Before you do, watch a few guys and look for the big guys who effortlessly shift big weight amd dont make a song and dance about it. Those are the ones that know what they are doing. Plenty of people in the gym dont know what they are doing.
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Why have they got to be big ?
An old 10 stone screw was a National Weight lifting champ, he was skinny AF He could squat 3 times his body weight, dead lift similar and bench 120? Ish
Technique was just perfect, he was a twat though, he was the most racist man I ever met.
He retired to Northern Ireland, he didnât know anyone there he just thought there less black and Asians over there ?!
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Thereâs the 60 ish year old who deadlifts 220
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Yeah fair, dont have to be big. Just need to look like they know what theyâre doing
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Try and grip the floor with your feet when squatting.
Deadlifts I think you really need to careful with form if its something you havenât had anyone check or go over with you personally IMO. Already seen a couple of people twinge their back (me included) from lifting with incorrect form especially when trying to lift near you limit which is when your form can easily go to shit. And its a fine line/tweak between pulling up with your back early rather than pushing with your legs mid way through the lift.
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Still going with the 5x5 programme. Up to
squat 52.5
overhead press 30
deadlift 70
Loads of headroom in deadlift. Overhead press already feels hard. Squat is about right for 5x5 but think going heavier wonât be difficult yet.
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OHP is the hardest / lightest by far.
35kg today, my max is 47.5kg I think which took a long consistent run up. Yeah, back in Mar 21.
Yeah i got to about 47. Problem I had was I have to sit down because my garage is integral and there is a flat ceiling. Getting the first rep moving was bloody hard because I couldnt bounce for momentum
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Was trying really hard to not bounce and just use core and upper body strength. Was that wrong?
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Not at all, you should be focussing on the muscles in use and bouncing is cheating. But when you get to heavy weights a little bounce to get started is helpful to get going as a little elastic momentum. Otherwise you are starting with a dead weight. Hence why deadlifts are called deadlifts and are so hard. There is no way of using momentum or bounce to get going, unlike a squat.
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Overhead press, are you talking strict press or push press? Anything OH gets heavy very quickly!
Think theyâre talking strict press, with just a very small push-press to start the first rep, which with heavy weights is slightly unavoidable.
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Yeah strict press is what we are aiming for but as I was saying when it gets heavy a little push press on the first rep gets the bar moving which I cant do from a seated position.
Back in June I was up to 52.5kg on overhead press and I was having real trouble starting the first rep
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I only do an overheaad press with an olympic bar when I do them as part of hang clean and press so very much use my legs to initiate the press. But I donât do it so much for shoulder strength but getting some more rapid, power movements in for lower limb and âcoreâ.
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I havenât done a strict press in a while. But I remember they are hard work and sapped shoulder power very quickly.
No, I will not do a strict press, I donât need my shoulders to be even stronger 
Another way to cheat is to roll your hips forward and arch your back so that the pecs can help a little.
When I used to weight train regularly weâd strap our belts around the back of the seat and pull them up tight to stop any arching. It was amazing how much harder that made them, even if you thought you were being strict.
Started using lifting straps this week as my poor grip strength was limiting my RDL and Trap bar squat.
I realise grip strength is important but I need the straps for these 2 exercisesâŚ
Trap bar squat the same as trap bar Deadlift?
Cant decide if thatâs a humble brag at just how heavy youâre going, or truly a weak grip. Especially if itâs for Romanian DL!
I was glad when the bar got heavy enough I need to split OH UH Grip, although feeling Iâm close to needing either chalk or straps. Probably dropping the strength focus now though after 4 solid months.
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