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The official gym & weightlifting thread! rep #2

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#601
Question. Maybe you guys can help me?

I've done this 20 minute upper body workout video with free weights off and on for years. For the last 3-4 years I've noticed that when I start working out again, I feel it in the muscles I'm working for the first few weeks, then I don't feel it in my muscles anymore but my elbows start to ache.

I'm 43, and this issue also corresponds to the age at which I noticed I was losing much more muscle mass then previously if I didn't continue my workouts. I try to pay particular attention to form and not to use too heavy a weight.

Any ideas on what might be going on/what to do about it? Or what to google? Or am I just getting old?
 
#602
It could be a lot of things.

Age could be a factor.
Previous injuries? (I know my elbow joints & tendons about there ache from previous injuries)
Could be over doing it, muscle tissue develops quicker than tendon, tho I don't think it'll be the issue here.


When you say your elbows ache, can you be more specific? Is it just the joint, or is it a golfers or tennis elbow pain?
 
#603
No previous injuries, though I have Dequervain's syndrome in both hands, but weights don't seem to bother me that way as long as I'm careful with my thumbs and I'm not having a flare-up - in which case I can't work out anyway. Pain shoots up my forearms with it at times, but I've never had elbow pain before, except associated with lifting and free weights.

Not positive about what kind of pain it is, but my instinct is tendons/ligaments rather than bone/joint. Elbows feel tired? stressed? when I bend them. Achy. (I'll be able to describe it better in a few weeks, I'm sure.)
 
#605
Sounds a bit like tendonitis. I have patella tendonitis and it's pretty awful sometimes. Icing after workouts helps and so does ibuprofen. My advice would be to warm up your arms real well before you do the workout. Maybe pushups, pullups, and dips to start? I know that when I jump rope for 10 minutes or so before a hard lower body workout my knees hurt less than if I don't get a good warm up.
 
#606
zachoff said:
Sounds a bit like tendonitis. I have patella tendonitis and it's pretty awful sometimes. Icing after workouts helps and so does ibuprofen. My advice would be to warm up your arms real well before you do the workout. Maybe pushups, pullups, and dips to start? I know that when I jump rope for 10 minutes or so before a hard lower body workout my knees hurt less than if I don't get a good warm up.
Click to expand...

+1

In which case it can take a while to sort itself out.

A good warmup is a must for any excersise.
 
#607
zachoff said:
Sounds a bit like tendonitis. I have patella tendonitis and it's pretty awful sometimes. Icing after workouts helps and so does ibuprofen. My advice would be to warm up your arms real well before you do the workout. Maybe pushups, pullups, and dips to start? I know that when I jump rope for 10 minutes or so before a hard lower body workout my knees hurt less than if I don't get a good warm up.
Click to expand...

Cooldown is also important. For example, doing 10 minutes on the Stairmaster (low speed) at the end of the workout seems to reduce the likelihood of any knee / joint soreness for me the next day.
 
#608
I'll try increasing my warm-up and cool-down routines. I think I'll try rearranging my workout, too, so I'm easing into the more elbow-stressing stuff. Kind of like an extended warm-up for them.

Thanks for the input!
 
#609
"I PICK THINGS UP AND PUT THEM DOWN!" (Recent Planet Fitness radio ad in US)

Congrats on the deadlift PR at 380lb! That is an awesome feeling, standing up with that much weight in your hands.

Regarding muscle soreness - yes, you will be sore, but it is temporary, and you will learn the differences between the level of soreness. I find it is typical when staring a new program - the first several weeks have a little more soreness.

There are some programs which emphasize pain, soreness, and the idea that the more soreness, the more effective the workout. Sure, you might have "destroyed" your pecs / shoulders during a really hard workout, but if you can't grasp the bar on a backsquat the next day, what have you gained? Or, if you have to take a week off to recover, you can lose the gains you made.

On a linear strength program, increments are made in in conjunction with recovery. Increase the weight when you are able to increase the weight. For example, Rippetoe's program recommends increasing the deadlift by 20lbs per deadlifting session. This works at first, going from 135lbs to 315lbs, after which there is a 10lb increase, or a 5lb increase. The soreness associated with a 5lb jump is almost non-existent relative to just starting the program. Chronic soreness can lead to reduced gains.

Then again, every once in a while, it is good to have a really hard training day which taxes the system...

ian
 
#610
Trying so hard to talk myself into blowing off today's workout but not gonna do it. Weekend starts in 20 minutes and it's about to rain so I cannot justify hitting the course instead.

Today it looks like:

Six sets deadlift working to max of 2-3
Six sets of DB Incline Bench working to max of 2-3
Six sets of Mid Pulley Face Pulls working to max of 2-3

Now it's written and there's no turning back. I know I'll be happy I wasn't a lazy P.O.S. when I'm done. I always am.
 
#612
Ok, so I'm now a couple weeks into lifting and I have been following the SS program with a couple added accessory exercises (as taken from here Sean10mm's Fitness Blog: Rippetoe's Starting Strength revisited ) . But I have some concerns. Primarily, there is a ton of midsection and lower body work but not quite as much upper body. Do you think I could alter the program to include more for the chest, shoulders, arms, and back? In general, any critiques? Advice?

I am also running 3+ miles/day on an inclined treadmill 5x/week.

The workout (on a monday/wednesday/friday schedule):
Week 1: A/B/A
Week 2: B/A/B

A:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
3x8 Dips
3x8 Weighted Hyperestionsions
3x5 Weighted Decline Bench Situps

B:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Overhead Press
3x5 Dumbbell Rows
2x5-8 Chinups
3x8 Weighted Hyperestionsions
3x5 Weighted Decline Bench Situps

A:
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift
3x8 Dips
3x8 Weighted Hyperestionsions
3x5 Weighted Decline Bench Situps

Fridays only:
2x8-12 Parallel Bar Dips
2x8-12 Curls

Also, I assume 'dips' are done on a bench, as opposed to the Parallel bar dips (obviously done on parallel bars)?

Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope.
 
#616
CrispyDelicious said:
Yeah, that's the idea with the SS program: compound lifts for overall strength, simple enough for beginners to follow. Obviously though, I want to slowly adapt it. I just want to know how long I should leave this routine as-is before I change it up to add more upper body work and whatnot.
Click to expand...

My advice would be to leave the program alone until you aren't seeing any more gains. Once you have stalled and reset enough times and TRULY believe that you are done. With the amount of running you are doing, I have to believe that you are on a caloric deficit so that time may come sooner rather than later.

Ripp is for full bore strength training all the time and doesn't necessarily care about aesthetics. There is nothing wrong with that but his programs are built around linear progression and these types of programs will be cut short w/o adequate amounts of food.
 
#617
Yes, I'm currently cutting. Sitting at 204 as of last week, 6', looking to get down to ~180, 185 before I eat enough to bulk. Definitely no lower then 180, as my doc explicitly told me I was underweight when I hit 175 back in my late teens.

I don't expect any real gains while cutting (obviously) but I started the SS program to make sure then when I do lose the fat I don't lose what little muscle I have in the process. I'm taking whey protein to help with that as well.

So I guess I'll stick with the program as is until I stall on bulking. Thanks for the info!
 
#618
CrispyDelicious said:
Yes, I'm currently cutting. Sitting at 204 as of last week, 6', looking to get down to ~180, 185 before I eat enough to bulk. Definitely no lower then 180, as my doc explicitly told me I was underweight when I hit 175 back in my late teens.

I don't expect any real gains while cutting (obviously) but I started the SS program to make sure then when I do lose the fat I don't lose what little muscle I have in the process. I'm taking whey protein to help with that as well.

So I guess I'll stick with the program as is until I stall on bulking. Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...

6ft and 180# - 185# sounds like a good goal. If you can hold on to as much lean mass as possible while working your way down, I imagine you will be pleased when you get there. Good luck.
 
#619
CrispyDelicious said:
Yes, I'm currently cutting. Sitting at 204 as of last week, 6', looking to get down to ~180, 185 before I eat enough to bulk. Definitely no lower then 180, as my doc explicitly told me I was underweight when I hit 175 back in my late teens.

I don't expect any real gains while cutting (obviously) but I started the SS program to make sure then when I do lose the fat I don't lose what little muscle I have in the process. I'm taking whey protein to help with that as well.

So I guess I'll stick with the program as is until I stall on bulking. Thanks for the info!
Click to expand...

Pfft, fatty!

(I jest, I'm only 4 inchs taller and about 70lbs heavier).

I'll agree with whoever said it, stick with SS until you stop gaining (ie, a few weeks without being able to up the weight).
 
#620
I just finished reading Rippetoe's "Practical Programming for Strength Training", where ALL of these topics are discussed.

1. Regarding adding in additional upper body work. If you have energy for additional upper body work, you did not push the compound exercises (bench, press) hard enough. The program recommends chins and pullups. How many chins / pullups can you do now?

2. Running in addition to doing SS - good luck. Either your running will suffer or your lifting will suffer. You may be creating too much stress for your body to adequately recover from it.

3. A caloric excess is recommended for recovery and growth. Your bodyweight may go down, but I doubt that your lifts will go up. This means "doing SS" is pointless - at that point you are just exercising.

That said, it does depend on WHAT you are eating, not just how much.

4. There is addition of additional exercises, just not in the "Starting Strength" program. The SS program is for a novice (defined as the amount of time it takes to recover from a given stress, not necessarily length of time spent lifting or being 'fit'), and as such, contains only the primary lifts, with a few assistance exercises (chins, pullups, back extensions, etc.)

That is a LOT of volume - make sure you sleep a lot & eat a lot to recover! Best of luck!

Chebass88

P.S. check out Invalid Link Removed to answer questions about the program...
 
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