well I have been working out now for almost a year… I gained 30 pounds and I guess I am getting somewhere…
from 100 pounds to 130 im not considered tiny anymore…
well anyhow I realized that when I stand up, I have nice broad shoulders and a nice arch in my back…
but when I sit down my shoulders shrug… and its hard to keep them upright and erect…
I sit in college classes trying to see how long I could hold my body straight and erect and after a few minutes I give in… its hard!!
what can I do to have a broader back and more erect body?
i once tried to sit like you said in bus travelling cause i was bored. i lasted quite a few hours actually. its one thing to do it in a bus listening to music when you have nothing better to do. in class it would be annoying.
you mean like pinch my shoulder blades together and stick my butt out to the guy sitting behind me?
…yeah I did that during my last class just now… I hope I didnt look like a freak…
well anyhow I was able to hold my shoulders upright and straight for about 40 minutes then I had to collapse cause it killed and my back was going through spasms… after that it was on and off for the rest of the period.
talking about straight backs I have another quation. when I deadlift I find my back is perfectly straight, but I lean a bit foward otherwise I cant lift it off the ground. I always thought this was correct.
but yesterday some guy told to be perpendicular to the floor… of course he may not even know what hes talking about because I never saw him there before…
@sphaw
Im doing rippetroes starting strength but at 5x5 with all workouts
so I squat, deadlift, bench press, power clean, and military press all at 5x5
I also do dips 2x8 and pulls 2x8
I added recently some ab workouts and some plain barbell curls…
You can’t deadlift with a back perpendicular to the floor. The guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Your shoulder blades should be over the bar and your shins should be close to vertical. The angle of your back will be determined by your body dimensions.
You probably have weak erectors relative to your glutes. Stand normally with your heels, butt, shoulders and head against the wall. You should be able to stick you hand but not your fist between your lower back and the wall. I expect you can’t. Add some lower back work after your workouts. Romanian deadlifts and good mornings and also back extentions.
I’m saying the program you’re following is a good one (granted you haven’t changed it dramatically).
With that said, it might not be your best choice if you have certain problems with posture and stuff. Maybe you should look into some more specific training to fix that first, or just add some work geared towards that goal at the end of your sessions. It’s hard to say, I’m faaaaaaaar from an expert, and besides, I really don’t know anything about you.
But yes, to bottom line it, i was giving you a thumbsup on the program.
I just realized that you are doing 5x5 for both deadlifts and power cleans. That’s way to much. That’s what’s causing the imbalance. Forget my recommendation of RDLs and GMs. Drop the dealifts to 1x5 after warmup. Do back extentions but limit hip movement. That is, flex at the waist so your spine bends and the extend until it’s straight. Do a couple of sets of medium reps (10-15) and no added weight. Gradually add weight by holding a plate to your chest.
[quote]shamguy4 wrote:
you mean like pinch my shoulder blades together and stick my butt out to the guy sitting behind me?
…yeah I did that during my last class just now… I hope I didnt look like a freak…
well anyhow I was able to hold my shoulders upright and straight for about 40 minutes then I had to collapse cause it killed and my back was going through spasms… after that it was on and off for the rest of the period.
talking about straight backs I have another quation. when I deadlift I find my back is perfectly straight, but I lean a bit foward otherwise I cant lift it off the ground. I always thought this was correct.
but yesterday some guy told to be perpendicular to the floor… of course he may not even know what hes talking about because I never saw him there before…[/quote]
Throw on 3 plates and ask him to show you how to do a deadlift with the back being perpendicular to the floor,
haha I dont think hes even as strong as me… but I respect him nontheless… but it happens all the time… I see people who dont know how to work out and yet they love to tell people what to do… I had this guy telling me I was benching wrong… I said ok and ignored him… he lifts his feet off the ground when he benches so…
what should I say… I dont want to be rude or anything… but I dont need help from them!
@stu
hhhmmm back extensions… i think I used to do them…
back extension is where I lie on a bench on my stomach with my body off the bench and lift my upper body up?
Also I have done your test… I got it from a book once but the book said I was supposed to bend my knees and have my feet a foot from the wall.
doing it your way had me able to put my fist in between…or most of it… it was squeezed in…
the other way with feet away from wall had me with a perfect score of only being able to fit a flat hand in.
I remember you from a different site stu… your stalking me!!!
lol
in all seriousness I think my program is a good one and its working mostly… I just noticed when I sit its not so straight…
and I have to gain more weight… but I already eat the world so…
also I hope I stand with perfect posture… am I suppose to make a stomach muscle at all times? to keep my stomach straight… I read that somewhere once…
[quote]shamguy4 wrote: @stu
hhhmmm back extensions… i think I used to do them…
back extension is where I lie on a bench on my stomach with my body off the bench and lift my upper body up?[/quote]
[quote]shamguy4 wrote:
Also I have done your test… I got it from a book once but the book said I was supposed to bend my knees and have my feet a foot from the wall.
doing it your way had me able to put my fist in between…or most of it… it was squeezed in…
the other way with feet away from wall had me with a perfect score of only being able to fit a flat hand in.[/quote]
You may be OK, just work on your posture.
[quote]shamguy4 wrote:
I remember you from a different site stu… your stalking me!!!
lol[/quote]
I’m active on Dr. Squat and Exrx also under this name. I saw your name on JP Fitness asking about the same issue but I didn’t respond there. I’m not stalking you but it’s seems we frequent the same places.
so should I do the back extensions? I dont really have a high bench to lay on, but I can use the bench press bench… and lift myslef off of that I guess…
so thats what I should do for my posture? what about holding my lower torso properly. how can I make sure my pelvic tilt is right?
and I also added in bicep curls but Im not sure if I am doing it right… (how hard could a bicep curl be you might ask…)
I sometimes find myself leaning back while trying to bring up the dumbells during the curl. does that mean its too heavy? should I sit or stand?
should I not even do curls cause im doing perhaps too much?
sorry for the questions but when I get good answers i like going all the way!
[quote]shamguy4 wrote:
so should I do the back extensions? I dont really have a high bench to lay on, but I can use the bench press bench… and lift myslef off of that I guess…
so thats what I should do for my posture? what about holding my lower torso properly. how can I make sure my pelvic tilt is right?
and I also added in bicep curls but Im not sure if I am doing it right… (how hard could a bicep curl be you might ask…)
I sometimes find myself leaning back while trying to bring up the dumbells during the curl. does that mean its too heavy? should I sit or stand?
should I not even do curls cause im doing perhaps too much?
sorry for the questions but when I get good answers i like going all the way![/quote]
You should do back extensions anyway. Everyone’s back is too weak.
When doing curls, if your back is moving or if you have to lean back you are going too heavy.
thanks
but should i sit or stand?
Im using 25 pounders but I cant go down to 20 pounds because my stupid gym is missing a 20 pounder (there is only one…)
alright thanks…
Im already doing pulls isnt that like chinups?
I looked up about posture and i found I am suppose to have my abs flexed at all times? how is this acheived? I stop breathing when i flex my abs? perhaps I dont know how to flex my abs properly?
