In the slow lane

[Vale]

Thank you. The back extension is something I wasn't quite sure about. I'm slightly hypermobile and if I fully extend my back it looks odd. So I've been keeping it closer to straight. Should I be fully extending it?

[StrongLiftMyBalls]

Thank you. The back extension is something I wasn't quite sure about. I'm slightly hypermobile and if I fully extend my back it looks odd. So I've been keeping it closer to straight. Should I be fully extending it?

I dont want to give you incorrect advice here so best thing to do is ask Rip in the Q&A.

But i believe that unless you are very hypermobile you should try to fully extend. If you are then fully extending will cause the same sort of damage as not extending the back at all. Just try to reall tense the lower back muscle hard, make it flat and in your case dont arch it upwards too much.

[Vale]

I've read the deadlift section in the book again, and I think it's probably best for me to not fully extend. My back is close to 90 degrees fully extended and it's not possible to fully extend it in the deadlift position, so I'll keep it closer to 180 (straight). I got the impression that fully extending will put most people in the right position but some of us go too far!

Is 90 degrees very hypermobile? Maybe I'm more bendy than I thought. I've read that weight lifting is a good exercise if you're hypermobile.

I've upped my calories slightly and tried to eat more protein, and still lost another couple of pounds. I'm going to see how it goes. I might have to do a bit of playing around with calories. I can't get to the gym for another couple of days so I'll try to go easy on the calories the next two days, then put them up again on my next workout day.

[xcardiobunny]

I've upped my calories slightly and tried to eat more protein, and still lost another couple of pounds. I'm going to see how it goes. I might have to do a bit of playing around with calories. I can't get to the gym for another couple of days so I'll try to go easy on the calories the next two days, then put them up again on my next workout day.

For the first sentence- yay! (and not just because I was right haha). The second part sounds like a good plan too.

As far as deadlifts go, getting the form right is harder then one might expect but when you do, you really notice how much easier the bar goes up. I'm not sure what you mean by fully extending. Setting the back muscles super-hard, keeping weight back and pulling up right against the legs are the cues that have helped me. "Chest up" never helps, nor does "point your nipples at the wall in front of you" as those are physical impossibilities and result in staring at my own cleavage in the mirror and hoping others in the gym aren't doing the same thing.

It takes time to figure out which cues are most helpful.

[Vale]

Yes, thanks for your advice!

For some reason I find squats much easier than deadlifts. They "feel" right.

I'm maybe misinterpreting the meaning of fully extending the back (I'm new to all these terms), but what I mean is that I make my back the opposite of rounded, it goes very concave. So if I was in a yoga cobra position, my hips would be facing down into the floor and my chest would be facing straight ahead, with my upper back upright. I know I'm probably overthinking and it's probably best for me to aim to get my back straightish, like in the picture in the book. I think I'm one of the "few people" mentioned in the book who shouldn't try to hyperextend.

I think you're right that I haven't worked out which cues are helpful yet. I feel that there's so much to remember.

[Vale]

15 June 2012

Squat 42.5 kg 3x5
Felt good.

Deadlift
52.5 kg x5

Bench press with dumbbells
20kg (2x 10kg dumbbell) 3x 5
Struggling to do this. My wrists feel weak. I also can't get my feet on the floor because the bench is too high (or because I'm too short, maybe ). I'd feel more stable if I could get my feet down, but I don't know if it matters.

[Gwynn]

Bench press with dumbbells
20kg (2x 10kg dumbbell) 3x 5
Struggling to do this. My wrists feel weak. I also can't get my feet on the floor because the bench is too high (or because I'm too short, maybe ). I'd feel more stable if I could get my feet down, but I don't know if it matters.

It would be better to have feet flat on the floor, so you can push with them. Try putting plates under your feet, maybe start with a couple of 10s and see if they are thick enough.

[Vale]

Thanks, I'll try that.

[Vale]

19 June 2012

(After we missed a session a couple of days before because we were too late getting to the gym and it was closed!)

Squat 45kg 3x5
(99 lb)

I tried putting my hands wider on the bar and I think that works better. (I can't make my arms go into the position in the book).


Deadlift 55 kg 3x5
(121 lb)

My son has gone up to 60 kg (132 lb). I tried lifting that out of curiosity and it felt OK, but I just did one lift.

I feel a lot happier with the deadlift. Thanks for the all the advice.

A big thing that helped: I was trying to put the bar down quietly, to be polite. That meant slowly, especially at the bottom. I decided to stop worrying if it made a bit of a noise and now it's much easier.



OHP 18kg (2 x 9kg dumbbells) 3x5
(39 lb)

I stuck with the same weight because I couldn't complete 3x5 last time. I'll go up next time.

[xcardiobunny]

19 June 2012







A big thing that helped: I was trying to put the bar down quietly, to be polite. That meant slowly, especially at the bottom. I decided to stop worrying if it made a bit of a noise and now it's much easier.

Oh hell yeah! I did the same thing for way too long. Soon you'll be giving out a loud grunt at the end and not care at all. :-)