pardon me, but...

[Nonerz]

JJ, are you strength training?

I only have tried 1 RM...that was my 205 DL...it was so fun I can't wait to see what my next heavy pull will be. Don't worry spatts, I'll get that 250. Hopefully Nate can show me how to do GM's so I can DL more, more, more!

I am really having fun in the gym now that I am learning new lifts (with proper form) and getting stronger.

 

[2Shy]

2Shy - when you get your form down I want you to find yourself a BIG spotter and start adding weight to that bar and take it to a 1 rep heavy...not necessarily a max but HEAVY

lol Temple, that spotter had better be bigger than the little hurdler dude that works at the Y now. Nice fellow, but he probably weighs 130 dripping wet. I'd hate to fall over backwards again and squash him!

Seriously, I will take your advice. I want to see how much I can do not just to satisfy my curiousity but for helping me adjust my workouts.

 

[valerie]

Great work everyone. The numbers are cool but remember its how you work the weight that really counts. I'm not very strong either but I work that weight in a way that increases my strength and lbm. Slow and steady with planned layoffs from the gym is the way to go. I have to face the fact that at my age and with my small bone structure I may never lift ultra heavy.

Pull ups are great as are any bodywt lifts. B.O Rows are # 1 for back.

Just keep on lifting and loving it-thats what is important-valerie

 

[JJFigure]

I'm not strength training in the sense I plan to compete as a strength athlete; I just seem to be able to add muscle easier lifting in a "PL" type format. I've basically been taking the PL workout a friend uses and modifying it to include some focus on hypertrophy in addition to strength. Here's the split I'm playing with for this building season:

day 1 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 2 biceps/hams/quads
day 3 rest or cardio
day 4 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 5 volume work for an upper body part (if chest, wouldn't do chest on day 4) - rotates weekly chest/back/shoulders/arms
day 6 rest or cardio
day 7 chest/back/shoulders/triceps
day 8 biceps/hams/quads

My focus is on filling out my upper body more to better balance my lower body. The volume work is going to be something like 10 sets of 3 with short rest intervals - would probably only do two exercises. It's a little theory my PL friend and I are testing - is 10 sets of 3 better than 3 sets of 10 for hypertrophy...

 

[SteelWeaver]

I seldom post numbers simply because I have the sense that I'm rather weak for my size, and naturally, that's embarrassing! And I've never done a 1RM either, so I don't know those numbers. And although I would very much like to be lifting big numbers, I would much rather have perfect form. Obviously, big numbers WITH perfect form would be ideal, but getting form right first is my priority now. I figure the numbers will come ...

The thing is, though, many women here train primarily as bb'ers ... you'd think numbers wouldn't be all that important, considering that if you're working the muscle sufficiently, and efficiently, THAT'S what the muscle sees - the stress/stimulus on it, and whether or not it's more than last time, not the actual weight. (Heh heh, sounds like rationalising, doesn't it, lol)

Anyway, for what it's worth, this is some of what I've been doing lately, all for about 5-8 reps or so:

deadlift is up to 200lbs for 7 or 8, SLDL same sort of weight, lower reps
atf squat, about 150 or so, depending on if I did DL's that week or not, more if not
bb row, about 100lbs
military press, just over 70
bench, like 100 measly lbs, bleugh, and strangely, very similar for incline bench, and close grip bench
bb curl, 60lbs, about 8 reps

I'm still trying to figure out why my progress seems so slow - perhaps dieting all year has something to do with that, along with problems connecting to my back muscles, but both issues are being resolved now. Somebody said it could be connected to vegetarianism, which troubles me a lot ... but then I think of MS .... I'm also slowly starting to think that mid-back strength is wrecking my squat progress, not lower back, as I used to think.

Perhaps all this will change when I try WSB ....

I'm impressed with what some of the women here are lifting though - nice work, ladies! It's fun to compare in a way - what's interesting for me is the different strength ratios of different muscle groups, like, hey, Temple, your squat is higher than your dead! And your bench is much closer to the other two lifts ...

What can one deduce from the various ratios, do you think?

 

[Temple]

Steele... I was wondering if someone would pick up on that LOL. I think this is what the deal is
my bench has always been my strongest lift as it is my favorite and as such I always put more effort into it
I have bad knees and when we did my 1RM I had a pretty severe lower back injury so both my dead and my squat were compromised by those weaknesses. Actually my squat strength is lower because I haven't squatted much in the last year because of my knees. Also I could most likely squat more but that is what I can do with proper PL form, more than that and I start "quad squatting". The pl form also takes the stress completely off of the knees so I will be interested in seeing how the numbers are a year from now.

 

[Sassy69]

I hit some of my best highs this time last year. I changed my training style with a new trainer in the spring, doing less weight but tighter form, slower reps. As a result I didn't really see my weights increase at all, but I got some really neat body changes -- finally saw the hammies pop out. Now, being out of the gym for a while & getting back in, arms suck due to tendonitis but back & legs still rockin!

 

[spatts]

Ok, since I got a new PR tonight, and it's not a comp lift, I'll go ahead and post it. My old PR was 298 on the two board. My shoulder was fatigued after my comp on Nov 22nd, so I didn't bench for a MONTH. Started benching again last week, feeling as good as new, and grateful for giving it a rest. Tonight I put up an easy 2 board press at 300 pounds. I was afraid I wouln't have much of a bench at all in February for the STL comp, but as it turns out, I'm in better condition than before.

 

[newgirl-chargeback]

Sassy -- you mentioned that you are doing slower reps and tigher form. My husband has been preaching that approach with me for a while now, but I am stubborn! I know it is good for me, but since I am a "weakling" by comparison, I often think I need to build and then do that. You kinda drove the point home for me. I guess if he posted here, he would thank you!

 

[grlpwrd]

I don't list my PRs because I don't lift heavy all the time. I'm in my 30s and I have reached a point where I need to rotate my workouts between strength and endurance and I actually do better (and am looking better ) when I am on a higher rep program. I have enough muscle as it is ....so I concentrate more on higher reps/supersetting/ and pyramiding which works better for me. I may not be as strong, but I am happy with my physique. I must sound facetious, but right now my endurance and the way I look and feel is more important because I am a mom of 3.