13
votes
Accepted
Afraid of dropping weight plates on feet
Moving around a weight room has caused more injuries than training has, for me.
You can trip, people leave crap strewn about, and as you mentioned it's easy to drop a plate. Shoes won't protect you ...
- 14.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Practical applications of the earthquake/bamboo bar
Wow, you're lucky! Kudos to your gym for acquiring one of these. I wish my gym had one too.
What is that?
It's commonly referred to as a "bamboo bar" because of its resemblence. It's actually ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
10
votes
At the top of the deadlift (i.e., when you have picked up the barbell), are you supposed to roll your shoulders back?
Yes, it's the right thing to do. Your shoulders should be retracted at the end of a deadlift rep.
Those videos have the answer. The deadlift is not finished until you achieve full (but not over-) ...
- 25.7k
9
votes
Accepted
Can Starting Strength be done by women realistically?
Any fitness regimen can be done by women.
As far as the gains, that is going to be highly personally dependent. Another woman (or even man) might increase every few days, someone else might only go ...
- 22.6k
8
votes
My biceps becomes stiff after one workout. How do I fix this?
This sounds like muscle fatigue and is absolutely normal and expected. This happens to every single person who works out.
Your muscles aren't going to be able to curl forever during a workout session....
Alec♦
- 17.3k
8
votes
Accepted
training abs every day, several times a day
Everyone wants a six-pack and everyone wants to increase core strength, but should you do abs exercises every day to accomplish that goal? Some of the most frequent questions I get about abs training ...
- 2,775
8
votes
At the top of the deadlift (i.e., when you have picked up the barbell), are you supposed to roll your shoulders back?
The 2019 IPF Technical Rules Book includes these items which will lead to your deadlift being disqualified in a competition (see Page 9 of this PDF):
"Failure to lock the knees straight at the ...
- 460
7
votes
What to do after joining the gym?
In short, following a competent fitness program is the single best thing that you can do.
But let's explore your question more and extrapolate on why that is. First and foremost I want to point out ...
- 4,382
7
votes
Accepted
Should general workouts be done before Starting Strength 5x5?
I assume that you mean either the Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5x5 program. Either of those programs would be fine for someone who is new to resistance training, though I would also incorporate ...
- 196
6
votes
Accepted
How do I fix my Power Clean?
General Advice
When I was learning the lifts, my first step was always to read the entire Starting Strength chapter on that lift, then re-skim it the next day I was doing the lift. The book is quite ...
- 25.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Should beginners be doing Rounded Back Deadlifts in a beginner strength training program?
There's the answer in the general case, and there's the answer for this case. First this case, then the general.
You Are Fucking Around
Starting Strength, but with carrying exercises...StrongLifts, ...
- 25.7k
5
votes
How do I fix my Power Clean?
I'm no expert, but I trained oly lifts for a while. My best power clean was 265lbs at 6'1", 190lbs. I can give you anecdotes and tips, for what they're worth.
It takes quite a while to start ...
- 4,494
5
votes
Can starting strength be morphed to fit hypertrophy purposes?
No.
Starting Strength is developed with a purpose, and it's written the way it is for a reason. You can morph it however you'd like, but then it's no longer SS3x5, and for better or worse, you can't ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
4
votes
How do I fix my Power Clean?
I had a tough time learning cleans, but they're really awesome to master and unlocking the olympic lifts feels like getting accepted into a barbell fraternity. As a frame of reference, watch this ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
Why does Starting Strength prescribe minor resets?
The other answers from Dave and Eric cover the various physiological reasons for resets, being overtraining, rest, etc. I won't go into that. Instead, I'll address the often overlooked psychological ...
- 6,310
4
votes
Accepted
I am on the Atkins diet and weightlifting everyday, what is this doing to my body?
Within a few weeks, you'll start noticing increased muscle definition. This will depend upon your body fat: the less fat you have the easier it is to see muscle definition.
Your low carb diet will ...
- 14.9k
4
votes
Accepted
Deadlift form and individual morphometry
When I start to pull, inevitably my knee angle "wants" to open first to the point that my back is horizontal before the bar actually leaves the ground
This sounds fine. Fully horizontal is a bit much,...
- 25.7k
4
votes
Starting Strength, time to move on?
The key to continued progress
...is variation. Like TestWell said in a comment, "after a year of any program, it's time to switch it up", and that's honestly the best answer. But allow me to ...
Alec♦
- 17.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Preventing upper back from rounding while squatting
Deadlift properly
It's almost impossible to remotely determine what the trouble is, but:
during deadlift, while pulling, my upper back is rounding but once I reach the top most position, ...
- 25.7k
4
votes
Can starting strength be morphed to fit hypertrophy purposes?
Changing Starting Strength to Sets of 12
The heart of Starting Strength is an interdependent synthesis of the following factors:
Progressive overload every workout
Squatting every workout
Focus on ...
- 25.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Bench press (starting strength by Mark Rippitoe)
The trapezius and rhomboids are adductors (or retractors) of the scapulae, meaning they pull them backwards. "Anchored" in this context just means "held in place".
So the traps and rhomboids are ...
- 10.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Starting Strength without a power rack in a home gym
The simple answer is: No, you can't do SS without a power rack. In the beginning you can get away with cleaning the bar, but that stops soon enough.
And this isn't even specific to SS. Every program ...
- 517
4
votes
Are my forearms too long for a Power Clean?
This won't really be an answer but it's most likely mobility. Being physically incapable of a front rack (without injury) would be extremly rare.
The usual mobility culprits are thorasic spine, ...
- 41
4
votes
What would happen if one added more sets to Starting Strength or Stronglifts?
Stronglifts and Starting Strength are beginner strength programs designed for all ages and body types. Whether you're young, old, weak, obese, male, female, new to the gym, coming back from an injury, ...
- 4,587
4
votes
Should general workouts be done before Starting Strength 5x5?
SS (Starting Strength 3x5, 5x5 is the SL StrongLifts template) isn't inherently bad but for a perfect beginner such as I was when I first lifted, I think it would have been better if I had done any ...
3
votes
How many times a week should I deadlift and squat as a beginner?
I have not tried out 5x5 training myself but it
consists of two full body-workouts:
Workout A: Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Row
Workout B: Squat, Overhead Press, Deadlift,
You train three ...
- 131
3
votes
Can Starting Strength be done by women realistically?
Absolutely. Muscle and strength gains will vary from trainee to trainee, but there is no reason not to begin a program like this. Being on an Atkins diet will likely make it a bit more challenging to ...
- 751
3
votes
StrongLift 5x5 and lower back pain
Lower back pain is commonly caused by improper form. Squats, DL's, and rows will do this to you if you allow your lumbar to go into flexion during any parts of the lifts. Film yourself when ...
- 117
3
votes
Chalice Squat Variation - Safe and Effective?
Have you considered trying a hip belt squat? My wife has mild scoliosis, and the barbell back squat was also too much for her nerve wise. Hip belt squat has worked out well for her. Has the ...
- 221
3
votes
Why does Starting Strength prescribe minor resets?
My guess would be that you're bumping into overtraining. The increases prescribed in the program are based on maximizing the stress->recovery->adaptation cycle. If you're not adapting (able to hit ...
- 14.9k
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