@Chris_Wright Wow, thank you so much for the tips. I downloaded the 5x5 app prior to your post, but wasn’t sure if it would be worth using or not right away. I also love a good old spreadsheet. I am out with a cold today so did more reading on that Stronglifts site about the various “old” workouts leading up to his. Very interesting stuff.
What an amazing workout room, and the same @DameLisa.
Oh, excellent! That will keep me going until I have spotter arms/squat rack setup. I’m looking at a rack with a pullup rack integrated. Back when I did bodyweight exercises regularly I found pullups were the most beneficial, and none of the doorways in my current house work with my doorway rack. So I can tick a few boxes at once there (so long as the rack will squish between ceiling and floor).
Dame Lisa, it’s far lighter haha. I got the scale out to check what I have for equipment. Well, my barbell is a 17 pounds! I also have a ten pound curl bar, 2 dumbbells and random assorted weights.
My legs are about half my height (168 cm tall and an 81 cm pant inseam). That’s my only frame of reference…I have always found squats (bodyweight only) quite challenging. It never occurred to me long-leggedness could be why. Thanks!
I will put these pointers to good use as I get myself going. Thanks for the priceless advice!
@Isa I’ve used StrongLifts for the last 13 months. I don’t agree with everything Mehdi says but the background and program are solid. It is also easy to use with minimal equipment. There aren’t a lot of different lifts, so it is good for beginning lifters. I used the free app for a couple of weeks then upgraded to the Pro using a link off his site (less expensive than the app store). It is ‘lifetime’ so no recurring fees like a lot of programs. As you said, there are also free spreadsheets if that is your preference.
My weight training setup is about 20 years of accumulation of different pieces of equipment. I don’t expect to ever need to replace any of it from normal wear and tear. I did update from a squat stand to the half rack to be able to have the spotter arms and the pullup bar. I also have a dip attachment on the backside. But you have to start somewhere…the important part is to start!
@DameLisa My go to for lower back is 45 degree back extensions. Planks, side planks, good mornings, kettlebell swings are also good to help with building the stablizer muscles. Doing dumbbell or double kettlebell overhead presses are also good as they engage the back muscles (and the weight is lower). As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have a good quality lifting belt that I wear doing OHPs to help remind me to engage my core.
One thing I try to avoid ever doing when weight lifting or strength training is going to failure. I think Pavel Tsatsouline (of kettlebell fame) compared it to ‘don’t get a sunburn, develop a tan’.
The biggest challenge I have is maintaining mileage and intensity riding and wanting to lift. I did a 50 mile ride today and have my “C” workout (that I have procrastinated on for two days) on the schedule. Some weeks I feel so tired I drop to 2 workouts vs the three that I try to do.
My torso is super short. My inseam is SOOOOOO long.
Sounds like you have 7 foot standard bar. Thats just fine. Mine is an olympic. A light bar is just fine and far more versatile. Youll see from my photo I have both a 6 foot standard bar and a 15kg olympic. Saves me removing weights and moving the bar down (lazy)
One technique I have started to use when squatting is putting an exercise step or bench behind me to use as a reference. I mentally concentrate on the mid foot as my balance point while dropping my butt to touch the top of the step or bench. Often I start with my calves just barely touching the step/bench and notice when they start to move forward. These are all cues to help me to keep from going to far forward or feeling like I’m losing my balance to the rear.
Another great movement is goblet squats with kettlebells or dumbbells. The forward center of gravity of those help keep the body more upright. I know with barbell squats, especially as they get heavy, I tend to bend more at the hips.
I second a lot of this but in particular the point about not going to failure. I started making progress in the gym again after 10 years this past year, and I think a big reason was not taking every set to failure anymore.
I think there’s two major reasons not to go all the way to failure, one is repair and adaptation are not the same thing, and your body for obv adaptive reasons prioritizes repair. So doing too much is actively counterproductive.
Two, there is a limited number of sets per muscle group, and larger (but still finite) number of sets total, that you can do in a session and still be effective before voluntary activation reduces to where it’s not helping anymore, and going to failure makes that point come sooner.
Going to failure is more like full frontal. Do it sparingly to test where you’re at abd push through mental barriers, not regularly.