Post: #4501

Destroyed myself with squats earlier in the week, but still managed 180Kgx5 for deadlift top set today. Slowly crawling back to where I was.

Post: #4502

It is unbelievable (probably very much believable to some) to me how something so simple as a just one specific cue can change the execution of the exercise.

Back story:
My usual A/B progression workout routine has of course deadlift as one of its main exercises. While it has never been really a sticking point in my training, recently I experienced some things which made me realize I was doing it wrong in some way. Incremental progression is there each time, but it seemed like some parts of my body can't keep up with it and this displays primarily in a form of lower back pain.
Several times in a row I experienced lower back pain after deadlift. First soreness immediately after exercise and than day later a bit of pain together with DOMS.

Yesterday I decided to go to the crux of the matter, see what is really going on as yesterday I had to break my previous PR.

I wrote usual stuff in google and some of the results were Starting Strength forums with several people asking about same stuff as me. Problem is more common than one would think.
Someone linked article by Rippetoe where Rippetoe condensed basically his whole deadlift chapter from book into just 5 steps to insure perfect deadlift. Here they are:

1. Set your shins 1 inch from the bar. Putting the bar at 1 inch from the bar puts it directly over the midfoot.
2. Without bending your knees, reach down and grip the bar just outside your shins. DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.
3. Bend your knees and drop your shins until they touch the bar. Where your butt is at this point is where it will remain throughout the rest of the setup and beginning of the pull. Again: DO NOT MOVE THE BAR.
4. Squeeze your chest up by pointing it at the wall in front of you. This starts a wave of extension throughout the back that will result in a flat back. If you find yourself on your toes at this point, rock back to shift your weight back to the midfoot.
5. Drag the bar up your legs, keeping the bar in contact with your legs throughout the lift.

So yeah, I am glancing over steps and thinking if I am doing the same stuff or am I wrong in some way. First 3 steps were basically the same as I was doing before but what really blew my mind was step 4. I knew something is off now as for the first time I am hearing about "chest squeeze" and I decided to see if there is a video tutorial. Luckily there was Alan Thrall's:





I was doing the same thing Alan displays as being wrong at 4:30 mark. I was doing EXACTLY that. Driving my hips down intentionally and while I didn't push the bar away this was basically my start of pull. Obviously I lose a lot of strength in that movement and my lower back takes some of the weight on itself in order to try to balance everything out (or so I interpreted it).

Fast forward couple of hours later after my Eureka moment. I am doing exactly these five steps, starting of course with warmup weight. Deadlift feels MUCH different. Much more natural. And then when the work set came, it felt heavy, but manageable. I think I got a bit rounded back on last two reps but it so unlike before I knew this stuff.

I finish my work set of 137.5 kg and feel exhausted but great, no soreness whatsoever. Now almost a day later, there is no lower back pain at all. Something so simple as chest squeeze made all the difference!

Post: #4503

Glad to hear you're dialing in your technique. Of the big 3, the deadlift is the simplest lift in theory, but the most complex in practice. Part of it's complexity is in the fact that you don't get a done of corrective feedback from doing the lift. That is, you can have shitty form but still lift heavy weight. If you have shitty form on squat or bench it will have a serious effect in your ability to move heavier weight, but deadlift can be fudged, so you need to be more cognizant of your technique.

For.me, it's the one lift I always revisit because I always feel I can get my form better than it is.

Post: #4504

Bought the rogue Ohio power bar for big 3. Planning to buy a steady power rack and plates to go with the bar to build my home gym in due time

Post: #4505

The rack and weight will be the big $$$. Try to find used stuff on CL or eBay. An adjustable flat/angle bench can be had new for cheap. I'm looking into going the home gym route in the not too distant future...

Post: #4506

When you guys were newbies, at what point did you start to enjoy going to the gym or get some positive feelings from it? Was it your first session or when you first started to see some results after a few months or what?

Post: #4507

It took me 5 months to START having this feelings. Everything until that point was regarded as a side job, i.e. something you must do and which you don't necessary like. There are a lot of things that could have improved how I felt before, but it is what it is. Now, I am giving myself wholly during workout and I am enjoying feeling of accomplishment when I going home, having done a fine job. The workout itself is a hard, sweaty and tiring job and I can't really find much pleasure in it. It is just when it's all over that I can enjoy it.

Post: #4508

(10-16-2018 01:05 PM)the-dream Wrote:  When you guys were newbies, at what point did you start to enjoy going to the gym or get some positive feelings from it? Was it your first session or when you first started to see some results after a few months or what?

Can't remember really. I liked it pretty much from the beginning, especially since early on you tend to be able to improve with every work out because of newbie gains and honing technique.

Nowadays it goes up and down. Some days/weeks/months I am very excited to go to the gym and look forward to it and have a great time while I'm there. Some other times I don't look forward to it but I do it anyway. I think I'm learning that in the latter times, it's best to take a short break.

Post: #4509

I always liked it for the kicks (runner's high, confidence, working on myself), but was never too crazy about it.

Until I have had a sequence of shit happen to me - problems at work, personal problems and a period of being seriously ill. I gained 30lbs and couldn't exercise for months due to being very busy, as well as having medical problems.

When I got my life back on track, I became a fucking fanatic about the gym. You get to appreciate something when you no longer have it - I got slightly overweight, weak and lost my confidence.

Now I go to the gym every or almost every day. I'm no bodybuilder, but I'm in decent shape.
Been rebuilding myself successfully ever since.

Post: #4510

(10-16-2018 01:05 PM)the-dream Wrote:  When you guys were newbies, at what point did you start to enjoy going to the gym or get some positive feelings from it? Was it your first session or when you first started to see some results after a few months or what?

When I learnt to squat. There's something that terrifies me every time I get under the bar to squat, but the feeling of squatting deep with a heavy weight on my shoulders and pushing myself out of the hole is addictive.

Post: #4511

Within the first few weeks for me. Focusing on strength gains and hitting PRs kept me addicted. Now it’s just routine.

Post: #4512

Hit the 140 kg deadlift which marks first 3 plates on each side in my short lifting career. Now the next immediate goals are 100 kg (2 plate) squat and 80 kg bench.

Post: #4513

At the gym lifting right now listening to Pantera

Post: #4514

(10-17-2018 12:57 PM)Horus Wrote:  When I learnt to squat. There's something that terrifies me every time I get under the bar to squat, but the feeling of squatting deep with a heavy weight on my shoulders and pushing myself out of the hole is addictive.

Dude same. Squat is my worst lift, at least thats what I tell myself and everyone who will listen, but the feeling of having that heavy ass weight on your back, tensing up your entire body, then squatting down with deliberate control and standing back up - feels awesome.

Post: #4515

Yesterday I was in gym for the first time since last winter. I have been working out only outside.
Recent period I wasn´t working very hard. During summer I focused more on having fun and month ago I got an injury, that prevented me from working out until yesterday. I lost 2-3 kg, so I am heading to reach again 88 kg, which seems to be ideal weight for me. I want to include running and after few months add martial arts (I can´t now because of the injury).

I must say I hate commercial gyms, because it´s full of faggots in their motivational t-shirts with their non-functional bodies, acting like lifting weights is the most difficult thing, even though it´s the easiest thing you can do with you body, just after laying on your sofa.

Post: #4516

Genius!

Post: #4517

Questions regarding cutting:

I will start cut when I hit 80 kg BW because I noticed aside from muscle gain, a fair bit of fat (situated around belly). Currently I have 78,1 kg. I have experience with losing weight and this process together with gaining weight is something I managed to get of really good control over the years. The problem is, whenever I went to lose weight in the past I didn't do any weight training with it (as I started only this year to lift seriously). Now I am a bit worried will I be able to finish the program I am currently doing.
Program is supposed to last until you hit 140 kg SQ, 100 kg BP and 180 kg DL. I have about 40 kg more on less to put on each of these lifts in order to hit the numbers listed.

Is this doable on a cut or should I be patient and just maintain strength in the gym, making progression whenever I can?

Post: #4518

Just lift the weights and see what happens.

If you can gain strength on a cut, great.

If you can't, be glad that you're getting leaner and know that your gains will be that much better when you start eating more.

You're nowhere near your maximum potential so there is no need to get hung up on little details. In all likelihood, you will gain some strength, lose a bit of pump and get leaner.

You might hit your strength goals with the program on a cut, you might not.

Is there some sort of time element with the program or a weekly percentage ramp up you're concerned about?

Post: #4519

(10-20-2018 06:51 PM)Hannibal Wrote:  Is there some sort of time element with the program or a weekly percentage ramp up you're concerned about?

No, there is no time constraint or anything similar. It's maybe psychological thing for me as I wanted to enter New Year with achieved numbers I listed haha, but now I don't worry about it.

I have little over 20% BF, is 15% or little under good enough goal for the first time cutting? I don't want to go lower as I am sure I don't have enough muscle mass yet to support such radical cuts.

Post: #4520

If your goal is 140kg on the squat, and you're 40kg from that now, keep in mind that it's a LONG journey from 100 to 140. Keep lifting regularly, cut the fat when you get too chubby, and you'll be there eventually.

Post: #4521

This might sound noobish but I'm having a bit of trouble with 'mind muscle connection' on some of the compound lifts.

Can anyone elaborate on the subject?

Post: #4522

It's a real hard thing to explain. Has to do with concentrating on the prime movers while performing the lift. Easy to do with light weight, harder with heavier weight.

Post: #4523

(10-24-2018 11:21 PM)General Stalin Wrote:  It's a real hard thing to explain. Has to do with concentrating on the prime movers while performing the lift. Easy to do with light weight, harder with heavier weight.

Actually, it's often hard to do at light weight and easier to do at moderate to heavy weight. Shortcuts are very easy at light weight and can lead to developing bad habits.

Post: #4524

Might depend on the lift and the individual. I know what you are saying, though. For example: when I perform a deadlift with 135, the weight comes off the ground before I even start to perform the lift when I actually focus on contracting and flexing the muscles that need to be primed for the lift. 225 is a better weight for me when doing this. Bench is the easiest lift for me to have a strong mind muscle connection with super light weights, but as the plates stack on it gets more difficult. I've missed a few presses in my day just from mechanical failure. Something that I think even veteran lifters need to regularly maintain.

EDIT: A lot of the cues that fitness dudes on youtube try to impress upon you are sort of like "hacks" to trick you into making a mind muscle connection. Like "pushing the floor away" when you deadlift, "sliding your body back" on the bench press, "tossing the bar off your back" on the squat, and a number of others. Lots of guys create cues for themselves that trigger them to focus on using the correct muscles to get the most efficacy for a lift.

Post: #4525

MyProtein US is a having a sale.

Just picked up 3x2.2lbs of Isopro lactose free whey (over 50% discount) and 1.1lbs of creatine (35% off) for US$60, shipping included.

The whey is already discounted and the creatine needs the coupon "gains".