Beginners (noob) questions thread 3

[magick]

Helpful tips on how to stop rounding my butt on squats.

Flexibility in every muscle surrounding your hips and your ankle flexibility.

Goblet squats will teach you the proper form and probably also help you get a real deep stretch if you hold the position in the hole.

Paused squats.

 

[ocean size]

For upper body I've been doing a bodyweight routine Overcoming gravity style - Basically core work, then progressions for vertical/horizontal pushing and pulling (rings/one handed pushup progression, chinup progression, row progression and handstand pushup progression).

Right now I do everything 3/week routine and have worked in squats a couple times a week, sometimes off days sometimes work days. I'd like to work in deadlifts as well.

The rows and pullups hit the back, would it be okay to alternate squats and deads on days I do the routine like ABA/BAB? Or is that too much work for the back? Should I do variants of squats/deads that target the legs more?

 

[frystyle]

Another 5/3/1 question. I am in the 2nd cycle of the program. This week I am in the 2nd week so that means that I have to perform a minimum of 3 reps on the last set.

Yesterday I had to do 3+ reps of 50 kg on the OH press... I managed to perform 2 reps, the third rep failed and the weight felt really heavy. I am wondering what caused me to miss a rep. After the OH press I deadlifted and did 6 reps on the last set.

What dissapoints me more is that in the previous cycle on the last week (1+ reps) I managed to do 4 reps with 50 kg.

Also before starting with this program I could do 3 sets of 5 reps with 50kg. So I used 5x50 to calculate my max for the 1st cycle.

What to do? Reset my max? Repeat this cycle for overhead press?

Thanks in advance.

 

[JauntyAngle]

For upper body I've been doing a bodyweight routine Overcoming gravity style - Basically core work, then progressions for vertical/horizontal pushing and pulling (rings/one handed pushup progression, chinup progression, row progression and handstand pushup progression).

Right now I do everything 3/week routine and have worked in squats a couple times a week, sometimes off days sometimes work days. I'd like to work in deadlifts as well.

The rows and pullups hit the back, would it be okay to alternate squats and deads on days I do the routine like ABA/BAB? Or is that too much work for the back? Should I do variants of squats/deads that target the legs more?

A lot of people do more squatting than deadlifting.

If you want to do three times a week, something like squat - deadlift - squat is reasonable, IO. E.g. squat Monday and Friday, pull on Wednesday.

I wouldn't try to select a squat that "targets the legs more". Just do a back squat that you like (high bar or low bar), stick at, improve. With deadlifts, theoretically you have the option of using a lower starting position with the hips (which emphasizes the legs) but a lot of people seem to be incapable of preventing their hips from shooting up when they use a lower starting position. So again, I'd say, find a way to deadlift that works, and stick to it.

 

[magick]

Yesterday I had to do 3+ reps of 50 kg on the OH press... I managed to perform 2 reps, the third rep failed and the weight felt really heavy. I am wondering what caused me to miss a rep. After the OH press I deadlifted and did 6 reps on the last set.

What dissapoints me more is that in the previous cycle on the last week (1+ reps) I managed to do 4 reps with 50 kg.

Also before starting with this program I could do 3 sets of 5 reps with 50kg. So I used 5x50 to calculate my max for the 1st cycle.

What to do? Reset my max? Repeat this cycle for overhead press?

Thanks in advance.

Lots of things can cause you to have a bad day. A bad day in of itself doesn't mean that you should be doing anything.

Do the 3rd week and see what happens. If you can't match the 4 reps or come close to it, then you should probably repeat the cycle.

 

[frystyle]

Thanks, I'll go with that I think. Didn't sleep well this week. I also thought it might be a bad day but on the other side the deadlift went well so that confuses me a little. I will see what happens next week .

 

[lpaulgib]

Another 5/3/1 question. I am in the 2nd cycle of the program. This week I am in the 2nd week so that means that I have to perform a minimum of 3 reps on the last set.

Yesterday I had to do 3+ reps of 50 kg on the OH press... I managed to perform 2 reps, the third rep failed and the weight felt really heavy. I am wondering what caused me to miss a rep. After the OH press I deadlifted and did 6 reps on the last set.

What dissapoints me more is that in the previous cycle on the last week (1+ reps) I managed to do 4 reps with 50 kg.

Also before starting with this program I could do 3 sets of 5 reps with 50kg. So I used 5x50 to calculate my max for the 1st cycle.

What to do? Reset my max? Repeat this cycle for overhead press?

Thanks in advance.

Are you saying you used a too high starting max and are now stalling?

 

[frystyle]

It might be. I honestly don't know. I used the calculator to find out my max and took 90% of that as my training max.

 

[bowlie]

Im wondering, where would you guys add in shoulder work in a program that doesn't have overhead press? My current program looks like this:

Monday
Bent Over Rows 5/3/1 Reps
Bench Press 8 X 4 @ 65%
DB Rows
Rear Delt Raises

Tuesday
Deadlifts 5/3/1 Reps
Chinups 8 X 4 @ 65%
Single Stiff Legged Romanian Deadlifts
Pulldowns

Thursday
Bench Press 5/3/1 Reps
Bent Over Rows 8 X 4 @ 65%
DB Bench Press
DB Flyes

Friday
Chinups 5/3/1 Reps
Deadlifts 8 x 4 @ 65%
Latteral Raises
Pulldowns

My goal is just to get strong, but to also to address some muscular imbalances. I cant squat or overhead Press because of shoulder issues

 

[jcandoitbig]

nevermind

 

[Deleted member 382931]

@bowlie:

Have you looked into Dumbbell presses or things like push presses, that reduce stress in the lower part of the movement (assuming your problems are there)?

Failing that, you could do something like Defranco's shoulder shocker. Jaunty has done it and quite liked it.

 

[bowlie]

@bowlie:

Have you looked into Dumbbell presses or things like push presses, that reduce stress in the lower part of the movement (assuming your problems are there)?

Failing that, you could do something like Defranco's shoulder shocker. Jaunty has done it and quite liked it.

Its not the lower part that bothers me, its the top bit I think. I lack mobility for it but im scared of stretching on my own because I dont want to increase mobility at the expense of joint integrity. When I have the money I will hire a physio to get me sorted, but I dont want to start doing stretches because the interwebs said so and end up dislocating my shoulder again.

I will look at the soulder shocker, but again, where would I put it in the program?

I might even put in a day of very light overhead presses. Like the bar. Im sure my triceps and anterior deltoids wont get anything out of it, but maybe whatever muscles are struggling with it will benifit? Even if I did, the press itsself would be almost like a rehab move, and the assistance would be the actual strengthening stuff, which is ass backwards I know.

 

[Deleted member 382931]

Its not the lower part that bothers me, its the top bit I think. I lack mobility for it but im scared of stretching on my own because I dont want to increase mobility at the expense of joint integrity. When I have the money I will hire a physio to get me sorted, but I dont want to start doing stretches because the interwebs said so and end up dislocating my shoulder again.

I will look at the soulder shocker, but again, where would I put it in the program?

I might even put in a day of very light overhead presses. Like the bar. Im sure my triceps and anterior deltoids wont get anything out of it, but maybe whatever muscles are struggling with it will benifit? Even if I did, the press itsself would be almost like a rehab move, and the assistance would be the actual strengthening stuff, which is ass backwards I know.

Ah, if the top part is bothering you, might want to check out bradford presses.

Shoulder shocker is a circuit of front raises, lateral raises and db-cleans if I remember correctly, so probably in place of your lateral or RD raises.

 

[KidAlchemy]

It wasn't db-clean per se but Cuban rotation to overhead press.

 

[monkeyrhythm]

Ah, if the top part is bothering you, might want to check out bradford presses.

If shoulder mobility is in question I'm not sure bradford presses are a great choice.

@Bowlie - between:

Bench press
Rear Delt Raises
DB Bench Press
Lateral Raises

You've already got a fair amount of shoulder work. Personally I'd stick with that for a couple of months whilst regularly doing band pull-aparts and dislocates.

Edit: Appreciate the suggestion of pull-aparts and dislocates may fall into the category of "doing stretches because the interwebs said so"

 

[Deleted member 382931]

It wasn't db-clean per se but Cuban rotation to overhead press.

Thanks, only remembered the rough movement.

If shoulder mobility is in question I'm not sure bradford presses are a great choice.

@Bowlie - between:

Bench press
Rear Delt Raises
DB Bench Press
Lateral Raises

You've already got a fair amount of shoulder work. Personally I'd stick with that for a couple of months whilst regularly doing band pull-aparts and dislocates.

Edit: Appreciate the suggestion of pull-aparts and dislocates may fall into the category of "doing stretches because the interwebs said so"

I took his post about lack of mobility as inability to get full/decent lockout in terms of shoulder position. As I don't know his exact problems, I'm just bouncing ideas of him.

 

[bowlie]

If shoulder mobility is in question I'm not sure bradford presses are a great choice.

@Bowlie - between:

Bench press
Rear Delt Raises
DB Bench Press
Lateral Raises

You've already got a fair amount of shoulder work. Personally I'd stick with that for a couple of months whilst regularly doing band pull-aparts and dislocates.

Edit: Appreciate the suggestion of pull-aparts and dislocates may fall into the category of "doing stretches because the interwebs said so"

Pullaparts im fine with, I should do them more. Dislocates I have done in the past, but im not so sure they are wise right now, but thanks

 

[bowlie]

If shoulder mobility is in question I'm not sure bradford presses are a great choice.

@Bowlie - between:

Bench press
Rear Delt Raises
DB Bench Press
Lateral Raises

You've already got a fair amount of shoulder work. Personally I'd stick with that for a couple of months whilst regularly doing band pull-aparts and dislocates.

Edit: Appreciate the suggestion of pull-aparts and dislocates may fall into the category of "doing stretches because the interwebs said so"

Part of the problem is that the latteral raises are in there, but isolated. They are on chinup and deadlift day, so im not sure if they will help. Seems like the same as doing a set of curls after squats. Its probably not really doing anything.

 

[bowlie]

Thanks, only remembered the rough movement.



I took his post about lack of mobility as inability to get full/decent lockout in terms of shoulder position. As I don't know his exact problems, I'm just bouncing ideas of him.

I dont know my exact problem in fairness, but right now i just want to get strong. If an exercise hurts, I can just replace it with something else

 

[KidAlchemy]

You could do db side raises 2x week and superset them rear flyes? You could also do shrugs or face pulls.