OneMore's Training Log

[rpaulson7]

I had the same issue with grip on the deadlift, and I got a few recommendations to use a mixed grip (assuming you're not already). Turn one hand 180 degrees so it faces outward. You should be able to lift more. I was watching a guy at the gym a day or two after that recommendation, and he was using mixed grip as well.

I dropped a lot of weight on Deads when I started the program, so grip isn't an issue for me right now, but it will be when I get back up there in 6 weeks or so.

Nice progress!

[lifthard]

As rpaulson said, just switch to a mixed grip. Your grip will improve in time to lift more using a standard grip.

[XCouchPotato]

Hi OneMore:

Congradulations on your OHP and on your Squat - 130lbs I'm impressed!

What type of grip are you using for the Deadlift? Over-under? If not, try using that.

[OneMore]

Thanks everyone! I've been lifting with both hands knuckles out so far. I'll try the mixed grip and see if that helps me hold onto the bar.

[OneMore]

Oh I forgot to ask; Does it matter which hand you turn out? Should it be your stronger or weaker hand, or does that not matter?

[Barry06GT]

Oh I forgot to ask; Does it matter which hand you turn out? Should it be your stronger or weaker hand, or does that not matter?

I asked the same question a bit back, and the answers were which ever hand feels best to you. When I spot my wife on bench press, I use a mixed grip (reccomended in Rippetoe's bench press video on how to spot) and I am right-dominate, and I grab the bar, left palm facing up, without thinking about it.

By the way, when ever Bernice or I used the mixed grip on deadlift, we both tended to twist the bar, so watch out for that. I do not know how to "fix" this.

Good luck, and lift strong!
.

[OneMore]

Week 10 Progress:
I had a big workshop this weekend that interrupted getting all three workouts in this week. But it was still exercise, and I plan on getting a head start on week 11 today.

August 23, 2009- 4 hours belly dance workshop. So sore after this.

August 24, 2009 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 squats with empty bar
Squat:
130lbs - 5x5 Reps
The first 3 sets went quickly, but the last two sets were much slower, and my last rep was extremely slow.
Bench Press:
80lbs - 5x5 Reps
About ready to add another 5lbs here.
Inverted Row:
Reps: 15, 15, 15
I'm going to stick with 15 until these get easier. Still working with bent knees.
Push-ups:
Reps: 14, 14, 14
Tried to get better form on those last few push-ups.
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With 8lb dumbbell.
Cardio:
Went for a 3.5 mile run with the dogs.
Stretching:
5 minutes

August, 25, 2009- One hour belly dance class

August, 26, 2009 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
130lbs - 5x5 Reps
My legs were incredibly sore today. I had a sloppy last set.
Overhead Press:
70lbs - Reps 5, 5, 5, 4, 4
I tweaked my form after watching a Rippletoe video and brought my arms in closer together. (My arms had been closer to my bench press position over the shoulders and not over the chest.) The first three sets felt pretty easy, but then the 4th and 5th set were suddenly difficult. I think it's probably a good idea to deload on schedule at this point, especially with using a different form.
Deadlifts:
130lbs - Reps: 5
I tried using the switched hand grip. I definitely had more strength in my grip, but I was concentrating on that so much that my form wasn't the best. The leg soreness didn't help either, but I think the bad form was from not focusing more than anything else.
---------------------
I had to split up my workout again because I stayed late at work and then I had to run around afterward

August, 27, 2009 - Workout B (cont.)
Hanging Chin-ups:
11 seconds, 6 seconds, 5 seconds, 3 seconds
These are SO much more comfortable on the doorway pull-up bar at home. Jumping up on the assisted pull-down machine at the gym is just incredibly awkward. I'm still not at a pull-up (or a proper decending pull up), but I'm still happy with my progress so far. I actually had a dream the other night that I was able to do a full chin-up, haha!
Prone Bridges:
Left leg raised: 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds
Right leg raised: 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds
Misc:
I did an extra 15 minute upper arm/shoulder routine that I had been doing before stronglifts, mainly because I wanted to make this a full workout and not just a 15 minute sprint.
Cardio:
Threw in about 10 minutes on the elliptical.
Stretching:
5 minutes

August 28, 2009- Day off. Couldn't make it to the gym over lunch and then I had to rush around after work.

Overview:
*I missed one of my stronglifts workouts but I managed to work out every day except Friday.
*I'm not too happy about deloading on the OHP, but hopefully it will help me get past 70lbs when I get to it again.
*I had incredibly sore leg muscles on the 25th that lasted a couple of days. I tried using a tennis ball to work out trigger points (first time trying this) and it kind of worked, but I broke the tennis ball before I could do much with it.
*I went out and bought some whey protein, and it seemed to be exactly what I needed for my leg soreness. My legs were totally fine the next day after taking whey and going to bed early.
*When I started this program, I had finally lost an incredibly stubborn 5 lbs. I started eating less over the past couple of weeks and slowly regained those 5 lbs. Even though I'm trying to lose weight, I can see the weight gain and soreness is from not eating enough (of the right stuff) through the day. The two days that I started taking whey protein, I saw a noticeable difference in how I felt (more energy, less bloated, WAY less sore). I'll keep this up and see if it continues to help me, or if the added calories just end up "stalling" my weight loss.
*When I make a bicep muscle now, it looks like I have two collarbones. I've never had chest muscles before, it's a miracle!

[XCouchPotato]

Hi OneMore:

Wow! You broke a tennis ball - now that takes strength! Way to go.

Congrats on those chest muscles. It's really nice to see results.

[OneMore]

XCouchPotato - It was a really old tennis ball, haha. I'll have to try using a fresh one that hasn't spent a little too much time outside next time.

[OneMore]

Week 11 Progress:

August 29, 2009- Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 squats with empty bar
5x10 shoulder dislocations
Squat:
130lbs - 5x5 Reps
My hips kept swinging out to one side on this. I think it's because I have a crooked spine that happens to be the worst down by my hips so I'm automatically compensating for that. I'm trying to keep an eye on that now.
Bench Press:
85lbs - 5x5 Reps
The first two sets were easy, the last three were hard.
Inverted Row:
Reps: 15, 15, 15
Still doing these with bent knees.
Push-ups:
Reps: 14, 14, 14
Just repeated last week's numbers
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With 8lb dumbbell.
Cardio:
15 minutes on the treadmill
Stretching:
5 minutes

August, 30, 2009- One hour belly dance class

August, 31, 2009 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
130lbs - 5x5 Reps
Continued keeping an eye on my hip swing; it's getting a little better.
Overhead Press:
60lbs - Reps 5, 5, 5, 5, 6
Using the narrower grip. I lost count on the last set and realized I did 6 reps.
Deadlifts:
130lbs - Reps: 5
I kind of messed up on these a little. Still getting used to the alternating grip.
Hanging Chin-ups:
10 seconds, 5 seconds, 3 seconds, 2 seconds
A little worse this time around, but not too far off. I think I'm actually just counting more accurately.
Prone Bridges:
Left leg raised: 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds
Right leg raised: 30 seconds, 30 seconds, 30 seconds
Stretching:
Skipped

September, 1, 2009 - 1 hour belly dance class

September, 2, 2009 - Day off

September, 3, 2009 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 squats with empty bar
Squat:
130lbs - 5x5 Reps
Bench Press:
85lbs - 5x5 Reps
Inverted Row:
Reps: 15, 15, 15
Still doing these with bent knees.
Push-ups:
Reps: 15, 15, 15
Went for one more each set.
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
Tried a couple of these without any weights with my hands locked behind my head.

September, 4, 2009 - I don't remember what I did this day but I worked out for 404 calories in an hour, so it was probably some light weights and a little bit of cardio.

Overview:
*I took one day off this week. Not too bad.
*I noticed a huge hip swing to my left on my squats which I was trying really hard to correct. It is getting a bit better now that I'm concentrating on not doing that anymore.
*Deloading on my overhead press is helping out as well. It's not straining me too much to lift the weight so I can concentrate on making my form better.

September 5th-11th - Took a week off.
I normally take a recovery week a couple times a year to push through plateaus and to deal with everything non-workout related that's been piling up on my plate.

I'm about halfway through my week 12 workouts and it is so tough getting back into things....

[OneMore]

Still have one more day to go for my "week" but I've already done the stronglifts workouts...

Week 12 Progress:
I took last week off so this is my first week returning from my break.

September, 12, 2009 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
130lbs - Reps 5x5
Wow, I was really out of breath after 3 reps
Overhead Press:
65lbs - Reps 5x5
This seemed doable. I was excited to get to 70 again on the next workout.
Deadlifts:
130lbs - Reps 5
This...was bad. I had really sloppy form.
Hanging Chin-Ups:
6s, 6s, 6s, 5 seconds
Prone Bridges:
Left: 30s, 30s, 30 seconds
Right: 30s, 30s, 30 seconds

September, 13, 2009 - Day off, was having issues with allergies today causing me to cough up lovely stuff.

September, 14,2009 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
120lbs - Reps 5x5
Deloaded because I was really tired. My left leg was slacking a lot and not able to keep up with my right leg at all. I think my left leg might have been more worn out from correcting the hip-swing on my squats.
Bench Press:
85lbs - Reps 5x5
Someone came over and gave me a couple of tips on my grip.
Inverted Row:
Reps 5, 5, 4
My first time doing these with straight legs! I used the smith machine bar since the power rack was taken (at least it's good for something). There's really a HUGE difference between these and the bent leg version!
Push-ups:
Reps 15, 15, 15
I must have the loudest, creakiest elbows in the world.
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
I tried a couple of these with my arms down at my sides for balance. Then went back to holding onto the 8lb dumbbell.

September, 15, 2009 - 1 hour belly dance class

September, 16, 2009 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Okay, these felt really tough with just the bar. My legs were not working today!!!
Squat:
115lbs - Reps 5
I had really bad form on these and couldn't help but to use my back to lower myself instead of my legs. I stopped after one set because I didn't want to injure myself. Can't argue with a muscle that isn't working.
Overhead Press:
70lbs - Reps 4, 3, 3, 2, 2
My 70lb nemesis... I had to do the first two OHP sets at the bench press station because the rack was taken. I basically sat at the bench and then stood up with the bar and sat back down to put the bar back down. I really don't know why I couldn't get a single 5 rep set, because my arms weren't really sore, and I was able to get a couple of 70lb 5rep sets before I deloaded. Going to count this off as a bad workout day.
Deadlifts:
XX
After the squatting problems, I didn't even bother with the deadlifts for safety reasons.
Hanging Chin-ups:
7s, 5s, 5s, 5 seconds
This seems to be about even with how I did with my last workout.
Prone Bridges:
Left: 30s, 30s, 30 seconds
Right: 30s, 30s, 30 seconds
Cardio:
3.5 mile outdoor run with the dogs.
My legs weren't working for me at all earlier in the day so I wanted to see if they were actually sore at all. If they were I wouldn't have been able to run for such a long time and I even threw in a couple bursts of sprinting. No issues here, I wonder what was going on...
Stretching:
About 20 minutes trying out some trigger point/foam roller work. That thing is pure evil!

September, 17, 2009 - Day off, Figured I would give my legs a rest. I also did a little more foam roller work and I am still of the opinion that That Thing is pure evil!

September, 18, 2009 - I don't know yet. This is most likely going to be another day off.


Overview
*This was a tough week!!!
*The moment I eat any bread, it goes straight to my gut. The day I don't have any bread, it's come completely off. I'm surprised at how quickly this happens.
*I finally went through my first 2lb bottle of protein powder. I've been keeping two bottles (one at the house and one at work), and between the Optimum Nutrition brand and Dymatize, I think I like the Dymatize better. It mixes slightly faster, tastes slightly better, and the local shop carries more flavors of it. So far I'm loving this stuff. I have a lot more energy, my muscles aren't getting sore as often, and it's easier than carrying "meat" around with me all day.
*I've got one more week before I go out of town for the following week. I'm hoping I have a good workout week before I take off.
*My husband said my abs were showing. I actually still have quite a ways to go, but this program *is* working for me and I am definitely getting noticeable results. Yay!

Questions
*Does it ever make sense to do a large deload on a particular exercise and build back up mid-program? I haven't hit 1xBW yet, but I recently made a fairly large adjustment to my form on the squats (I was favoring one side over the other, so now I'm working both sides evenly) and I'm starting to think that my weaker side isn't able to handle the weight I'm currently using.
I'm going to give it a couple more tries but I don't want to end up injuring myself in a way that keeps me from working out, and I want to make sure I don't go back to favoring one side over the other.

[XCouchPotato]

*Does it ever make sense to do a large deload on a particular exercise and build back up mid-program? I haven't hit 1xBW yet, but I recently made a fairly large adjustment to my form on the squats (I was favoring one side over the other, so now I'm working both sides evenly) and I'm starting to think that my weaker side isn't able to handle the weight I'm currently using.
I'm going to give it a couple more tries but I don't want to end up injuring myself in a way that keeps me from working out, and I want to make sure I don't go back to favoring one side over the other.

Yes, if you have made a significant change in your form, I would deload. I did that with Deadlifts when I went from using the platform where the bar was almost at knee level and the Squat rack where the bar is slightly higher than 45lb plates on the floor. I would never have been able to start out in the squat rack at 100lbs, the form was so different. Even minor adjustments in form can make significant differences in how your body handles the weight.

[OneMore]

Okay, here goes my 3 week update. I don't have my dates noted so I've got just "day 1", etc instead.

Week 13 Progress:

Day 1 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
10 minutes on the treadmill
Squat:
100lbs - Reps 5x5
I deloaded to make changes in my form. Instead of just going far enough that my thighs are parallel to the foor, I'm now going all the way down and "sitting" on my lower legs. Overall it feels much better to deload and I like the improved range as well. My hips swinging to the left came back when I started to get tired.
Bench Press:
85lbs - Reps 5x5
The last bench press set was tough.
Inverted Row:
Reps 6, 6, 6
These are still tough. I'm not making progress as fast as when I was doing the bent knee variety but I'll stick with these.
Push-ups:
Reps 16, 13, 12
Tough to do after inverted rows and the bench press...
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With an 8lb weight

Day 2 - 1 hour belly dance class

Day 3 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
105lbs - Reps 5x5
Legs weren't into it today. By the 4th set I wasn't holding very good form at all. I think it might have something to do with changing how deep I'm squatting now, so I'm just hoping it will catch up soon.
Overhead Press:
70lbs - Reps 5x5
I was quite satisfied with these.
Deadlifts:
105lbs - Reps 5
These were really sloppy and I was a bit rushed doing them.
Hanging Chin-ups:
Seconds - 10, 7, 6, 7
Prone Bridges (with leg raised):
Left: 30s, 30s, 30s
Right: 30s, 30s, 30s
These suddenly became tough again.

Day 4 - 1 hour belly dance class

Day 5 - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
105lbs - Reps 5x5
My legs were still sore. Stopping at the bottom for a moment is easier than trying to go back up right away.
Bench Press:
85lbs - Reps 5x5
These are getting easier so it's about time to move the weight up again.
Inverted Row:
Reps 6, 6, 5
Couldn't get the last one.
Push-ups:
Reps 15, 13, 13
Arms were dead tired.
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With an 8 lb weight.


Took a week off - out of town!


Week 14 Progress:

Oct 3rd, 2009 - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
105lbs - Reps 5x5
Having a week off really helped. I'm doing these down to the floor and my form held up pretty well.
Overhead Press:
70lbs - Reps 5x5
About ready to bump this one up again too.
Deadlifts:
105lbs - Reps
For some reason, I managed to have my hip swing out to the left on these.
Hanging Chin-ups:
Seconds 9, 8, 6, 5
Not stoked about these, but they weren't too bad.
Prone Bridges (with leg raised):
Left: 30s, 30s, 30s
Right: 30s, 30s, 30s
These are tough again.

Oct 4th - 1 hour belly dance class

Oct 5th - Workout A
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
105lbs - Reps 5x5
My squats were slow today.
Bench Press:
85lbs - Reps 5x5
Now that I know these are still fairly easy after the break, it's time to move up to 90 on the next one.
Inverted Row:
Reps 5, 5, 5
It felt like I actually couldn't reach the top too well. The first 3/4ths of the way up were easy...
Push-ups:
Reps 15, 15, 15
Reverse Crunch:
Reps 15, 15, 15
With an 8lb weight

Oct 6th, 1 hour belly dance class

Oct 7th - Workout B
Warm Up:
3x5 bar squats
Squat:
105lbs - Reps 5x5
Squats were difficult today.
Overhead Press:
75lbs - Reps 5x5
I was shocked that I hit 5x5 on my first attempt at this weight. I think I hurt my neck a little bringing the last rep down, but...wow!
Deadlifts:
105lbs - Reps 5
Hanging Chin-ups:
Seconds 10, 8, 5, 5
Prone Bridges (with leg raised):
Left: 30s, 30s, 30s
Right: 30s, 30s, 30s

Oct 8th - 10th, Day Off

Overall:
*The amount of cardio I'm doing has dropped off dramatically. I'm starting to put fat-weight back on again (slowly), so I'm going to try to figure out when I can get some more cardio into my routine... Without it I'm averaging 1k calories less (burned) per week.
*I was extremely surprised in hitting 5x5 on my 75lb overhead press. This was the weight that I had strugged with before deloading and I hit it on the first try.
*I've also dropped some of my protein intake... Need to watch this coming up as well.

[Barry06GT]

.
Congratulations on the 75 pound overhead presses! That is some serious weight.

If you want to add some cardio into your routine, why not try the BEAR complex? There are a few women as well as men doing them on this list, and they sound like fun; a mix of cardio on explosive weight lifting. You are plenty strong enough to attempt this somewhat advanced combo barbell movement.
.

[OneMore]

Hi Barry!

I wouldn't even know where to start with the Bear, haha. Is that a 5x7 routine? I had tried doing burpees (forgot the push-up part, just did jump-squats into planks) and that was pretty brutal at 10x9. That was a while ago though so I might try the bear out on Friday.

I already hog the power rack when I hit the gym, so do you think it would make a difference in the bear if I used a fixed weight barbell instead of an olympic bar? I'm pretty sure my gym probably carries a 45lb one, and I'd be less likely to accidentally hit someone walking by with the shorter bar.

Thanks again!