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I'm 50, have been lifting using SS programme for 4 weeks, and my press isn't progressing at all. My other lifts are progressing fine. I suspect I was too greedy with my press though since it started so light (at 20Kg so I pumped it up too fast to 35Kg then got stuck real fast). So I'm going to back down 20%, and I've got some micro-weights (0.5Kg) to progress with from there. Meanwhile, how's my form? https://youtu.be/2ALYQGXYBGI

I was doing well with lifting a few months ago running 5/3/1, and playing with other intermediate level programs. But, life was turned upside down and after five months off of regular access to a full gym, I need to rebuild my foundation. I re-building my base strength by running Starting Strength -- with a few tweaks perhaps. I've made this very detailed so that I can follow it precisely without any second guessing and to give myself an "objective to-do list" so I stay consistent and don't change something just because I'm bored. My main purpose in posting this here is to cast a wide net and get some more diverse feedback on what I've got and see if there's anything I've forgotten or any advice to improve it. Current Program Based on Starting Strength. Main Objectives: I. Rebuild strength base and recondition to lifting after several months off of training. II. Correct mistakes and fix weaknesses that may have arisen from shortcuts and deviations during my initial beginner phase. III. Try to extend linear progression as long as possible before graduating to an intermediate program. 1) Start Protocol: Here are my starting weights, sets, and reps for all lifts, though Press, and Power Cleans have not been added. I'll add those in to alternate between bench and deadlifts after the first deload to allow extra recovery. I'm debating whether to alternate front squats or high bars with low bar down the road for a similar reasons to help on squat. I'm not starting with just the bar, but weights that are easy enough, while still making me sweat. (most are probably in the 30-50% range of my old maxes). Squat: 135# 5x5 Bench: 105# 5x5 Deadlift: 185# 1x5 Press: 65# 5x5 Power Clean: 95# 5x5 My next workout will be: Squat: 155# 5x5 Bench: 120# 5x5 Deadlift: 205# 5x5 2) Workout Protocol The goal is to execute planned weights, sets, and reps on the main lifts with strict and proper form and allow proper recovery between sets. The main three lifts for the day come first always. Optional assistance lifts or callisthenics include: chinups, pullups, pushups, lunges, light KB work, core exercises, curls, and overhead pressing movements (prior to the addition of the press as a lift). No additional assistance lifts will be added unless they are needed to compensate for failed reps. Each set will have 2-5 min of rest between. On this, less is better provided my rate of breathing and my pulse have returned to a comfortable but active rate. (How it feels to walk at a moderate pace for several minutes). If a mistake or weakness is detected during a lift, it must be corrected by mental cue on the next rep. Otherwise the set is considered a failure. I will allow ONE AND ONLY ONE makeup set for a lift if I believe the set failed due to improper but still correctable form or lack of rest between sets. I can add an assistance lift, IF AND ONLY IF, a fail to reach 5x5 on a main lift, and the assistance lift has relevant corrective benefit to the lift and the aspect of its failure. 3) Progression Protocol. For each successful 5x5 workout, I will increase, by set weights depending on which deload phase (the number of deloads I've done previously). The goal being to maintain a linear progression throughout the program. Phase 0 Phase 1 Phase 2 Squat: +10 +5 +2.5 Bench: +5 +5 +2.5 Deadlift: +10 +10 +5 Press: +5 +2.5 +1.25 Power Clean: +5 +2.5 +1.25 For now all my workouts are squat, bench, and deadlift (SBD). And when time permits I throw in an assistance lift or two. This is to get my big three up by taking advantage of LP. 4) Follow Deload protocol I will deload and graduate between phases when I have not achieved 5x5 at the weight two workouts in a row. Deloads will be 10-15%. Bench Deload: After first, alternate workouts between Bench and Strict Press while maintaining 5x5 and 5 lbs increases. Deadlift Deload: After first, alternate workout between Deadlift and Power Clean while maintining 5x5 and 10 lbs increases. Squat Deload(?): After first, alternate workout between Low Bar and High bar squat, maintain 5x5 and 10 lbs increases. Proceed through Deload phases with decreasing weights. After Phase 2, deload 10-15% and reduce sets x reps to 3x5 and begin at phase 0. 5) Recovery Protocol a. Only add workouts to compensate for anticipated appointments or circumstances that make it impossible to get to the gym. b. Never lift more than four days in one week. c. Never lift for more than two consecutive days. d. In the event of obvious, and ongoing physical limitations to my normal activities: 1. If the limitation is limited to one part of the body deload 10% on lifts that affect that part of the body. 2. If the limitation is systemic, drop assistance work, deload all lifts 10%. 3. Consider an increase of fluids, calories, and protein. 4. Add additional recovery and warmup work as appropriate. e. In the event of injuries, drop all lifts affecting the injured body part until the injury has healed. Take appropriate action to help recover the injury. Deload lifts affect the injured body part a minimum of 10%. f. Get 8 hours of sleep every night (or at least on average). g. Maintain good hydration levels. 6) Graduation protocol Follow the program until a stall during phase 2 on the 3x5 program is reached. Afterward program the lift in a 5/3/1 cycle. When all lifts have graduated, deload, and begin an intermediate program. 7) Abort protocol Only quit this program if any problems persist despite following the recovery protocol.

Short Version: What should the week before testing my 1RM look like? Long Version: I tend to plan things out far in advance. I planned on continuing to focus on strength and cutting out some bodyfat until around the end of November. Currently I do 5/3/1 with BBB 4x/week and run around 10-15 miles most weeks. I understand the basics of the day of warm up to 1RM and how to warm up to that weight. I also think I am going to do a single 1RM a day rather than big 3 in a day comp style. But should I just plan on putting 1RM testing at the end of a deload week just before shifting gears? Oh, I plan on shifting gears to focus more on hypertrophy in the fall when I stop trying to cut fat and focus on muscle. Yes, I know that 1RM doesn't really help me move forward in my training but November will be my anniversary with the barbell. I kinda want to see what I have accomplished in that year.

TL::DR- I started Clean and press-any tips? About two months ago I saw a set of weights on Craigslist for a wicked deal- 2 dumbbells, 1 7' barbell, and 200 odd lbs of assorted iron weights, so I was pumped and picked them up. I've been in the gym, for a few months building on rows, dips, bench, and farmers walks... But lifting barefoot in the backyard in front of the garden is just magical. I get to assert my dominance over my vegetables to let them know their fate is near! I don't have a bench, or rack so benching it out. My row is to high to use on the dumbbells I got. After regularly doing rows for the last 2 years I'm up to 100# single arm and feel quite accomplished. Farmers walks also out, though I am in search of a couple 10 gallon buckets to fill with sand. Point being is all I did in the gym, I can't really do at home so I looked for alternatives of what would work with what I have...Ended up at the clean and press. It's hard with the amount of weight I have, it works back, and I am getting my BF% low enough that a stronger core will be visible. started at 90#, worked up over the last month to 111# Where I have the question is my programming and form. 3 "sets" 1- 86# -5 continuous reps 2-106#- usually get three out before taking a breather and doing 2 more 3-111# - 2 reps, break, 2 reps, break, 1 rep The third set is always a struggle, form is maintained, but every time out I am increasing the weight 3-5#, so it is a hard lift. As for form: I get the clean perfect...or at least I think I do. But getting the bar the first 3-4" into the press is where I am unsure. I have been dipping down slightly with my legs and pumping back up to get the weight moving then let the upper body take over. I have started the but/quad clinch at the end and it did help get the last PR. Is the press like that wrong? Have I bastardized the Jerk by doing the little pump? Should I slow adding the weight if I can't pull out 5 in one continuous set? With the listed above equipment can you think of another exercise that would benefit someone with the goals of being better at fast distance running, Dodge-ball, and looking pretty? Any advice welcome and appreciated.

Hey all. I've been running a modified 5x5 program for a while but my gym just updated some of their equipment so I've been trying some new things out and want a little advice on my program. Here's what I'm doing currently: Warm-up x2: Mountain Climbers x25 Jumping Jacks x25 Burpees x10 Air Squats X10 Half-Crunch on a ball x10 'A' day: Squats - 5x5 Bench - 5x5 Bent-over Row - 5x5 'B' day: Squats - 5x5 Press - 5x5 Deadlift - 1x5 Accessory: Kettlebell Swing - 5x10 Medicine Ball Slam - 5x10 Planks Yoga - 10 minutes to stretch at the end of my workout. I also walk about 2 miles every day, minimum, as the gym is a mile away. My only issues with this program have been stalling out on my Press. Before I took a few months off from the gym I had been stuck at 90-95 lb on my Press for nearly 3 months. I need to focus more on my Press I feel. Thoughts?

I started SS a few weeks ago, and I'm stuck at 55lbs on the press. I started at 45lbs which also felt really hard, but I can get through 3x5. At 55lbs, I can only get through one set of 5 reps. On the 3rd rep of the first set, I already feel my shoulders burning. This is probably from holding the weight up. Should I just keep the weight at 45-50lbs until it feels easy? Or should I keep trying 55lbs until I can finally complete the full 3x5?

Deadlift: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNnKdpM94vQ Squat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pCWq9Auvtg OHP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUtLKV8nwhc

Hey hey, just starting a post thread for my battle log. I'm currently on the starting strength program, using madcow programming. Current maxes Squat - 265 x 5 Bench - 195 x 5 Deadlift - 295 x 5 Press - 135 x 5 Monday 19th Workout Squat - 135 x 5, 165 x 5, 200 x 5, 230 x 5, 265 x 5 Bench - 100 x 5, 120 x 5, 145 x 5, 170 x 5, 195 x 5 Instead of just cleaning, I did some hang clean technique drills to work on my form a bit. I did a hang clean from mid thigh, just below the knee, then from the ground using 95lbs, 115lbs, and 135lbs for 2 sets each. I'm having a bit of trouble with my hip drive on the heaver weights, I can't seem to get the bar moving fast enough. It's possible that I was just starting to get tired since it was near the end of my workout though. I also did two sets of 1 arm rows using 40lbs, for 20 reps and 2 sets of 10 dips. I felt pretty good afterwards, getting the dips was tough for me, I could barely do 3 of them a couple months ago. Progress!

Hi everyone. I would appreciate any feedback on my form on these three exercises. I used very light weight for each, as I want to make sure my technique is correct before training seriously. I think my form is not horrible but could use improvement. Be gentle please, I'm new to all this Sorry for the poor video quality, but they should do. Deadlift Overhead Press (Leaning back a little too far?) Bent Over Row (bar touched my chest on each rep, not evident in the video)

Main Quest: Compete on my gym's recreational gymnastics team next competition season (January - April 2014) Brief Background: I did gymnastics from age 4-14, competing seriously for a good number of those years and spending between 16-20 hours in the gym every week. I quit when my coach quit our gym: he was hoping to establish himself somewhere else, but it never happened. I wound up diving for 4 years in high school, but it never really had the same effect on me. I participated in token attempts to continue maintaining a good level of fitness including kickboxing, yoga, and running, but none of them really held my interest. I kind of hate distance running as well, so that in particular wasn't working for me. My general fitness condition began decay. In June 2013, I discovered that adult gymnastics classes were available at a gym really close to my work! After working up the courage to check it out, I've been going to advanced class once a week and slowly getting back my skills. So far this is only tumbling, but I hope to redevelop my skills on the other three apparatuses soon! 1. Actually DO Gymnastics How I'm going to do this: *Open gym or gymnastics class 1x - 2x a week *Actually JOIN the recreational team officially *Attend rec team practice every Saturday The recreational team has sessions that are roughly seasonal, and the fall/winter session will be starting up in the next few weeks. I should be able to join soon, and once I do join, I'm aiming to attend every Saturday that I am not traveling. Because of the uncertainty of when I'll be able to join the team, I'll leave the grading on that until later. I will also be doing some handstand and press work at home as time permits. Grading: A - 6+ open gym/classes B - 5 open gym/classes C - 4 open gym/classes F - <4 open gym/classes 2. Get Stronk How I'm going to do this: *Strength training at the gym 3x a week. I've begun Starting Strength at my gym with supplemental bodyweight exercises at home including v-ups, hanging leg lifts, presses, and working on my pull-up progression. Right now we are going to focus on me getting to the gym 3 times a week, with bodyweight work filling in at home whenever I have the time/energy. Some of the applications of lifting might not provide as direct benefit to my gymnastics progression as greater bodyweight work would, but I'm also just interested in developing consistency and routine, Having something very clearly laid out and uncomplicated will help me stay on track. I would be following the Starting Strength regimen at the gym 3x / week, but I've recently developed a mild rotator cuff injury that is aggravated by both high and low back squats, so I'm going to be doing other variations and exercises as my shoulder allows. Scoring: A - 17 - 18+ gym workouts B - 14 - 16 gym workouts C - 11 - 13 gym workouts F - <11 gym workouts 3. Improve flexibility How I'm going to do this: *20+ minutes of stretching EVERY SINGLE DAY *PNF stretching once a week with a partner I've got to get back into the habit of stretching every day if I want to increase and maintain the flexibility necessary for this sport. I've recruited my husband to help me out with some PNF partnered stretching for my hamstrings and hip flexors at least once a week, which will help me get up to speed quicker than on my own. Grading: A: 38 - 42 stretching sessions w/ 5-6 PNF sessions B: 33 - 37 stretching sessions w/ 4 PNF sessions C: 29 - 32 stretching sessions w/ 3 PNF sessions F: <28 stretching sessions w/ < 3 PNF sessions My Motivation: This is probably supposed to be some kind of emotional thing. I just want to have amazing control over my body, be stronger, look awesome naked, and get booty.

So I was trolling through a lot of the posts in this section and came across everyone who was pressing, was seeming doing OHP. Now I don't know if push and OHP are the same, I assume OHP to be strict/military presses. Since I've started lifting, I've only been performing push presses. I figure it will allow me to use more weight as well as help create explosiveness. Am I losing anything by only doing push presses? Is one better than the other? And I might as well throw behind the neck presses into the mix as well. Any insights will be appreciated.