Man of Honour
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Most people make those squat mistakes, their really common. The worst I see in my gym is loading up the bar and doing 1/4 to 1/2 squats.
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Most people make those squat mistakes, their really common. The worst I see in my gym is loading up the bar and doing 1/4 to 1/2 squats.
Soldato
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I have also seen that. I think I was doing 3/4 squats.
Just be careful with the "tight hamstrings " idea because in all likelihood another explanation can be your form (starting from foot placement).
A lot of people do a lot of stretching for both adductors and hamstrings to realise very little change in their apparent butt-wink... because - in actual fact - they should have been working on their glute med strength as well as their hip mobility, because a lot of butt-wink is caused by tissue around the femur bumping into the hip socket and physically halting a deeper, non-butt-wink squat.
The workaround for this is wider foot placement (to give the hip joint more bandwidth), stronger glute med (to keep the hip joint spread) and flexible adductors. All whilst ensuring your squat descent and "hole" positioning are balanced.
If your hamstrings are pulling on your lumbar, it would suggest a number of things:
- What were your glutes doing at the time, and where were they doing at the time?
- Your core bracing is not as good as you think it is;
- You were leaning too far forward and were not balanced as a result (inevitably using your back rather than your legs)...
Came here to comment on the "tight hamstrings" being a go to fault point line of thought, @mrthingyx already has. Feet up and time for a coffee 
Talk to me about triceps cramps - couple of times lately I've had crippling cramps in my left triceps at the end of a bench set or after a high volume of push ups. I don't think its dehydration, I'm sufficiently warmed up and I do soooome stretching. Assuming the solution is to devote a third of my waking life to stretching, but any other thoughts?
Soldato
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Thanks for the advice. On your 1-3 points, I'm not sure about my glutes. The reason for going to this guy was to address my form, so with the changes he made he was happy with it so, for the most part, I can exclude that. My bracing may not be great, but I was only lifting 30 kg!! I had trouble leaning forward, so if anything I was too far back.
I'm definitely on a back to square one regression unfortunately. I just have to accept that and get on with it in the best way I can, and start small.
I just booked a sports massage, which the chap recommended, for £17 from Groupon! So we'll see how that works out too. Physio on Friday so I'll tell her about what happened and let her draw her own conclusions.
Heh - don't sweat it. Squatting is actually very simple in the grand scheme of things and it is very easy to overthink (I did and still do, but that is because I can't bench so have to think about something...).
You are doing all the right things by finding somebody who can poke and prod you because it is the best way to learn.
Man of Honour
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Funny how your strength goes up when you go back to work and add in a cooked breakfast with egg, beans, bacon and sausage, then porridge with whole milk, a dessert after a rather large lunch and then after dinner, milk, angel delight, Jaffa cakes plus protein powder all mixed in 
(not forgetting the nut bars and usual energy packed protein shake before bed)
Also myprotein’s thepreworkout plus - although I can only handle this for the heavier powerlifting evenings.
How the hell is my weight not increasing, at least not noticeably yet. I’ll get back to you on this
(not forgetting the nut bars and usual energy packed protein shake before bed)Also myprotein’s thepreworkout plus - although I can only handle this for the heavier powerlifting evenings.
How the hell is my weight not increasing, at least not noticeably yet. I’ll get back to you on this
Just wondering what programmes people follow after stronglifts? My squat has stalled and training is taking longer with me using up the full rest time so I switched to 3 x 5 for squats.
I'm starting to look towards more reps to build muscle so have started to add
Lat pulldown 3 X 8
Dumbbell or barbell bench press 3 X 8 usually lighter
Dips
Then workout B
Tricep pushdown 3 X 8
Concentration curls 3 X 8
I'm starting to look towards more reps to build muscle so have started to add
Lat pulldown 3 X 8
Dumbbell or barbell bench press 3 X 8 usually lighter
Dips
Then workout B
Tricep pushdown 3 X 8
Concentration curls 3 X 8
Just do Stronglifts but change the 5*5 to 3 sets of 10 at 75% or something...
That's 3 pretty big accessories on one day, and 2 basically isolations on the other.. maybe consider putting the lat pulldown in the workout B.
You mean for the accessory work right??
No... admittedly, 3*8 @75% is my go-to for plateaus (or was, when I actually lifted). I don't really bother with accessory work beyond a single exercise, either...
I'm not really a fan of the Stronglifts plateau suggestions, because it fuels a depressive cycle (IMHO). Part of the rationale is to also help lifters "try something new" after all that base strength work, and nothing acts like a kick up the metaphoricals than some hypertrophy work.
At the moment I feel kinda out of shape after doing stronglifts I got into the mentally that if I failed I just had to eat more as that was what I coming across online so I did , now I'm starting to cut the calories a little that's where I'm finding it hard and I'm starting to struggle to make any improvements. I'd like to start trimming the fat a little.
Are there any recommendations for a intermediate/beginners hypertrophy programme?
, now I'm starting to cut the calories a little that's where I'm finding it hard and I'm starting to struggle to make any improvements. I'd like to start trimming the fat a little.Are there any recommendations for a intermediate/beginners hypertrophy programme?
Man of Honour
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At the moment I feel kinda out of shape after doing stronglifts I got into the mentally that if I failed I just had to eat more as that was what I coming across online so I did
Are there any recommendations for a intermediate/beginners hypertrophy programme?
Every time I hit a plateau - more food needed. Every time. Problem is, I’m struggling to find those extra calories now.
Caporegime
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Last week of eating 2000 calories for me this week and the last week of sets of 10.
My strength has come back pretty quick and my weight's continued to drop but I'm really looking forward to eating more food and a week off because I feel mentally and physically exhausted now.
Doughnut power!
My strength has come back pretty quick and my weight's continued to drop but I'm really looking forward to eating more food and a week off because I feel mentally and physically exhausted now.
Doughnut power!
At the moment I feel kinda out of shape after doing stronglifts I got into the mentally that if I failed I just had to eat more as that was what I coming across online so I did
Are there any recommendations for a intermediate/beginners hypertrophy programme?
So you went for dietary gains and are surprised you made some?
Depending on your training history, a hypertrophy routine will not make any difference to your "shape" if you're eating that much.
Ironically, Stronglifts is a great hypertrophy regime for most beginner lifters...
Man of Honour
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After a little bit of advice, started on 5x5 StrongLifts over the last few months but I’m noticing that my core is very week.
Is It worth throwing in one or two core exercises or should I just carry on, keep an eye on my form and focus on bracing/utilising my core during lifts?
I was thinking of throwing in some planks and hip lifts at the end of my workouts to get some focussed training but I’ve been told by a more experienced lifter that my core will catch up as long as I keep proper form and properly brace.
Same goes for my arms too, I know these are a lot smaller so get hit hard when it comes to compound lifts. But if I have small limbs is it worth throwing it supplemental exercises it should I stick the the routine and wait for them to catch up? I can already feel my OHP stalling at a relatively low weight. Same goes for BP, my arms tire way before my chest and I’m concerned this will limit me once I get on to heavier weights. I’m currently using dumbbells rather than barbells if that makes a difference.
Is It worth throwing in one or two core exercises or should I just carry on, keep an eye on my form and focus on bracing/utilising my core during lifts?
I was thinking of throwing in some planks and hip lifts at the end of my workouts to get some focussed training but I’ve been told by a more experienced lifter that my core will catch up as long as I keep proper form and properly brace.
Same goes for my arms too, I know these are a lot smaller so get hit hard when it comes to compound lifts. But if I have small limbs is it worth throwing it supplemental exercises it should I stick the the routine and wait for them to catch up? I can already feel my OHP stalling at a relatively low weight. Same goes for BP, my arms tire way before my chest and I’m concerned this will limit me once I get on to heavier weights. I’m currently using dumbbells rather than barbells if that makes a difference.