Giraffe Tries to Stronglift!

GiraffePencils · 22 Mar 2017 at 14:40

Hey all,

So, due to time constraints I'm changing my exercise routine.
I've stopped Calisthenics and I'm starting Stronglifts 5x5

I had to sign up to a new gym, which is pretty nice, got a good showing round and had the PT go over my squats for around half an hour, giving me tips/stretches/exercises to work on while I build up the weight.

I've now done 2 sessions, the empty bar and the first increment.

I have to get to the gym for 6:30 to do this

And I'm doing ....... alright haha

Hopefully this continues well

GiraffePencils · 22 Mar 2017 at 14:42

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 22.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 20Kg

DL: 1x5 40Kg

Chin ups: 3x10 BW

GiraffePencils · 23 Mar 2017 at 09:28

MoNkeE said:
Horrah for real lifting! Best of luck and feel free to post videos of form for feedback.

haha,
I will do, I've already had someone watching and pointed out a couple of things:

Hips coming forwards at the bottom of the squat
rolling my feet inwards letting my knee come in.

I'm really new to squatting with a bar and still trying to find my feet (and where to put them)

wozza2k said:
Why the switch up? You can probably fit in the calisthenics at a lower intensity as assessory work anyway.

The switch up was mainly due to time, I was adding reps to the workout and it just started taking too long.
So I started hanging weights off myself for lower reps, to get a good engagement, but it felt like I had reached what I could do with the Calisthenics with my time scale.
Also......I wanted to lift some weights

GiraffePencils · 24 Mar 2017 at 10:27

Friday

SQ: 5x5 25Kg

BP: 5x5 22.4Kg

ROW: 5x5 32.5Kg

Dips: 3x5 BW

Now arguably I've benched 80 before, so this is a bit light, but I'm not sure how to approach the plan so I was just sticking with what it said.

I also did a video of my Squats, Youtube didn't like the sound for one part, and tbh I think people would be best muting it

I video'd my first set of 5, and my last set of 5. Just to see whether the form degraded, or was always bad.

Any and all advice welcome:

GiraffePencils · 27 Mar 2017 at 11:32

Monday

SQ: 5x5 27.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 22.5Kg

DL: 1x5 45Kg

Dips: 3x10 BW

I recorded again,
Even a back view

But I don't think it's worth posting, It's terrible haha
It's obvious to me what's going wrong, feet are rolling in, left knee drifting in.
Blegh........

I tried keeping my depth just below parallel, hard to judge but practice.
One of the PT's at the gym said i should try imagining I'm pushing my feet outwards.....

I'm going to try some stuff with an empty bar at the gym at lunch, see if I can work it out.

GiraffePencils · 27 Mar 2017 at 11:52

Kris_90 said:
Squat form can take ages to get right. I had similar problems in that I was squatting too low for my flexibility and ended up injuring my hip flexor a few fair times. This what has worked for me:

- Do box squats to get used to going to parallel
- Widen your stance slightly
- Get your glutes firing before you start squatting (I do some light RDLs first) - this was the most important step for me, my squats feel night and day different when I can get my glutes working.
- Learn to brace properly

Good luck

I've been practicing the bracing exercises from video's shared in the gymrats thread.
Trying to do them a couple times every day.

I feel I'm not properly engaging my glutes, so I'll try some RDL's first.

GiraffePencils · 27 Mar 2017 at 16:57

So, spent a fair amount of time playing with my foot position, practicing the bracing etc
With an empty bar.
Seems like I managed to get my squat deep enough with a better back, we'll see how it is when I've got weight haha.

also at times it felt like my feet were more than 'slightly' turned out...... dunno how much that might matter, but I'll try and get a view of it next squats (Wed)

GiraffePencils · 29 Mar 2017 at 09:28

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 30Kg

BP: 5x5 25Kg

ROW: 5x5 35Kg

Pull ups: 10-7-6 BW

Pull ups were abysmal, tired? un-enthused?
meh.

Squat's still bad. I'm not sure if I might have my feet too turned out?
also I'm drifting the bar forwards, rather than the bar going straight up and down.
Needs work.....

It's embarrassing haha

GiraffePencils · 31 Mar 2017 at 10:24

Friday

SQ: 5x5 32.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 25Kg

DL: 1x5 50Kg

Dips: 3x10 BW (need to add weight next time)

I feel my squats went better this time, maybe I lost it towards the end, but I think I'm moving it the right direction.

Still going a bit deep.......

GiraffePencils · 1 Apr 2017 at 19:38

MoNkeE said:
3 sets of deadlifts pls.

That's not the stronglifts plan

While it feels a bit easy to do one set, it's also the heaviest weight. I'm new to lifting, so I'm going to keep to plan till it stops working or I finish the 6 months

GiraffePencils · 3 Apr 2017 at 10:49

Monday

SQ: 5x5 35Kg

BP: 5x5 50Kg

ROW: 5x5 37.5Kg

Dips: 3x10 BW+1.25Kg

Now SL says I should do 3x5 dips with weights.....but like....I could do more so did?
weights now go up every workout, so I might find myself dropping to the 3x5 sets.

Today's video:

Observations; need to remember to 'push the floor outwards' to help me keep from rolling in. I feel it's getting better, but we're not there yet.
Going to do some drills with a lighter DB at lunch today, try and keep my form.

GiraffePencils · 5 Apr 2017 at 10:19

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 37.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 27.5Kg

DL: 3x5 55Kg (Blame MoNkeE for the extra sets)

Chin up: 2x10 1x6 BW (I blame MoNkeE for tiring me with extra sets

)

Today's video:
First, second and last sets.

Observations are I think my bracing goes towards the end of the sets,
I think I should take a moment at the top of each squat to re-assess everything, make certain I'm set.

GiraffePencils · 7 Apr 2017 at 21:40

Friday
I'm on holiday, so this is the best I could do.

SQ: 5x5 40kgs

BP: 5x5 55kg (this was dumbells, closest they had)

ROW: 5x5 40kg

Dips: 3x10 BW+3kg

GiraffePencils · 10 Apr 2017 at 10:57

Monday

SQ: 5x5 42.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 30Kg

DL: 3x5 60Kg

Dip: 3x5 BW+5Kg

OHP is starting to get hard, I can feel my arms tiring towards the end of the sets.
No video today, person in the rack next to me didn't want to appear in the shot, fair enough.

GSVBagpuss said:
27.5kg dumbbell bench is strong!!

Thanks

Not even my best with the dumbells

but I never used to do 5x5 reps, so it's my best for that rep range

GiraffePencils · 12 Apr 2017 at 10:16

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 45Kg

BP: 5x5 57.5Kg

ROW: 5x5 42.5Kg

Chin Up: 2x10 1x3 BW (Not sure about these, I used to do chin ups a'plenty in my other workout, I reckon I'm just tired out)

Videos:
Squat, bit dodgy with the left knee I reckon, I feel it's going well:

Row,
Video'd it because I'm getting concerned that I've never looked at my other exercise's forms.

Any advice welcome.

GiraffePencils · 14 Apr 2017 at 17:13

Friday

SQ: 5x5 47. 5kg

OHP: 5x5 32.5kg

DL: 3x5 65kg (wasn't feeling today to be honest)

Dips: 3x5 BW + 6kg

Today wasn't feeling great, felt pretty tiered.

GiraffePencils · 19 Apr 2017 at 11:30

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 50Kg

BP: 5x5 60Kg

ROW: 5x5 45Kg

Dips: 4x5 7.25kg + BW (The plan has 3x5, thought I'd do another as I had a bit of time)

No vids, busy gym

Squat's feeling heavy each time. weight's catching up with me

GiraffePencils · 21 Apr 2017 at 10:48

Friday

SQ: 5x5 52.25Kg

OHP: 5x5 35Kg

DL: 3x5 70Kg

Chin-Up: 10-6-5 BW (I don't know what's going on with my chin ups ....)

So, Videos. My phone was in someone's way at the start so that's what that is.

Deadlift.....Last set, man 70 feels heavy, I don't know if I'm getting this right as at this weight I'm trying my best to think while lifting......but it's hard haha

GiraffePencils · 24 Apr 2017 at 10:40

GSVBagpuss said:
I'm absolutely no expert but the deads look ok. I like to hip hinge and then grab the bar rather than bar first but you get into a decent position for the first rep. Keep thinking hips down but your hips and shoulders move at the same time which is usually a good cue.

Thanks,
I'm always concerned about my Deads after the Squat, don't wanna get hurt.

Monday

SQ: 5x5 55Kg

BP: 5x5 62.5Kg

ROW: 5x5 47.5Kg

DIPS: 3x5 BW + 10Kg

No Video, Squat racks were all taken. So I had to use one of those free standing stands? dunno their name.
Was pretty ****** coz when I came through to the main room to do bench, a guys stuff was still at a rack and he was no where to be seen. After a couple of sets on the bench guy appears, only to pick up his stuff.... .re-rack the weights and bog off......
ffs....

GiraffePencils · 26 Apr 2017 at 10:23

Wednesday

SQ: 5x5 57.5Kg

OHP: 5x5 37.5Kg

DL: 3x5 75Kg (first >BW lift! also, first one that SL asks for a DL warmup, so I'd done 5 @ 60Kg before)

ChinUps: 10-7-6 BW Going up......not perfect

Videos:

Right leg's a bit iffy..... need to get focused on 'pushing out' and getting knees in the right place.