Ok - vid time. Deadlift form check.
I’ve noticed a few things and had some feedback but would be great to hear any / all other input from you guys - the good, the bad and the ugly please and thank you.
Jo, I somehow signed up for MFP with my real name (doh!) so I didn’t “friend” you. Sorry about that!
[quote]Warrioress wrote:
Ok - vid time. Deadlift form check.
I’ve noticed a few things and had some feedback but would be great to hear any / all other input from you guys - the good, the bad and the ugly please and thank you. [/quote]
Only thing wrong with that is the weight looks too light for you lol.
Hmm I can’t see any video, will check back later though!
[quote]csulli wrote:
[quote]Warrioress wrote:
Ok - vid time. Deadlift form check.
I’ve noticed a few things and had some feedback but would be great to hear any / all other input from you guys - the good, the bad and the ugly please and thank you. [/quote]
Only thing wrong with that is the weight looks too light for you lol.[/quote]
Yes - it was a warm-up set at 60kg - should’ve filmed my work sets really. Though need to get me some wraps as my grip isn’t up to speed on the weight I can pull now and possibly never will be as I have ridiculous infant-sized hands!
I’ve been told not to lock-out my knees at the top, keep my shoulders back and lats tighter and I think my knees are straightening out a little faster than my hips rather than at the same time.
[quote]Warrioress wrote:
I’ve been told not to lock-out my knees at the top, keep my shoulders back and lats tighter and I think my knees are straightening out a little faster than my hips rather than at the same time. [/quote]
Well I’m not sure why someone would tell you not to lock your knees at the top. That’s not a big deal, and in fact in powerlifting if you don’t fully lock out your knees then the rep doesn’t count.
The other two are always good things to strive for though. It is best usually for conventional pullers when your hips and knees extend together, similar to if you were jumping.
For your shoulders and lats, Andy Bolton always used the cue “anti-shrug” to pull your shoulders down and lats back. Some people like to imagine trying to tuck their shoulders into their back pockets. That one’s kind of silly, but it might help get the feeling across.
[quote]csulli wrote:
[quote]Warrioress wrote:
I’ve been told not to lock-out my knees at the top, keep my shoulders back and lats tighter and I think my knees are straightening out a little faster than my hips rather than at the same time. [/quote]
Well I’m not sure why someone would tell you not to lock your knees at the top. That’s not a big deal, and in fact in powerlifting if you don’t fully lock out your knees then the rep doesn’t count.
The other two are always good things to strive for though. It is best usually for conventional pullers when your hips and knees extend together, similar to if you were jumping.
For your shoulders and lats, Andy Bolton always used the cue “anti-shrug” to pull your shoulders down and lats back. Some people like to imagine trying to tuck their shoulders into their back pockets. That one’s kind of silly, but it might help get the feeling across.[/quote]
Hmmm…thought the don’t lock-out knees was a strange one - won’t worry about that then, but yes I’ve heard the shoulders into back pockets one so will keep this one in mind. Thanks for the comments csulli 
Work today - rest/non-gym day.
1 mile 7mins 44secs - this felt awful today like running through tar.
2mins of each
Pushups - 48
Burpees - 52
Situps - 52
Then worked with the ab wheel & pull-up bar throughout the day in bouts. Have found a way to work with ab wheel by hooking my feet under my sofa and rolling out - trying to keep the focus on abs rather than hammies - though the hammie burn is a nice extra bonus.
And the pull-ups are band assisted and negatives - working up to full pullups still.
[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
Hmm I can’t see any video, will check back later though![/quote]
Hmmm…vid definitely there - in fact I posted it twice by accident!
1 mile run 7min 33
Legs
Squats
40kg 12
50kg 10
55kg 8
60kg 6, 5, 4
Hack Squat
30kg - 15, 15, 20
Romanian Deadlift
50kg 12, 10, 10
Leg Ext
35kg 16, 16, 15
Single Leg Bulgarians
20kg - 10, 10, 10
Hip Thrusts
65kg - 15, 15, 12
Hyper ext - 25, 25, 20
Incline Walking - 30mins
Slowly adding in cardio to start leaning out for a bit - current weight is 125lbs - which is up from 118lbs when I started ramping up training properly 3 months ago.
Alan Arogon’s Natural Lean Muscle Mass Gain Model
Catagory: Years Training: Muscle Gain:
Beginner 1 year or less 1-1.5% total body weight per month
Intermediate 2-3 years 0.5-1% total body weight per month
Advanced 5 years or more 0.25-0.5% total Body Weight per month
So anywhere between 3.5-5lbs of that gain could be muscle going on beginner gains.
My body shape has definitely changed, especially upper body (which I hardly ever trained properly previously) - I took photos back in August when starting out and the have taken more last week and the change is there - not sure I’m game enough to post them just yet - maybe once I’ve leaned out a little I may post!
1 mile run 7mins 36secs.
Chest & Shoulders:
Incline Barbell Press
20kg 12
30kg 10
35kg 8, 8, 7
Dips - 8, 8, 8, 7, 7
Cable Flyes 20kg 15, 15, 12
Lateral Raise 10kg s/s Shoulder Press 12kg 12, 12, 12, 12
Rear Delt Fly 6kg s/s Upright Kettlebell Row 10kg 15, 15, 12
Front Raises 8kg 10, 10, 10
Jump Rope - 10 mins.
Shoulders are becoming one of my favourite body parts to train - probably because I’ve never focused on them in the past and they’re coming up the quickest visually. Upper body shape has changed a lot in the past few months
Hey Warrioress, great log and great work!
You mentioned rope tricks - yes, you should definitely try some.
I’ve been playing around with dance footwork while jumping rope. The possibilities are endless. I can also use different parts of my foot to create different percussion effects on the floor - like an Irish dancer or tap dancer.
You should give it a try!
Also, nice work on the gains. Gainz? Gainzeses? Shoulders can be very responsive when you focus and put in the volume…I’m glad to see that paying off for you. Don’t be afraid to push the frequency if you are open to it, especially on the movements that don’t really tax your nervous system (lateral raises, front raises).
The jump rope is probably also helping. It seems to be synergistic for me. The rope work builds up endurance capacity in the shoulders. Specifically, they can clear lactic acid much better. This allows you to do more work with the weights. Bigger shoulders, better jump rope dancer. Win win win.
Keep up the great work!
[quote]Serge A. Storms wrote:
Hey Warrioress, great log and great work!
You mentioned rope tricks - yes, you should definitely try some.
I’ve been playing around with dance footwork while jumping rope. The possibilities are endless. I can also use different parts of my foot to create different percussion effects on the floor - like an Irish dancer or tap dancer.
You should give it a try!
Also, nice work on the gains. Gainz? Gainzeses? Shoulders can be very responsive when you focus and put in the volume…I’m glad to see that paying off for you. Don’t be afraid to push the frequency if you are open to it, especially on the movements that don’t really tax your nervous system (lateral raises, front raises).
The jump rope is probably also helping. It seems to be synergistic for me. The rope work builds up endurance capacity in the shoulders. Specifically, they can clear lactic acid much better. This allows you to do more work with the weights. Bigger shoulders, better jump rope dancer. Win win win.
Keep up the great work! [/quote]
Thanks for dropping in Serge… And another jump rope dancer…! I’m seriously enjoying this finisher for my workouts - plug in the tunes and GO - I’m probably grinning/gurning like a loon when I get into the zone - and yes the dancer in me is busting some Irish / tap dancer footwork naturally every time too
And it’s definitely upping shoulder endurance.
Would be great to learn some impressive tricking moves - will be on youtube for inspiration later…
And you’re right about pushing the frequency - at the point now where I’m not in bits the day after every lifting session so am already upping my general training frequency/intensity and is feels great - will be adding in another upper body session in each week, but will make it a less formal and more playful session, with some locomotion / animal flow type drills in there too.
I’m off for some cardio…rope’s coming with…
Cardio & Abs - 20 mins of jump rope and ab intervals - alternating between the two, 30 secs of work each time with only transition time to rest.
Then some LISS - 40 mins of high incline treadmill walking.
A bit on my diet… It’s pretty clean and dialled in and has been for awhile now (I’m a nutrition geek). I use IIFYM/flexible dieting/Intermittent Fasting protocols along the way to suit my changing daily circumstances (my work is disruptive/irregular in patterns and hours).
Current state of play…
Training days - 1500-1600kcals
P - 120g
C - 150-180g
F - 50g
Rest / cardio days - I just take out some of the carbs going as low as 50g some days and upping the fats a bit.
A bit more background here… I struggled with an eating disorder on and off for the majority of my teens / twenties. I was a pro-dancer and it kinda went with the territory.
Have spent the past couple of years reverse dieting / repairing my metabolism & my relationship with food.
I’ve most certainly done untold metabolic damage in the past and I feel my calories should currently be higher still but I’ve been steadily pushing from a low of around 700/800kcals and 105lbs weight not so long ago (I probably hadn’t eaten a carb in years) so it’s been baby steps, but getting there and I’m in a really good place with my relationship to food these days.
Proper training / fueling / adding more muscle will eventually stoke my metabolism higher and higher - all a work in progress.
Back - 4th week on current program.
Really tired and drained today - haven’t scoffed enough carbs this week and it’s that ‘ToM’ for me. Wanted to start trying for more weight on deads - but didn’t have it in me for this session.
1 mile run - 7min 27secs
Deadlifts
50kg 12
55kg 10
60kg 8
65kg 6, 6, 6, 6
T-Bar Row s/s Front Pulldowns 15, 12, 12, 12
Straight arm pulldowns s/s single arm cable rows 12, 12, 12, 12
Hyperback ext w/15kg plate 12, 12, 12
Gar hammer raises 12, 12, 12
Ab roll outs 12, 12, 12
Jump Rope 10mins
So I went along to my first ‘bodybuilding show’ yesterday night.
I knew it was never going to be totally my cup of tea - but I found it be a complete turn off to the notion of ever wanting to compete on stage which has been something on the back of my mind for the future.
I guess the greed of the federation is to blame for the sheer length of the whole charade - the first contestant stepped onstage at 5.30pm and 5 full, non-stop hours later they’d finally got through showing everyone from every category and onto announcing winners. Hundreds of competitors - it was mind-numbingly vacuous stuff, all to a headache inducing thumping shitty pop dance soundtrack.
There were of course some amazing physiques on show - but I was just numb and nauseated by it all by the end.
This is possibly a WBFF specific trait also - I know they are the ‘glitziest’ federation and I guess I should sample other shows before writing the whole thing off entirely, but there’s no way in the world I would want to be a part of that.
[quote]Warrioress wrote:
So I went along to my first ‘bodybuilding show’ yesterday night.
I knew it was never going to be totally my cup of tea - but I found it be a complete turn off to the notion of ever wanting to compete on stage which has been something on the back of my mind for the future.
I guess the greed of the federation is to blame for the sheer length of the whole charade - the first contestant stepped onstage at 5.30pm and 5 full, non-stop hours later they’d finally got through showing everyone from every category and onto announcing winners. Hundreds of competitors - it was mind-numbingly vacuous stuff, all to a headache inducing thumping shitty pop dance soundtrack.
There were of course some amazing physiques on show - but I was just numb and nauseated by it all by the end.
This is possibly a WBFF specific trait also - I know they are the ‘glitziest’ federation and I guess I should sample other shows before writing the whole thing off entirely, but there’s no way in the world I would want to be a part of that. [/quote]
Pretty much lol.
Powerlifting competitions can be almost as bad. Olympic lifting competitions are definitely better. Strongman and highland games are probably the most fun by far though.
Nice training template you have going. I’ve never been to a bodybuilding show, but your writeup is about what I expected those shows to be like!