Reply With QuoteWell done, WC - both at doing and at learning.
When you say "rope ones", you mean the strap safeties that are so in vogue, for some reason?
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Well, 2 weeks later and I am on course to squat 470x3x5 today, hopefully followed by 475x3x5 on Saturday; so much for a de-trained squat. I squatted 455 and 460 two weeks ago. Last week I squatted 465x3x5. I realized that my "safety pins" are probably not that safe: I have the rope ones, and realized that the height of those is very difficult to control, as is the movement of the bar if it gets set down on them. So I ordered metal pins for the rack, and in the meantime I will workout at the public gym until they are delivered.
Thanks for everyone's feedback and telling me to just add weight to the bar. Good advice.
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Well done, WC - both at doing and at learning.
When you say "rope ones", you mean the strap safeties that are so in vogue, for some reason?
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I'll throw out a brief update from yesterday's workout. I forgot my belt, but powered through the lifts (squat 470x3x5, bench 275x3x5, and deadlift 495x1x5) and it almost felt better without a belt. I'm going to have to experiment with this a bit more, but I could actually suck in a bunch of air on my last reps of the set, for both squat and deadlift, instead of feeling like I couldn't breath. I'll reread and rewatch various belt videos and articles, because I might be wearing the belt wrong. It might be too high up on my torso, or maybe it's too tight. Or, maybe I need to look at getting the single ply version. Current belt is the starting strength two ply.
In any case, yes. For some reason when I ordered my squat rack I got the strap safeties instead of pins; I think it was cost related, but I don't remember at this time. I realized a few days ago that a whole bunch of bad shit could happen if something went wrong with those, so I am doing my heavy lifts and benches at the public gym until the metal safety pins that go through both uprights get delivered.
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It sounds like lifting with the belt on and backed out a hole or two from what you were doing is the logical thing to try next. It is quite possible to over-tighten a belt. If you cannot breathe sufficiently, it's too tight. If you can comfortably walk around the whole workout without loosening it between sets, it's too loose. You should feel it when you brace, especially with a heavy bar on your shoulders.Originally Posted by WCSteppe
I've seen purported benefits listed for the strap safeties, with various degrees of appeal. "They're quieter!" Who cares? "They're easier on your bar!" How ever did bars survive this long without them? "They're less disruptive if you clip them, like on a squat!" Okay, maybe...
But I also don't see them on the SS rack, for example. And I can't imagine they don't wear out in ways that good steel safeties do not.
Maybe they'd be somewhat less catastrophic if you got fingers caught between them and the bar on a missed squat rep?
At any rate, WC, I wasn't throwing stones at you for having them. They're still safer than what I cobbled together when I first started my home gym back in the early days of the Age of House Arrest!
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I'm throwing stones at myself for buying them. I think the main concern with the strap safeties is that the bar wants to travel to the center of the rack, where the straps will be at the lowest. Depending on where you are, that could cause... unpleasantries. But it's also hard to control the bottom position of the straps, especially since they flex, and it is impossible to bench with them, at least the ones I have.
I'll be trying the belt with less holes Saturday, for my next heavy deadlifts and squats
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I failed rep 5 of set 1 doing 475 on day 3 of the week. I'm going to try again on Tuesday, (day 1 of the new week) and again on Saturday if I fail on Monday. If that doesn't work, I guess I will reset 20 pounds and work back up. If Tuesday goes, I can try for 480 for 3 sets of 5 on Saturday, but I think it might be time to only squat heavy once a week. Time will tell.
The 3 questions are all good.
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My apologies if I'm missing it, but skimming the thread, I think this may have gotten missed - have you shared your age, height, weight, and what you're doing with your body weight with us yet, WC?
Also, have you posted any form checks?
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I can post form checks the next time I do the lifts, which might be delayed. I have come down with some illness and am heavily congested.
Age: 31
Height: 6ft
Weight: between 270 and 280
Squat: 470x3x5 (might be resetting)
Deadlift: 495x1x5 (might also reset, 500 was stuck to the floor on Saturday), but was increasing 10 pounds a week
Press: 222.5x3x5, still going up 2.5 pounds every season, still alternating between press and bench
Bench: 275x3x5, still going up 2.5 pounds every session
I'm just trying to get as strong as possible. I started my second NLP in June (first proper one was early last year, but various life events halted my lifting for about 6 months) and went from a body weight of 250 to where I am now. I might slowly increase to 300, but i don't think my numbers are very good for my current weight, so if I do continue to go up I don't want to increase too quickly without my lifts increasing as well. Maybe this is incorrect thinking though.
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