Starting Strength - initial difficulties.

connundrum

G'day!

I've started SS at the beginning of April after about 3 months of getting myself into a relatively fitter state i.e. now comes the real work.

Difficulties I'm having are with squatting and deadlift.

Squat - all I have is a Smith Machine, which I'll admit to half being glad of as it steadies me on the way up.

Now, at the minute I'm squatting 60kgs.. which is fcuking pathetic. This is done in 3 sets of 6. I've looked at youtube videos for guidance, and have asked that I be monitored by instuctors etc, so it appears that I am doing it correctly.

Is it just a matter of time and slowly building until I get to a more 'acceptable' weight?

Deadlift - before Christmas I was going relatively well with this until I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Now, back at it I've ask that I be critiqued and am following guidance, so all is going well, except for the fact that I'm stuck at 60kgs.

Any suggestions for moderately quick fixes to these problems?

Dave

COH

'Acceptable' numbers are the ones you can lift, not what other people can, like unless you happen to be Andy Bolton then chances are there will always be someone stronger than you, me and everyone else! 60kg might seem pathetic to you, but its not for someone who can do 40kg.

Stick with your programme, provided you're doing it right and are eating accordingly the numbers will come up so its just a matter of patience.

Are you deadlifting with the smith machine too??

Always preferred free weights to smith machines myself, and made alot more progress using them, is there any scope for training somewhere with a squat rack? Any gym that doesn't have a squat rack or cage isn't worth a cent if you ask me!

d'Oracle

connundrum wrote: »

G'day!

I've started SS at the beginning of April after about 3 months of getting myself into a relatively fitter state i.e. now comes the real work.

Difficulties I'm having are with squatting and deadlift.

Squat - all I have is a Smith Machine, which I'll admit to half being glad of as it steadies me on the way up.

Now, at the minute I'm squatting 60kgs.. which is fcuking pathetic. This is done in 3 sets of 6. I've looked at youtube videos for guidance, and have asked that I be monitored by instuctors etc, so it appears that I am doing it correctly.

Is it just a matter of time and slowly building until I get to a more 'acceptable' weight?

Deadlift - before Christmas I was going relatively well with this until I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Now, back at it I've ask that I be critiqued and am following guidance, so all is going well, except for the fact that I'm stuck at 60kgs.

Any suggestions for moderately quick fixes to these problems?

Dave

Have you read the book?
Or at least the sections of the wiki pertaining to the novice progression?

the drifter

connundrum wrote: »

G'day!

I've started SS at the beginning of April after about 3 months of getting myself into a relatively fitter state i.e. now comes the real work.

Difficulties I'm having are with squatting and deadlift.

Squat - all I have is a Smith Machine, which I'll admit to half being glad of as it steadies me on the way up.

Now, at the minute I'm squatting 60kgs.. which is fcuking pathetic. This is done in 3 sets of 6. I've looked at youtube videos for guidance, and have asked that I be monitored by instuctors etc, so it appears that I am doing it correctly.

Is it just a matter of time and slowly building until I get to a more 'acceptable' weight?

Deadlift - before Christmas I was going relatively well with this until I pulled a muscle in my lower back. Now, back at it I've ask that I be critiqued and am following guidance, so all is going well, except for the fact that I'm stuck at 60kgs.

Any suggestions for moderately quick fixes to these problems?

Dave

you cannot squat in a bloddy smith machine people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

connundrum

Deadlifting with a bar. Gym does have the proper Olympic bar (I think) but no rack so..

I have read wiki & explored related forums etc, I'm still just a bit disappointed at the relatively pisspoor starting point I'm coming from.

I'm 6'2, 94kgs (down from 106kgs).

I'm happy enough with the progression with pullups and bench.

Meh, might just be a case of plod on and see where I am in a month

Zamboni

connundrum wrote: »

Squat - all I have is a Smith Machine, which I'll admit to half being glad of as it steadies me on the way up.

Dave if your gym only has a smith machine and no squat rack you will ultimately learn the exercise incorrectly.
Please change gym as soon as possible.

Re-read the deadlift section in SS. Visualisation can really help.

d'Oracle

connundrum wrote: »

Deadlifting with a bar. Gym does have the proper Olympic bar (I think) but no rack so..

I have read wiki & explored related forums etc, I'm still just a bit disappointed at the relatively pisspoor starting point I'm coming from.

I'm 6'2, 94kgs (down from 106kgs).

I'm happy enough with the progression with pullups and bench.

Meh, might just be a case of plod on and see where I am in a month

It could be down to the fact that you are squatting in a Smith.
It isn't the same.

What exactly are you doing in the two workouts?

TommyKnocker

the drifter wrote: »

you cannot squat in a bloddy smith machine people!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or deadlift with proper form for that matter.

The only time I would ever go near a smith machine is for inverted rows.

I seen a T-Shirt on a Crossfit site before which had the caption "Say NO to smith machines" which I thought was funny

M

d'Oracle

B-Builder wrote: »

Or deadlift with proper form for that matter.

OP said he uses an Olybar for the Deads.

kodute

OP what you are doing is not Starting Strength.
Program says 3x5, not 3x6.
No smith machines. Change gyms or buy a power rack.

Stick to the program and you'll get results. Everyone here squatted 60kg at one time or another.

Brian?

connundrum wrote: »

Deadlifting with a bar. Gym does have the proper Olympic bar (I think) but no rack so..

I have read wiki & explored related forums etc, I'm still just a bit disappointed at the relatively pisspoor starting point I'm coming from.

I'm 6'2, 94kgs (down from 106kgs).

I'm happy enough with the progression with pullups and bench.

Meh, might just be a case of plod on and see where I am in a month

If you've no power rack, improvise. Power clean and front squat. When I was in Jackie Skelly, I used to put the bar across a dipping station and squat from that. Thank god I left and now have 2 squat racks at my disposal.