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Tagged: beginner tips, bench set up, Keystone, patience
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I started the powerlifting program this week. Came in Wednesday and Thursday and did days one and two then tonight did back to basics with Matt.
Next week I’m planning to start coming early morning Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday, and I think I’m just gonna go back to day one Monday and really call that my start.
Still coming and giving it everything I can. Hoping to have a more structured log from here but just trying to get in the habit now.
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Sounds like a plan to me. As you develop as a lifter you might find that have two 24 hour training turn arounds might be a little rough on recovery. For now if it gets you in the gym for a ll four days keep doing it.
Consider in the near to distance future a MWFSat split if you can for the MPL programs. -
2/25/19
Restarted with block 1A because I started midweek and I wanted to start my “real” program on a Monday.
Did rpr
Did 3 sets of 6 body weight squats (still really not thrilled with them, but after a few warm ups I managed to do them without kneeing out)Did step ups, body weight. Those were not very hard this week, gonna try with weight next time.
35 back raises, those were a LOT better this time, I hadn’t really adjusted the bench right last time. Didn’t film because trying to get a good angle with my phone was getting distracting (I’m working on getting a stand for it), but definitely felt it in glutes and thighs so pretty sure that means doing it right
Planks. Oh god those are a lot harder than they looked. I don’t think I did them right last time.
Gonna keep trying to note this all down I feel like I’m going to want to look back at this all at some point and enjoy seeing progress.
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I watch the exercise videos a lot! They are very helpful. I just honestly didn’t know planks were so hard omg. I did them, then I laid down on the floor, then I had to really remind myself that the floor near the tires was probably not a great spot for an end of workout nap.
The back raise bench set up I think I have under control too thanks to the video. I just have to write down how I set it next time so I don’t have to experiment with it every time.
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2/26/19
I was not feeling as energetic as normal this morning.
Did RPR
Benched 30 pounds,6×3. Was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Tried to go for 40 but that was too much.
Did 6×8 dumbbell presses with 25 pound weights for 3 sets then had to go down to 20 because I could feel some fatigue setting in. 3 sets were in place of the day 2 lat pulldowns.
Did some back on the rings near the tires to balance the dumbell presses.
Lastly did lying dumbell tricep extensions instead of tricep push downs with 15 pound dumbells.
Tomorrow is a rest day and I’m glad because bench kicks the shit out of me! But for some reason I love it and want to do them like every day (don’t worry I won’t I’m sticking to my program).
Seeya Thursday gym.
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Thursday February 28
FIRST DAY LEARNING DEADLIFTS AND I WAS SO EXCITED…but really had to make an effort to dial it back a bit because it affects my ability to slow down and focus.
RPR warmup
5″inch block pulls, 6×3 really enjoyed these and they weren’t nearly as intimidating to do as I worried. RPE 7 for me was 90 lbs. I was pretty ok with that.Keystone deadlifts, 3×8, I really need to work on grip strength, these got hard and my last set I had to drop some weight and ended up with 2 sets at 90 and one set at 70. This position was difficult for me, it just seems very exaggerated. Probably gonna need more help with these.
I couldn’t do ghr. I did 35 back raises instead. Getting a resistance band this week I think if I have assistance I can try ghr.
I kinda bitched out on sit-ups. I made it through 16 instead of 24. I was running out of steam at the end, it was a serious workout for me.
Looking forward to next week. I’ve been coming for a month now and can already see changes, so I’m getting excited to see where this road takes me in the future.
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Christine, glad you are having such a blast training. Just curious when you say “90 lbs” for weight are you counting the bar weighing 45lbs or is that number in addition to the bar.
Either way we like to count the total weight; for example a bar with one 45lb plate on each side would be 135 lbs (45+45+45).
I hope this helps and it may be good to find out that you are 45lbs stronger than you thought. -
Sunday March 3rd
Did day 4 of block 1A today. It’s been a very jam packed with information week and I am still trying to let a lot of things sink in.
I was tired today. I went out last night. I’m not hungover but I’m not normally out til 1 am these days.
Floor press. One set no weight, 2 sets @ 75 lbs, 2 sets at 62 lbs. I think that means I went too heavy? Not sure. And yes Murph that was a very different exercise than regular bench. Wow.
Dumbbell overhead press 3×8 with 20 pounds each hand
35 barbell rows
3×8 Tate press with 10 lb dumbells
Dumbell curl 3×8 with 25 kv dumbells.
Not super impressed with myself today but I showed up so I guess that maybe counts for something. Hopefully Tuesday I’ll have a stronger day.
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Tuesday March 5th
Started week 2 of acclimation today. Was a much better, more energetic and focused showing today.
RPR warmup
Squats in a rack for the first time! I was proud. Did a couple practice sets with no weight and a box, then did them without the box. Ended up with 2 sets of 8 at 55 lbs and 2 sets of 8 at 75 lbs. I wanted to film but couldn’t get a good angle and the phone was getting distracting. Gonna try in another rack next time and see if I can get some video.
Step up: 4×10 nothing too remarkable here just did em
Back raise, did 3 sets 15 to get 45
Planks, 4×12. Got a little easier this week but they still hand me my ass. Literally.
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Sorry for the late response.
I was out plowing since 2:30 am!Not super impressed with myself today but I showed up so I guess that maybe counts for something. Hopefully Tuesday I’ll have a stronger day
Showing up is half the battle. And, you are still learning so don’t expect everything to be perfect.
Just be better each day.Tip for filming:
Grab a cheap phone tripod.
Set it up, and only touch the phone to turn camera on. -
No worries, thanks for the feedback. Definitely trying to just give it my best every day.
It’s awesome coming in and seeing all the other people ahead of me-they had to start the same place I did and look now. I can get there it’ll just be in my own time like everything else in life.
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3/7/19
I have been sleeping like trash so maybe not the strongest day today but dress up and show up.
Rpr
Bench press, 2 sets no weight, 6 sets 3 @ 65 and 2 sets 55.
DB bench press, 4 sets 10 20 lbs
Lat pulldown, 5 sets 10 at 50 lbs
Lying dumbell tricep extension (these are a lot harder than they look!) 4 sets 15 lbs 1 set 10.Have some more bench press video. I think once again they improve over a couple reps.
Hopefully I start sleeping better again ugh it’s killing me
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Each video is better than the last.
I would like to see you work on 2 things:1. Try and increase your upper back arch before unracking the bar.
2. Let the weight settle into you after you lift it out and “shorten” your stroke.
This will keep you tighter and lead to a better, stronger bench.Al of this is covered in the Bench Press seminar on the site, and is also in the upcoming Bench Press course that we hope to have up in a day or so.
On the sleep:
Try laying in bed and doing 5-10 deep belly breaths and then Zone 1 for RPR-breathing, psoas and glutes.
Also, if you are using an electronic device within an hour of bedtime, stop.
The Blue Light from the phone will interfere with your sleep. -
Friday March 8th
I came in tonight and was too late for back to basics but I was working out dammit. Did day 3 tonight and I actually feel really good about it. Like I think this was my best workout so far. I was nervous there were so many people but after a few minutes I realized really nobody was looking and I got going
RPR definitely works
Did the 25 sit-ups first
6″ block pulls I ended up doing it as 4 sets of 6. 135 pounds. I didn’t have to take weight off for my last set and that to me is an improvement.
Did back raises while I waited for a rack to open up for keystones. Did all 45. Was happy about that.
Did 4 sets of 8 keystone deadlifts with 90 pounds. My grip still sucks. The chalk video helped. Chalk is great.
Here’s some video of the deads and keystones. I got a phone tripod, but let me know if the angle needs work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuxZPpEHMrU/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=3ieqae788ofehttps://www.instagram.com/p/BuxatAdnLMA/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=3jz5a547w9z1
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Sunday March 10th
I love Sundays, place is a ghost town.
Did RPR
Floor pressed 65 lbs 6×5. Here’s some video. I realized later I didn’t have my legs out straight. Whoops.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu2cROqnPYl/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=uq9m4dj4vcpi
Dumbell OHP 4×10 1 set 25 lbs other 3 @ 20
BB row. Here’s some video of same.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu3YNHhH3ce/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=kbjq8ijyri6v
Tate press (these are harder than they look) 4×8 15 lbs
DB curl 4×8 20 lbs
Overall other than screwing up my floor presses I’m not unhappy lol. Did the whole thing. Week 3 here I come!
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Floor presses look a lot better, your learned to pack your shoulders in and press in a straight line. As far as the rows go, its the same issue with the dead lifts, you need to hinge back like a dead lift and pull the bar in. Do not try to stay upright.
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Thanks a lot Matt it’s heartening to hear there’s improvement. I was kind of excited that night because during one of my sets I had realized I was doing it sloppy, so I stopped and reset and got that video.
Thanks for the feedback again you guys really help a lot especially where I really don’t know what I don’t know. It makes a big difference getting help from you and Murph and everyone.
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It’s really hard to critique from your angle.
On your 2nd video, it says Keystones, but what you are doing is some kind of row.
Here is a video on how to do them, and it uses a good angle for your reference.
Try and film your sets from this angle.Here is a video with a full explanation on how to do the Keystone.
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It’s really hard to critique from your angle.
On your 2nd video, it says Keystones, but what you are doing is some kind of row.
Here is a video on how to do them, and it uses a good angle for your reference.
Try and film your sets from this angle.Here is a video with a full explanation on how to do the Keystone.
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Thanks a lot Murph I’ll work on the angle. Still trying to figure that out lol.
Follow up question, if it’s ok-is keystone done the exact same way as barbell rows? Should I be in the same position as keystones? That’s how I was trying to do them but I’m really not sure if that right or it’s 2 distinct movements. I’m sorry if that seems like something I should know and I’ll keep reviewing the videos, they do help.
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Watch the instructional video.
On rows, you BEND your arms and train your back.
On keystones, you BEND your knees (keep arms locked) and work your ass and hamstrings.
Two totally different movements.
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Tuesday March 12th
Today I was a little tired but managed.
RPR
Squats, I did 1 set at 65 pounds then went up to 85 for the rest. Here’s some video. I hope maybe the angle is better this time.https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu56NBdHqR5/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=vaqkv74c4ori
Reverse lunges 3×8
55 back raisesSide plank 3
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Squats are getting better, but still need a little work.
I see 3 things we can clean up right away.1. Walkout.
Economize this.
! step left foot, 1 step right foot, and that’s it. Make the walkout as short as possible to conserve energy.
2. Bracing
If you watch, you can see your lower back going into extension (arching) as soon as you begin the descent.
Keep the abs braced hard and the spine neutral.
3. Depth
This will be the most difficult.
Try using a box for a bit and use it as a depth reference.This course will help with all of that.
Keep at it.
Progress is coming along. -
Well this feedback made my morning so thank you. I did use a box for some of them but wasn’t sure if box squat was the same exercise or if it’s like how floor press is different than bench.
Gonna keep showing up, it’s good to know even if I’m not perfect I’m making progress. Betting Saturday is going to help a lot too.
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Use the box just as a reference do not do a box squat. Keep your tension and just lightly touch the box and stand back up. Do not relax into the box at all.
These look much better than what I saw that first time in Back to Basics. Keep up the good work.
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Thursday March 14th
Not super thrilled with myself today but did my best. I just filmed my entire time on the bench so it wouldn’t be so distracting to keep touching the phone, sorry there’s some boring bits lol.
Rpr
Bench press 3×10 @65 lbs
Incline DB bench 3×8 15 lbs
I tried to do pull-ups but even with a blue elitefts band I couldn’t get all the way up, so I did 5×10 lat pulldown. 2 sets at 50 pounds 3 sets at 40.
Rolling tricep extension 4×8 10 lbsSee you guys Saturday so I can keep sucking less lol
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Ok, let’s get this out of the way first.
No more self deprecating negativity!
You are a beginner on the first steps of your journey and you are doing very well!
I always tell new people this:
You have to EARN the right to be frustrated.
As a beginner you have not earned that right.
Everything is new.
It is to be expected that you will face adversity on your learning path.
As coaches we will tell you when you are doing well, and we will not bullshit you.
We’ll also tell you if you need to step it up.
So, all positive from now on!
Deal?Now let’s look at that bench shall we?
Look at 1:08 in the video, right out of the rack into the descent.
Before we discuss anything, when you unrack the bar, I want you to STOP and hold it for 1/1000 or a little longer and get super tight. Let the weight settle into your lats.
This will fix a lot of technique issues.Next:
Do the same thing between each rep.
Treat the set as a group of single reps.
Reset your set up before each rep.You are doing a much better job with your upper back and hip tension!!!!
That’s all I have for tips.
Work on the one thing I said and when tat is fixed, we will work on the next.
Fixing one thing at at time works best!
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Thanks a lot. I am actually really happy to hear I improved on the upper body tension, I really tried to focus on it this morning. That and letting the weight settle, I keep getting scared I’m going to drop the barbell onto my face. (Which I rationally know probably won’t happen, but that’s my brain for you.)
Thanks for being so patient. I just have to keep coming and things will click. I know I already am making some progress, I just have a bad tendency to get down on myself when I am not immediately good at things, and forget that most people are not immediately good at anything without practice. Which I feel like I am making a lot of effort to get, which in turn will pay off eventually. I fucking feel good after I work out and I’m just trying to keep that feeling in mind when I start getting too hard on myself.
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Friday March 15th
Had a good workout today, I thought.
RPR
Deadlifts! I actually am not sure the weight I had one yellow and one green on each end. The green weight wasn’t marked so if someone could tell me how much they weigh I’d be much obliged. I have some video of them and am not unhappy with my efforts but it was my first time doing it right off the floor so I’m sure there’s room for improvement.Then I did front squats for the first time. I used a box for reference and again, I’m really pleased with the effort. I don’t think my wrists were positioned right though.
Then I did 35 back raises (that was my max, I would have loved to do 55 but I just couldn’t)
5×5 dead bugs (love these tbh)
Much better day today
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Your deadlifts look pretty good for the skill levle you have today.
I’d like to see two things:
1. Get tighter. This takes time to learn, just keep at it.
2. Hold your lockout longer.Front Squats:
Look at your arm position in your video.
And then look at Andre’s arms/shoulders/elbows in this video:If you can’t get your arms in this position, do them like this:
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3/17
Happy St Patricks day!
Today, I finished week three. Last night after powerlifting day I was asleep at 9. Doing all three lifts in one day was quite the experience, but I woke up feeling great this morning and decided to come earlier than usual for Sunday.
RPR
Floor press, 6×3 @ 65 lbs. Took Russ’ advice on where to grip and it really made a difference for me. I did 3 sets without wrist straps and 3 sets with. Video below.I didn’t realize in the 2nd vid that my gym bag was in the way. Whoops.
Single arm DB OHP 3×8 @ 25 lbs
Chest supported row 3×12 35 lbs
Lying pull part-I did these when I came home because I completely forgot to do them at the gym. Whoops.
Band pushdown/hammer curl sets were a lot more challenging than I realized they would be, done with 15 lb dumbbells and a red miniband.I’m sure there’s room for improvement but it felt good today.
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On your floor presses, I have two things.
1. The hooks are too high. Lower them at least one and you’ll feel the difference. You’ll be able to keep your upper back tighter.2. You are going right out of the rack into your descent.
From now on all of your squats and presses, I want you to unrack and hold it for a 1/1000, 2/1000 count before you move.
Get everything as tight as you can in the count down time.I am sure this will help any other issues I see.
Work on those two and only those two for now.
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Tuesday March 19th
Today I really tried to work on tension and letting the weight settle on my squats. I did have to re rack at one point because I knew I didn’t come out right, but also hoping I didn’t knee out so much this time either. Video below.
Then I did the 4 sets of 10 reverse lunges
55 back raises (that was my max)
1 side plank and 3 regular planks. Really struggling with the side planks and hope that’s not too much of a deviation but figured it was better than just stopping. Looking forward to feedback as always. Also thanks Phil for helping me adjust the squat rack, I couldn’t remember how even though I JUST saw on Saturday. -
Your squats are looking better every time.
This is a marathon, not a sprint and results come slowly.
Keep working on getting and staying tight!
When setting your bar height for the squat, somewhere around mid chest is best for most people.
When you stand in front of the bar, it should be at about mid chest level. -
Thanks, that feels like high praise, I really did work hard on those. Also still really trying to figure out bar height and grip on almost everything so thanks for that feedback. I’ll keep trying to tighten, hopefully doing my accessory exercises will help with that too.
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Wednesday 3/20
First day of spring, and wow what a workout. I was really trying to be super conscientious with my benches today and although I accidentally did 4 sets of 3 instead of 6 sets of 2 I at least didn’t overdo the reps. I wanted to keep going so bad but I know I have to follow the program. Benched 65 lbs today.
Incline DB bench press 2 sets of 10 at 25 lbs but I didn’t feel I was controlling the weight well enough so I dropped down to 20 for the next 2 sets of 10.
Lat pulldown instead of pull ups (going to try to pull up in my strong band again next week) 5×10 @ 50lbs
Rolling tricep extension I did one set at 15lbs then I had to drop down to 10,wasnt controlling the weight well enough.
Overall I think I had a good day.
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3/22
I did not sleep adequately last night and I felt it this morning. I made it through deads somehow, but just could not wrap my head around front squats. I tried one, and had a bad feeling that if I kept trying to force it I was going to have an accident or hurt myself so I stopped and went to accessory work. I’m going to try the front squat with straps next time.
Deadlifts: 6×2 135 lbs
As an aside, I now understand why knee socks are good for this lift. So at least I learned something today.
I did some body weight squats just so I could say I didn’t totally abandon an entire phase of things, but I didn’t even count them. Really was one of those mornings for me.
Did 50 back raises, next time I’m really going to throw my strong elitefts band on and try ghr. I think I can get all the way up maybe now.
Deadbugs for 5 minutes straight. Felt those sucker.
Seeya Sunday, TPS.
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Good call on the front squats.
When injury is anticipated it usually occurs.
Look up some studies on this.
Very interesting.
Your deadlifts are getting a lot better.
Look at video 2.
You can see that your toes are coming up.
Keep working on rooting and you’ll see it gets even better!
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Monday 3/25
Today I started block 1B and it definitely ramped up a bit. I worked really hard this morning.
First, I had to do the girly push-ups, I literally cannot remember the last time I did push-ups. Going to have to work on those. But I did them, the 20 back raises and the fat guy pull ups.
Squatted 80 pounds. Video below
I was honestly afraid to do good mornings. I had to move the safety squat bar to use the squat rack and I had real doubts as to whether I could perform the movement without falling forward. Really could use suggestions here, I want to be able to do them.
I did the 35 back raises with a 5 pound weight
Ab wheel I managed 4 sets of 4.
Yeah this was a tough one but I gave it everything I had and hopefully I can keep improving.
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Squats are getting better.
Keep working on getting and staying tight.
As you can see your depth gets better each set too.
Good job.On the good mornings, we just did a video on them.
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3/27
20 girl push-ups, 20 fg pull-ups, 20 back raises
I actually really felt good about my benches today. Hoping they were as good as I think. Added weight this week and benched 70 lbs up from 65. That was 2.5% increase. Video below.
Felt pretty good about my accessory work too, did all of it!
Flies 4×12 15 lbs
DB bench press 4×10 20 lbs
Lat pulldown 5×10 40 lbs
Tricep push down 4×12 with a red miniband.Hoping these benches are as good as I think, but obviously looking forward to honesty either way.
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First off, what are girl pushups?
Are you doing them on your knees?
Send a video.
Please.AND:
Holy shit.
These look so much better.
You are a good student.
No changes for now, except, can you try to use a different bench and set the hooks lower so that you can reach them better next time?
It will help you get your upper back tighter.
Once I see how that looks, I have a few things to add in to work on.
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Yes I am doing knee push-ups and I will video them for you next time. Spoiler alert, they are probably not great. I struggle to do either kind of pushup, in all honesty.
I will try a different bench next time and lower the hooks. I’m really excited that you found my benches to be holy shit quality, that’s what I was going for!!!
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3/29
I had a very disorganized morning today because I forgot my damn training journal at home. I hate when that happens ugh. But I did film my knee push-ups and deadlifts at 135 so there is that. Video below. Be back tomorrow for floor press day and hopefully not be so off routine, which I hate.
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If you do “Girl” pushups for the next 100 years you still will not be able to do a real pushup.
They just don’t do much.
Better than not doing anything, but….
Instead, watch this video:It shows you how to progress form not being able to do a pushup to getting a real one done in just a few weeks.
You sill set up a bar in a rack as illustrated in the video and move the bar down one hole each week until you are at the floor.
It works.
Do it.
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3/30/19
Came in today and thought maybe I’d try cardio right after lifting. Spoiler alert, that did not pan out as expected.
RPR
20 pushups
20 back raises
20 fg pullupsFloor press @70 lbs, 5×6,video below. Did a couple sets with wrist wraps and didn’t love them. Would be very interested in feedback on these.
I forgot to film push-ups. I’m going to Monday but I did them off a bar in a power rack and think they were ok, but I’ll video next time.
DB OHP: 5×10 15 lb dumbbells
Yates Row: 5×10
Skullcrusher (these were very intimidating to me holy shit) 3×10
Hammer Curl: 3×12 15 lbs
Tried to ride the bike right after but my arms said absolutely not. Gonna have to stay with doing cardio days I don’t lift for now at least.
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On the presses…you have to stop between each rep and reset your lats just like a bench press.
If you watch your bar path it is different each rep
It needs to be the same.
Slow it down, reset, patience.What would you like to know about the wrist wraps?
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Honestly I noticed the bar path thing myself and I wasn’t sure where the issue was coming from. My question about the wraps was if the sets where I wore them looked worse, because I thought they weren’t great, but it’s probably not so much to do with the wraps as it is to do with not setting my lats. Thanks.
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4/1/19
I tried good mornings today (was a lot less nervous after watching video of them so thanks). I also filmed push-ups on the incline to see if I need to change technique at all.
I’m tearing my hair out with work stress already this week and I think it got in my head so I’m really not sure how I feel about my workout today. I also topped it off by mashing myself onto the ab wheel, so all in all I’m not super impressed with this outing but it is what it is some days. Video below, looking forward to feedback.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvt5ZyHFcsC/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1lapmekifzxpz
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Good Mornings look better than last time, but you are doing something very similar to what Gina did in the video.
Don’t fight letting your knees bend.
It’s ok if they do, and they are supposed to.
Just not too much.Let them bench a little more and push your butt back more.
Pushups look pretty good!
Squats are getting better too.
Let’s move that box closer tot he rack so you don’t have to walk out so far next time.
Keep at it.
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4/3
So here’s my benches for today. Hoping for another holy shit quality effort! Push-ups are getting easier and I really liked doing the flies/dumb bell bench press combo. I had to make 2 videos because I accidentally hit the stop button so sorry about that but here it is! And I went lower on the rack out this time as you suggested last week.
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On the deadlift, let’s get that chin packed a little more.
Your neck is in a hard extension and we would prefer it to be neutral.Keystone angle is hard to tell what it look like.
Can you shoot from a 45 degree angle on the side and less of a straight on angle?
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4/7
Came in today just raring to go. Added weight to my floor press and felt really good about them. However I was so raring to go I only remembered to film my last two sets. Hoping they might be better than last week, anyways.
Did my 30/30/30 circuit before I lifted, getting a little more solid on the push-ups every time I do them. Hopefully another couple weeks I’ll be on the floor doing them.
DB OHP: 5×8 1 set @25 lbs and the other 4 @ 20 lbs
Yates row: are these meant to be done with weight? I threw some ten lb weights on the bar because they felt too easy without it? The video has them with no weight so I’m not sure.
Skullcrusher: I did them with an empty curl bar, again do these get done with weight?
Hammer Curl: 1 set at 20 lbs and 3 at 15 lbs.
I just sometimes wonder if I’m lifting enough actual weight. I think I’m still really trying to wrap my head around RPE especially given what I’ve learned about people not accurately judging it at first. Any feedback on that would be great. Thanks as usual guys.
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Floor presses are looking a lot better.
It appears that the safety pins are stopping your arms form touching the floor.
IF that is the case, try a different rack.Yates row: are these meant to be done with weight? I threw some ten lb weights on the bar because they felt too easy without it? The video has them with no weight so I’m not sure.
YES! If you can handle weight, use it. IF the bar is heavy enough, that is fine.
Skullcrusher: I did them with an empty curl bar, again do these get done with weight?
See above.I just sometimes wonder if I’m lifting enough actual weight. I think I’m still really trying to wrap my head around RPE especially given what I’ve learned about people not accurately judging it at first. Any feedback on that would be great. Thanks as usual guys.
IF you can list the RPE for each exercise when you post I can make a suggestion on what I think it looked like.
That will help you learn the scale.
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4/8/19
Squat day is seriously my favorite day after bench. And today I squatted a hundred and I had really been looking forward to that milestone. I think I did better on the good mornings too, let my knees bend a little as suggested last time. Looking forward to seeing if these were as decent as I hoped.
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Squats:
OK- Let’s keep the weights the same or thereabouts.
It is time to start getting that box lower!
Drop it by one hole next time.
This is good progress I am seeing.Good mornings:
Watch the video.
You have happy feet.
You need to minimize that walkout just like the squat.
One step and root.
And stop looking side to side!
Form is better.
I’d still like to see the hips go back further.Watch this video for more tips.
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Murph I just want to thank you for answering so patiently while I learn. So many things I just don’t know because I just don’t know.
The feet are hard for me-I am a natural fidget and will keep working on that. I will take the other tips with me under the bar next week as well.
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4/10/19
Aaaaaand it’s bench day! Today with pauses. Actually liked these a lot because they force me to slow down and let the weight settle. Do these look like an RPE 7 attempt? Felt good about my efforts but looking forward to feedback as always.
Push-ups are getting much better too. Not on the floor yet but when the program called for at least 12 today I got through 30. I’ll take what I can get. Be back tomorrow for more cardio, probably gonna sled again like I did yesterday.
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The bench is looking good. Let’s address one thing, the unrack. Right now you are pressing the weight up then dragging it out to great position and settling. In a perfect world You would drag the bar right through the hooks into the starting position with out having to press drag and resettle.
Palms to hips is the Russ cue. -
Christine I think those hooks look good, maybe one lower if you feel like you can’t get the bar out while keeping your shoulders together. Try dragging the bar right through the hooks first and if that doesn’t work lower them one. The bar path should be a smooth arc coming out of the rack.
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4/12/19
It was deadlift day today and I really need help getting it together with this lift. I feel so aimless when I get on the platform. It’s not like squat or bench when I feel the difference when I do it right or not. Today I pulled 143 and it was supposed to be an RPE 8. Does this look like an 8? I erred on the lighter side because I don’t want to hurt myself doing this wrong.
Hopefully deadlift day on the 20th helps with this.
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As far as RPE goes I would say that looks like an 8 based off bar speed but not technique. You need a little more patience on the floor, you are not getting you back/abs fully tight before you actually pull the weight. For where you are at as a lifter you’ll need a little more patience on the floor with the position, get yourself straight upright without letting the knees go forward, get the abs tight, get the back tight.
Generating tension without have weight on you like it is in the bench and the squat takes a little time to learn. That is why getting the slack out is so important because that is the only way you can get the weight “on you” without lifting it.
We can clean this up on the 20th for sure.
Keep up the good work. -
4/14
Today was floor press day and I am really trying to get that unrack better. I think I made some real progress on it today but of course want to hear feedback on these. Also didn’t use the safety pins this time so arms could come all the way to the floor.
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4/15
Squat and good mornings day! Also today starts my last week of acclimation. Kinda proud that I’ve at least gotten here.
I really tried to focus on the happy feet this morning. I tried to picture it like taking one step into glue. I think I might have done a little better with the happy feet today and with not moving my head side to side during good mornings. Video below.
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Christine,
Sorry for the late reply.
We all have been out of town at the meet with the team.
FLOOR PRESS!
BOOM.You are getting better.
Yes it still needs work, but this is great.
Keep working on tightness!
Squats are getting better too.
Your unrack needs a little work.
Same tips as before.
Tight under the bar, one step, two steps, squat.GOOD MORNING
These are better too.
You need to push your butt back more.
Watch the angle of your body, and you will see that your shoulders are still pretty far ahead of your knees.Keep at it.
I see improvement each time. -
Thanks a lot. I really do try to take the cues with me each time. Glad they’re at least improving if not perfect (I know nobody is perfect don’t worry I didn’t forget that convo.) also it was awesome seeing all the video from the meets, especially seeing how other women bench so no worries it probably helped me out anyways.
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4/17/19
Bench day! However I was pretty tired this morning. Really trying to focus on the unrack and the upper body tension. I don’t think these are as good as some others I’ve done but I got the weight up. Did 20 push-ups, really hoping to be on the floor with them in maybe 2 more weeks? I’ve been making an effort to do them every time I come in, like yesterday I did a circuit with sled pulls and push-ups. Starting to get a little easier anyways.
Here’s some video of my benches today. Hopefully they are at least “acceptable” but definitely want to hear about why if they aren’t.
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4/19/19
Came in to deadlift today and my camera skills were uh, not excellent. 1 set I forgot to hit record and the others the lighting glare was so bad you couldn’t see what I was doing. So here’s what I was able to salvage.
I tried a belt but it didn’t go super well, I kinda regret that since it distracted me.
See you guys tomorrow so I can hopefully get this lift cleaned up a little more. I wish I knew why my push lifts (squat and press) are so much more confident than my pulls. But all I can do is keep trying.
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4/22/19
Really tried to take the advice of move with intent today. Hope it’s noticeable here.
I think I kneed out a bit on these but, I’m not the expert, so curious to see what you all see. Also today was my 1st day out of acclimation. My thoughts that the workouts were about to get quite real were correct! Felt good though.
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Squats are looking better and you are moving with purpose.
2 things to work on.1. LOCK your knees at the start of the set. Watch the video and you’ll see the knees are soft at the start.
Fix that.2. Let’s lower the box.
Drop it one hole.Carry on,
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4/24/19
Bench day strikes again! Added 5% this week. Up to 90 lbs. See what you guys think of these.
I struggled really hard with the pull ups. Even with a blue strong band I couldn’t get all the way up. Any suggestions to improve are welcome, as are any on how to get into the band easier alone. It took me a good 10 minutes to mangle my leg into the damn thing. I should have videod.
Thanks!
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4/26/19
Felt A LOT better about my deadlifts today. I threw 185 right on to start and I got it up for one set then I went down to 180. It was supposed to be an RPE 10,hoping it looks like one. Also had never done reverse hypers and videod to see if I am doing them right.
I still can’t front squat. I wasn’t sure what straps to use. Going to watch the video again and try to get it to sink in. Let me know how these look. Hopefully better.
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4/28/19
I overhead pressed today and I know these need help. Tell me what to do because I don’t even know where to start on how wrong I know these look. Thanks a lot.
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Overhead press is not s bad as you think.
1. Walkout-can you take 55 more steps?
Do it the same as as squat. 1 step, 2 steps, that’s it.
2. Elbows-keep them high all the time
3. Knees-keep the straight at the start.Watch this for more:
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4/29/19
Squat day today, and I think it went a bit better than overhead press day. Thankfully. Also filmed keystones to see if I’m doing them right, hopefully the angle is better this time.
P.S. My doctor asked where I’ve been working out because I’m down 32 pounds since I joined. Would not be the case without you guys so thanks.
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Keystone:
You seem to start all exercises with your knees bent.
Knock that shit off.
Start with a straight knee.
As you progress through the reps, the actual exercise is ok.
It can be better, but I’ll take ok at this stage.
Ways to be better:
Locked knees at start
TIGHTER
at bottom, shoulders over kneesSquats:
Same thing.
Unlocked knees cause a lot of issues.
Let’s get the knees locked next time and watch how it goes. -
5/1/19
So today, after waking up with 2 Charley horses and not getting enough sleep, I decided in my infinite wisdom to try to bench 110.That didn’t go well, I could tell it was too much, went down to 100. Got a couple sets in, wasn’t feeling awesome, then dumped on the pins.
This is 100% what happens when I get cocky. And I’m glad I was at least smart enough to use the damn pins.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw6pLxLn5kL/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=13pnrqazajj37
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As far as setting up the pins go, you may have put them too high. You do not want the bar hitting the pins when doing a normal press (it sounded like you were hitting them at the bottom even on the reps you completed). I’d recommend putting them just one hole lower.
Sometime we have to push and fail just to get a reality check, it is part of the process. Good job not dying. -
5/3/19
I won’t get too wordy but this week has been a living hell for me. 2 people died in properties I manage, I was helping my dad deal with a bad car accident that totaled his car, and I ran out of medicine for my PTSD and had to fight with my health insurance for 2 days to get it. I did not kill it in the gym this week.
But today I had a change of schedule and ended up working out in the evening instead of the morning. I’ve been scared to do front squats but I had decided that tonight I was GOING TO TRY DAMMIT and that was that. Chuck ended up helping me so much. I know these aren’t perfect but I came away understanding the movement so much better because of his help. I’m not even mad I lost my big toe and went backwards because I learned from it.
I am going to miss the shit out of Chuck. This video demonstrates why pretty well. He’s a great coach. And I felt so much better after I busted my ass for a little while.
Thank you.
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That’s what i try to keep in mind. But I also know the difference in the movement between a front and a back squat now, which I hadn’t really wrapped my head around before, and I got alllllllllll the way down there without a box, which for me was kinda huge.
But yeah he’s an outstanding human being. I really appreciated him tonight.
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5/6/19
My quads are ANGRYYYY this morning. I love it. Squats and heavy sled drags were awesome to do. I didn’t completely ditch the box, but it’s pretty low. Let me know if these look like an RPE 8,I think they felt like one. Was debating adding weight this week but 100 was enough as far as I could tell. Thanks!
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Keep trying to work that box down. From this angle it looks like if you dropped it one hole lower you would be breaking parallel, right now you are at or slightly above it. As far as it being an 8 goes I would say so. You can see you make a mistake, fix it on the next rep, get tired, make another one, fix it, etc. Which is exactly where I would expect you to be considering it is both an RPE 8 and the recent leaps and bounds you’ve made on this movement. Two things to pay attention to, one at the bottom one at the top. Stand tall on every rep. You do it on some and definitely on tension resets at the top. Second thing at the bottom is keep your back into the bar especially when you are sitting on the box. This will help eliminate that forward rocking you have coming off the box on some of the reps.
All in all you are doing a great job keep it up. -
5/8/19
Came in to bench today and finally broke 100 for all my sets. For me it was a big deal. Do these look like an RPE 9? Also I filmed my attempts at pullups. Sorry the video turned out terrible. I can’t get up all the way even with a strong band, am I doing it wrong or am I just not there yet. Feedback appreciated as always.
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Christine,
First up, we love you here at TPSMethod.
With that said, we want you to go to film school!
See me next time you are in the gym and I’ll show you how to set your phone up for filming.Congrats on the PR!
Those look like an RPE 7-8 to me at the most.A 9 means you had 1-2 left, and it looks like you could have done 4-5 more to me.
On the pull ups, I can’t see how far up you are going.
Try putting the band on your foot instead of your knee.
That will give you more help. -
5/10/19
I REALLY TRIED to film better today, but the deadlift platform I used was not awesome and there was a person next to me. It doesn’t look too terrible to me, so hopefully it’s better for you guys. When I filmed my good mornings I attached the tripod to the other squat rack and that seemed to give a better view.
Murph a couple weeks ago you said you thought I could pick up 225.so I went for it this morning and pulled 227. I think they might be a little sloppy but curious what you guys think. I tried my best on the good mornings too but still feel like I’m not doing them right no matter how many times I watch the video. But, sometimes when I say things like that they end up being better than I thought so hopefully that’s the case.
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Angle is better!
Deadlifts:
You need to lock your knees and you are losing your root.
Watch the video, you’ll see your feet are coming up all over the place.
Focus on the rooting hard.Good Mornings:
Much better.
You are going a little too deep.
Stop a few inches higher and you’ll be just right., -
Bar path looks good from this angle. One thing to focus on is the unrack. I know it’s a pain in the ass by yourself. Try to drag it right to your top position. If it seems too hard move your whole body further up the bench so more of your face is under the bar. Your bar path is good enough that we don’t have to worry about hitting the hooks. If you can get it out of the rack easier you’ll have that much more strength to press the weight.
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I’d say the RPE for the normal presses was on point. The paused benches need a longer pause, count out “one one thousand” in your head before you press. One both, especially the pauses if they were a little lighter, you need to try to meet the bar with your chest. As you bring it down drive your chest up. As you press drive your chest up harder.
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5/24/19
Hey guys, bad filming struck again. I thought I had the camera lined up a LOT better than I did. Hopefully you can see enough to tell me anything. If not sorry.
It was deadlifts today, I had to stop working out at hanging leg raises because my hands were starting to crack and bleed and I didn’t think it was very responsible of me to bleed on a power rack. Also I was kinda worried it might not be a good idea injury wise to climb up like that with my hands so torn up.
Anyways, here’s video, again I’m sorry
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Misses Speilberg,
I want you to watch the video and look at your knees at lockout.
Some reps are locked, some are soft.
That is our next task.
Work on locking the weight out consistently.
Overall, lots of improvement!And on the hands, have you heard of this new thing?
Moisturizer.It works.
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5/28/19
So today is Tuesday and I usually squat on Mondays so man was I confused today lol. The gym was a little crowded too so I couldn’t film as much as I usually do, but I went without the box under me today for part of my regular squats and all the paused ones so I was kinda excited. Video below is regular and paused efforts from this morning.
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByAMKKABIx6/?igshid=3wpluqgdlgkm
https://www.instagram.com/p/ByAOgm7Bn3M/?igshid=5y3413sx0ce0
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Lots of minor fixes we can talk about, but let’s talk about the good.
No box!
Whose a big girl?
Christine is.Squats are getting better all the time.
Here is one thing to work on that will help as long as you still work on getting tighter and moving with purpose:
Watch you ascent out of the hole in video 1.
Can you see the forward slide of the knees?Work the root harder, especially the heel.
That will clean things up.
Keep up the good work.
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5/29/19
Bench day strikes again. Also finally figured out getting into my resistance band for pullups so that was good.
I really don’t love these. Not sure where I went wrong but they didn’t feel great. Where did I go wrong. Sorry for the dead spots on the video, like I said I just wasn’t in the zone this morning. I squatted yesterday so I’m definitely still sore to boot, usually I don’t go back to back days lifting like this.
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I don’t really see where you went wrong.
What I see is a new lifter finding their way.
We all have good days and bad days and perhaps this was just an off day for you?
Look at 1:10 in the video-set up
You can make a huge improvement here by getting your hips up much higher when your feet are on the bench and really packing your shoulders down more.
Give it a shot next time.
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5/31/19
So today was kind of a special day because I’ve been programming now for 3 months. I’m so proud I’ve stuck with it this long, this is a new record for me. Today was deadlifts and…they actually don’t look too bad! Really worked on locking out but I know I missed a couple. Also, really happy you have a room full of mats for pikes because damn I fell down a lot the first couple minutes.
Really want to thank you guys for the patience and support. I actually feel like I’m learning and progressing more now and it’s a really good feeling. I feel so much stronger now. But anyways here’s some deadlifts and enjoy the giant closeup of my face at the beginning, I’m sure it’ll be your favorite part haha.
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Thanks for saying all that nice stuff.
We try!And the deadlifts.
What I love about you is not that you hate cars, but that when we give you tips, you APPLY them and it shows.
Keep up the good work, and perhaps you should just pick a meet and start training for it as soon as this block is done………
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6/3/19
So today was squat day and I already know my right heel was coming up on these paused squats, what else needs work?
It’s my first week going without the box and it felt kinda weird, hoping they look better than I thought they did. Thanks.
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Your heel appears to be coming up due to your initiation of the lift.
Watch your knees as you begin.
You are pushing the knees forward instead of pushing them sideways and pushing the hips back.If you focus on driving the knees out and pushing the hips back it should clean it up.
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How’s these deadlifts looking. I had 2″ pulls today and Murph you ain’t never lied when you said they were a lot harder. I deadlifted 200 off the floor but couldn’t budge that off the mats so had to come down a little. Pretty sure I locked out on every rep though and kept my feet rooted.
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Christine, Lock outs looks good. You need to generate a little more tension on the floor/blocks. You are trying to get tight as you pull. Reset at the bottom of every rep and lock your upper back in and flex your abs as hard and you can then pull.
Rooting and lower body is an improvement. -
6/10/19
So this week starts block 2A and I’m setting openers. I was maybe a little more nervous about this than I’d like to admit but today I set my squat opener at 125,which is both a rather large pr for me and a lot better than I thought I’d do. How do they look form wise? Thanks.
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Those are some nice looking squats. We’ve come a very long way.
Two things as the weights are getting heavier, I know you are making sure you get to depth but once you get down there get the hell out, it is not a paused squat. The longer you stay down there the more work it is going to be to reverse direction and get out.
In that same neighborhood you need a little more tension getting into the bottom. You are “falling” those last few inches on a few of the squat. Think if you were to play squat Red Light Green Light you need to be able to stop with control at any moment if we said “Red Light” (we are not going to do that). You need complete control. -
6/12/19
Set my bench opener at 115 today. This was supposed to be an RPE 10 and it felt like it to me. I really struggled it up on the 3rd reps. Tried to arch as much as I could and maintain tightness, wore wrist wraps, the whole nine. Hoping these look better.
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Last set looked like a 10!
For where are experience wise, you are doing well.
Let’s get to work on some new stuff.
1st:
Next time, try and set up on your traps more at the start while your feet are on the bench.
Like you learned at Training Day.
This will set your upper back arch harder and make things better. -
Thanks.
I was thinking about what you said about how we have to learn to struggle under a heavy weight. Heard you say it in my head when I was having trouble getting that last set up. I do absorb what you guys try to teach me, I swear.
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We all know how important sleep is. Doing your best with what you got is also important, so good job. Once you unrack the bar just let it settle and stabilize before you start the movement, you will feel stronger this way.
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7/1/19 test day!
So today was kind of a big deal. Tested my squat and deadlift. I think I did ok with squat but deadlift I was surprised with not being able to get some weight up. Video below. Remembered my knee sleeves this time too.
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How’d ya like that 155 squat…I was excited about it.
I’ll be back Wednesday to test bench hopefully with no rolls of shame.
I do have a question. Could I have tried again on that 245? Or is it three tries and that’s that and too bad if you didn’t get the lift. Because that’s how I thought it was and that’s why I only took one shot at 245 pounds. Thanks.
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At meet you only get three attempts, and its usually not a good idea to bag your head against the wall trying over and over again to hit a weight. On that 245 you could’ve given yourself a few minutes, get your head straight and try again and if that didn’t take then drop down to 235. The reason we given you three attempts in to one, simulate a meet, and two, so you don’t take 10 attempts at something and keep missing it cause you are too stubborn to stop yourself.
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6/3/19
Tested bench today! I couldn’t come this morning and was super excited all day to come test and it was made even better when my attempt at 135 went up. It was a little hairy at the midpoint but I got it up there.
My wrists weren’t very straight and you can’t see my feet and I hope this video isn’t too terrible.
How long of a break do I take now? Can I come back Monday? Video below.
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This was the end of block 2A week 4 my next week would be block 2B week 1.
Also what’s up with that push pull is that a meet I could consider trying for? Or is it not going to fall right in my training schedule? Or just do you think it’s a good idea?
Thanks Murph.
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If the block does not have a “Week after” test protocol in it, we suggest taking a few days off and then getting back in the gym with some light work.
Start a new block the following week.The Push Pull is here at TPS and is a great idea for a first meet.
It is Bench Press and Deadlift only, so it is low stress and quick.
It’s a great way to get your feet wet. -
I’m gonna be on the lookout for registration dates then, I really want to do it. I thought the same things, small, close to home,and for some reason I really wanted my first one to be a push pull. Thanks for getting back to me on this.
I started block 2B this morning, hope that was what you meant. I took 4 days off after my bench test and have been dying to come back. Not deadlifting on Friday felt so weird!
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Look at the calendar and count how many weeks out you are from the meet.
Once we get that we figure out which meet prep cycle to go with. -
For your next training block, do this:
But be sure to time it so your meet occurs on the same day as it is in the program.
You’ll probably need to do a few weeks from Beginner PL 1 in order to catch up.
I’d say keep it light this week, then do the first two weeks of the Beginner PL 1 first (if that is the correct amount of weeks) -
By the last rep you are losing your brace and lat tension at the floor and more so once you get to the “easy part” aka above your knees. The lift is not over so do not relax the stomach near the top. Also at the end of a set you need to fight harder to keep everything locked in. Its at the end of a set that you need to really test your technique and fight to hold position.
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Well…
You didn’t do anything “wrong”, you just could have done things better.
Your squat is a million miles from where it was a short time ago, BETTER.
It appears that you are losing your brace a little and throwing it onto your back.
I’m guessing that, and the added volume is what did it.Try some 90/90 breathing between sets and see if it helps next time.
Back pumps tell you that bracing is off, the breathing may help it loosen.
I highly suggest that instead of skipping the remainder of sessions going forward, you just rest a little longer and see what you CAN do.
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On high rep sets we induce faults intentionally through fatigue.
As you can see, as the set nears the last few reps you are loose and dump forward.This is ok, it is feedback on where you will fail under a heavy load.
Go back and watch the video, and next time, take a moment and RESET the root, brace, back into the bar and all the rest in between reps so you keep the last one looking as good as the first.
You are doing well, and by no means should this disc discourage you. It is supposed to happen, but now that we see, let’s do our best to prevent it.
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Thanks a lot. I keep seeing my heel come up a tiny bit and it’s driving me crazy. Candace suggested widening my stance a little and it made it better but I’m really hoping I can get it to just stop happening by focusing better at the end of my sets on what you suggested here.
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Hope you are ok.
Let me know if you need my body shop.
My guy is better than the rest.
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Call Rob and tell him you are one of Murph’s clients.
617-381-9424
Do this BEFORE your insurance company looks at the car.
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I called and left a message this morning.
Also, Dr said no main lifts for a week as long as I am out of pain by then but that I could work out “lightly”.
Think I should just try for my accessories or even lighter than that? I feel like 99% ok.
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Came back today and was so excited to bench. I omitted chains since I had been out of the game almost entirely for a week. I did some at home resistance band work but that was really it. Did all of today’s accessories too.
Really tried to get that back arch up today, but wasn’t sure if I moved my feet out enough. Let me know how these look.
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Good to see that you are back to lifting again. Good call to omit the chains on this one. Your technique is getting better and better. You can see the upper back position and effort to arch hard on the set up. I would like to see more effort to drive your chest into the bar on the way down. You are not collapsing, but you aren’t driving up either. You’re just staying the same. Even if your chest only goes up 1 mm drive it up to meet the bar while bringing it down.
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Squatted with chains today for the first time. The program called for 2 chains but since I hadn’t done any chain squatting yet I went with one. Was supposed to be an RPE 9, it felt like one to me. Do I have the chains right? I was setting up in the mono and wasn’t sure. I had links touching the ground but didn’t know if the straps went inside or outside the collars. Sorry for all the questions I just want to make sure I’m setting up right so I get the most benefit.
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Doesn’t look too bad and you are right on the money with the RPE. For the chain set up I would put the chain through the end of the strap with all the holes then have the slack hanging off the bar instead of on the floor. One less thing to trip on that way.
For the squat themselves focus on pulling the handles of the SSB into your body and driving your back into the bar. That bar wants to put you forward real bad so you need to stop it. -
Deadlifted with chains again today. Hoping they look a little better this time. I lost my left foot almost entirely and I seriously feel like my root and brace need so much work. I do think I had the chains on right this time, a bunch were touching the floor when I was at the top?
Anyway help. I want to at least pull acceptably come November.
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OK.
1st.
Watch he chain set up video or have one of us show you how to set them up.2nd:
Let’s try pulling barefoot for a bit. It will help you root better.3rd:
PATIENCE
Do 1 or 2 reps and then RESET everything.
That will help with all the issues.You will pull just fine, and bench too.
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