The Winter Bulk of a Newbie Lifter

I only have access to a gym Monday-Thursday. That's why I'm not doing starting strength. Would changing it to squats one day deadlifts the next be better? I figured out what was wrong with my DL form, my timing for moving hips and knees were off.

Form is fine now, I just don't understand where the problem is if I was able to do the workout and I feel fine the day after. I think the workout is fine especially considering I have 3/4 days rest between each workout.

I dunno, maybe you are all right, but if I was able to do the workout on only two days rest why would I not be able to do it on more rest. Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

generic2012 wrote: »

I back squat Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Back squat and Deadlift Tuesday, Thursday and most Saturdays. If you are recovering (ie adding weight every workout while maintaining GOOD form) keep it up. Beginners can do ridiculous stuff and progress. If you're doing something and it works it doesn't matter if 1 or 1,000 people tell you it wont work.

The goal is to get stronger and not get injured. That means adding weight and maintaining form. How you do that is moot.

The advice on the deadlift is going to sound facetious but anyway, just do the first have of the rep in reverse. Really think about how you do the deadlift. It's different depending on someone's starting hip position, but think of how you're moving an do it in reverse. I imagine you're bending your knees too soon after breaking at the hips on the way down.

Thanks for this. I think I'll keep going the way I am for as long as i can, as you said beginners make crazy progress.

About the deadlift advice, that's the way I've started thinking about it. At the time I couldn't understand how I was coming up perfectly then the way back down was the problem. I've been practising just with a bar since then and seem to have fixed the issue.

Just on the split routines some mentioned, I think for my goals (strength and size for sport, I forgot to mention this) full body routines make more sense. I guess I'll see Monday if I'm making progress.

Just a quick update, I've decided pull ups alone aren't really enough for upper back. So I've decided I'm going to do some dumbbell bent over rows. I would go for barbell rows but I'm not sure my form (back specifically) could hold up with all the lower back work already in the workout. I've also decided lateral raises should be thrown in as well. All of these combined with what I already have means all shoulder muscles are covered, which is vital for injury prevention. If I was to get a shoulder injury all of this would be pretty much pointless :pac:

Forgot to post a weigh in, currently at 67.5kg. Up 2.5 from 2 weeks ago.

Happy with progress so far, going to try add a bit more too the deadlift as I'm gonna change up the way I do them. I have hit 100kg in the past untrianed (happened to be in the gym after training and a friend challenged me - silly I know) so I feel there's no need to progress as slowly with them as I am. If I was on starting strength I'd be adding more, so I might as well. No more matches or anything until spring so it's all lifting between now and then, honestly can't wait to see the progress I can make

I'm thinking of doing a week of high reps next week for deadlifts and squats. I am progressing pretty fast and hope to do 90kg/70kg tomorrow, however I worry I'm progressing a bit too fast. Slightly worried I'll end up getting a hernia or something if I keep pushing the maxes with these every week. So I think a week to do maybe 10 reps at 20kg less for each would be beneficial to form and injury prevention.

Anybody have any opinion on this, it would be greatly appreciated

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Are you following a particular programme?

Think of it like this - if you're doing something like Starting Strength or Stronglifts as a relative beginner, there will come a point where you're hitting maxes every week. The progression is continuous until the point comes where you start to stall.

Keep the progression sensible and you'll be fine. Especially considering - as far as I can tell - that you're jumping into uncharted territory as regards doing them at a weight you haven't done before.

I'm basing it off SS but doing a twice weekly full body programme. I know its not ideal but I'm making decent progress. I haven't started to stall yet, so I suppose I might just continue the way I'm going.

Decided I'm gonna throw in some weighted dips as an assistance exercise to bench. Also because I've been reading they're great for shoulder health. Also because my triceps are actually the only muscle in my body that seem to not get hit by the workout, which surprises me considering I'm benching, but anyway. It'll probably just be a set at the end of the workout, don't want it messing with presses or anything.

I've been thinking about changing from DB rows to barbell. But the whole dumbbell row thing, although a pain in the ass, is progressing pretty fast. So I'll stick with it to 40kg dumbbells at least, at which point I'm not sure if I'll be able to carry the dumbbells anymore

Would a narrower grip not also lead to chest being worked less?

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Take bench and close grip bench as two separate exercises and think of the close grip as a supplementary lift for the benching.

Chest isn't primary focus of close grip - triceps are - but the chest is still worked

I'm doing a bit of reading up on both close grip bench and weighted dips, and the general consensus seems to be that the dips would be slightly better.

Does it really matter which I choose?

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Dips will hit the triceps more completely but there is probably a slightly better carry over to bench from close grip.

Answer: switch from time to time

Good plan. Not really focusing on increasing bench stats but rather looking to find what's best for overall strength

Current weight: 68.1 kg (+0.7kg)

Today wasn't great, felt fatigued going in and had a lot going on in my mind other than the gym. Also didn't eat enough this week. I think these reasons are why I missed some targets.

Bench:
1x5x70kg
2x8x60kg

Squat:
3x5x80kg

Pull ups:
3x5 w/15kg

DB Shoulder press:
2x5x17.5kg each side
1x5x15kg each side

DB bent over rows:
3x5x37.5kg

Deadlift:
1x5x80kg

I tried 100kg for the deadlift but my whole body just felt so fatigued my legs felt like they were about to give out. First time I've felt like this. Progressed in the squat and pull up but that's about it.

Hopefully Monday I'll be back to usual. I have a slight feeling today's poor performance is mostly because of not eating enough over the last few days, which may also mean I won't put on much weight this week, only time will tell.

Well I've come down with a flu unfortunately. No strength or appetite, constant fatigue, etc. Nothing much I can do. Going to miss two workouts this week and probably lose some weight too.

Hopefully the damage done isn't too severe

Decided I'm gonna try different rep ranges for bench and squat. I'm seeing strength results but no size really. I'll try it out for the next few weeks to see how it goes. Ive decided on doing 9,10,11,12 reps for bench and 6,8,10,12 reps for squat. I've looked at various repmax calculators all using different algorithms (still don't trust them), and keeping the weight the same but increasing the reps as shown equates to roughly the same weight added each workout as currently. I'm not sure if that makes sense. Basically I hope this will allow me to keep linear strength gains while also improving size more. I'm also doing this because when progressing through weighted pull ups a long time ago, I found adding reps then add weight, repeat, gave me much better progression and size gains. I know a lot of guys would say "just stick to the 3x5 it's tried and tested", but I just have a kind of mental block towards some parts of it at the moment. I'm sure I'll go back to 3x5 in a few weeks but I just want to try this and see how it goes.

Also, I'm deloading my deadlift to 80 or so. I let my ego make me lift weights that put my back in danger for a while there, no point in that. 80/85/90 feels quite comfortable and I'm happy to work up from there, especially now that I know how to deadlift properly (finally feel it in hams)

You'd know my triceps haven't been working much lately, those few sets of weighted dips have them with serious DOMS the last two days. Hopefully there's some carry over there to bench. Might try close grip bench as suggested here tomorrow.

Also upping calories to 4k. Currently at 3.6k. The joys of the metabolism I have been gifted :pac:

I dunno what the story is, couldn't bench today what I could Monday! Here's what I did:

Bench:
1x5x60kg
1x10x50kg
1x8x55kg
1x5x60kg

Close grip bench:
1x10x40kg
1x5x50kg

Pull ups:
2x5 w/ 20kg
2x10

DB overhead press:
3x5x15kg each side

Lateral raises:
2x8x7.5kg each side

Squat:
1x8x72.5kg
1x9x72.5kg
1x12x72.5kg

DB bent over rows:
1x10x32.5kg each side
2x8x32.5kg

I was very happy with the squats, looks like it could work out well, feels like I'm working more too. I was surprised how much I could CG bench, maybe I'm already tricep dominant during bench or something. Hopefully once I eat more and rest up over the weekend bench will sort itself out. I had a slight pain in my right lat during bench. No idea why, no pain during rows or pull ups or anything. If anybody could suggest what it could be I'm all ears.

Current weight as of this morning: 68.2kg

Back up to where I was before I got the flu, hopefully can hit 70kg by the new year.