So I tried to post this in the moderated training forum, not considering that this would be the more appropriate location for something like this (oops). Anyway, here’s a little (hopefully relevant) background information:
M/25/6’3"/210/~16% bf
I’ve been lifting on and off for since I was a teenager, and recently decided to get serious about lifting when I decided to go back to school. I started the novice LP at the end of November last year, and currently my lifts are:
Squat: 360 x 3 x 5 (reset once)
Deadlift: 365 x 5 was highest weight/reps performed, recently reset and am currently at 340 x 5 (reset twice)
Bench: 210 x 5 x 5 (reset once)
OHP: 137.5 x 3 x 5 (reset once)
relevant programming alterations to sslp:
alternate bench sets/reps between 3 x 5 and 5 x 5 (mentioned per Jordan in one of the podcasts, admittedly can’t remember which)
transitioned to light squats on Thursdays (80% of Tuesday’s weight performed for 2 x 5)
accessory arm work 2x a week performed after all required work sets, because broscience.
Other than the aformentioned changes, I have followed the programming for the novice progression, eaten around 3500-4500 calories daily and I consistently sleep 6-8 hours a night. The only other detail that might be relevant from a fatigue accumulation standpoint is that I am a full time student and work full time in a somewhat physically demanding role (e.g. walking at a moderate pace consistently over an eight hour period, some light lifting occasionally up to 75 llbs).
Tl;dr version:
I am looking for some help critiquing my form, as well as any insight in to where to go next regarding programming. I am somewhat torn between TM with deadlift intensity day performed on the “light day”, the bridge and possibly HLM.
Squat looks pretty good but after the first rep the hips are definitely shooting up faster than the shoulders. It’s easy to let that happen as the weight gets heavy. I have a sore knee right now from doing that yesterday.
There was technically only one deadlift to watch due to the bouncing, but it looks alright. It’s hard to tell just from the one but it looks like the the bar is rolling back towards you a little before it comes off the floor and is possibly moving back even after. If this is the case (not 100%) you might need to set up a little closer to the bar.
Got it. Any recommended internal cues I can use to help prevent my hips shooting up quickly moving forward?
Also, when I set up much closer to the bar I tend to have an issue tipping forward as the weight gets heavier; any cues that might be able to help with that? I’ve been trying to work on pulling the slack out of the bar, and pulling the bar in with my lats; admittedly deadlift is what I’ve struggled with finding a groove on the most. I’ve considered switching to sumo because I feel like I get better tension, but the bar I own doesn’t have any central knurling and I’m hesitant to buy a new one as a more or less brand new lifter.
Don’t do “touch and go” on yiyr Deadlift. Stop and get tight every time. You don’t have to stand up and totally start over but it helps me to imagine I’m doing 5 sets of 1, or 3 sets of 1 etc.
It looks more to me like your trying to lift up your chest in the squat at the point where it gets heavy, which is what like 90% of people do, including myself try to stay in your hips.
Both of these weights look really easy for you despite how I’m sure they feel, one suggestion would be to just slow everything down by 10% and try to feel what going on.
If you’re grunting, you’re exhaling, and you don’t wanna be losing tightness before you’ve completed the rep. This will make it more likely that you’ll lose form (i.e. loss of power transfer from hip to bar = hips shooting up first, an that)
Thank you guys for all the feedback, I tried to be a little more deliberate on my light day to keep my hips from shooting up, and it definitely seems to help with how my knees feel the following day. Per Leah’s recommendation on the moderated forum I’ll be moving on from the SSLP after my training session on Saturday and starting the bridge next week. I’ll most likely start a thread on the training log forum to hopefully provide helpful feedback for the program as well as a training outcome.