I mentioned this in my log, but I know all of you NROLer's will appreciate this story.
So, I am doing my BSS's and I am STILL unable to nail these with any extra weight, let alone an O/H press! (I'm in FLII). So, I am working through my sets and there is a local high school swimmer who is being coached through some extra workouts by three different coaches (he must be the star swimmer, I am guessing). I don't know if BSS's were planned or if they saw me doing them and then decided to do them....but, this kid did his BSS's with 65 lbs olympic bar on his shoulders! I couldn't believe it!
I've never seen anyone do BSS's at my gym, and my first look at them was a sight that surely put me to shame! LOL!
I never thought about it, but I've never seen anyone else at any gym ever doing BSS. I first started doing them several years ago because they were in an article in Muscle & Fitness Hers.
Luckily there are only about four guys I ever even saw doing any lower body work, so the cage is usually open.
That's funny...I've never seen anyone else doing BSS's at my gym until today when a woman who appeared to be in her 30s was pounding them out with 25lb dumbbells, while I, a 28 year old male, was struggling with tens in each hand.
That's funny...I've never seen anyone else doing BSS's at my gym until today when a woman who appeared to be in her 30s was pounding them out with 25lb dumbbells, while I, a 28 year old male, was struggling with tens in each hand.
Quite embarrassing...
Wow, I hope that's me one day....pounding them out with 25lb dumbbells! Now, I have no illusions that I'll EVER be pounding them out with a 65lb bar on my back! LOL!
I was in the gym the other day, and there was a guy next to me doing BSS. I commented on them being the exercise I love to hate.
He asked what a BSS was, and I said, what you're doing now.
He said "we used to just call them lunges" to which I replied
"Yeah, they rename the excercise so they can teach you something new and charge you for it."
My son also likes a variation he saw recently in MH - instead of dumbells at the side, hold a plate (you pick the weight) at arms length in front of you.
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A journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step.
I was in the gym the other day, and there was a guy next to me doing BSS. I commented on them being the exercise I love to hate.
He asked what a BSS was, and I said, what you're doing now.
He said "we used to just call them lunges" to which I replied
"Yeah, they rename the excercise so they can teach you something new and charge you for it."
My son also likes a variation he saw recently in MH - instead of dumbells at the side, hold a plate (you pick the weight) at arms length in front of you.
I don't think I've ever seen anyone at the corporate gym I work out at doing BSS's at all, save my friend who I persuaded to try NROL. Squats, I've seen my friend and one other person, and deadlifts, just me and my friend.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I've never seen anyone do BSS's at my gym, and my first look at them was a sight that surely put me to shame! LOL!
Kudo's to that swimmer! I've never seen EVER doing BSS's at my gym, the whole time I've been a member.
I'm just finishing up my second week of FL I. And I'm still having balance problems with my right foot in front. Dunno why, something I have to work through I guess.
Try looking up at something when you do the BSS's. I relax my shoulders take a deep breath and focus on something up higher and ahead of me. This takes my focus off of my balance and everything just falls into place. Of course, it takes mental focus as well, so easier said than done. But try it. Relax, focus, look up, breathe.
Try looking up at something when you do the BSS's. I relax my shoulders take a deep breath and focus on something up higher and ahead of me. This takes my focus off of my balance and everything just falls into place. Of course, it takes mental focus as well, so easier said than done. But try it. Relax, focus, look up, breathe.
Biskit
Agreed - and not rushing things has helped me a lot. My problem is with my left leg, so I tend to do some "warmup" reps first so as to work out balance issues before I start the work sets with it.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Wow...I'm certainly glad I'm not alone in my BSS misery! I just started FLII, which has the BSS with press.
Well...first workout, first set I started with 20lbs DB...2nd set I went to 15, 3rd set 15. I finished the workout with the Rom DL's and lower Russian twists. I didn't think I was going to make it out to the gym without passing out and went home very, very sick to my stomach. (I was released from the Navy for seasickness without ever throwing up...for some reason I just don't ever vomit...I have a feeling I was at the point where most throw up). I had to lay down when I got home and slept for 2 hours...very odd.
Second workout, started with 15 lbs DB, sets 2 & 3 did 15 lbs again. Started feeling sick to my stomach and a little light headed, decided it best not to try to finish the last 2 exercises and headed home.
During the first workout I guess I didn't even think about the fact that I was going to be doing 20 DB presses X 72. I get cramps in my ankle/foot that's up on the bench and sometimes come close to getting 'stuck' in the down position. I'm determined to get through these while hopefully getting a little bit of forum while maintaining at least a little bit of my dignity!
I had the same reaction when I first did FL2. I was on the edge of vomiting for a few hours after doing BSS with o/h press the first time. They do get "easier", as amazing as that may seem, but they are always tough.
__________________ "cedit item retro, de terra quod fuit ante, in terras. - Titus Lucretius Carus 96-55 B.C.E."
I'm almost finished up with FLI, and then my 'week off'. I'm dreading FLII a bit. Those BSS with overhead press are sounding lovely. I tried a couple the other day, and I am envisioning all sorts of tipping over and groaning. Oh well, a new challenge! Just what I need!
themossman,
You are certainly not alone in your BSS misery! I'm impressed you did those with 20lb and 15lb dumbells after deadlifts. That's a lot better than my 8lb/5lb combination I had to use yesterday. I had to quit a workout in the middle of FLI because I was almost sick and I never want to have that happen again.
One thing you *may* want to consider is dropping your DB weight even more to toss the nauseated feeling. It could be that you're just using too much weight in the grand scheme of the workout and you're body is fighting back. I know this is anecdotal, and comparing absolute weights between two people is nonsense, but I can do 20/15lb BSSs with no issues when I didn't have any leg work prior. Doing 3x12 worth of deadlifts dictated very quickly that the BSS weight had to drop, and in a large way, in order to get through the entire workout. Even though yesterday I had to use the pretty pink/purple 5 & 8 lb weights, I got through it.....but it was awful!
__________________ An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while the pessimist sees only the red stoplight. The truly wise person is colourblind.
The lady with the 25 dbs doing bss is certainly impressive, though whenever somebody tells me about what they saw somebody lift, I always want to ask, "what did they do earlier in the workout?" It is one thing to do those right out of the warmup, another thing to do them after another low body exercise.
I think your absolutely right...in hindsight, I was impressed with myself that I squeeked those out (at least the first set) with 20 lbs...
I've lowered the weight and 'accepted' that it's ok for me to use the little sissy looking dumb bells. After suffering through with the 20lbs...I would actually welcome someone questioning the weight I'm using so that I could hand them some 30 pounders and show them the misery of BSSs!
I've lowered the weight and 'accepted' that it's ok for me to use the little sissy looking dumb bells.
We all take an ego beating on BSS with O/H presses. But look on the bright side, you are now eligible to commiserate with our select group of whimpering misery lovers.
Keep up the good work.
Cheers!
__________________ "cedit item retro, de terra quod fuit ante, in terras. - Titus Lucretius Carus 96-55 B.C.E."
I had that experience too - eventually moving to no weights at all due to balance issues. Next time I encounter them I think I'll be a lot better prepared thanks to all the practice in doing regular bulgarian split squats throughout NROL.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
BSS Story -- Had to share...
I had to quit a workout in the middle of FLI because I was almost sick and I never want to have that happen again.
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