I am trying to figure out what i could improve at the gym. I think i work hard on most days at the gym. But i am on work out 6 stage one of nrolfw and realized i should have been doing squats without the smith machine. I attempted it with out plates bar alone and it was good. I figured i might as well make sure i knew what i was doing. But now i am unsure what i could lift on my own and to be honest its a little scary. I really want to work out for the rest of my life and but dont want to push so hard i get hurt... hear is what i am doing so far. Any thoughts?
Squat: just oly bar
push up\ bw now should be able to do bw 3 sets of 8
seated row :50/lbs
step up:15lbs
deadlift oly plus 10lbs
dumbel shoulder now 7.5lbs
widegrip: 60lbs
lunge:12.5
abs are a joke to me i try to do more than is called for but i try to follow the plan. Does this seem good for stage one? tia
Only you can determine if you are lifting heavy enough. 20 lbs to me might be heavy for you and vice versa.
If you can't get out one more rep for a set, then you are probably OK. But, if you feel you could knock out a few more reps, then you should increase the weight.
Erindj, not knowing your fitness level or anything else about you, I can tell you that your numbers are in the same range as mine when I started. Many women are lifting substantially heavier weights BUT, as MissJane said, only you can know what is right for you. We all have different bodies and muscle mass and must work with what we have. That said, one technique I have been trying to figure out if I should be lifting heavier is to increase each set incrementally during one workout. For example, I last started squats at 55 lbs. One set of 10. Finished fine. Next set I added 5 lb each side for 10x 65 lb. Since I still felt I had a little more oomph left (oomph is a technical term), I did my last set at 75lb. That was tough for me but I finished. So next week, I am going to start at 75 lb and maybe go up in 5lb incremements. I hope someday to be up there with the 135lb gals with the big plates, but not yet. Similarly on the dumbell shoulder press I try to go up a little week (I have really weak upper body strength). I try to at least do the first set with the next higher weight than the previous week, but usually on the second or third set, have to drop the weight back down to keep good form and complete the reps. But slowly I have been increasing the weights. Anyway, this is a slow and careful way to keep testing the limits of what you can lift safely and with good form. I have not really read of this approach in any book, but it seems to be working for me.
yes mamama thats what i have been doing! Glad to hear we doing it the same way. The one that really gets me is the squats because i wont have any support if its to heavy but oh well..here goes nothing thanks=)
Speaking of squats....I recently read through Mark Rippetoe's book Starting Strength again and really decided to focus on form and on going ATG on my squats. While I had been slowing increasing my weight to over 100 lbs on squats, I soon realized that my depth on squats with that high of a weight were not below parallel, as much as I tried to convince myself they were. I went all the way back to the bar only and started REALLY squatting ATG and have progressed from there. WHAT A DIFFERENCE.
When choosing weights, I try to choose one where, if the set is 12 reps, I could do 13 reps with that weight, but not 14.
As for abs you're working those when you do squats, deadlifts and other compound lifts.
To learn more about squatting, go to youtube and search for squat rx (can't remember if it's one word or two) - there's a whole series of videos devoted to just that exercise.
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Hey Jane - What do you mean "what a difference"? What difference did you notice? Just curious.... 'cause I know I go parallel at most. I checked with body weight and put a chair behind me that made me parallel when I touched it. What more do you get from going all the way down?
Touching a chair won't put you at parallel. At least not any chairs I have. To go parallel, you've got to get your ass below your knees. Then, try going ATG and see how it feels. It's just a much larger ROM and puts the emphasis where it should be instead of just your quads when doing partial squats.
This is what I was getting at in the 'parallel squat' thread....I don't think some people even know what parallel really is or they fool themselves into thinking they ARE parallel, but they aren't. (not saying you are....just in general).
Take a look at the bottom of a squat in this middle picture from the front of Rippetoe's book:
Since I've been really working on this, I am always checking out people at the gym. From what I can see, 95% or more don't go parallel and I never see ATG. Also, it looks to me like people are afraid to drop to parallel or else they have mobility issues....dunno. Some aren't even doing 1/2 squats...more like 1/4 squats. But, at any rate, since I've been observing it's been very eye-opening.
Jane - Your thread was why I checked in the first place. The chair I used made me go parallel.... it is an outside lawn chair and much lower than a kitchen chair. I did check without weight so I could really take notice. I tried a stool at first, but that was too high. I liked using the chair behind me so I could feel if I was down low enough.
I may trying going all the way down with just a broomstick or something. just to see!
Since I've been really working on this, I am always checking out people at the gym. From what I can see, 95% or more don't go parallel and I never see ATG. Also, it looks to me like people are afraid to drop to parallel or else they have mobility issues....dunno. Some aren't even doing 1/2 squats...more like 1/4 squats. But, at any rate, since I've been observing it's been very eye-opening.
It's interesting you mention that, Jane, since I noticed the exact same thing today. I injured my back doing deadlifts in late July and couldn't do anything for over two and a half months. Today was only my third workout since recovering and I am obviously very focused on proper form and not overloading. Was squatting today with a relatively light load compared to where I was previously, but squatting deeper and definitely finding it challenging just the same. I was sore for a couple of says after my first workout.
Anyway, getting back to your comment, there was a woman using the other squat rack with her trainer. She had what I consider to be a fairly heavy load (oly bar, 45lb plate and I think a 10lb and 5lb on each side). Was thinking that was pretty impressive and was curious to check out her technique. Turns out she was only doing 1/2 squats at most. Wasn't quite as impressed after that...
im i lifting to light?
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