Starting Starting Strength

[huckleberry]

I am: Female, 26yo, overweight at BMI 27, no prior experience with weight training, and very little with sports overall. But very excited!

Hi guys,

Thanks again for all the great advice I got in my n00b thread on the Training forum! As promised, I'm moving the party over here, where I hope to keep an active log of my workouts. Here's today's:

WO A
SQ: 20kg
BP: 22.5 kg (with a jerk interrupting my set, but never mind...)
DL: 30kg

As you can see, I am starting from rock bottom. In fact, it took me time to advance to the empty barbell! So if there's anyone out there thinking "can I do this", you can!

I will also do some recreational swimming and kayaking. Hopefully I will see some benefit from SS especially with the latter. Water is my element, these are the only sports I've ever been any good at.

Out of this I'm expecting to: Gain strength and confidence, change body composition by loosing fat, and have a great time!

[xcardiobunny]

Welcome to the forum! Thank-you for posting, I've been sick and losing motivation and your enthusiasm is contagious. I noticed you posted about dumbbell bench presses. I switched to them a couple of months into the program as it was too hard to find someone to spot a barbell bench press without 'helping' more then necessary. In the book Rip says that they are actually a better exercise, so I wouldn't worry if you continue to do them. They are a lot harder, that's for sure.

[f4thpathway]

Huckleberry, xcardiobunny is awesome.

[huckleberry]

Hello! I feel so welcomed in this forum, it is the best, I tell you! Happy to see you both in my training log, and happy to wake up after a good nights' sleep (10hrs, I love the weekend) still feeling awesome from my workout.

Dumbbells really are hard work, the precision control required is out of this world! After two dumbbell workouts I'm sure I'll be strong enough to lift that bar, I'm close already.

Workout B is so much more challenging for me, psychologically. Upper body strength is a real problem for the novice woman. And to think how important strength is for women! The confidence it gives you is amazing, and the practical applications are endless. But the "women's" programmes, even when they say we should all train the same, are not the same as the "men's" or general programmes. 15 reps, 10 different exercises every time?! I love the simplicity of this programme, I really do. It leaves no room for sloppy form or missing a rep. I'm gonna master these six exercises!

[xcardiobunny]

Thanks f4thpathway ;-)

[QUOTE=huckleberry;243182]
Dumbbells really are hard work, the precision control required is out of this world! After two dumbbell workouts I'm sure I'll be strong enough to lift that bar, I'm close already. "

I agree. I decided to switch when stuck on bench presses at 70-75lbs. Now, I use 2 30 dumbbells and it is HARD- but that is only 60 pounds. I suspect it has to do with the greater range of motion with dumbells as well as not being able to rely on your stronger side, which we don't want to do anyway. So even if you aren't lifting as much weight as the bar is, at 15 lb dumbbells I bet you will be able to handle the bar. It is kinda cool to be able to move one boob at a time, not sure if that will ever come in handy but you never know.

[f4thpathway]

Dumbbells are much better than the barbell for chest work. More effective, more beneficial, more useful. Some wankers on here would say "what do you mean? that's bullshit". But this guy has a remarkable chest ( I know because people like to make me uncomfortable by bringing it up every day). So take such advice for what it's worth. Do the dumbbells. Always. Use a barbell as an accessory. Like a different shade of lipstick. Not one that goes with your favorite outfit though. Or shoes. Just something you throw on once in a while.

[spiderman]

When the dumbells get heavy...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM5Nw_QBA9A

I believe Rip does argue that although dumbell bench press is better, the barbell bench press allows more weight (which is better in its own way.) So I think it is pros and cons for both.

[f4thpathway]

see?

[huckleberry]

Easy peasy dumbbell handling on that video -- I enjoyed my dumbbell press sets today!

I did my workout B this morning before the Sunday noon rush hour. It was passable, but I noticed that my quads are taking over the squat from my glutes. Once I balanced my weight properly on my feet, I could barely lift the bar up. I warmed up with a 4kg plastic bar, which I found in the corner.

So apparently -- at least according to a study where they compared post-pubescent teenagers of both sexes who played soccer -- women's quads are much bigger in relation to the muscles on the back of their legs, i.e glutes and whatnot. I have to get those muscles in working order, otherwise the squat is never gonna happen for me.

3x5 Squats, 20kg. Disappointing, but good to know that I'm not there yet before I start loading the bar more.
3x5 Dumbbell Press, 6kg each hand (that is 12 kg! I should be able to do the barbell press soon!)
1x5 Deadlift, 35kg (5kg increase, I love deadlifts, but I don't want to load up too quickly as it's a new motor pathway for me, and it's not entirely solid yet, although I think it is mostly correct)

It is kinda cool to be able to move one boob at a time, not sure if that will ever come in handy but you never know.

This suddenly popped in my head as I was doing my workout, and I nearly laughed out loud in the gym

Also, -1 for the guy in the gym who kept grunting and counting the reps aloud simultaneously! He also had the sloppiest form I've ever seen. It was actually a tiny bit entertaining.

[huckleberry]

Squat not progressing -- still stuck at 20kg!

Other than that, progressing nicely with 1.25kg inreases.