The lifts I do with Stronglifts are squats, overhead press (OHP), deadlifts (DL), benchpress (BP) and row (which is actually a pendlay row, and not easy!). My progression (or not) for these are as follows:
Squats - each session I do 5 sets of 5 reps.
Starting weight - 20kg (the olympic bar). Current weight - body weight
So, what happened was this. I built up to 32.5kg, but I noticed that my form was shit, so I deloaded back to 25kg. And it was still shit. So, I showed my Crossfit Personal Trainer, and she noticed how I was losing control of the squat before I got anywhere near parallel, so I've dropped right back to work on building up the muscle and neuro connections to get it right. So I got stronger and then crapped it! But I don't give up, I will beat the squat! Here's my dodgy squat, before it got dodgier!
OHP - again, it's 5 sets of 5 reps
Starting weight - I couldn't lift the olympic bar to start off with! So I started with a weighted bar of 17kg.
Current weight - 20kg, ie the bar! Yay...
It's really hard! You wouldn't think it would be so hard to get a bar over your head, but it sure is! I think it's because I'm just a wuss in the rest of my life - desk job, don't lift things much at all... Anyways, there's been progression.
DL - 1 x 5 (1 set of 5) for these
Starting weight - 30kg (I had to balance the weights on top of a couple of other weights to get it high enough off the ground to be in the right spot!
Current weight - 60kg. Oh yeah, I feel so badass about that! I'm hoping to be able to lift the equivalent of my bodyweight by the end of August.... I'll let you know how I go with that one!
BP - 5x5
Starting weight - 20kg (ie the bar) I could lift it in this move, just not the OHP
Current weight - 30kg for 1x5, then 1x3. Then I had to deload to 27.5kg... I'll just keep trying to build up to manage the 30kg for the whole session.
Row - 5x5
Starting weight - 25kg. Again, with the weights sitting up higher. This time, I used the legs of a step (from step-aerobics)!
Current weight - 35kg. I've had good progression with this one. And the DLs. They've both steadily increased without problem. So far! And here's a video of me doing these - cool, huh!
Anyways, I started this program on 18th June, but I had visited the gym for a few weeks before I was brave enough to start the program. I did some program that they gym dude put together for me a few times, but I was really aiming to do Stronglifts. I suppose the first couple of weeks was getting over my fear of the gym. And it worked! I know to go early and I'll have the place pretty much to myself. And that makes me happy. No waiting for the squat rack or bench :) Not that I'm a bad sharer or anything.... LOL.
So, here's my update pic, showing some progression in my physicality. I can't see alot of change, but there's a little bit. Some change in the back, under the bikini top line, and a bit in the belly. Strangely, I've put on 2 kilos in this time (grrrr), which can't all be muscle. I think I can see this in my thighs? What do you reckon?
Other stuff in my life... Well, we went to Darwin. It was pretty fun. And we had lots of yummy food and saw awesome things and rode the bike and had a flat and waited 4 FUCKING HOURS to be picked up by the bike hire peeps, made friends with Blahblah the black cockatoo, and other cool things like this:
We spent an evening in Canberra at the Hyatt as a special treat. I took my OH to see Bernard Fanning, and we had to indulge in High Tea since we were in such a posh place:
And finally, I bought a really really cool hat:
That's it from me. I hope to catch up with you sometime soon. I'll keep you up to date with my progressions, particularly those evil squats!
