northernmusician's Journal, 13 August 2015

Sounds like an interesting system for lifting. Any details of it available? 

Here, I am lifting my salty treat, peanut flavoured and yelling: "This is for Northern" LOL 

Makes sense -- if you lift often/regularly, there may be days/times when you (your body/muscles) have to take a step back in order to move forward. 

LOL.. I'll do that but it's me I'll be lifiting on the suspension straps. Have fun with it!  

I want to know the lifting plan too! 

I am lifting my light and fit with chocolate on the top yogurt and yelling "This is for Northern"!!! Hope it helps 

Kathryn. How could it possibly hurt. The prossess to determine the lifting for the day is a little involved. Not bad, but you have to understand the process and the terminology. There's a book he sells that walks you through it. It's a "set your own price" ebook. I went cheap and donated $3. It's worth more than that. He's writing a second. I'll pay more for it. powerliftingtowin.com Click on the 'ebook' tab at the top. 

Snezica. I should have expected that from you. I'm surprised you're not lifting blackberries and showing off again for the neighbours. 

I lifted a canner filled with pickles. Bread and butter as well as mustard garlic pickles. I really hate pickles right now. 

mmmm pickles! 

powerliftingtowin.com Click on the 'ebook' tab at the top. Thanks NM! 

Hi, Glen. It's a powerlifting routine. The way the guy designed it is to use warm up sets to figure out what your weight for the day should be and a ballpark idea of how many reps you will need to get to a certain fatigue rating based on how close you are to failure to lift. Most people fail in programs because they believe they should be able to perform at a certain level, and if they can't, they give up. This is really about you learning to listen to your body and get it to work. For a long time I used only dumbbells for bench presses because of a bad shoulder which was fixed with a simple rotational movement. Now I'm very careful to use good form in my bench presses. As to machines, I dislike them because you have to conform to their motion and not the other way around. Because every individuals structure is a little different, I don't think machines are a good way to go. As to the time involved, I think we are too much a culture of wanting production in everything we do, and so we give up something that we could enjoy if we gave it enough time. Warmup set in the program are are kept to 45 to 1:30 in length and working sets 3 to 5 minutes between. Since you're working with heavier weights in the working set, longer breaks mean you'll do more work in the set and you're less likely to get hurt since you've had a bit of time to recover your ATP levels. 

MIght have to check that out. I'm also mostly doing the machines at the gym and some pulleys etc. A little dumbbell work on the benches as I don't have one at home but have dumbbells.  

I'm quite positive that machines are what gave me the shoulder problem. Dumbbells work on 3 planes of movement so are most natural. Barbell is two planes of movement so you can move more weight. Machines move on one plane of motion which means you can move more weight again - whether your tendons are ready for it or not. I avoid them. I also believe, unless they are completely adjustable, that they should be avoided. You can instantly tell with a machine if something doesn't quite 'fit'. Personal preference and experience for me. 

Just saying Hello. Great that you are maintaining and have found a regimen that suits you. If it counts, I did a series of push ups off the window sill in the file room in your honor.  

Glen. I've been using dumbbells for presses but built a power rack out of scavanged lumber and more recently a bench rack to try benching with a barbell. The barbell is working great so, I did something for myself yesterday. An actual steel power rack is on order. :) 

NM, OK, you have me thinking. I'm rather bored with the machines and have been trying out the free weights here and there, other machines and options at the gym. I'm also concentrating a lot on my suspension trainer. I need some different challenging options at the gym to keep me interested. I've had youtube weight lifting videos on my TV most of the night until I did my TRX video. I will watch them more this weekend, study how to do them, make a list and add a few at the gym next week. I know enough about body mechanics from working with a physical therapy doc for several years I can pick and chose the videos that make sense, some are just stupid. Should be interesting, like so much of this journey to get healthy and fit. Cool that you are ordering a rack. I've been learning about how to use the gym ones tonight.  

When you go to free weight, WF, make sure you reduce your weights. It will take a while to figure out your maxes with those. If you're doing the powerlifting lifts, use your current trainer only if he's a powerlifter. I'm not saying dump him; I'm saying have a powerlifter who trains people check your form. Powerlifting safety isn't just the rack; it's totally the form required. Strict for is essential. 

The trainer is just the one @ planet fitness right now, you can set up appts for no fees. It's not a gym geared to power lifting but I think does have enough for me, there are also a few more options at the community center. I'll do a lot of research on my own as I add anything and maybe just do a check with her. I don't know of a trainer but could ask a few people who are there frequently lifting if they have someone. I saw a book a couple weeks ago very detailed and technical re: muscles and lifting, it was geared to physical therapists and trainers. I'm going to see if it is still there today (a damaged freight store of all places), if not it's off to half price books. No super power lifting ;), just some basics for now. I already know about decreasing the weights compared to the machines as I've already started doing a few different things over the past couple months. For me form is a biggie, I used to work for a physiatrist (physical medicine doc) and also have enough damage from previous injuries (2 years of physical therapy for me as well) and osteo so I know I have to be careful. I watch what other people are doing to their bodies at the gym and cringe some days.  

NM is so right - form is everything is weight work otherwise you are using the "wrong" muscles and will injure yourself.