Powerlifting or Strength training.

**ukripper** · September 20th, 2013

Hi Guys,

Is anyone using Starting Strength or Stronglifts 5 X 5 program in here? If you are, what are your views on it?

I am utilising stronglifts and currently in week 4 and feeling stronger each time.

Thought I'd ask here...

**mreq** · September 22nd, 2013

As for the named programmes, I did Bear routine once and could recommend it. Have strenghtened a lot and build ~5kg on. But the amounts of squats/dead lifts is just harsh...

**WinterMadness** · September 22nd, 2013

I did a 5x5 system for a while. Dont know the specific name of it.

I kind of got out of the body building thing. I put on a lot of weight once I took a break, and not to mention it seriously degraded my mobility. I focus more on cardiovascular workouts now and everything seems to be good again, though my shoulder is still kind of bad from over doing it with bench presses, I would recommend dumb bell presses over a bar.

I personally like cardio based workouts more because of runners high and you can get on a bicycle and go see the town for free, biking to your nearest state park then going for a hike just sounds like so much fun.

**d-cosner** · September 22nd, 2013

Very interesting thread! I did strength training some years ago. There was a group of us, we got together three times a week. I did the training more or less to have something to do but in the end it landed me a job where I needed a lot of physical strength. At 52 years old now, I started riding a bike for exercise. Arthritis has taken it's toll on me and I find that I can not do things like chin ups anymore without a lot of pain. I still do push ups and sit ups pretty regularly though.

I used to wrestle in high school and I still remember what the coach said about building quick, fast muscle and I still use that advice.

**ukripper** · September 23rd, 2013

Originally Posted by d-cosner

Arthritis has taken it's toll on me and I find that I can not do things like chin ups anymore without a lot of pain. I still do push ups and sit ups pretty regularly though.

I used to wrestle in high school and I still remember what the coach said about building quick, fast muscle and I still use that advice.

Sorry to hear that you have Arthritis. I was reading an article which mentions strength training can help Arthritis - http://www.arthritistoday.org/news/why-lift-weights.php

And also coach Mark Rippetoe has helped people with this condition. Interestingly many threads exist on starting strength website e.g: http://startingstrength.com/resource...d.php?t=21051&

Many people when have knee injuries they still squat as rehab which really motivates me to carry on squatting.

Quote from SS link above -

"I have a female trainee in her late thirties who works with me who has arthritis in both knees. Bad enough that her doctor had recommended surgery.

After doing SS for about 6 months her knees feel better than they have in many years. She has even expressed a desire to start running again (something I strongly discouraged). But that just indicates how much better she feels. She was having trouble walking before.

I have her on a gluten-free diet right now and that seems to be helping as well.

Matt"

**llanitedave** · September 25th, 2013

Arthritis can be a nasty and infuriating thing to figure out. Strength training helps for some but not others. It can derive from food sensitivities, persistent bacterial infections, allergies, auto-immune disorders, and old-fashioned mechanical stress and damage. Each cause requires a different treatment, but sometimes more than one cause may be present.

My wife suffered for years from debilitating, painful arthritis in her wrists and knuckles and knees and hips and feet. Doctors were no help. She finally figured out after huge amounts of research on her own that she was one of a small number of people who are sensitive to plants of the nightshade family, including tomatoes, potatoes, chile peppers, and eggplants. She had to give all that up, but once she did, her improvement was rapid. After three years, she still has some lingering after-effects, but she's at least 90% improved.

And she recommends strength training too!

**abrianb** · September 25th, 2013

Starting strength is the better program. I found stronglifts first, it got me started but I quickly figured out that it was just a sales site. Not much in depth knowledge, and it seemed that their was more copy and paste going on than real experience. The starting strength program is well designed, Mark has a great website where you can find answers to most of your questions. I highly recommend buying the book "Starting Strength" , it includes the program and the logic behind it as well as detailed instructions on each lift. Send me an email and I will send you a Spread sheet of the workouts that is really useful.

**ukripper** · September 25th, 2013

Originally Posted by abrianb

Starting strength is the better program. I found stronglifts first, it got me started but I quickly figured out that it was just a sales site. Not much in depth knowledge, and it seemed that their was more copy and paste going on than real experience. The starting strength program is well designed, Mark has a great website where you can find answers to most of your questions. I highly recommend buying the book "Starting Strength" , it includes the program and the logic behind it as well as detailed instructions on each lift. Send me an email and I will send you a Spread sheet of the workouts that is really useful.

I fully agree with you. However, I'm following stronglifts program which is free and no sales pitch. Using Mark's book "Starting Strength" latest edition to understand biomechanics of our body during powerlifting. Mark is a great coach who knows his stuff well about powerlifting. Guy behind stronglifts is a salesman and I don't buy anything from him but has a good free 5X5 program which I like and that's all.

Also I am not ready for clean and jerk as yet which SS advises.

**ukripper** · September 25th, 2013

Originally Posted by llanitedave

Arthritis can be a nasty and infuriating thing to figure out. Strength training helps for some but not others. It can derive from food sensitivities, persistent bacterial infections, allergies, auto-immune disorders, and old-fashioned mechanical stress and damage. Each cause requires a different treatment, but sometimes more than one cause may be present.

My wife suffered for years from debilitating, painful arthritis in her wrists and knuckles and knees and hips and feet. Doctors were no help. She finally figured out after huge amounts of research on her own that she was one of a small number of people who are sensitive to plants of the nightshade family, including tomatoes, potatoes, chile peppers, and eggplants. She had to give all that up, but once she did, her improvement was rapid. After three years, she still has some lingering after-effects, but she's at least 90% improved.

And she recommends strength training too!

Sorry to hear that but at the same time happy to hear she has 90% improved. Just curious has your wife tried any kind of strength training, it is just for my knowledge so I could help others.