Just came here to brag

[Mr. Bingley]

great news and workout. and look at the bright side: by lowering the bar so gently you are in effect doing paused deadlifts, which is a great benefit for your 'standard' deads

[tiny&mighty]

BW oscillating between 116 and 117. I think I am shedding a little BF (not that I care much).

- Squat 5 X 3 at 150 lbs.
- Bench 5 X 3 at 98 lbs. Officially switching to 1 lb increments from now on.
- Press 3 X 5 at 67 lbs.
- Deadlift 3 X 3 at 175 lbs (performed outside again).

Today was my bench workout. Did not feel up for it but did it anyway. Squat felt okay, bench is always is a bit of a drag. I much prefer the press.

I am having a breakthrough with the chin ups (I do them on bench day). Let's just say that my chin up achievements are not quite bragworthy. For weeks I could only do singles, then doubles for a while. Today, however, I was able to do 19 over 5 sets (4 X 4 and 1 X 3), versus 15 (5 X 3) on my last workout. I credit the deadlift for that improvement.

On the gear side, I am hoping to receive my 3" belt from Dominion Strength this week. It has been stuck at customs for days. Definitely not a show stopper - I have been using a 4" lever belt (Inzer) on the press, and an el cheapo tapered velcro belt on the squat and deadlift. I am just looking forward to using a real belt on my bigger lifts.

Based on the weather forecast, my next workout will probably have to wait until Tuesday if I want to deadlift outside again. I took a 5 lbs jump on my last workout, but I will be more reasonable next time. 2.5 lbs is plenty to work with.

[David Hooper]

You're going to love that Dominion belt. Those things are solid. :-D

[tiny&mighty]

Not an earthshattering update, but today's workout felt so good that I want it on the record.

- Squat 3 X 5 at 150 lbs
- Press 5 X 5 at 68 lbs
- Deadlift 3 X 3 at 177.5 lbs

So this is Week 14 for me.

Squats did not feel great due to some pulling in my right knee and lower back. I know this is unrelated to my training; I have a desk job, take online translation classes at night, and have been working on a long assignment this week. Whenever I spend more than 12 hours a day on the computer, my knees and hamstrings retaliate a bit. Training actually helps with that.

Anyway, I didn't make a big fuss about the tightness but was nevertheless careful. I belted up for all my work sets (I usually don't) and I took my time. Bar speed was a bit slow out of caution, but the strength was there. Attempting 152.5 lbs next time.

The press. I just love that movement! If I ever end up "specializing", I am definitely picking the press. I just can't believe that when I first tried this movement some years ago, I had to start with a 20 lbs bar and struggled. It went so well today that I decided to do an extra set, and then another one (I do that every once in a while; NDTP, I know). It probably means that I am not adding as much weight to the bar as I could, but it also provides additional practice of "heavy" pressing. I really like Nick Delgadillo's videos on upper body programming, especially when he talks about women.

I have considered adding more than 1 lb to my press, but this has been working out so well since my last setback that why risk it? If this keeps working, I will be able to press 75 lbs in a month. That was my lifetime goal when I started my NLP. I have become more ambitious ever since...

This is also where I find the SS standards helpful. Of course moving from one category to the next feels like a bit of an achievement, but what I really like about those tables is that they help me assess what are reasonable, achievable increments for my lifts. I would much rather progress slowly than get stuck and, let's just agree that, given my - lack of - height (5') and current bodyweight (116 lbs), there is no point in rushing to the end of the road.

Since I hit 65 lbs on the press, it feels like my body has had a lightbulb moment. Ever since, my press is much more confident and explosive. I still use a strict form, saving the hip drive for when I need it. Over the last month, I have used it only a few times to avoid a missed rep on the last set.

Anyhow, I like the press and believe that it is the most underrated movement ever.

I then carried all my stuff outside for the deadlift. I had very low expectations given the sensations I had felt during the squat. Yet as I was going through my warm-up sets, everything just felt awesome. So I did not belt up and attempted my first work set with the overhand grip. I completed two good reps before switching to a mixed grip (still figuring out of the hook grip...). My RA fingers do not appreciate the supinated grip, but it does not hurt nearly as much as tying my boots does. What a stupid disease.

That went so well. On my previous deadlift workout it seemed I was not going tall enough at the end of the pull. Today I felt super tall (at least 5'3"). Lesson learned: I am sticking with the 2.5 lbs increments from now on.

I then did 2 X 5 back off sets with 155 lbs, using the overhand grip. I only do this to practice my grip by increasing the time under load. I believe it has been helping. I can tell that my grip now takes more time to recover, but this is not an issue since I am no longer deadlifting on every workout. The lady bar is helping as well, and more so now that I am somewhat used to it.

Speaking of which, my husband likes photography and got himself a new camera. He took some pictures during my previous deadlift workout at 175 lbs. Guess what? The bar is bending a little (proof attached). How cool is that? I have enough weight on this thing to make it bend, and yet I can hold and lift it!

received_437321254163497.jpg

[Mr. Bingley]

congrats! progress, well earned progress with tangible results is a great feeling. I wouldn't get greedy on the weight jumps, I've done it many times myself and failed miserably lol

[tiny&mighty]

BW 116 lbs.

Today's workout:

- Squat: 152.5 lbs: 3, 5, 4, 3, 3
- Bench press: 99 lbs: 3, 3, 4, 4, 5
- Chin ups: 5, 5, 4, 4, 4

So I was not in the mood at all for today's workout. I felt stiff and weak after working on a paper all day.

For the squat I was shooting for 5 X 3, but was somehow able to get 5 reps on my second set, and 4 on my third. Even with extended rest periods, I did not manage to get more that 3 reps on my last two sets. Will reattempt next time, shooting for 3 X 5.

The bench. My first sets are always the worst with this movement. Maybe I am doing the warm up wrong. I did:
- 2 X 5 at 45;
- 1 X 5 at 55;
- 1 X 5 at 65;
- 1 X 3 at 75; and
- 1 X 2 at 85.

I also made some videos to assess my grip width. I had watched a video from Rip where he says grip width should be one hand-width away from the point where the knurling starts. My grip is much narrower, with middle finger and index on the shiny part, and ring and pinky fingers on the knurling. I shot videos from two angles and my forearms' angle seems right. It is also the position where the bench press feels the least awkward for my shoulders and elbows.

I made some more progress on the chin ups, achieving 22 reps over 5 sets, versus 19 on my last workout.

I then experienced some more with the power clean, but I can't seem to figure it out. My wrists are killing me, and I keep busting my sternum and clavicles. So I then started to try some snatches. Those seem to be a much better fit for me at this point. I will have to keep experimenting, but without a coach, I might focus on the snatches rather than on power cleans. Finding a coach to teach me the power clean should be easier once I move to Ottawa this summer.

[David Hooper]

Moving right along! You hit on a lot of things that I've had to deal with too, so in the grand tradition of the internet I am obliged to comment. :-)

About the bench warm-up (and I'm male so take it fwiw): when my overhead press was below 100 lb I couldn't do the warm up the way it's specified in the book. I had to cut the volume way down because the warm up weights were too close to the work weights and the warm ups would add fatigue. Were it me warming up for a 99 lb press (either bench or overhead), I'd have done something like:
- 2 x 5 at 45;
- 1 x 3 at 65;
- 1 x 2 at 80; and
- 1 x 1 at 90.

That helped me with my work sets. I still don't do the 'normal' warm up on overhead presses, but I'm getting pretty close. I'm not sure if being male makes that different for me, but I thought I'd mention it.

Also, my bench grip width is -slightly- narrower than it should be. I found that it helps me unrack it without tearing my elbow apart so I'm willing to make that compromise. Besides, in my head it moves a bit of the load off the pecs and onto the triceps, which can only help the overhead press, right? (I have no idea if that's true.)

I'm struggling with the power clean much like you are, it seems. Getting my coaching next week, so fingers crossed. Have fun with the power snatches, though!

[tiny&mighty]

Thank you for the tip. I am going to plagiarize your warm up on my next bench workout. Lately it feels like my first work set is still a warm up. Maybe that will fix it. Oddly enough I have not had that kind of problems with the press, where my warm up is a lot shorter.

I agree that the narrower grip works much better to unrack. My left elbow is a bit finicky, so unracking the bar always takes a bit of a leap of faith. Elbows and wrists give me a hard time during the low-bar squat as well. I am still practicing this one during my warm-up sets, but I use the high-bar position during my work set (for the time being, anyway).

[David Hooper]

I see what you did there. :-)

Good luck with the bench!

[tiny&mighty]

Big workout today. Husband is away again, the weather was gorgeous, and I was on fire (must be the abstinence). Lots of videos for those who are curious or bored.

BW 116 lbs
- Squat: 3 sets of 5 at 152.5 lbs
- Press: 3 sets of 5 at 69 lbs
- Deadlift: 3 sets of 3 at 180 lbs
- Some power clean and snatch practice

Started with the squat, as always, still experimenting with the low-bar position. Amazingly, I just realized that ***TMI ALERT*** that bra I normally wear to lift affects my ability to secure the bar on the right spot. So I guess my favorite bra was overrated all along. Anyway, settling for a crappier bra has fixed half of the problem. The second half is the position of my wrists and elbows, and I doubt I will find an easy fix to that problem.

I had some time on my hands, so I made a bunch of videos to figure out what width and grip appears to work best. During my work set, I did the first set with a low bar, the second set with high bar, and the third set with the low bar again. Even with my thumbs around the bar, my elbows seem very high during the low-bar squat, more so than during the high-bar squat. I guess I will have to keep experimenting with this. Despite my poor form, I am still proud of today's squats. During my last two sets, I attempted the fifth rep despite the fact that 1) I did not want to do it and 2) I did not know whether I would be able to do it.

Somebody commented on my last press video on YouTube, so I decided to pay more attention to the position of my elbows and hands, while keeping Nick Delgadillo's insight in mind. I really like that guy (if I ever make it to a SS seminar, I hope he will consent to a hug). So I made a video to capture the bar path, and maybe I am out to lunch, but it looks good enough to me (this is my last set). The wrist position is not great, but that is the best I can do for the time being.

Then I moved outside for my deadlift, and that went very well (no belt again). That being said, my video shows that I am not keeping the bar close enough to the legs. I will have to pay more attention to this next time.

Finally, I decided to try the Olympic lifts with something heavier than a wooden stick. I used my lady bar (33 lbs) plus 10 lbs. Keep in mind that I initially bought those silly-looking 5-lbs plastic plates for my deadlift.

I am not sure how good they look, but the snatches sure felt great. I might add 2.5 lbs to the bar next time.

On the other hand, my power cleans are just pathetic. Since I brag a lot here, I will share this humiliating moment for your entertainment. I will keep working on that movement quite a bit before I seek a form check; I see no point in wasting a SSC's time with such a miserable performance.

Lots of things to improve, but still a great workout.