Slim Dude Attempting to Lift Heavy Stuff

[purebred]

Hey guys! Some quick stats about me:

28 y/o
Male
5'11"
151 lbs.

The Art of Manliness podcasts with Rippetoe are what brought me to the forum. I've been doing calisthenics (at times with weight included) for a little over a year now but decided to take on weight training as a more feasible way of packing on some mass and increasing strength. Not to mention I recently got into a gym membership so it only seemed logical to make the most of it.

I'm currently seeking a gym in my area with less "restrictions" as far as what movements they allow performed. In the meantime, these are the workouts I've been able to get in as well as an idea of what kind of "warm-ups" I'm using prior to my training:

Warm-ups
SMFR
1x8/side Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization
1x6/side Supine Bridge w/Reach
1x8 Yoga Push-up
1x5/side Spiderman w/Hip Lift & Overhead Reach
1x8/side Ankles Mobs
30s Squat Stretch
1x8 Face the Wall Squats

_______________________________________________

9/28
To make it easier on myself with, I will be recording the weight performed counting ONLY the plates. I imagine the bar itself waves anywhere from 35 to 45 pounds like most commercial gym barbells do.

Squat
30x3x5

Bench
40x3x5,5,4

Deadlift
90x1x3

FW
40x2x20s

GHR
25x2x8

Today was a humbling experience to say the least. I found weights I was comfortable to practice on form with yet still presented a reasonable challenge to my muscles. It appears having practiced calisthenics prior to advancing onto weights has served its purpose, as I have a greater awareness of my body's positioning relative to the bar, and this is helping me a great deal with focusing on form.

I'm anxious for my next workout, but for now I will be focusing on housing down all the food I can set my sights on.

9/30
Squat
40x5,4,4

Overhead Press
Barx3x5,4,4

Chest-Supported Rows
3x30x8,8,6

10/2
Squat
50x5x4,2,1,2,4
*Need to work on proper bar position on the back to avoid undue compression on the wrists

Bench
22.5x3x4,5,6

Deadlift
90x5 (reset after each rep due to her plates FML)

GHR
25x3x8,10,10

Ab work
70x2x15,20

Plank
1x30s

[brkriete]

I would just add the bar weight (you are lifting it after all), and call it a nominal 45 lbs. The plates probably vary in weight too, are you going to not count them either?

I think you'll be surprised by how effectively the weight training improves your fitness (core strength, aerobic ability) even after doing calisthenics for a while.

Good luck with your training!

[peez]

Welcome tot he forum! You found the right place to pack some pounds onto your frame. I recommend you find a (SSC) coach or post form check videos - make sure you are doing it right from the start.

Squat
50x5x4,2,1,2,4
*Need to work on proper bar position on the back to avoid undue compression on the wrists

Wild guess: If you are not doing it yet, really really retract your shoulders, as if pinching your shoulder blades together. For shoulder mobility prior to squat, try shoulder dislocates. If wrist compression becomes a big issue, you might try wrist wraps while you dial in form/bar/hand position.

[carson]

Welcome. Do you have the book? If not, get it. What your age? If you can get to a coach withing 100 miles do so. You are at the gold standard. If you follow the directions you will gain strength and you will gain weight without gaining much fat. I lost 6" from my waist after starting strength. In other words if you lift properly as you eat more you won't gain much fat but you will gain much muscle. It will be interesting following your progress.

Eat. Follow the book. Get to a coach at least from time to time. Post videos if possible. You will have fun as you get strong.

[purebred]

Squat
3x60x4
*Not sure if I'm hitting the right depth. Didn't do the Face The Wall Squats prior to warming up. Those really seem to help emphasize proper technique. Have to make sure I do those before squatting.

Press
3x10x5
*Bar resting on wrists is becoming a bit of a problem. I persisted in attempting Rippetoe's advice on bar grip without much success.

Chest-Supported Row
2x45x6,8
3x55x8

[purebred]

I would just add the bar weight (you are lifting it after all), and call it a nominal 45 lbs. The plates probably vary in weight too, are you going to not count them either?

I think you'll be surprised by how effectively the weight training improves your fitness (core strength, aerobic ability) even after doing calisthenics for a while.

Good luck with your training!

I understand where you're coming from. I feel like I'm doing it more as a mind game to avoid psyching myself out about how much weight I'm lifting. Instead of looking at it as "poundage", I simply view it as "plates". It seems silly and I don't expect anyone to understand it much haha. Thanks for the optimism!

Welcome tot he forum! You found the right place to pack some pounds onto your frame. I recommend you find a (SSC) coach or post form check videos - make sure you are doing it right from the start.



Wild guess: If you are not doing it yet, really really retract your shoulders, as if pinching your shoulder blades together. For shoulder mobility prior to squat, try shoulder dislocates. If wrist compression becomes a big issue, you might try wrist wraps while you dial in form/bar/hand position.

I would love to find a SSC. I'm really hoping there is one in Miami! I train alone so I may have someone at the gym record a lift with my phone to post.

I do my best to retract/"pinch" my shoulder blades. I have started doing shoulder dislocations everyday: 2x10 after composing myself in the mornings. Wrist wraps may be a good idea as well. I will continue focusing on form to avoid relying on a crutch so early on (i.e. wrist wraps).

I really hate my gym for not having round plates either. Hex plates make it a real pain in the arse to do Deads. sigh

Welcome. Do you have the book? If not, get it. What your age? If you can get to a coach withing 100 miles do so. You are at the gold standard. If you follow the directions you will gain strength and you will gain weight without gaining much fat. I lost 6" from my waist after starting strength. In other words if you lift properly as you eat more you won't gain much fat but you will gain much muscle. It will be interesting following your progress.

Eat. Follow the book. Get to a coach at least from time to time. Post videos if possible. You will have fun as you get strong.

I do not have the book but at $20 it is tempting to just throw on the credit card.
I'm 28 (added that to the initial post).
I'm working on dialing in my diet as well. I have come across very good reviews and the program seems so simple it's too good to be true...until the time to actually lift comes around! I see all these other guys @ the gym on the Smith and doing all these other virtually pointless exercises. Actually saw a guy curling with an Oly bar in the squat rack next to me.

[carson]

The book is essential if you plan to take even partial advantage of the program. Check "Resources" for a coach in or near Miami.

[purebred]

The book is essential if you plan to take even partial advantage of the program. Check "Resources" for a coach in or near Miami.

Already ahead of you: I bought the book on Amazon. I'm going over the Squat section. I will check out the 'Resources' area as well.

Is it possible to access this forum from my phone? I haven't checked to see if this forum pops up on Tapatalk yet...

[purebred]

Squat
5 sets X 40lbs
*Started off with FTW Squats and moved on to 2 sets with an empty bar. I feel like I lose proprioception upon setting up on the bar. I lose sense of where the bar is supposed to go the moment I touch it. I wish I could describe it with more detail to paint a better picture for you all. I really need to get some video up on my form this week.

Bench
40x5
45x5,5,5
*A frustrating effing bunch of sets to say the least. Having trouble maintaining upper back tightness so I feel like my strength diminishes as the set progresses as soon as the 2nd rep is executed.

Deads
90x1x5
100x4
*I actually felt pretty strong with these today. I'm taking a big breath prior to the lift and releasing it just as I'm setting the bar back down. This causes a very mild lightheaded feeling so I'm focusing on taking deeper breaths as well as creating total body tightness.

Additional comments:
I feel like my pre-workout regimen" isn't up to par with what I should be doing and it seems to me my workouts are suffering. I'm use to working out on a relatively empty stomach with the exception of some fresh brewed coffee (grounded from whole beans on the spot) mixed in with some grass-fed butter and MCT oil + 1-2 tsp raw honey; basically Bulletproof coffee prior to a workout along with some nootropics (i.e. Piracetam, Oxiracetam, and Centrophenoxine/Alpha-GPC).

I'm thinking of waking up to a protein shake consisting of:

• almond milk
• 1 banana
• 15-20g whey protein

...and plenty of water.

As far as the warm-up portion goes, I also believe I may be doing too much, and it's fatiguing me prematurely:

1x8/side Wall Hip Flexor Mobilization

1. 1x6/side Supine Bridge w/Reach
2. 1x8 Yoga Push-up
3. 1x5/side Spiderman w/Hip Lift & Overhead Reach
4. 1x8/side Ankles Mobs
5. 30s Squat Stretch
6. 1x8 Face the Wall Squats

I'm considering cutting down to the following:

1. 1x8 Yoga Push-up
2. 30s Squat Stretch
3. Plank 1x20s (pre and post-workout)

This will be done after the SMFR but I will be more adamant about using the weights to warm-up. I will do a 'Search' to see what warm-up calculator works best to calculate the warm-up weights. Also, I'm focusing only on the big lifts and removing any assistance exercises until further notice in an attempt to implement the 'KISS' method.

I'm scheduled to receive my SS book Thursday. & I bought the SS app After that I should be much better equipped to take on another day with the iron and make much better use of my time in the gym than I did in this previous workout.

[Randy Scheingold]

Welcome to the program. As you've heard already, you'll get a wealth of knowledge in the forums here. I'm just shy of 5 months in and stronger than I have ever been. Just hit a 310lb deadlift at almost 40 years old (not impressive around here...but probably stronger than any of my family members/friends/coworkers).

In addition to reading the book, watching all the videos, and trying to get a coach. I'd highly recommended recording your sets (with your phone is fine) and closely watching. It took me months of doing this to get my Squat & DL form looking remotely decent. Even now I still record (and later delete) every single set, so I can constantly fine tune/tweak/check for squat depth.

Lastly, the generally accepted protocol is to list Weight (including the bar) X Reps X Sets. So 3 sets of 5 squats at 235lb would be 235x5x3. If you follow that nomenclature, you'll get much better feedback from people. I'm not sure about the others, but I love reading these logs, however when a log is difficult to understand....I tend to give up on it. And then you lose a great/FREE valuable source of info.

Good luck man!!!