Marquita Starting Strength

[StartingMarq]

Last week I did my first three weightlifting workouts according to the 5x5 StrongLifts routine. I wasn't unhappy with it, exactly, but I felt like I could be doing more. I'd bought Starting Strength a few months ago but hadn't yet read it. I dove in this weekend and started a new week of workouts today with Squats, Bench Presses, and Deadlifts. I'm not suggesting it will give me a proper start, but I already know I've got some strength in me from my work (50# lifts are routine in a bakery) so I used the YAMS example workout and Table 8-1 from SS 3rd Edition as a basis to find what I felt were my work sets today. Results:

Squats
1x5 Bar/44#
1x5 54#
1x5 64#
3x5 69#
http://youtu.be/6mEzuVkFL54

Bench Press
1x5 Bar/44#
1x5 54#
3x5 59#
http://youtu.be/_0hAT6h-4lQ

Deadlift
1x5 64#
1x5 74#
1x5 84#
1x5 89#
http://youtu.be/o-3PDmfddHY

I'm taking video to work on my form, but otherwise, I feel pretty good about this looking forward to upping all my weights on Wednesday! Please feel free to comment on my form, just not the state of my gym wear/room if I'm going to keep up with this I want to make sure I keep injury to a minimum

[SarahBeth]

Hi Marquita! Welcome to the forum! This is a great place to get feedback, advice, and encouragement! And I do like your top and shoes I think you have a good start and will offer you a couple of tips to hopefully help make things easier.
On bench, I like to focus on bringing the bar down and up in a straight line over the same part of my chest every time. I do this by taking in and holding a big breath, then squeezing my whole upper body really tight. It looked like your bar path was wavering a little, which makes it unstable at heavy weights.
On deadlift, it's best I keep the bar as close to the body through the entire lift. This kind of breaks the lift up into two segments: bringing the bar up to the knees, then up the thighs to lockout. It appears like you are going up very fast in one motion and the bar is getting out in front of your quads on the upper portion of the lift. It's ok to go a little slower and try to keep the bar glued to your legs.
I thought your squats looked really good! Happy lifting!

[Str8shutr]

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[Viola]

Hi Marquita, welcome! Consistency and persistence will be your friends. I won't comment on your gym other than to say it is much nicer than my home gym. As for form, those deadlifts are waaay to easy for you, so don't be afraid to make 10lb jumps for a while. Also, getting in the correct position will be easier once you load 45lb weights on the bar, or put shims under the weights to raise the bar to that same starting level. Good luck.

[StartingMarq]

Thanks so much for your tips SarahBeth! I was worried I was rushing the deadlift, but from the input I'm getting it seems like a) I should slow it down and focus on keeping it on my legs, and b) it'll be easier once I've got more weight on the bar Can't thank you enough for your specificity!

[StartingMarq]

Thanks Viola! I got the gym for free from my sig.o's dad from back when all the guys in their family were lifting (15+ years ago), I wish I could say we've been putting it to goo use but we just got the room cleaned up a few weeks ago and I've been dying to use the set up. I really appreciate the tips

[StartingMarq]

Hell of a day, but I got in my workout with some really self-inspiring PRs. Lifted 100#s of anything for the first time in years, the fact that it was iron just makes me even happier Same basic drill as last time, but with better-organized warm up sets. All videos are final sets. Would LOVE comments on form; not totally sure what I'm doing on the overhead presses, just tried to lift comfortably and in a straight vertical. That's also why there are only seven sets- I reached what I thought was a healthy work set and went ahead with two more, trying to mimic the table from SS

Squat
45x2
60x1
65x1
75x1
80x3
http://youtu.be/r7G7i6D7ndI

Overhead Press
45x2
50x1
55x1
60x3
http://youtu.be/v4Tna6QWw7Y

Deadlift
65x2
75x1
85x1
95x1
100x1
http://youtu.be/nu7HJ40SaaE

[carson]

Welcome. The small plates on the DL make it almost impossible to do the DL properly. Do you have bumper plates that are the size of 45 pound plates but weigh 5-10 lbs. each? If not you should get some. It looks like you are shrugging your shoulders at the top for the DLs. I can't really tell. Don't do it.

Bench: The bar should very lightly touch your chest and then bounce back up.

Press: While doing very light lifts you are working on form. That is alright. However, you look like this weight is very very light for you. Make your elbows come way forward when on chest. Stand straight up then thrust your hip forward hard so that bar goes straight up and forced by your hip thrust more than anything else. As bar passes your nose on the way up thrust hips back into straight position and head forward under the bar. Don't move the bar back but do move you head and shoulders forward.

[StartingMarq]

Thanks Carson, I really appreciate the detail. You can only watch so many YouTube videos before they start blending together
Don't have any bumpers but will definitely look into it.
For the bench, I guess I've been holding it a touch too long at the chest. I'm still not used to the width of the bar and I think I've been using my body to try and level it again, rather than just tap and return to the top.
The press, though… I was actually struggling a bit on the work sets :/ by the last set (in the video) I had just rested a full three minutes and was pretty warm and limber, but I still had a rough time getting the bar off my chest. I watched a couple of Rip's videos on YouTube, but I found some that included the hip thrust (which I incorporated last week, but in not this workout), and others that didn't but included the very forward elbows. I think I had an easier time minus the thrust, but of course if it's going to keep me from hurting myself later on I'll start it again when presses come up next. The forward elbows are hard, not really sure why, but it's difficult for me to push them that far forward without some real discomfort, any thoughts on that?

[StartingMarq]

Sorry. Wednesday's lifts should have been posted as follows. Like, with reps.

Squat
45x2x5
60x1x5
65x1x5
75x1x5
80x3x5
http://youtu.be/r7G7i6D7ndI

Overhead Press
45x2x5
50x1x5
55x1x5
60x3x5
http://youtu.be/v4Tna6QWw7Y

Deadlift
65x2
75x1x5
85x1x5
95x1x5
100x1x5
http://youtu.be/nu7HJ40SaaE