I spent ages doing various mobility type drills for my hips (which did help, so not time wasted) and then one day out of curiosity tried squatting with my heels raised on a bit of wood, and it was an amazing improvement. I tried therefore working on ankle mobility but didn't make a lot of progress so eventually thought why not just get the shoes that raise my heel and have done with it?
I guess that doesn't mean that ankle mobility as such was the issue, but the shoes helped my squat depth, allowed me to keep my feet closer together and less turned out.
I spent ages doing various mobility type drills for my hips (which did help, so not time wasted) and then one day out of curiosity tried squatting with my heels raised on a bit of wood, and it was an amazing improvement. I tried therefore working on ankle mobility but didn't make a lot of progress so eventually thought why not just get the shoes that raise my heel and have done with it?
I guess that doesn't mean that ankle mobility as such was the issue, but the shoes helped my squat depth, allowed me to keep my feet closer together and less turned out.
A dude mentioned this to me last summer when I was in the gym regularly, and I didn't try it cause it seemed like it'd be dangerous but I'm tempted to now.
So I was in the gym just shooting the shit with some friends on Friday and got to talking about my hip injury problems and my squats. One of the guys suggested I give squatting in heels a go to see if things cleared up and lent me his pair of adi-stars and damnit if they didn't make a massive difference.
Seriously, night and day. I need to be squatting in heels as of right now. Big l - are you still lifting in rogues? I'm thinking about the new adidas power lift trainers. They look like a good bang for buck. Would like the adi-stars but once I tack shipping onto them, it's going to be tuna for dinner for a long time.
Any of you lifting in heels? What are you using and what are your thoughts?
I'm still using my pair of rogues. They seem to be working for me but I have no idea what's considered the best shoe on the marketplace nowadays. The heel on the rogues may be a little on the high side for PL, I think they're over an inch, so a shoe with a .75" heel might be better, I don't know. My rogues are starting to get a little worn down in the soles so I'm thinking about buying a new pair at some point but I've no idea what the best shoe to get is.
So I'm liking my progress so far going with Starting Strength, I've lost about 18-20 pounds in the span of two months and I've still got this upcoming week to go for that second month. It's working for me, and I enjoy the lifts now that I understand them better. My question is whether the Squat, Shoulder/Bench Press, Deadlift routine alternating the presses in an A Workout B Workout manner will sustain this. If it does wonderful, if it can't I'd be interested into adding other things. Starting today I'll be adding 10 min of walking before and after each workout so we'll see how much that helps too.
Edit: Weight is from 373 to 348 by the way... actually that's 25 lbs, isn't it?
Yeah I haven't deadlifted in my current shoes, I feel like the heel might be too high at around an inch (or more if your foot is bigger).
I was eyeing up adidas power perfect II's, but I couldn't find an easy way to buy them 'round here.
The only easy way is to cop a massive shipping fee on it. Which sucks. But after two sessions now in heels, I don't think I have an option. The effect is too good to ignore.
Had my first pain free squat session in like, 3 months tonight. So, so happy.
So I'm liking my progress so far going with Starting Strength, I've lost about 18-20 pounds in the span of two months and I've still got this upcoming week to go for that second month. It's working for me, and I enjoy the lifts now that I understand them better. My question is whether the Squat, Shoulder/Bench Press, Deadlift routine alternating the presses in an A Workout B Workout manner will sustain this. If it does wonderful, if it can't I'd be interested into adding other things. Starting today I'll be adding 10 min of walking before and after each workout so we'll see how much that helps too.
Edit: Weight is from 373 to 348 by the way... actually that's 25 lbs, isn't it?
Unless you're 8 feet tall I'm going to guess that most of that weight is a bit squishy, if that's the case then just continue with the program you're doing. It's easy enough to modify if at some point you stop sloughing off the fat and it's not like you'll accidentally go 2 months without dropping any weight before you notice. That being said, eventually you may get to a point of equilibrium where you put on a bit of muscle weight but don't over complicate your workouts just yet, you're not at that point. The 10 minute walk before and after is a good idea for a number of reasons though so by all means do that.
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The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
You should be fine with what you have for quite a while yet. Just keep that steady incline going, don't spook yourself too much on details
So I'm liking my progress so far going with Starting Strength, I've lost about 18-20 pounds in the span of two months and I've still got this upcoming week to go for that second month. It's working for me, and I enjoy the lifts now that I understand them better. My question is whether the Squat, Shoulder/Bench Press, Deadlift routine alternating the presses in an A Workout B Workout manner will sustain this. If it does wonderful, if it can't I'd be interested into adding other things. Starting today I'll be adding 10 min of walking before and after each workout so we'll see how much that helps too.
Edit: Weight is from 373 to 348 by the way... actually that's 25 lbs, isn't it?
Your body can be trained to recover, so it will accomodate gradually increasing the work you're doing. I recommend cardio/walking immediately after lifting.
Keep in mind that you're still enjoying early early novice gains, and as the weights get more difficult you may have to tune up your diet if you're not getting enough protein. Congratulations on the progress so far!
On the subject of food, how do you guys eat to support your lifting? Do lifting days and rest days differ?
I make sure I get enough carbs on lifting days. Besides that, I cram a lot of protein and fats down my throat. Was pissed about my power cleans yesterday, so I bought a half gallon of whole milk drink before bed. Today for breakfast I had 4 eggs, scrambled, a 3 egg omelette with cheese and some veggies, two pieces of toast with both sides buttered, and a couple glasses of milk. Lunch was some curried chicken, a hamburger, and a couple grilled cheese sandwiches.
On the subject of food, how do you guys eat to support your lifting? Do lifting days and rest days differ?
I make sure I get enough carbs on lifting days. Besides that, I cram a lot of protein and fats down my throat. Was pissed about my power cleans yesterday, so I bought a half gallon of whole milk drink before bed. Today for breakfast I had 4 eggs, scrambled, a 3 egg omelette with cheese and some veggies, two pieces of toast with both sides buttered, and a couple glasses of milk. Lunch was some curried chicken, a hamburger, and a couple grilled cheese sandwiches.
I just try and eat a lot.
Jesus christ, yeah I don't eat like that. From what I understand given my weight, as long as I eat 2000-2500 calories a day I'm eating at a deficit and not enough to sustain my weight. I cram protein down my throat however, but stick to the good stuff. Fish, chicken, turkey and of course eggs. I eat turkey burgers instead of hamburgers, I eat turkey bologna and franks instead of regular. I've even started to eat cereal that has 9g of protein per serving. On top of this on my lift days I get a protein shake after every workout, 24g of protein right there in delicious chocolate-milk like form.
Well, you and I certainly have different goals! Sounds to me like you're going about it in exactly the right way.
Was sitting outside eating dinner with my training partner and good friend. Some guy walking by does a double take and points at my belt "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a weightlifting belt!"
"Man, weightlifting? Man.... that thing must cost...... how much do you weigh? 130?"
"190....."
Well, you and I certainly have different goals! Sounds to me like you're going about it in exactly the right way.
Was sitting outside eating dinner with my training partner and good friend. Some guy walking by does a double take and points at my belt "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a weightlifting belt!"
"Man, weightlifting? Man.... that thing must cost...... how much do you weigh? 130?"
"190....."
I will admit it's difficult looking at other exercises and going "Yeah, I can do that. I WANT to try that ." Stuff like shrugs and pendley rows. Admittedly I should get some better 'support' plates first. Not a right term, but I mean those first weights that hold the bar off the ground. At the moment my biggest are only about 9" diameter.
Overall I know I'm making progress for an important reason. My own mother looked at my gut in a shirt she'd bought me herself and told me it looked like a good bit of it was gone. She was right, I don't extend out like god damned Santa Claus anymore.
Well, you and I certainly have different goals! Sounds to me like you're going about it in exactly the right way.
Was sitting outside eating dinner with my training partner and good friend. Some guy walking by does a double take and points at my belt "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a weightlifting belt!"
"Man, weightlifting? Man.... that thing must cost...... how much do you weigh? 130?"
"190....."
I will admit it's difficult looking at other exercises and going "Yeah, I can do that. I WANT to try that ." Stuff like shrugs and pendley rows. Admittedly I should get some better 'support' plates first. Not a right term, but I mean those first weights that hold the bar off the ground. At the moment my biggest are only about 9" diameter.
Overall I know I'm making progress for an important reason. My own mother looked at my gut in a shirt she'd bought me herself and told me it looked like a good bit of it was gone. She was right, I don't extend out like god damned Santa Claus anymore.
It'll only get better the more you lose. That should be all the motivation you need for a bit! Keep it up man.
Someone did something in the gym that means the power cage is no longer usable. Only option for squats is in a smith machine. Keep going anyway? Currently at 90kg (just shy of 200 pounds)
Finished my workout for today about an hour and a half ago. Walked the ten minutes prior, and on top of that tried to do some proper warming up. Might have overkilled it with the shoulder press, doing 38 lbs for 20 reps THEN 58 lb for 10 reps before doing my working set. Gonna try to keep it down to just 5-10 reps. Other lifts however were fine, I was able to squeeze a -little- more weight onto the bar for my deadlift, upping it to 109 lbs. Ended things with another 10 min walk, on top of that I was probably walking around 15 minutes or so out and about today, shopping and shit.
Had a fucking big scare when I went to make my protein shake though. Got my powder poured into my plastic bottle(WTB real mixer cup ), put one cup of the pre-made milk mix in... and had a whiff of the worst smell I've ever had the misfortune of taking in. Concerned I poured the other half cup I tend to use and took a mighty big whiff.... :? :shock: !
I sipped a bit just to be sure and spat it out fucking quick into the sink. Not sure how it went bad, it was just fine at noon today. Must be a mixture of this stupid heat, and the fact that our fridge is an old ass piece of shit. We're getting a new one Saturday though, thank god. We'll see what's what tomorrow, we mixed up a new batch just to see.
That shit was scary. With the lifting I can follow proper form and in general avoid injury, or at least hospital rushing injury. Getting little critters in my gut though would fuck me over.
Well, you and I certainly have different goals! Sounds to me like you're going about it in exactly the right way.
Was sitting outside eating dinner with my training partner and good friend. Some guy walking by does a double take and points at my belt "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a weightlifting belt!"
"Man, weightlifting? Man.... that thing must cost...... how much do you weigh? 130?"
"190....."
I dunno. It looks fine, but someone taped it off and stuck a big do not use sign on it. Im guessing some tool nearly killed himself in it or someone was horrified by me ripping shorts again last week.
Ill check with management on wed.
Ugh. Looks like its time to learn to clean and do front squats then. And clean to do presses.
3DS FC: 3067-6095-3603
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The Black HunterThe key is a minimum of compromise, and a simple,unimpeachable reason to existRegistered Userregular
I got a new proien powder a month of so ago and started having the proper 2 scoops rather than 1 scoop. Now I'm getting really really bad tightness in my stomach, like horrible indigestion. I can deal, but I heard that some types of protein can disagree with people. Would this be a possibility?
i went to the gym
for the first time in like 2 months
boy, did even a bar by itself feel heavy to me
thing is, i need help coming up with some form of a routine
for now, squats are out, my knees are just fucked to hell at the moment, and i'm hitting up PT to try and fix the imbalances in my legs from 2 years of walking around
i'm not even sure if deadlifts are okay, but they seem fine and were going fine for the last few months before i went on vacation, & the knee isn't a huge component, but, again, my legs are imbalanced (and i hurt myself a few weeks ago while on vacation, and that + getting new insurance got me going to PT again)
but anyway
what should i do
i'm tired of being a weak cripple, i don't know how much i can fix the cripple part, but that's PT's job, but being weak is my problem
I got a new proien powder a month of so ago and started having the proper 2 scoops rather than 1 scoop. Now I'm getting really really bad tightness in my stomach, like horrible indigestion. I can deal, but I heard that some types of protein can disagree with people. Would this be a possibility?
I may also be mixing too thick.
What's the protein? Whey? If it's whey, is it WPI or WPC? You may have more luck with one type or the other. WPI is basically a more-filtered version of WPC (less lactose) so might be better for lactose intolerant folks.
Also try using water instead of milk, and mixing it a little thinner.
Deep squats where you don't allow your knees to slide forward in the hole provide nice balanced forces on the joint. Not to mention they will fix any strength imbalance problems you may have. If I were you, I would seriously explore getting your squat form picture-perfect. Probably low bar, since it has less knee travel. Your PT is unlikely to prescribe anything that will actually fix that imbalance. I foresee lots of two and five pound dumbbells in your future.
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NogsCrap, crap, mega crap.Crap, crap, mega crap.Registered Userregular
i need a 12-16 week workout program that is highly structured and isn't modular.
basically i need something that i can follow to the T without giving me the options to choose my own variations and stuff.
do any of you have anything like that or suggest one? I've been looking at the 'Built Like A Badass' thing, but if there are any others that you guys know of I'd like to hear.
im 185 lb, would like to get to 160s, but losing weight isn't necessarily the top motivator. I just wanna get as strong and cut as possible by the end of summer.
I know you say it's your PT's job to fix the problems, but I'd say you have a role in helping to unfuck yourself as much as (more than, even) he does.
okay, yeah, that's true
okay, i'm sure you know the general backstory due to my past posts, but its the 2 year old mcl sprain, and then when i was walking around in japan i had sharp pain in my knee and was forced to limp around
went to see a doctor and PT, the pain is now gone and i can walk, but basically all measurements of my left leg are smaller than my right leg, because i'd been favoring my right leg for the last 2 years. (also still feel general tiredness near the mcl still).
and the other problem with squatting is actually my right knee, which was totally fine up until last summer, when (i think probably because of squatting with the imbalanced legs?) i had this crunchy pain under my kneecap, the pain has gone away, but there is still much crepitus/clicking and that knee doesn't feel great when i squat down
i know i used to have good low bar squat form back before in 2009, people in the gym who knew better than i did told me so, but i haven't been able to get back into it with my legs
deadlifts never bothered my knees though
so i am open to suggestions above and beyond what my PT is telling me, because you're right
Nogs are you lifting now? If so, what does your program look like?
Also the cut part of strong and cut is going to start in the kitchen, have you looked over your diet to see if it's ok?
I am currently not lifting. I do kickboxing a few times a week, depending on if we spar or not.
My diet needs improving, but Ive got help with that in the form of my girlfriend. Shes a Spin instructor and is a health nut, so ive recruited her to help me with that.
I just need a no bullshit, do these exact things in this order, this many times, type of lifting program.
On the subject of food, how do you guys eat to support your lifting? Do lifting days and rest days differ?
I make sure I get enough carbs on lifting days. Besides that, I cram a lot of protein and fats down my throat. Was pissed about my power cleans yesterday, so I bought a half gallon of whole milk drink before bed. Today for breakfast I had 4 eggs, scrambled, a 3 egg omelette with cheese and some veggies, two pieces of toast with both sides buttered, and a couple glasses of milk. Lunch was some curried chicken, a hamburger, and a couple grilled cheese sandwiches.
I just try and eat a lot.
Jesus christ, yeah I don't eat like that. From what I understand given my weight, as long as I eat 2000-2500 calories a day I'm eating at a deficit and not enough to sustain my weight. I cram protein down my throat however, but stick to the good stuff. Fish, chicken, turkey and of course eggs. I eat turkey burgers instead of hamburgers, I eat turkey bologna and franks instead of regular. I've even started to eat cereal that has 9g of protein per serving. On top of this on my lift days I get a protein shake after every workout, 24g of protein right there in delicious chocolate-milk like form.
I guess my real question when it comes to diet is whether the consensus here is that you have to either bulk up, gaining muscle and fat, or cut by putting yourself into a calorie deficit, or are there folks here who are making big strength gains while staying lean?
Nogs are you lifting now? If so, what does your program look like?
Also the cut part of strong and cut is going to start in the kitchen, have you looked over your diet to see if it's ok?
I am currently not lifting. I do kickboxing a few times a week, depending on if we spar or not.
My diet needs improving, but Ive got help with that in the form of my girlfriend. Shes a Spin instructor and is a health nut, so ive recruited her to help me with that.
I just need a no bullshit, do these exact things in this order, this many times, type of lifting program.
5-3-1's what I'm running now and it sounds like it could work for what you want. It's centered around the four major lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and there are a couple of variations on what accessory lifts you do depending on what your goals and time are like. I've been doing it for about 5 months now and I've seen really nice gains.
You can get it here directly from Jim Wendler's website. If you do end up using it I've got a spreadsheet that'll auto-calculate the numbers for you that I could send you.
Nogs are you lifting now? If so, what does your program look like?
Also the cut part of strong and cut is going to start in the kitchen, have you looked over your diet to see if it's ok?
I am currently not lifting. I do kickboxing a few times a week, depending on if we spar or not.
My diet needs improving, but Ive got help with that in the form of my girlfriend. Shes a Spin instructor and is a health nut, so ive recruited her to help me with that.
I just need a no bullshit, do these exact things in this order, this many times, type of lifting program.
5-3-1's what I'm running now and it sounds like it could work for what you want. It's centered around the four major lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and there are a couple of variations on what accessory lifts you do depending on what your goals and time are like. I've been doing it for about 5 months now and I've seen really nice gains.
You can get it here directly from Jim Wendler's website. If you do end up using it I've got a spreadsheet that'll auto-calculate the numbers for you that I could send you.
http://www.strstd.com/ will also do the job, especially when starting out. I've transitioned to a big old spreadsheet I found online as well, mostly because it calculates the weights per side of the bar and I'm lazy.
Damn finals keeping me from lifting. Plus after this week I no longer have access to the university gym, requiring me to look for a gym membership somewhere else.
For the love of God, I can't understand why the YMCA charges 60 bucks a month. Is this the bumfuck nowhere tax?
Posts
I guess that doesn't mean that ankle mobility as such was the issue, but the shoes helped my squat depth, allowed me to keep my feet closer together and less turned out.
A dude mentioned this to me last summer when I was in the gym regularly, and I didn't try it cause it seemed like it'd be dangerous but I'm tempted to now.
I'm still using my pair of rogues. They seem to be working for me but I have no idea what's considered the best shoe on the marketplace nowadays. The heel on the rogues may be a little on the high side for PL, I think they're over an inch, so a shoe with a .75" heel might be better, I don't know. My rogues are starting to get a little worn down in the soles so I'm thinking about buying a new pair at some point but I've no idea what the best shoe to get is.
I was eyeing up adidas power perfect II's, but I couldn't find an easy way to buy them 'round here.
Edit: Weight is from 373 to 348 by the way... actually that's 25 lbs, isn't it?
The only easy way is to cop a massive shipping fee on it. Which sucks. But after two sessions now in heels, I don't think I have an option. The effect is too good to ignore.
Had my first pain free squat session in like, 3 months tonight. So, so happy.
Unless you're 8 feet tall I'm going to guess that most of that weight is a bit squishy, if that's the case then just continue with the program you're doing. It's easy enough to modify if at some point you stop sloughing off the fat and it's not like you'll accidentally go 2 months without dropping any weight before you notice. That being said, eventually you may get to a point of equilibrium where you put on a bit of muscle weight but don't over complicate your workouts just yet, you're not at that point. The 10 minute walk before and after is a good idea for a number of reasons though so by all means do that.
Your body can be trained to recover, so it will accomodate gradually increasing the work you're doing. I recommend cardio/walking immediately after lifting.
Keep in mind that you're still enjoying early early novice gains, and as the weights get more difficult you may have to tune up your diet if you're not getting enough protein. Congratulations on the progress so far!
Ugh...
Having weak legs sucks. There is nothing worse than that. Here some motivation for you to get your legs strong. Watch these videos:
http://www.allthingsgym.com/2012/05/weightlifting-from-the-tubes/
I make sure I get enough carbs on lifting days. Besides that, I cram a lot of protein and fats down my throat. Was pissed about my power cleans yesterday, so I bought a half gallon of whole milk drink before bed. Today for breakfast I had 4 eggs, scrambled, a 3 egg omelette with cheese and some veggies, two pieces of toast with both sides buttered, and a couple glasses of milk. Lunch was some curried chicken, a hamburger, and a couple grilled cheese sandwiches.
I just try and eat a lot.
Bam, motivated!
PS4:MrZoompants
Jesus christ, yeah I don't eat like that. From what I understand given my weight, as long as I eat 2000-2500 calories a day I'm eating at a deficit and not enough to sustain my weight. I cram protein down my throat however, but stick to the good stuff. Fish, chicken, turkey and of course eggs. I eat turkey burgers instead of hamburgers, I eat turkey bologna and franks instead of regular. I've even started to eat cereal that has 9g of protein per serving. On top of this on my lift days I get a protein shake after every workout, 24g of protein right there in delicious chocolate-milk like form.
Was sitting outside eating dinner with my training partner and good friend. Some guy walking by does a double take and points at my belt "What the hell is that thing?"
"It's a weightlifting belt!"
"Man, weightlifting? Man.... that thing must cost...... how much do you weigh? 130?"
"190....."
Yeah, try multiplying that by 1.5. Come on
I will admit it's difficult looking at other exercises and going "Yeah, I can do that. I WANT to try that
Overall I know I'm making progress for an important reason. My own mother looked at my gut in a shirt she'd bought me herself and told me it looked like a good bit of it was gone. She was right, I don't extend out like god damned Santa Claus anymore.
cause instead I flipped tires and ran sprints with my bro who's girlfriend just broke up with him
legitimate excuse/workout makes it aite I think
It'll only get better the more you lose. That should be all the motivation you need for a bit! Keep it up man.
How long is it unavailable for?
Had a fucking big scare when I went to make my protein shake though. Got my powder poured into my plastic bottle(WTB real mixer cup
I sipped a bit just to be sure and spat it out fucking quick into the sink. Not sure how it went bad, it was just fine at noon today. Must be a mixture of this stupid heat, and the fact that our fridge is an old ass piece of shit. We're getting a new one Saturday though, thank god. We'll see what's what tomorrow, we mixed up a new batch just to see.
That shit was scary. With the lifting I can follow proper form and in general avoid injury, or at least hospital rushing injury. Getting little critters in my gut though would fuck me over.
Haha, I love Brent Kim. His depressed rants are infectious. I can't help myself saying "It's fine" every second sentence
Ill check with management on wed.
Ugh. Looks like its time to learn to clean and do front squats then. And clean to do presses.
I may also be mixing too thick.
for the first time in like 2 months
boy, did even a bar by itself feel heavy to me
thing is, i need help coming up with some form of a routine
for now, squats are out, my knees are just fucked to hell at the moment, and i'm hitting up PT to try and fix the imbalances in my legs from 2 years of walking around
i'm not even sure if deadlifts are okay, but they seem fine and were going fine for the last few months before i went on vacation, & the knee isn't a huge component, but, again, my legs are imbalanced (and i hurt myself a few weeks ago while on vacation, and that + getting new insurance got me going to PT again)
but anyway
what should i do
i'm tired of being a weak cripple, i don't know how much i can fix the cripple part, but that's PT's job, but being weak is my problem
What's the protein? Whey? If it's whey, is it WPI or WPC? You may have more luck with one type or the other. WPI is basically a more-filtered version of WPC (less lactose) so might be better for lactose intolerant folks.
Also try using water instead of milk, and mixing it a little thinner.
I know you say it's your PT's job to fix the problems, but I'd say you have a role in helping to unfuck yourself as much as (more than, even) he does.
basically i need something that i can follow to the T without giving me the options to choose my own variations and stuff.
do any of you have anything like that or suggest one? I've been looking at the 'Built Like A Badass' thing, but if there are any others that you guys know of I'd like to hear.
im 185 lb, would like to get to 160s, but losing weight isn't necessarily the top motivator. I just wanna get as strong and cut as possible by the end of summer.
PARKER, YOU'RE FIRED! <-- My comic book podcast! Satan look here!
okay, yeah, that's true
okay, i'm sure you know the general backstory due to my past posts, but its the 2 year old mcl sprain, and then when i was walking around in japan i had sharp pain in my knee and was forced to limp around
went to see a doctor and PT, the pain is now gone and i can walk, but basically all measurements of my left leg are smaller than my right leg, because i'd been favoring my right leg for the last 2 years. (also still feel general tiredness near the mcl still).
and the other problem with squatting is actually my right knee, which was totally fine up until last summer, when (i think probably because of squatting with the imbalanced legs?) i had this crunchy pain under my kneecap, the pain has gone away, but there is still much crepitus/clicking and that knee doesn't feel great when i squat down
i know i used to have good low bar squat form back before in 2009, people in the gym who knew better than i did told me so, but i haven't been able to get back into it with my legs
deadlifts never bothered my knees though
so i am open to suggestions above and beyond what my PT is telling me, because you're right
Also the cut part of strong and cut is going to start in the kitchen, have you looked over your diet to see if it's ok?
Pleasantly pleased after I did a couple sets of 225# x 10. Even did an easy set of 245# x 5.
Go go, chicken legs.
I am currently not lifting. I do kickboxing a few times a week, depending on if we spar or not.
My diet needs improving, but Ive got help with that in the form of my girlfriend. Shes a Spin instructor and is a health nut, so ive recruited her to help me with that.
I just need a no bullshit, do these exact things in this order, this many times, type of lifting program.
PARKER, YOU'RE FIRED! <-- My comic book podcast! Satan look here!
I guess my real question when it comes to diet is whether the consensus here is that you have to either bulk up, gaining muscle and fat, or cut by putting yourself into a calorie deficit, or are there folks here who are making big strength gains while staying lean?
5-3-1's what I'm running now and it sounds like it could work for what you want. It's centered around the four major lifts (squat, deadlift, bench, overhead press) and there are a couple of variations on what accessory lifts you do depending on what your goals and time are like. I've been doing it for about 5 months now and I've seen really nice gains.
You can get it here directly from Jim Wendler's website. If you do end up using it I've got a spreadsheet that'll auto-calculate the numbers for you that I could send you.
http://www.strstd.com/ will also do the job, especially when starting out. I've transitioned to a big old spreadsheet I found online as well, mostly because it calculates the weights per side of the bar and I'm lazy.
For the love of God, I can't understand why the YMCA charges 60 bucks a month. Is this the bumfuck nowhere tax?