Started Stronglifts - 1st Session

hllgrmt · 2016-11-23T14:59:16+00:00

First of all: well done. On two levels. First, you got into the gym. Second, you stuck to the program.

Right now you're conditioning three ways: you're subjugating your ego (it takes more courage to lift a stripped barbell in a squat cage than a bending barbell); you're training your grit (by sticking to a program; and - at this stage least important of all - you're readying your soft tissue for an amazing journey. Selflessness, grit and sound soft tissue are essential to this. When you're deadlifting 200kg in the nearish future, the workouts you do now will be the difference.

You sound like you were in a similar place to me with concerns about injury. This, too, is why slow and steady helps. I used to think I'd herniate on an 80kg deadlift. Now I'm pulling 190kg+.

How did I get past that? Easy.

Find a proper powerlifting coach. How? Join a local powerlifting fed. Believe me, they will be welcoming, and in no way dismissive of your current lifts. They will love that you are a blank canvas. They will envy, wistfully, the noob gains you will enjoy, PRing every week. But they will also give you comfort about your form and the tweaks you need to ensure you aren't going to be picking vertebrae out of the ceiling.
Compete! Again, I did my first meet with derisory numbers but every sinew of effort I had. And sixty people I'd never met before were screaming me on. Just as Vit C helps iron absorption, the Iron Pill helps get the Red Pill into your bloodstream quicker.
Check out Alan Thrall on YouTube. Awesome form tips and a frame of oak.
use the Stronglifts App. It is simply brilliant.
don't lose count of your sets.

Westernhagen · 2016-11-23T13:35:59+00:00

Agree with Gallbladder on reading Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe (pdf is free online). I found it very useful because I hadn't done squats or deads before.

I'm going to guess you joined a big franchise gym with lots of treadmills, step machines, and weight machines. What you really want is a place with NO machines at all, only free weights, and lots of squat racks / bench stations. THAT is the place where you'll find people willing and able to help you. Yes you will be intimidated but get over it.

One thing you may not have thought about: shoes. For squatting and deads you want very flat soles. Squishy running shoes with thick soles are bad. They make you unstable. This will be more important when weight increases but no time like the present to get it right.

oluwawithin · 2016-11-23T06:56:21+00:00

Good to hear you started with 5x5. It is a good program, stick to it.

And there is a very good app specifically for this program. Download it, use it.

regimental · 2016-11-23T11:38:42+00:00

u/hllgrmt +1 for the Alan Thrall vids. His videos helped my form more than anything else.

Getting your form right now will help when it gets really heavy. Don't be afraid to de-load a bit if you feel like form is breaking down either. Helped me enormously.

PurpleVeteran · 2016-11-23T15:12:38+00:00

If you're having back problems with Barbell Rows, you might try Dumbell Rows instead. With less weight and more points of stabilization, its easier to keep good form while you build up your strength.

As your squats increase, your core will get stronger and you can start hitting the BRs again.

Congrats on taking the first step.

Mukato · 2016-11-23T16:03:59+00:00

you are pulling yourself up with each rep on the bent over rows, that is why your lower back hurts. keep your back un-rolled and your lower back ridged. you don't want to "ratchet" yourself up to a straighter and straighter standing position as you do your sets. keep yourself in your chest out, back straight and belt over at a 45 degree angle through the lift. don't more your lower back.

cholomite · 2016-11-23T03:13:52+00:00

There's nothing wrong with going slow to ensure proper form. I would repeat weights sometimes just to make sure I didn't strain or pull something. I figure it's better to go slow than not go at all. That being said, don't be a pussy about it. You need to be pushing yourself every day. Don't become one of those half assed gym faggots making excuses. I've been there and it's weak as fuck.

Protip: Don't let your girl see you lift until you get at least some 25lb plates on each side. If my girl saw me squatting 5lbs while the guy next to me did 350, I would just say bye because she would lose all respect for me.

BobbyPeru · 2016-11-23T04:11:41+00:00

Barbell rows and squats can both be tricky, so good thing you're starting light. You may want to invest in a good lifting belt.

I used to jack up my back doing barbell rows two or three times a year, but a few years ago I made a slight adjustment. I'm no expert, so take it for what it's worth, but when I started putting my torso and more of a 45° angle when doing bar Bell rows, I haven't been injured since. Also, you can do dumbbell rows on an incline bench (45 degrees or less) until you build up some strength. Pull ups work a different angle of your back, and I've noticed more definition since I incorporated them.

Lots of YouTube videos for form. Everybody's body is a little different, keep that in mind. I agree with Cholomite - if you are going to do it, sure start off slow and light, but start pushing yourself over the following weeks. There's truth in the cliché "No pain, no gain. "

RagnarTeller · 2016-11-23T05:32:47+00:00

I have degenerative arthritis in my lower back and have had a lot of pain when I started lifting. I did a lot of research and found that the best thing to do besides good form is to build your core. I took a break from lifting to strictly focus on core. During this break I worked push-ups, pull-ups and tons of core stuff. I had a session with a world class competitive power lifter to up my form along with every vid I could find on YouTube. With my core strong and good form, I got back on my 5x5 and the pain was down by about 70%. Learn to brace properly when you lift (holding your breath and "pushing" your stomach) and learn good form. That's what helped me.

Gallbladder_Summoner · 2016-11-23T11:50:29+00:00

I'm in a similar place, been on SL5x5 using the app. The progression is slow in order to give you time to get the form right before you have to deal with heavy weight. I'm almost 2 months in and am just getting to the point where some of the lifts are truly difficult; is hard to be patient, but if you stick with it, it will come.

Check out the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and look him up on YouTube for videos. I started the book last week, and have watched a few of his videos, and it has already helped improve my form by pointing out what I've been doing wrong since my gym has a nice weight room, but no strength coaches.

Also check out the Fit Notes app once you get more advanced and want to add accessory exercises. It's far more complicated than the SL app, but lots more flexible and free, whereas SL requires the paid version to add warmup or accessory exercises.

ddd37859 · 2016-11-26T10:44:08+00:00

Was about to post my own topic but I'll fold my questions in here:

Just started StrongLifts a week ago, after moving over from a 3 day split program. Today is gym day, but between the squats and the deadlifts my thighs are still sore as hell from the last session. Should I really be squatting again today while I'm in this state? Should I just power through it, just do the benches and rows and skip the squats, or ease off the program entirely until my legs can recover?

Also, I respect the simplicity of 5x5 and I'm all for strength, but my primary motivation here is physique. My understanding is that this kind of powerlifting program is not particularly geared towards building large, impressive muscles. I still want strength though...is there any way to modify it for more of a balance between the two?

SexistFlyingPig · 2016-11-26T22:39:05+00:00

I love SL5x5.

It takes a long time to actually do squats with good form. I went through one round of a couple months of lifting and while I got my squat weight up to about 280, I don't think I ever had good form. This time through I'm going as low as I can, given my leg/torso proportions. My hamstrings are squished against my calves when I'm at the bottom of the lift. I don't think that it's possible for me to go lower. On a side note, I can't actually go as low as I want to unless there's at least 40kg on the bar helping me. Now I love doing squats.

The app has videos for each of the lifts. That might help you critique your form. /r/weightlifting is also a great resource, once you get going a bit.

There's a great video showing what squats can look like for different people. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av3LO2GwpAk).

Keep lifting bro.

Title	Started Stronglifts - 1st Session
Author	oluwawithin
Upvotes	7
Comments	35
Date	23 November 2016 02:55 AM UTC (4 years ago)
Subreddit	askMRP
Link	https://theredarchive.com/post/206845
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/askMRP/comments/5ef06l/started_stronglifts_1st_session/