I can barely lift the olympic bar off the rack! In fact, I can't lift it off with an overhand grip. I wrestled with that thing last week & wore myself out - I was able to do 3 sets of 10 front squats (we don't have a squat rack so a regular squat is very difficult; I had to get the bar off of the bench press). I'm 62 years old, 5' 6 1/2" tall, weigh 130 & have been working out for 6 years. Nothing with this intensity - but I love it. I can only shoulder press 10 to 12# at this point. I would welcome some suggestions on how to approach the squat/push press exercise & build the strength to handle that bar.
Wow, I hope I'm as badass as you when I'm 62! You rock. I cannot do the front squat/push press with the oly bar yet. I am using a lighter bar (my gym has fixed weight barbells) to start with.
Wow, I hope I'm as badass as you when I'm 62! You rock. I cannot do the front squat/push press with the oly bar yet. I am using a lighter bar (my gym has fixed weight barbells) to start with.
Same here I was only able to use the pre-made barbells in Stage 2, but I hope to change that in Stage 4.
Thanks, girls. I'm just swimming against the tide at this stage of the game. I'll take Miss Jane's suggestion & give it a whirl with the EZ curl bar or try it with my 12 pound bar plus a few plates. I just assume that when Lou says "do it this way" that I should be able to do it.
I want to be you in 20 years...still in the free weights room!
Sounds like too much weight for you for now. I also started with fixed barbells for the front squat push press. I only got to the oly bar at the very end of that stage.
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Gosh, I don't feel so bad. I felt like a total wimp doing this exercise with the bar only. I thought I couldn't use dumbbells!!!! I totally struggled on this - now I know why.
Does your gym have LesMills classes? A Bodypump bar weighs next to nothing so you can start at a really light weight.
Many gyms will also have fixed weight barbells of varying weights.. the gym where I train not only has bodypump bars but also fixed wt bars starting at 10kg (22lbs) .
The other Oly gym has beginner bars of only 7.5kg (16.5lbs).
Try to get hold of one of those.. dumbbells just don't feel the same or have the same effect.. they are way harder despite a lighter weight.
I know this feeling. I can push press the bar...but just barely. Judging from the improvement in my strength with Stage 1, I'm assuming that it'll feel a lot easier in a few weeks!
I started phase 2 this morning, and that exercise was a toughie, for sure! I've never done this one before, and I had no idea what a difference it is from the regular squat! I usually squat with the oly bar + about 50lbs. I tried this one with 30lbs on the bar and there was no way I was getting that over my head, even with the momentum coming up from the squat. A guy in the weight room actually came over and told me that I 'look a little wobbly, there', hahaha! I ended up taking all the weight off the bar and was able to get about 8 of them done in each set. I'd love to hear from everyone here how we're doing in a couple of weeks with these.
Don't have any bodypump bars - I work in a power plant so our gym was designed strictly for men. Our lowest fixed weight barbell is 55# so that's no help. I am, however, trying to get our old squat rack put back up. I really appreciate all the encouragement & suggestions. I am just in awe of what some of you all are doing in the gym. Wish I had started decades ago!
When I first started these in stage 2 - probably some time in Dec - I had a hard time finishing the reps the first time with the oly bar... They became easier and easier.
I can now do 70 pounds for 8 reps.... but I AM huffing and puffing after!
I also struggled with the oly bar. It wasn't so much the weight (I got up to using a 50 pound fixed weight bar) but the length. it's uncomfortably long for me to put over my head.
if the length is a problem perhaps your hands are too close together - try a wider grip - you move the bar a shorter distance that way too
Yes. Definitely.
Don't be afraid to try a wider grip. You'll make plenty of gains even if you go all the way to a snatch grip (if you don't know that term: for me, a snatch grip has my ring finger all the way out on the little smooth band between the rough-ed out parts of the bar)
I'm glad I saw this thread. I'm due to start Stage 2 in a couple days! I think I would have started too heavy. I hope I can work the oly bar, since I don't have any other choice.
Yes, this would have been helpful to see before I started that. I'd never done an exercise like this before and piled on weight that I thought I could do based on my squat weight. Sheesh! Big mistake, lol!
Thanks for the tip about the wide grip. I tried and it and still couldn't lift the oly bar up all the way but did get it past my shoulders. I will stick with the ez curl bar for now but it is nice to have these pointers for the day when I eventually work up to the oly bar. The great thing about this program is seeing the progress. Granny, maybe you can ask the person who manages your gym if they can get an ez curl bar. They can't be too expensive - I know I saw one on craigslist for 40.00 a few weeks ago. The same weights that slide on the oly bar will work with the ez curl bar.
Mary
Front squat/push press
I totally struggled on this - now I know why.
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