Beginners Gains

Bigger Stronger Leaner Powerful Women
41

The lifts aren’t so bad. I just have a habit of over-thinking things, most probably. The technical aspect is one of the things that I enjoy, though. I get satisfaction from feeling like I’m making progress acquiring a technical skill. Certainly did my time practicing with a stick and then the smallest bar I could find (10kg) and only trying more once I could reliably get the previous. It isn’t so scary missing a broomstick or 10kg (you just hold it out in front of you to help rebalance yourself if it doesn’t go where it is supposed to).

The incremental changes aren’t so scary, really. But I certainly did my time with unweighted squats before I ever got to touch the bar… And I guess I’m getting a bit nervous of trying more than 32.5 because if it doesn’t go where it is supposed to I’m not sure I have the muscle to rebalance things without toppling or really needing to get out of the way. I guess thats what bumpers are for once you do get to 35kg… I’m sure you guys could do it if you wanted to…

42

I HATE when i can’t meet my last sessions’s training! I hate it! quite frustrating! GRR!! Your body has its mind on other things at the moment i guess. You’ll get back and better.

AND HURRAY for rep front squats! :D!! EE! but don’t hurry to add wt fast. for me at least i get sloppy on form real quick once i add to fast,and end up straining with my lower back :{

I’ll be thinking of you—damn scary job business :{ I’m sending good luck vibes

43

well you give me hope then on the technical aspects…i’ve tried a handful of times with a bar, but i take it its best to try and learn with a broomstick, just to get it right.

I can’t perform the snatch for shit! i get confused,and feel like i’m going to fall backwards:{

44

Well… I dunno about how most people do it, but I had success with the broomstick thing, yeah. Though I was pretty weak… I could imagine that some people might find starting with a little bit of weight helpful. Can you overhead squat without feeling like you are going to fall backwards? I’m terrified of falling backwards, too, but have only ever lost the bar forwards (when I’ve been too scared to pull it).

45

Hmm…interesting discussion going on here. I say this because I’m sort of mentally and physically prepping for Oly lifting and I realize that I’m not entirely sure my body moves in the ways it needs to for Oly lifting. Like you say, can you OH squat and not fall backward…well, i’m not even sure I can keep my back straight with my arms over (and behind?) my head. So this looks really challenging and I forsee A LOT of broomsticks in my future. HAHA!

Actually, tonight i’m going to attempt to squat in Oly style so I can start learning some of the mechanics.

Can I ask, is there anything you recommend for a total newb? Like any words of wisdom i.e. “ankle mobility grasshoper”

Also, congrats on the Powerclean! Don’t worry about matching weights and things. I feel like all lifts move at their own rates. Keep at it mama, and don’t stress with the work and stuff. Everything will fall into place.

46

+++++++++++++++++++++ 0_0 +++++++++++++++++++++

(sending positive vibes)

47

Masch - get Oly shoes.

48

Thanks guys. Yeah, I had to do a lot of work to get my body flexible and mobile enough to get into the proper positions. I was starting from a much more decrepit starting place than most, though.

I found this really helpful on learning an olympic style front squat (50 minutes long):

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6529481301858251744#

The ankle mobility drill I do is part of this whole warm-up complex:

(But I didn’t do band walks because didn’t have a band).

49

Good luck on your quest for a chin-up! I think doing band assisted chin-up is they way to go. I started out not being able to do one and did all my reps with one foot on a chair for support. I’d get bored with the lat pull down too - plus it is too isolated. There are so many other muscles working during the chin-up.

I’m cheering for ya!

50

Today (some variation since it is Sunday):

Overhead Press: 20kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 2x3, 25kg 1x5, 20kg 1x5. Was waiting for the Smith Machine so needed to use the preloaded barbells (powerclean to start each set).
Front Squat: 15kg 1x5, 20kg 5x5. Aiming for smooth and fast. Ditto about the Smith Machine.
Smith Kickbacks: 20kg (bar) 1x10, 25kg 2x8, 30kg 1x8.
Smith Inverted Rows: 5x5 7th peg from the bottom.

Generally… 45kg Powerclean is feeling pretty good. Starting to get a sense of finishing the pull (extending properly) then needing to haul ass to position myself under it. Not that I’m doing that, but I think I’m finishing the pull a bit better and getting a better sense of what I’m supposed to be doing. 5x5 30kg front squats are hard work. Done that about 5x now and it isn’t feeling much easier (in the sense of my feeling like putting up the middle set to 32.5kg). Maybe I’m being lazy… I think the movement is getting smoother, though, in the sense that I’m powering out of the hole faster. Guess I won’t be in too much of a hurry to increase the weight, just focus on smooth and fast. Feeling like I’m not really strong enough for the resistance band chin-ups since I’m not contracting lats hard at the top of a flexed arm hang and the band doesn’t assist at the top. Will mix things up a bit on that. Play with the bar, play with the band, play with the stupid lat pull down machine. I will get there…

Trouble with quitting smoking in the sense that I find it really hard to write when I quit. Housesitting for my supervisor over Christmas, though, so I’ll quit then (helped me quit doing that this time last year). I damn well will do it but need to get into a routine with my writing beforehand and be sure to maintain it through quitting. Moving house for a bit helps break me out of most of my smoking routine, so that is good.

Snatch wasn’t progressing as fast as I’d hoped. Haven’t tried the bumpers yet because it needs to be a good day indeed for 30kg to feel smooth. Just going to aim for getting 27.5kg to feel good… Then 30kg etc. Won’t be in such a hurry to increase my max. Guess that is it for now. Oh, been thinking about trying to schedule deload week a couple days before / during my monthly. Need to keep a bit of a record to figure out when to start deloading, but think I will try this. Anybody do this? Helpful? Go for maxes the week back or a week after (e.g., around ovulation?) Not quite sure what a deload is exactly… Lighter weights, same routine? Or less reps, same weights?

51

I really enjoyed readiny your progress. I struggled with smoking for about 5 years, and finally quit after returning from a military deployment. It helped coinciding quitting with a vacation to mexico.

Good luck and keep kicking ass.

52

Hey Alexus!

So now having started Oly lifting I have a completely new appreciation for the training you’re doing. UGH! Its so much harder than I thought it would be! My arms and shoulders tire just holding the bar while I hear feedback from the coaches (b/c I’m still working from a dead hang…double ugh!).

A 45kg power clean is REALLY good if you ask me. But I’m with you, I think the motion of these movements have to feel ‘natural’ before one can really start adding weight. But I’m starting from veeeery beginning, so everything is really quite new and ‘unatural’ right now. LOL!

As for the bit about deloading around hormones, I definitely do this! If you go to Owlies log, maybe 1-3 pages back, you’ll see a whole section where it was discussed and Bobbi put some science behind this idea of deloading around your period (so that we don’t just sound like a bunch of whiney, bleeders - lol!).

Keep up the great work! I’ll be checking in on ya!

53

I thought I read somewhere that you did this Mascherano. Thanks for telling me about the discussion - I’ll be sure to take a look :slight_smile: So glad that you are enjoying the lifting. It is humbling (weight-wise). But getting it right (or feeling like you have) is the most wonderful feeling in the world, I reckon. Effortless. Except CNS intensive… Easy. Weird. Still doesn’t happen for me very often, but more often than it used to. I’ll be interested to hear how you learn. E.g., First thing I learned was plate squat / front squat. Pulls came later. From the floor. I haven’t done any work at the hang.

Thanks Dropkick. Great to hear that you managed to quit! There is hope for me. I will get there.

TUESDAY (taking things a bit easy / sort of deloading 'cause of cranky lumbar spine and hips from my monthly friend, lack of sleep, and hangover / dehydration):

POWERCLEAN: 30kg 1x3, 35kg 1x3, 40kg 1x3, 45kg 1x3, 1x2 - miss, 40kg 3x3. Okay. Need to ‘finish the pull’ better (pull hips through properly and get those traps up)

PRESS: 25kg 1x5, 27.5kg 1x5, 30kg 1x3, 1x2 - miss - push press, 27kg 1x4 - miss - push press, 25kg 1x5. blah. i can do better than this.

PLAYING: tried to do some squat cleans with the bar / 25kg / 30kg. more catching high and riding it down into the squat than cutting the pull short to get under it (as I have a habit of trying to do it). I guess I don’t have the skill to pull properly at reduced force. Makes it hard because I can pull more than I can squat so too scared to get under anything I can’t pull high enough. Squatting part didn’t feel right. Decided this was a waste of time, really, and I should suck it up and go do squats. Then realized hips / spine was cranky. Just did a couple sets of 5 with the bar (20kg). Foam rolling. Enough for the day.

54

cool stoff alexus.

55

Just found your log - sounds as though you’re on quite a journey. I can’t help with the oly lifts as I’m somewhat dyspraxic and haven’t yet managed to get my head around them (I can do a kettlebell snatch, but the barbell, not so much).

Being an ex smoker, I might be able to give some tips there, however. I was a 15 Marlboro a day girl back in my late 20s, but decided I wanted to quit before I was 30 (I’m 43 now) to save myself from a) health problems and b) developing a mouth like a cat’s arsehole. I decided to do this on holiday (I’m English and it was a holiday to Florida) as I was not going to be able to smoke on the longhaul flight, so I might as well continue as my companions were non smokers.

I was so busy enjoying the theme parks and restaurants I coped really well without the cigarettes, although I did put on 7lbs right away. It’s worth noting that nicotine is anti-estrogenic so you may well put on weight around the hips and thighs as you recover your hormone levels. I certainly did, although I’m naturally a pear (or would be if I hadn’t developed such a wide back from training).

Anyway, getting back to work was harder as, at the time, I worked in an industry where there were a lot of social events and most people smoked. So for a while, if I was in a situation where everyone was smoking, I’d have a cigar (and not inhale, obviously, since you’re not supposed to inhale them). I gradually moved away from them and once I’d finished my patches I was fine.

For the record, I used the 24 hour patches. They give you interesting dreams but they won’t leave you desperate for a cigarette upon waking.

Anyway, good luck with that and the lifting.

56

Hi! I don’t really know anything about Oly or smoking, but thought I’d pop in and let you know I’m reading along.

57

Thanks guys. My best friend (also my worst influence) has left the country so that is half the battle with respect to my not smoking. Not smoking again from now :slight_smile: The drinking / smoking / not eating very well / not sleeping very well antics of this last week took their toll, though.

Felt lazy about my last training session so went back that evening for a bit of a top up. Just playing around with powercleans, snatch / powersnatch, romanian deadlift, deadlift up to 65kg, overhead press, pushpress up to 35kg (never tried doing that before PR yay). Sort of playing (didn’t log exact) but heavy deadlifting and pressing for me.

My shoulder has been giving me a bit of grief. Turns out it is from my trying to slowly lower anything under 40 or 35kg (depending on which bar). Was getting brused thighs so started using my arms more but my left arm is tired of being pulled from its socket. Still a bit fried from last night (it felt like)

Powerclean 30kg 1x3, 35kg 2x3, 40kg 2x3.
Front Squat 20kg 2x5. Feeling yuk. Bail.

Hungover and shoulder not happy.

Glute Kickback 20kg 1x10, 25kg 2x8, 30kg 1x6
Inverted Rows 5x5 (7th and 6th peg on smith machine)
Standing Barbell Rows 15kg 1x10, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 3x5
Front Squat 15kg 1x5, 20kg 1x5.

Powerclean 25kg 1x3, 30kg 1x3, 40kg 1x3, 45kg crap, miss, miss, 40kg 3x3
Overhead Press 25kg 1x5, 27.5kg 1x5, 30kg 1x4, 1pushpress, 27.5kg 3 2push-press, 25kg 1x5
Front Squat 20kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 5x5.

My front squat isn’t getting stronger doing 30kg 5x5. If anything they are feeling harder than they were before. Need a fair few breaths between the last three reps. Not quite sure what to do about this. Maybe try 20kg 5x5 then 25kg 5x5 to try and work back up? A sort of deload from them or something… Or back to triples and doubles to bring up my max (haven’t tried my previous max of 40kg for a single again). I don’t know. Demoralized. See what quitting smoking and better nutrition and sleep do for me next week…

58

Oh. My log tells me that when I used to do 5x5 it was 20kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5, 30kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5, 20kg 1x5.
Then I moved to triples, doubles, and singles in order to get 40kg on a couple occasions. Then 40kg wouldn’t go up so I went back to 5x5… Only I went ‘back’ to 20kg 1x5, 25kg 1x5 (warming up) and then 30kg 5x5. So… Guess that does mean I got stronger. But after doing that about 7 times I feel a bit beat up, yeah. I wish I didn’t suck so bad at squatting (30kg kicks my ass WTF!!!) At least now I know, I guess.

59

HAH! You don’t suck at squatting! Those are some formidable numbers. And I find front squatting much harder than back squatting, that’s for sure.

Hmm…interesting about the overcompensation with the shoulder - I’m getting all bruised up too and I think I might be doing the same for fear of hitting my bruises. Yikes.

Good work on the no smoking. I’ve been a smoker on and off for years, but when I quite smoking full-time I remember my mother telling me to think of it like “saying goodbye to an old friend”. Funny.

60

Yeah, bruises suck. Sometimes the blocks are taken and I can set up reebok steppers to use as blocks. I can tell when the bar is the right height because it hurts when I push it against the bruises on my shins. And quad bruises from lowering the bar. There will be benefits to being able to warm up with the bumpers. Still, guess we are lucky that bumpers have been invented. People used to have to lower everything…

I think I do suck at squatting :frowning: My coach said ‘you don’t suck’, too, but I figured he was just trying to be nice. Guess I’ve been thinking of strength standards about bodyweight squats and front squat being around 70% of back squat and higher if you are practiced… I’ve been (only) front squatting for a while, now, so I really think I should be much closer to a bodyweight front squat :frowning: But probably I’m just being impatient with myself… Really is down, though, compared to my progress on other strength standards (deadlift, standing press etc). Dunno… Rehabbing from months in wheelchair / crutches probably accounts for my (relatively) atrophied legs, though. Not that I’m out of place in the cardio room, but still…

Did a couple days non-smoking then needed to buy some to get a job application deadline done. Damn. I got myself into a FOUL mood, too. Will get back to quitting tomorrow since there isn’t anything special that I need to do over the next week (I don’t think). Got gum… Got patches… It is saying goodbye to a very old friend, indeed. Know I can do it, though: I’ve done it before.