SarahBeth Lifts Like A Girl (Log)

[SarahBeth]

Thanks Dave and Melody!

[Lion Heart]

Great progress so far Sarah. It's good to see girls doing SS! I tried to persuade my girlfriend to do it with me but she doesn't want to end up "looking like a bodybuilder" apparently.

[bluebutton]

Welcome and again congrats on the new kid. I always recommend noting warm up sets bc sometimes it helps others give feedback when you're trying to figure out why things are going side ways.

Great progress so far Sarah. It's good to see girls doing SS! I tried to persuade my girlfriend to do it with me but she doesn't want to end up "looking like a bodybuilder" apparently.

I totally understand that reaction. It helped me a lot to see a strong woman who didn't look like a bodybuilder working out in my gym. Nobody wants to take photos of normal looking women who are strong, so it's easy for women to get stuck in that worry.

Basically, for a woman to look like a bodybuilder requires some combination of genetics, steroids, and an insane amount of work. 99.9% of women aren't willing to do the work, and that's ok (and good if they don't want to look like a bodybuilder).

In short, your GF is in no danger, but she won't know it because she's never seen strong and ordinary looking women.

[SarahBeth]

Thanks Lion Heart and Bluebutton! I'll put in my warmup sets from now on, it was just easier to only have to remember a few #s!

Before I started CF I had a few different personal trainers who put me on bodybuilding-type programs, and even then I didn't look like a bodybuilder! And I certainly wasn't getting very strong doing high rep Smith squats and a million delt isolation exercises! I'm so glad I finally discovered real strength training and had great CF coaches that taught me proper form. Since having my baby, I've hung on to about 20 extra lbs but I probably needed to gain weight since I was coming off of some extreme dieting (Paleo-induced orthoexia) trying to "cure" a health problem I was having. I've slowly been changing body comp to replace fat with muscle, but I doubt I will ever really look like a bodybuilder or fitness model!

[Robert Santana]

Hi Robert! In my first post I give my 3x5 maxes on my strength lifts and 1RM on my Oly lifts. My 1RM on strength lifts are:
Squat: 155 lbs
DL: 200
OHP: 70 (old)
I have never tested BP or rows. Maybe I'll do that soon!

Nicely done, looking forward to some video

Thanks Lion Heart and Bluebutton! I'll put in my warmup sets from now on, it was just easier to only have to remember a few #s!

Before I started CF I had a few different personal trainers who put me on bodybuilding-type programs, and even then I didn't look like a bodybuilder! And I certainly wasn't getting very strong doing high rep Smith squats and a million delt isolation exercises! I'm so glad I finally discovered real strength training and had great CF coaches that taught me proper form. Since having my baby, I've hung on to about 20 extra lbs but I probably needed to gain weight since I was coming off of some extreme dieting (Paleo-induced orthoexia) trying to "cure" a health problem I was having. I've slowly been changing body comp to replace fat with muscle, but I doubt I will ever really look like a bodybuilder or fitness model!

I know how that goes. Followed bro workouts for years and never grew an inch; except on my legs because squats were always part of my programming. I suspect they work for lifters that are strong; either through genetics or a history of strength training. Bodybuilding workouts with light weights don't seem to work too well, at least not for me. And since the rest periods are short, the reps are high, and the exercises are isolated, the numbers don't seem to move much. No overload no adaptation

[SarahBeth]

Today's workout (with videos!)

Squat:
33 2x5
63 1x5
93 1x5
135 3x5
http://youtu.be/KSCf86Ci0Nw

OHP:
45 1x5
55 1x5
65 3x5
http://youtu.be/RunTnIr3qnc

DL:
65 1x5
95 1x5
145 1x5
185 1x5
http://youtu.be/AjdLBEwlUIc

Pull-ups: jump (to just out of hole) to slow negatives, 5 reps

Notes: I felt very beastly today! The last couple of reps on the later sets were shaky, but that's to be expected!

[Oldman]

Welcome to the forum, SaraBeth! You're off to a great start. There's a lot of great advice to be had on the forum and a lot of great women lifters (my wife, Squat Queen, is one of them!).

[Lion Heart]

Solid workout Sarah. Form looks great on the OHP! I'll need to follow suit and start posting videos on my log!

[SarahBeth]

Thanks Oldman and Lion Heart! I went to my barbell club practice yesterday, and our main focus was snatches. I was able to get up to 65 lbs on a "tall snatch," which is only from the barbell at the hip crease. I think I should be able to beat 70 lbs on my full snatch the next time we try. We also did some squats:

3 sets x 2 reps @ 133 lbs (85% 1rm)

[Lakshmi Meadows]

Hi Sarah,
Welcome to the community. It's a very supportive and educating group. I'll be following along.