.

Lol, that's terrible!!!

On your deadlift, do you find just getting off the ground or getting into a lock out position is where you are struggling more? (this is what brute meant by "sticking point" when he asked a while back) if it's getting the weight off the ground adding in deficit deadlifts can help, if it's at lock out adding in rack pulls can help.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #436 on: February 15, 2017, 10:26:30 AM »
According to google, here's an article on the machine alternative to the bench press: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/machine-bench-press  Usually they have handy guides on the machine on how to use them, and what muscles they isolate, so you can also always wander around and look for a machine that has the pecs highlighted.

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #437 on: February 15, 2017, 10:27:01 AM »
They're useless. Damn Megagym. They didn't even know the weight of the bar and I had to carry it over to the bathroom scale. I do go at off-peak times, so it's usually the 5:15AM staff or the 8PM staff when I'm there. Maybe peak time there's more smart people there.

Lol, that's terrible!!!

On your deadlift, do you find just getting off the ground or getting into a lock out position is where you are struggling more? (this is what brute meant by "sticking point" when he asked a while back) if it's getting the weight off the ground adding in deficit deadlifts can help, if it's at lock out adding in rack pulls can help.
Hmm, I might not push myself enough because I don't really know.

My biggest issue with deadlifts is actually my elbows feelings strained  (trying to avoid locking the joints but also not feeling like the bar is pulling them out of the joint). My elbows are pretty arthritic (some days I can't straighten them beyond a 45 degree angle), so as with all things, my barriers seem to be more related to my crappy upper body than my legs/back.

 I do a fair amount of elbow PT, but when you have big balls of immune system junk blocking joint movement, there's only so much you can train (e.g. right now I can actually see a ball of inflammation sticking out of my elbow. It'll probably go away in a few days, and come back in a week to 3 months. No way to know.) It looks similar, but smaller, to this:


My back & my glutes could lift all day (I never get sore the next day, etc, maybe I don't push enough.) Effin RA.

I should probably try for a One rep Max on a day when my body doesn't suck.

EngineerYogi

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #438 on: February 15, 2017, 11:23:58 AM »
They're useless. Damn Megagym. They didn't even know the weight of the bar and I had to carry it over to the bathroom scale. I do go at off-peak times, so it's usually the 5:15AM staff or the 8PM staff when I'm there. Maybe peak time there's more smart people there.

Lol, that's terrible!!!

On your deadlift, do you find just getting off the ground or getting into a lock out position is where you are struggling more? (this is what brute meant by "sticking point" when he asked a while back) if it's getting the weight off the ground adding in deficit deadlifts can help, if it's at lock out adding in rack pulls can help.
Hmm, I might not push myself enough because I don't really know.

My biggest issue with deadlifts is actually my elbows feelings strained  (trying to avoid locking the joints but also not feeling like the bar is pulling them out of the joint). My elbows are pretty arthritic (some days I can't straighten them beyond a 45 degree angle), so as with all things, my barriers seem to be more related to my crappy upper body than my legs/back.

 I do a fair amount of elbow PT, but when you have big balls of immune system junk blocking joint movement, there's only so much you can train (e.g. right now I can actually see a ball of inflammation sticking out of my elbow. It'll probably go away in a few days, and come back in a week to 3 months. No way to know.) It looks similar, but smaller, to this:


My back & my glutes could lift all day (I never get sore the next day, etc, maybe I don't push enough.) Effin RA.

I should probably try for a One rep Max on a day when my body doesn't suck.

You definitely have a lot of barriers to work around, so kudos to you for still sticking to it. What grip do you use when you deadlift? I wonder if a different grip or incorporating straps here too could help ease some of the discomfort?

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #439 on: February 16, 2017, 08:16:58 AM »
Hey all! I've been trying out this fitness podcast app for ~10 days, and loving it. They're having some sort of sale for today with a 30 day free trial today (it's $50/year after that if you like it) so I thought I would mention it on here.  "LETSMOVE"

I don't get any kickbacks or anything, but I'm definitely buying the app when my trial is over.

My short review:  It's called Aaptiv and it is podcast workouts with music all queued up to match the beat/intensity of the different parts of the workout.  It’s essentially a personal trainer in your ear with choreographed playlists. So it's like being in a high-end fitness class, but whenever you want on your own schedule, and way cheaper.

I love having workout music for runs, but I HATE trying to find the music myself and it always ends up mis-mashed. This helps me focus on form & the workout because it's not videos, but and helps me get over the "the gym is my playground, what the fuck should I do today?"

I've started their half-marathon training program, and I already love it and think I'll be in the best shape I've been this round. I also like their strength training. They have yoga and meditation too but I haven't used it.

I don't love the stretching workouts mainly because I'm working on the splits and they're mostly cool-down stretches.

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #440 on: February 16, 2017, 08:22:10 AM »
They're useless. Damn Megagym. They didn't even know the weight of the bar and I had to carry it over to the bathroom scale. I do go at off-peak times, so it's usually the 5:15AM staff or the 8PM staff when I'm there. Maybe peak time there's more smart people there.

Lol, that's terrible!!!

On your deadlift, do you find just getting off the ground or getting into a lock out position is where you are struggling more? (this is what brute meant by "sticking point" when he asked a while back) if it's getting the weight off the ground adding in deficit deadlifts can help, if it's at lock out adding in rack pulls can help.
Hmm, I might not push myself enough because I don't really know.

My biggest issue with deadlifts is actually my elbows feelings strained  (trying to avoid locking the joints but also not feeling like the bar is pulling them out of the joint). My elbows are pretty arthritic (some days I can't straighten them beyond a 45 degree angle), so as with all things, my barriers seem to be more related to my crappy upper body than my legs/back.

 I do a fair amount of elbow PT, but when you have big balls of immune system junk blocking joint movement, there's only so much you can train (e.g. right now I can actually see a ball of inflammation sticking out of my elbow. It'll probably go away in a few days, and come back in a week to 3 months. No way to know.) It looks similar, but smaller, to this:


My back & my glutes could lift all day (I never get sore the next day, etc, maybe I don't push enough.) Effin RA.

I should probably try for a One rep Max on a day when my body doesn't suck.

You definitely have a lot of barriers to work around, so kudos to you for still sticking to it. What grip do you use when you deadlift? I wonder if a different grip or incorporating straps here too could help ease some of the discomfort?

I'm a huge fan of straps. A lot of people think that they will negatively affect your grip, but that hasn't been my experience. I have no trouble holding on to a 600 pound deadlift with just chalk even though I rarely train the deadlift above 405 without straps.

monstermonster

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #441 on: February 16, 2017, 07:08:47 PM »
I did it! Thanks for the encouragement all! I managed to do more than body weight on back squats and deadlift- 2x2 at 120lbs!

GT

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #442 on: February 16, 2017, 07:28:53 PM »
I did it! Thanks for the encouragement all! I managed to do more than body weight on back squats and deadlift- 2x2 at 120lbs!

Huzzah!!!

flan

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #443 on: February 16, 2017, 08:39:26 PM »
I did it! Thanks for the encouragement all! I managed to do more than body weight on back squats and deadlift- 2x2 at 120lbs!

WAHOO!!

Hedge_87

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #444 on: February 16, 2017, 09:23:13 PM »
Great job mm!

brute

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #445 on: February 17, 2017, 06:41:17 AM »
I did it! Thanks for the encouragement all! I managed to do more than body weight on back squats and deadlift- 2x2 at 120lbs!

Yeah buddy! Freaking epic work, I am incredibly proud of you.

LifeHappens

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #446 on: February 17, 2017, 08:59:36 AM »
I did it! Thanks for the encouragement all! I managed to do more than body weight on back squats and deadlift- 2x2 at 120lbs!

You are mighty!

Lagom

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #447 on: February 17, 2017, 11:25:53 AM »
Woo!

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #448 on: February 17, 2017, 03:25:33 PM »
Posted this on my journal, but should share over here as well:

"I also used groupon to buy 10 classes to a local Very Fancy Yoga place. $65. Normally it's $18 per class, $15 per class if you buy 10. Plus, new students get a free first session, so I'll get 11 total."
[snip]
"I will definitely tell you about the yoga class. Btw, did some balance and strength testing unilaterally today- my right leg is suuuuuper weak. It's been weaker than my left as long as I've been aware (since starting weight training), but it's even worse now. Ughhh. Definitely need to deal with this."
"Part of the struggle with now is that after being sore, now it feels really weak/unstable, so it's scary to work on any strength stuff with it, even just balances. I hate joint issues. =("

Oh, I hear you.  My worst joint pain is in my thumbs, but over the last couple of years my knees have gotten really painful.  My doctor sent me for all kinds of tests, but the only feedback was "maybe the start of arthritis."  But it hurts A LOT. 

When I went back to talk about it again, I saw the nurse practitioner, rather than my doctor.  First time meeting her, and her only reaction was to bluntly say, "Well, you need to lose some weight."  Sure, I'm heavier than I *should* be, but not excessively so.  Size 13/14?  And you know, it's hard to get more exercise when you're actually in pain.  So, I haven't done that much about it, but I do think the isolation of those other leg muscles through the squats does help.

Yeah, I figure with my dance, gymnastics, hurdling, and hiking background, I'm totally doomed to osteoarthritis. Never mind that I'm 5'9" and 135lbs, my knees are definitely going to be drama queens. In the past I've had lots of wrist and ankle problems. Lately I've been dealing with thumb pain, too, but I think it's "texting thumb", as stupidly annoying as that is haha. Oh, and I've had hip issues- including being on crutches for acute bursitis back in college.

(Huh, the hurdling is an interesting one to remember, because my right leg was my lead. That was so long ago though (late middle school/early high school), you'd think issues would have cropped up before now!)

For all that I have been very active and have lots of healthy habits, I am not a robust individual haha. Hopefully SirB's genetics will help balance that out for our future offspring, he's hardier stock.

Physical therapy. Seriously. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and stenosis of the cervical spine 20 years ago and was referred to a physical therapist who showed me exercises to relieve symptoms. If I do the exercises religiously, I have NO symptoms. 

If it gets worse, or I get better insurance, I will absolutely go to a PT. I consider them on a magical plane above the majority of medical personnel, one inhabited by trauma nurses, brain surgeons, and other Scary Cool Magicians.

For now, consulted "my" PT (aka Kelly Starett, who wrote 'becoming a supple leopard') and quickly verified that a muscular imbalance I know I have can result in exactly my symptoms, particularly when you're caving your knees while running (for those curious: hyperlordosis and psoas tightness). Which is definitely not the answer I wanted, since I've been enjoying running. But I think I need to cut my pace substantially, so I'm barely jogging, and really check my knees tracking. Ughhhhh.

Well Respected Man

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Re: Strength & Fitness 2017
« Reply #449 on: February 18, 2017, 09:23:26 PM »
On my first weigh-in back from my business trip, I found I had "gained" 7 pounds. No problem, my graph shows many of these temporary spikes, and they remain spikes if I am concentrating on fitness. I got in 4 workouts during the trip, including 2 in-room body weight workouts. Thanks to user 2300, who was also on a business trip, and mentioned Any workout is better than no workout!. That helped me get out of the oh-so-comfy king-sized bed with 4 king-sized pillows on the last day. Boom: pushups, sit-ups, dips, incline pushups, and a few stretches. Count it.

My second weigh-in finds that I have now "lost" 3.6 pounds, so I'm on my way.

Seeing monster's success, I will set some lifting goals for 2017: 1.5xBW deadlift (1x5x235), 1.0xBW squat (3x5x155), 0.8xBW bench press (3x5x125). I should be able to smoke these, but I'm taking it very slowly, because I want to avoid injuries. Once the snow melts, I may add a power clean goal, because I can drop the weights on the ground.