Just starting, need feedback please.

F

flog62

New Member
I know you guys read many posts just like this and probably get tired of answering them, but appearently your opinions mean something or us newbies would'nt ask for your help. Just starting HST and would like some feedback on my lifts. I do not have a spotter, so I do not feel comfortable/safe with some lifts. I would just like to know if the lifts that I have selected will be suffecient. Any and all feed back will be appreciated.

DB Bench/Incline-Not comfortable with BB bench, no spotter
Deadlift-Again, not comfortable with squats, no spotter
Military Press
Bentover rows
Leg Ext.
Some variety of biceps
Some variety of triceps
Calf Raises
 
Find out whether your gym has a power rack, which include saftey bars. You can set these up just slightly lower then your chest so when you fail you can push it off onto the bar. Same principles for squats.
 
No, do not have a power rack. Everything that is available to me is very basic. I am a coach in a small school (very small), so I just use our weightroom. We do have safety bars on the squat racks, still do not feel comfortable squatting alone on our racks. Plus this is one thing that I tell all of my players to never do and will not even let them bench or squat, no matter what weight, if they do not bring a partener to the weightroom. Plus this gets one more kid in the weightroom.
 
Up to you i guess.. As long as you can create enough micro trauma in the each muscle group your ok. But, I wouldn't really expect the best results when excluding core exercises in replacement of isolation.
 
Would DB bench and deadlift not be considered a core exercise? I know that I am isolating with the other lifts. But really the only core exercises that I have seen from other people on here is bench and squat. Not trying to argue your points, I understand what you are saying on the iso lifts, just not on the core lifts.
 
What is the rationale behind the fear of squatting without a spotter? I've been squatting in power racks and squat racks for years without spotters and never had any issues even when I've failed on a lift. Anyway, the routine looks fine. Have you considered weighted dips instead of benching since you cannot flat bench?
 
Probably just a fear that I need to overcome. I have just seen some of my kids get in some pretty awkward positions in our squat racks when they fail, because our safety bars are very low. I can sit on the floor and the bar is off of the safety bars. I would really like to squat because it is one of my favorite lifts and I know how important it is. Squats along with power clean and dead lift are lifts that I really emphasize to the kids in my program and what better way to lead than by example. I will add the weighted dips into my routine. Exactly what I was looking for, some good feedback and ideas from other people. Thanks.
 
Well deadlifts are a great lift and definitely my favorite, but I don't think they are a totally adequate replacement for squats. You won't get as much stimulation in your quads with deads, and you'll definitely be hammering the lower back a lot harder with deads than squats, which is something you might need to take into account with daily life. For me, deadlifting 3 times a week (or heck, even twice a week) has severe consequences in my daily life... hah...

Anyway, if you are worried about squatting alone, just don't ever get that close to a max attempt. So instead of using your 5 RM for 5s, you might do your 6 RM so you are building up to a rep shy of failure. Might work. I bench without a spotter most of the time so I know kind of where you are coming from - it does get scary and I know I don't push myself nearly as hard on bench without a spotter as I do when I have one, but I just lift more conservatively on bench when I am alone and I've still made progress. So I don't think you need to abandon the lifts altogether, just be more conservative. Oh, and I'm not saying you should bench though - I still recommend you do the weighted dips instead. Just I think you might want to consider squats and maybe do some lighter squats alone until you get comfortable with it and with dumping the bar if you ever have to. To be honest though, I rarely ever fail on squats and if you are doing a properly planned out HST cycle, there isn't really any reason for you to fail on squats either unless you are testing maxes.
 
Thanks for the help. On a 15RM and 10 RM it is not like I am going to be doing extremely heavy weights, so probably going to just bite the bullet and squat. Now on the 6RM you were talking about, just to be clear, I would find out what I can do for 6 reps instead of 5 right?
 
Yeah then just do 5s anyway, but using your 6 RM so you will stay a rep away from failure even on your 5 RM day... if that makes sense?
 
Makes perfect sense. Started my 15s on Sunday and will get my 10s today. Not sure how I will go back and get my 15s for Squat and weighted dips, but I will figure out something. Will probably get them on Sat. and just wait one more day before I start my lifting.
 
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