Super Newbie II

[Warrior Woman]

Happy Holidays to all~

I have purchased the SS and PP along with the DVD and am reading SS as we speak.

My question is for someone like me (fat & out of shape) that has NEVER done any of these lifts- what do I do? I will be doing this by myself at the gym. I know of no one that is doing this program or lifts.

Do I try my best and go from there?
Does anyone know of any trainers around? (Hudson valley NY area). The NJ seminar is booked already and I dont even know if that would be appropriate for someone like me at this time.

My concern is to learn correct form the first time around. I really would love to start after I am done reading but I dont want to hurt myself or learn it wrong~

Thanks!

[nisora33]

Happy Holidays to all~

I have purchased the SS and PP along with the DVD and am reading SS as we speak.

My question is for someone like me (fat & out of shape) that has NEVER done any of these lifts- what do I do? I will be doing this by myself at the gym. I know of no one that is doing this program or lifts.

Do I try my best and go from there?
Does anyone know of any trainers around? (Hudson valley NY area). The NJ seminar is booked already and I dont even know if that would be appropriate for someone like me at this time.

My concern is to learn correct form the first time around. I really would love to start after I am done reading but I dont want to hurt myself or learn it wrong~

Thanks!

Welcome to the board.

Judging from your post, you seem like a very serious and mindful lady, so I don't have any doubt that you will approach your training, the execution of these lifts, etc. with the utmost seriousness and care. I'm sure you'll be fine.

Take care and follow Rip's prescriptions for each of the lifts, and I have no doubt that you'll come at least very close to nailing the lifts on your own. Be patient, and select weight according to you comfort level in the beginning, so that you can focus on technique. Worry about pushing yourself a little later.

Come back and visit us with videos of your lifts, when you've gotten them as close to "perfect" as you think you can, and I'm sure we can give you the appopriate feedback when the time is right. And leave the trolls to us

-Stacey

[IWillLiveFreeOrDie]

I would recommend taking a video of your first few workouts. You can then compare your form with the DVD and videos on here. Seeing yourself on video can make the process much easier. You could also look for a Crossfit Gym close by, and have them teach you the lifts. I think the majority of people will be fine with just comparing their form to the book and videos. Rip goes into so much detail in the book that I found it easy to learn the lifts.

[Kate]

Take care and follow Rip's prescriptions for each of the lifts, and ... you'll come at least very close to nailing the lifts on your own. Be patient, and select weight according to your comfort level in the beginning, so that you can focus on technique. Worry about pushing yourself a little later.

+1. You can do this.

I've been doing SS entirely on my own -- at home, with an improvised squat rack, and sawhorses on both sides of me in case I have to bail -- and I've been doing fine so far. I started with basically nothing but a 20-pound bar (not the 45-pound Olympic bar), and I'm now 2.5 pounds away from a triple-digit squat (!).

I've been conservative with the weight increases -- because I'm doing this at home, and because I'm kind of a little thing who already has some osteoporosis -- but I am making progress, and I can usually tell what I'm doing wrong when I have a form problem. I'm sure I'd benefit from the help of a live coach, and I might look for one soon -- plus, I think I'll need to start using a power rack in a gym soon -- but if you pay close attention to Rip's instructions and the photos, you can do a lot on your own.

And don't worry if you find that you have to reread the book and re-watch the DVD, maybe numerous times. I'm sure a lot of us novices have done that (and are still doing that). I've lost count of the number of times I've reread parts of SS:BBT, and I've got sticky notes stuck throughout it.

Just try it, and take your time. And don't feel like you have to learn everything at once or do everything perfectly. I waited until I was fairly comfortable with basic squat form before I tackled power cleans (just as an example).

-Kate

[Benthic]

<snip>
And don't worry if you find that you have to reread the book and re-watch the DVD, maybe numerous times. I'm sure a lot of us novices have done that (and are still doing that). I've lost count of the number of times I've reread parts of SS:BBT, and I've got sticky notes stuck throughout it.
<snip>

Heck, I would encourage you to re-read parts of the book or re-watch parts of the DVD as you think you need to. As a relative newbie myself I've gone back over parts for each lift as I progressed and found ways to dial in my form, or overcome issues I was having.

As others have said, you can do this. Between the book and the DVD you have what you need. Now with some practice and maybe a little patience you'll be just fine.

Brian

[Kelly Moore]

Hi Warrior Woman,

Are you located close to the eastern side of PA? I am frequently in the area coaching another lifter and would be happy to help you.

I was one of Rip's platform coaches when he was doing the CrossFit Barbell certs and I am a competitive lifter with 27+ years of experience. I'm happy to work with both novice and competitive lifters.

Let me know if this might work for you,

Kelly

[Gwyn Brookes]

WW -

Good on you. Use video frequently, read and re-read the book and watch the DVD, and spend some time checking out other videos that have been posted and commented on; this will help you critique your own.

I have been training on my own for over a year now, with a barbell cert checkup after nine months.

Let us know how you progress!

[Warrior Woman]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement!! I am a little OCD with reading and learning. SS will be one of the books that will be reread many, many times. (The bf tried to 'put away' my small stack of books I refer to ALL the time right next to my bed- I had to explain that the pile DOES NOT MOVE anywhere out of arms reach!)

Kelly I am about 40-45 minutes east of Milford on RT 84- Newburgh. Where do you go?? I would be interested in meeting with you!!

As they say- seek and you shall find. I found a gym- New York Barbell. It looks to be major weight lifting going on there- and that is it! I may have to stop by at lunch time! Honestly it would be a little intimidating at first... But I will get over that as I learn and become more comfortable

Im very impressed with all of you that are doing it by yourself! And Kate~~ Girl you rock! I would have never thought of using the sawhorses!! That is awesome!!

All I want is my strength back and to be able to kick ass again (not literally- just figuratively), to do justice for what Mother Nature has given me~

[BryanM]

tried to 'put away'

YES what kind of horrible serial killer psychopaths DO such horrible things. The thing is there because that is the place that it must be. If I wanted it in another place it would be there.

The worst was the one time my ungirlfriend decided to "clean up" the sink by hiding the razors and such. Women in the military have no idea of a man's pain (they can walk around with hilariously huge mustaches since the regs only specify male facial hair). Waking up every day in the cold darkness, blurry eyed, to the fun joy of scraping the hell out of my face. Having to deal with opening and closing things on top of that, would just be too much of a cross to bear.

[Tom Campitelli]

If you can train with Kelly Moore, do so. She is a well known CrossFitter and is very legit.