chaoticspaces

Hello all, back again! My previous thread started to take a sciency turn, and while I enjoy science as much as the next nerd, I figured it would be best to restart somewhere that these questions are actually supposed to be this time (eg, in the form check board). I have no doubt I'll be posting other lifts over the next few weeks/months (I have a DL video arriving fairly soon I think) but for now, I just have squats. I've been keeping myself steady at 65lbs for the past month or two to iron out my form, and these videos are me asking if you guys think I'm ready to start adding poundage onto it, or if I should stick here for a little while longer. Any comments and criticism appreciated! I wobble a little towards the last few reps, but that's more me being tired than a I-do-that-every-rep thing. (Also, I'm sorry about the weird angle on the back, I can't really see what direction the camera's pointed in.) Back Squat @ 65lb, side Back Squat @ 65lb, back

I don't think much has changed from my previous videos, honestly, but I'll record another one anyway when I next do squats. Thank you for all the videos and diagrams - it gives me more of an idea as to what I'm aiming for.

Yeah, the sweatpants are notoriously loose for that. I'll pay more attention to it now that I'm actively thinking about it, but I think they're straight. Thanks for the tip. Also, does anyone have a benchmark for how straight your back has to be in a high-bar squat? I know i'm not supposed to be leaning forward terribly, but I've noticed the position of my torso dictates how much my hips sway and how well I can start to rise - if at all. If I "sit up" too much, it's next to impossible to get back up again.

I had a really large one on my foot when I was young - it got to the point where I couldn't even put my shoe on because it was so swollen. It didn't hurt, but it was still a pain, and I had to have surgery to drain it. It took me about a week until I was back to life as normal, but I can see why you wouldn't want surgery done on your wrists, even if something that small is probably minimally invasive. Seems your next bet is to be a syringe if the bible-thumping (ha) doesn't work.

Hello friends, I'm back! Reading week and exams took a hit to my gym time but I'm back, ready to burn off all that pumpkin pie that the Canadian Thanksgiving brought. (I did notice that when I lifted, wow, everything was easier. Maybe that's to do with the way-more-than-usual food I was eating). Another form check for you all, but not one I've linked before. Squats are coming a little easier - I've noticed I do better form-wise in low bar squat, because apparently my body likes folding and pushing out better than trying to drop straighter down, but I've been eyeing Olympic lifting as a potential in the future and know those are mostly high bar squats, so I'm going to continue to do those and just ty and get better. My hips don't sway as much, hurray. Bench, well... practice (and more practice) makes perfect I suppose. Today, I have... Deadlift! (@ 135lb) I know the angle is a little weird, but there's nowhere to plop my phone and I don't have much to balance it on. I had a previous video about a week ago but I watched it and realized my ass shot up as soon as I started the lift - I corrected that by not lowering myself so much, only going as far as my shins needed to touch the bar. I'm actually not wearing shoes here because I forgot them, but I was halfway to the gym and it was cold and raining and like hell I was going back. Any tweaks, let me know. I was gonna do one for OHP, but had nowhere to put my phone for a good angle. 5lbs really makes a difference on that one though, ouch. 45lbs is decent, but I can't even do 8 for one set at 50lb, more like 6, 5, 5.

Those overnight oat ideas I've been seeing elsewhere sound really good. I think I'm gonna get a big bag and experiment. October is the season of Pumpkin Everything, which happens to be a flavour I will pretty much kill for, so throwing some pumpkin puree into the mix sounds godly. I even have mason jars to get the authentic experience.

Well I took your advice and arched my back/pinched my shoulders and would you look at that, more weight was moved with roughly the same degree of difficulty. Magic how that works. I find it hard to drive with my legs, though - I'll think "okay, DRIVE" and nothing happens. It's like my body refuses to do two things at once. I also relax through my shoulders over the course of my set so I need to fix that. My squats are still shaky, so I'm gonna sit at 55/65lbs and work at it until they don't do that weird sway at the hips. Maybe I'm just not comfortable enough in the form yet, I dunno. There was some guy behind me deadlifting 430 or so and I have to admit I stood there for quite a while and not-so-subtly watched him in the mirror. That shit looks painful.

Man, now I really want some of the Protein Works stuff but they don't deliver anywhere near Canada, and I doubt I could shoulder the monstrous shipping costs very easily. Especially those flapjacks. I have family in England that could potentially ship it over but that's probably the same price just broken up into different amounts.

I didn't look and got the extra-creamy variety, and apparently extra-creamy means extra-low in protein. I don't want to get another ub before this one is done but it's looking like that's what's gonna happen.

Where are you getting that protein in your oatmeal? My PB is like.. 3g of protein per serving and my oatmeal has nearly jack in there. I don't think the milk would count for that much. Sounds like I need to go shopping. Considering buying one of those big bags and cooking a week's worth all at once - all I have to do is roll out of bed and scoop some into a bowl.

@matty are you referencing the first or the second video for bench? I hadn't watched the video when I did the second video (oops) so I wasn't exactly sure how much of an arch I was /really/ supposed to have (hint: a lot more) so I'll definitely work on that, but I'm not sure how to make it so that the bar comes down lower. Wouldn't that make the angle not-90 and thus a lot more of a pain in the ass to bring down? or is that supposed to be how it is?

I've been set at 114g because I weight 155 at about ~26% bf, but I might push it down a little in order to let it level out. I just came back from a shopping spree where I essentially bought a crapload of tuna/seafood, so hopefully that will help. The problem is that my school doesn't really have one of those cafeterias, more like it's different chains spread out over campus, so you can't really mix n match and things. Deli meats is another +, I have a family relative with a costco card and a freezer in my dorm house so I might buy an eternity's worth and stick it in there to keep. My roommates think I'm nuts sometimes. I just really like oatmeal in the morning which kill my choices a little for protein. I've discovered the hard way that adding protein powder to that is a massive no bueno and tastes pretty nasty. Lunch is either a smoothie (with powder) or some sort of meaty sandwich, and dinner these days tends to be some sort of fish/meat with rice and a bunch of vegetables. I've been eating them out of the can because I didn't go to the farmer's market last wednesday, but I generally have a good rotation of fresh veg around me. Snacks are apples (ever since I got my braces off I relish being able to bite through them) or some sort of carby goodness, depending on how much wiggle room I've got for the day.

hello all! hope you're having a decent week. got a very important question to ask all of you: how in the world do people eat so much protein? little background: I'm a university student who lives on campus with no easy means of access to a grocery store. meat is expensive, and buying in bulk makes sure I don't run out but also makes sure I get bored of the same thing rather quickly. I also don't have a very large budget, so my protein options are... lacking. I currently do macros, and I have it set to 114g of protein a day. While that isn't a crazy number, I find it a pain sometimes when trying to eat breakfast and realizing that those eggs only have maybe 10% of what I need on a daily basis while filling up my fat macro way earlier in the day. do any of you have any high-protein alternatives/suggestions that I could use to sneak in a few extra grams in my day? I typically try to consume 30/40g per meal, depending on how many I eat, but sometimes it doesn't happen and leaves me a little lopsided. any thoughts are appreciated!

Thanks for the advice everyone! It's really helpful to see so many people pitching in. More videos on the way... still no DL, oops. But more squats and bench press. SpecialSundae: I was actually really careful to get a pair of pretty flat training shoes. They have next to no squish in them at all, so I don't think that is the issue here. So I did what all of you said and tightened up my core - I moved up 10 pounds, and I did see a noticeable difference. Getting to the bottom doesn't feel like it's impossible to get back up anymore, and I do feel a bit more stable. But I'm still noticing a... not a wobble, quite, when I come back up. More of a sway? My hips push out more to one side for a moment as I come out of the lowest part, almost like one side is stronger than the other or something. I can still go down and up, but I want to fix it before I start trying heavier weights and it's really hard to fix. I'm sorry, I forgot to rotate it sideways for the bench press. I can only do a vertical shot for the squat because the platform's raised too much, the angle gets all weird if I set my phone on its side. Squat at 65lb - Front View Annnnd here is the Bench Press - I hadn't watched that video yet so I probably wasn't trying it all, but pulling the shoulders under really does make a difference. Bench at 65lb - Side View

Well, I did videos of all three but I somehow managed to delete my deadlift video from my phone before posting it. No idea how that happened, I'll shoot another one next time. I've been sick so I haven't gone to the gym this past week, but have some videos: Squat at 55lbs - Side View - First Set I'm not sure if you notice, but in the second rep, I go down a lot further than the other ones. This is what I'm talking about - ten pounds heavier and once I'm down there it's near impossible to get up. This feeling is mostly when I'm essentially "sitting on my haunches" and the backs of my thighs are touching (or extremely close to touching) my calves. Squat at 55lbs - Front View - Third Set Again, the one where I forgot to change the safeties and go clang is where I go down a lot deeper than the others. I sort of wobble from side to side when I get tired, and I do see my knees tracking in on a few of them. Bench Press at 65lb - Front View - First Set I went down from 70lb because I struggle on that - I'm thinking I just need more practice/muscle there. It's just heavy. My right arm takes more effort to get up than my left, though. (But I'm right handed.) Deadlift... to be redone, derp. I'm aware my form probably sucks, and I /wasn't/ aware my sweatpants hid so much from you. Oops, sorry. I'll wear different pants next time.