I started testing out my FBW today and...

My legs feel like jelly, I can barely work up the stairs. I know tomorrow morning will be painful, but I suppose it's a good pain of sorts. It's my first time using weights rather then the machines, so it's quite a bit different for me. All I could really handle was squats, lunges and bench press today.

The squats went well, I felt my form was decent for the first time, I did 3 sets of 10 at 135 lbs, the bar was a little annoying on my shoulders, I saw some people using a pad that wraps around the bar, are there any cons to using this? I really felt this working my quads, but it didn't feel like much else was getting the benefit, could it just be that my form needs tweaking, or is that what I should be feeling?

My bench press went ok, I didn't have a spotter so I didn't push myself as hard as I wanted, I did sets of 10, 8, 6 at 135 lbs, I hope to get this down to 10x3 by Fridays workout.

Lunges I did 10 x 3, my form was horrible, I'm going to try a different exercise wed. I think, any recommendations for lunges for a starter?
 
Soreness is expected if its the first time you've used weights instead of machines.

Your squats are gonna get up there quick especially if you bench about as much as you squat now.

As for lunges, how could you have bad form? But you could do step ups or bulg split squats as well.

As for the pad, 135 shouldn't hurt your shoulders much, check to make sureo f the position of the bar, and as far as I can tell, there is no con to using the small pad.
 
is balance the issue with squats? if so.. just keep doing them.. practice practice.. dont worry about the amount of weight much and just focus on form.. way to go!
 
... The small pad compresses when used, it gives maybe a .5 inch increase to diameter to the bar. Why would it give you a forward lean?
 
... The small pad compresses when used, it gives maybe a .5 inch increase to diameter to the bar. Why would it give you a forward lean?

I had a thread a while ago and a few people said that. The pad isn't neccessary adding some muscle to the traps and placing the bar correctly should fix the problem. He'll get use to it.
 
I had a thread a while ago and a few people said that. The pad isn't neccessary adding some muscle to the traps and placing the bar correctly should fix the problem. He'll get use to it.

I didn't say it did added muscle to the traps... Why would making the bar a little softer to make it less pressured on your shoulders increase trap muscle?

Still, how does it make you lean forward? I do with or without pad(depending on whether someone lost it or something) I see no difference (in mirror).
 
I didn't say it did added muscle to the traps... Why would making the bar a little softer to make it less pressured on your shoulders increase trap muscle?

Still, how does it make you lean forward? I do with or without pad(depending on whether someone lost it or something) I see no difference (in mirror).

lol, no I meant if he added muscle to his upper traps then the bar wouldn't hurt him as much thus he wouldn't have much of a need for the pad.
 
lol, no I meant if he added muscle to his upper traps then the bar wouldn't hurt him as much thus he wouldn't have much of a need for the pad.

oh haha, I get it.

Well, I still odnt see how the pad has a negative affect on people, but I suppose I'll take your wrod for it because I do agree that it isn't necessary
 
why do squats and lunges in the same workout IMO there isnt a need,if you want to do both alternate each day.
 
Well, I believe lower body work should have as much volume as push and pull (not combined, like 2 push, so 2 lower body)

Besides, squats is bilateral, and lunges is unilateral. Squats can be done at the beginning of the workout, when you have most energy and lunges towards the end.

If you do Bench, and you also do dips, you are working triceps and shoulders twice, same with rows and pullups. Why not give your lower body, an extremely important part of your body, the same attention?
 
Well, I believe lower body work should have as much volume as push and pull (not combined, like 2 push, so 2 lower body)

Besides, squats is bilateral, and lunges is unilateral. Squats can be done at the beginning of the workout, when you have most energy and lunges towards the end.

If you do Bench, and you also do dips, you are working triceps and shoulders twice, same with rows and pullups. Why not give your lower body, an extremely important part of your body, the same attention?

squat and lunges use mostly the same muscles,if you want two exercises squat for mainly quads and sldl for mainly hammies would be better.

also if he is tiring during a workout doing two heavy leg exercises and just bench-press,is not a good idea he would be better of dropping one of the leg exrcises,and doing another upper-body one untill he is strong enough to do all.
 
squat and lunges use mostly the same muscles,if you want two exercises squat for mainly quads and sldl for mainly hammies would be better.
All lower body compound movements use mostly the same muscles. Squats, Deads, lunges, stepups, bulg split squats, all use quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes.....

deadlifts and squats take a large amount of energy, it would be most efficient to do only one per workout. It is important to do unilateral exercises.
also if he is tiring during a workout doing two heavy leg exercises and just bench-press,is not a good idea he would be better of dropping one of the leg exrcises,and doing another upper-body one untill he is strong enough to do all.

What kind of assumed situation is this? I don't remember him mentioning that he only did two heavy leg exercises and just bench press. In fact according to his workout. He does much more than 2 leg exercises and bench
I myself remember stating doing 2 pushes, 2 pulls, and 2 leg exercises. Anyone is strong enough to do all and if he isn't, he needs to lower the weight.



Edit: Further more, squats/deads would be done at the beginning of the workout, and lunges/stepups/bulgsquats would be done at the end after the pushes and pulls.
 
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AZN I beleive you might be right in this BUT 2 leg excercises is HARDER then 2 push or pull excercises.

Doing squats and say Lunges on the same day will lead to overtraining and less gains in the future. I beleive at least fo rmy self that Bent over row is twice as easy as Squats or dead lifts thats why you do more of upperbody.

Also the Upper Body has more muscles to work then the lower body.
 
AZN I beleive you might be right in this BUT 2 leg excercises is HARDER then 2 push or pull excercises.

Doing squats and say Lunges on the same day will lead to overtraining and less gains in the future. I beleive at least fo rmy self that Bent over row is twice as easy as Squats or dead lifts thats why you do more of upperbody.

Also the Upper Body has more muscles to work then the lower body.

Well you do have a total 4 upper body to a total 2 lower body. I've taken into account that it is harder and takes mro energy to do lowerb ody, which is why one lower body is at the beginning and the other at the end.

So, you suggest doing soley 1 lower body exercise per workout? This isn't effective, imo anyway. If squats and lunges on the same day lead to over training, then what of the upper lower split? The Lower portion has around 4 lower exercises. Albeit there is a longer rest period having 4 leg exercises by your standards would soon lead to over training.

I'm not saying you're wrong or anything because I cannot prove that either of our opinions are correct.

What I tihnk is, if you're gonna work your triceps twice, and your biceps twice, and your shoulders 4 times! you should at least work the legs twice.
 
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Well what I do is the days I do squats, i dont do hamstring curls. But The days I do lunges and bulg squats I add in hamstring curls. But not a big leg excercise like dead lifts or something.

I know im pretty right when I say that Dead lifts and squats make you tired. Personally, when finished with squats im breathing hard and I do anything on my legs.

I guess you could be able to do 1 in the beginning and another at the end. But wat I like to do is do 1 Explosive excercise every workout ( cleans on mon, fri. Dead lifts on Wed)

so i do the explosive movement then squats, bulg squats, or lunges. I dont know if Cleans are a leg movement but I need them in my program.
 
Power cleans are a leg movement a total body movement really, I feel that those are far more effective than hang cleans.

Leg curls are a fairly bad choice imo. There's No need to isolate hamstrings from the glutes.

I agree squats and deads take it out of you real quick. But I'm not completely dead or anything I still have the energy to do unilateral leg movements.
 
All lower body compound movements use mostly the same muscles. Squats, Deads, lunges, stepups, bulg split squats, all use quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes.....

deadlifts and squats take a large amount of energy, it would be most efficient to do only one per workout. It is important to do unilateral exercises.


What kind of assumed situation is this? I don't remember him mentioning that he only did two heavy leg exercises and just bench press. In fact according to his workout. He does much more than 2 leg exercises and bench
I myself remember stating doing 2 pushes, 2 pulls, and 2 leg exercises. Anyone is strong enough to do all and if he isn't, he needs to lower the weight.



Edit: Further more, squats/deads would be done at the beginning of the workout, and lunges/stepups/bulgsquats would be done at the end after the pushes and pulls.

the OP said
"All I could really handle was squats, lunges and bench press today."

that is why i said
"also if he is tiring during a workout doing two heavy leg exercises and just bench-press,is not a good idea he would be better of dropping one of the leg exrcises,and doing another upper-body one untill he is strong enough to do all."

and i didnt suggest deadlifts i suggested straight-leg-deadlifts which is not as heavy or tiring.:)
 
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