Weightlifting for Kiwis - Discussion and support regarding the art of swole

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I go to the gym. I have to do a particular exercise (dumbell bench press, lat pulldown, whatever) at a specified weight for a specified amount of reps and sets. I do it, no problem. Couple days later, I have to do the same exercise, with the same weight and sets and reps, and I am DOGSHIT at it. Can't even do a single rep. This makes me feel sad. Another couple days pass, I can do the exercise just fine.

It's a weird spectrum. One day I'll be able to do an exercise fine, the next not at all, the next I can kinda do it but not to the rep amount I want, the next I do way more reps of it.
I've never had it be so bad that I couldn't do even a single rep after previously crushing it, but your strength and ability to perform does tend to fluctuate day to day depending on how you ate, how you slept, etc.

If you have really huge fluctuations in strength maybe you have an injury that you're ignoring?
 
What is your typical diet?
Carbs, proteins, dairy, veggies, fruits, fats. I eat a bit of everything. I don't count calories, but I'd have to guess it's around 2000-2500 a day.
Do you lift around the same time each day?
Usually during the evening after lunch but sometimes during the weekend or a day off I lift in the afternoon before lunch.
How much sleep do you get?
7-8 hours.
If you have really huge fluctuations in strength maybe you have an injury that you're ignoring?
I don't know. I don't feel injured. Everything's working the way it should, the joints are fine, the bones are fine. Unlikely there's any injury of sort.
 
"the American spelling" of a word for a system of measurement Americans don't use? Ok, guy.
you do actually use it but only in certain fields
like I believe certain kind of engineers will use metric for measurements
Carbs, proteins, dairy, veggies, fruits, fats. I eat a bit of everything. I don't count calories, but I'd have to guess it's around 2000-2500 a day.

Usually during the evening after lunch but sometimes during the weekend or a day off I lift in the afternoon before lunch.

7-8 hours.

I don't know. I don't feel injured. Everything's working the way it should, the joints are fine, the bones are fine. Unlikely there's any injury of sort.
could it be gut health?
 
Carbs, proteins, dairy, veggies, fruits, fats.
This is the most vague answer imaginable lol. Regardless, the only way I can see lifts being so inconsistent is either something else is wildly inconsistent or you have an injury. There's just no way I can see a healthy body doing a certain weight for reps then failing to do the same weight even once on another day. Unless you're exaggerating. Some days are just weaker but not that bad.

The reason I asked what you eat is because there could be a specific definciency that's causing muscle weakness, especially if you're lifting the day after a CNS-fatiguing session without proper nutrients.
 
Been trying to make exercise a habit. I could use some assurance.
I'm doing bodyweight exercises, but I've always struggled with them. After years of failure, and what I think is advice that doesn't suit me from impatient gym instructors throughout my entire life always expecting me to get it right the first time for some reason, I think I've sorta begun to know what to feel out for. I figured out from dieting that overcomplicating it is the worst way for me to go about it, and it's what causes me to fail each time. Though, the main problem is: I lack the strength for the bodyweight exercises I've chosen. It's hard for me to keep my feet flat on the ground for a squat, and I can't reach the ground with a pushup. I don't have a specific number of pushups or squats to complete yet because I can't do the full motion yet. For now, the only metric I'm keeping is time. I'm seeing how far I can get, doing trial and error with positioning, and testing what's comfortable for my own body. It should seem obvious, but different bodies of different strengths need different positioning, right? Not sacrificing good form in the process, of course. I've been doing trial and error with figuring out why what I've tried in the past hasn't worked, like why my wrists hurt with pushups. Turns out it's lack of strength + wrist hyperextenion from wrong positioning. There's so much fitness jargon out there that only makes it more confusing and makes it easy to overcomplicate and quit. I think with each attempt at trying to make exercise a regular habit, even if I have previously given up, I've let my judgment grow.
Anyways, in my efforts of choosing two measly bodyweight exercises I can barely do the full motions for, I still feel that muscle soreness, particularly in my deltoids and thighs regardless of incomplete motion. I'm going to make more time for exercise and try to do a little as often as I can, pushing myself to reach a FULL repetition each time instead of settling at half and calling it a day. I don't believe I'm working hard enough that I need a dedicated rest day yet. I think eventually I'll get there once I can actually count the pushups/squats I'm doing without struggle. No idea when that's going to happen, I lack the clarevoyance for that to be specified. I guess in gym nerd terms my plan right now is strength training, and then I want high reps to follow after I reach my goal strength. I'm feeling it all out instead of becoming frustratingly or obsessively specific.
 
I'm going to make more time for exercise and try to do a little as often as I can, pushing myself to reach a FULL repetition each time instead of settling at half and calling it a day. I don't believe I'm working hard enough that I need a dedicated rest day yet.
Consistency is the most important thing

Am I understanding correctly that you can't do a single bodyweight squat to depth, or a single pushup?

The pushups you can make easier by doing them with your hands on a chair or by using your knees as the fulcrum point instead of your toes.

Squats I can't really think of an easy way to make easier in a non-equipped way (there's options with elastic bands but you'd need a rack and the bands)

Regarding rest days – I would argue you don't need them for bodyweight exercises regardless, but I find it hard to imagine being unable to do a pushup and how my body would feel after exercise in that case. Maybe you would need a recovery day.
 
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and I can't reach the ground with a pushup.
If you can't do pushups, try doing them with your knees planted on the floor, or try doing them incline, by putting your hands on an elevated platform or a box, it makes the movement a lot easier to perform. You can do these easier variations of the exercise until you get strong enough do a proper push-up, and then continue on from there.
why my wrists hurt with pushups.
Try pushing down into the ground with your fingers while in position for a push-up, you'll feel a lot less stress on your wrists.
It's hard for me to keep my feet flat on the ground for a squat
I'll assume that you're trying to go ass to grass squat, because I've never heard of someone not being able to keep their feet flat on the ground while doing a squat at least a few cm below parallel. If you really want to do deep squats, find something that you can stand on so your heels are elevated on them, while the rest of your foot stands on the ground normally. Just look up how ATG squat ramps look like and you'll get an idea of what I'm thinking of. Deep squats with just body weight are more about your ankle and hip mobility, and not really about strength IMO, so you shouldn't really beat yourself up for not being able to perform them as someone who's not a seasoned lifter.

Also, I'd recommend you try out some of the exercises in this video, I think they could help you out with deep squatting.
 
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Anyways, in my efforts of choosing two measly bodyweight exercises I can barely do the full motions for, I still feel that muscle soreness, particularly in my deltoids and thighs
I don't believe I'm working hard enough that I need a dedicated rest day yet.
Remember, muscles grow outside of the gym, not inside it. The gym just provides the stimulus to tell them to grow. I'd say taking a little extra rest is more important when you're new to an exercise because the body hasn't adapted to the movement yet.
 
Also, I'd recommend you try out some of the exercises in this video, I think they could help you out with deep squatting.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZFCDMXtKAhA
I have a floor desk because it helps me with my mobility, I'm sitting on the floor right now, I don't use it properly though since I'm always sitting in lotus position instead of doing things such as a deep squat or seiza position (I'm not flexible enough to hold those position comfortably or even for more than a few minutes), my point being that getting a floor desk if used properly gives you free flexibility,, also you need to place it in such a way that your back rests against the wall while using it. If you are not lazy like me and use it right you can stretch while using your computer.

Also you don't need to buy a floor desk, I just took the bases of my regular desk off and placed it on top of empty paint cans.
 
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One of my contracts is setting up systems on a mostly empty floor of an office building on weekends and evenings. I found a gym on the floor that no one apparently uses when I'm there and it's never locked. I'm really enjoying getting a mini-workout using machines in while I'm on the clock. For my day job, I've still been going to the park and hitting pull ups, hanging leg raises, dips, and decline pushups. Usually I super set these and walk a 1/4 mile loop.

Anyone have a good take on stretching? I do some basic stretches when I wake up but I get tight shoulders and back and neck from working in weird positions and having rotten posture.
 
This is the most vague answer imaginable lol. Regardless, the only way I can see lifts being so inconsistent is either something else is wildly inconsistent or you have an injury. There's just no way I can see a healthy body doing a certain weight for reps then failing to do the same weight even once on another day. Unless you're exaggerating. Some days are just weaker but not that bad.
If you change routines/exercise order or say go all out for a PR on a lift earlier in a routine it can definitely change the amount you can lift on specific lifts.
 
I think I've fucked up my entire unracking situation and I think its causing me to finally plateau on bench.. I'm eye to eye with the barbell under it, and my arms are pretty bent (like 60 degrees) instead of slightly bent. I think I've just been relying on pure strength/mind-muscle and now that I'm getting to the point where technique matters my bad setup is killing me, I've been getting persistently sore with my pec-delt tie ins starting at around 155-160lb 3x8 on bench. I tried 175 3x8 and I only did 1/3/0 (reps per set) and then could only manage a full set of 170 after that and I had to roar like I was a viking in the middle of my home gym like a freak to get that when it wasn't that hard last time. I'm at around RPE 8.5/9. I was diagnosed with bilateral shoulder impingement, but that was an outer thing for like shoulder lateral raises, never felt anything on the inside.

I've been jumping up 5lbs/wk and I think I did 10lb/wk from 160->170lb so I think I just rocked my shit for no reason chasing bench numbers. Probably going to drop back down to 160lbs and work back up.

Would like your guys' advice on this. My plan for next push day is to try 170 with proper barbell placement (higher up) and proper body/bench placement relative to the barbell rack, and if I can't get that probably drop down to 160 and work back up. I'm at a home gym which is why these errors are possible.

Is this a good plan or is there a better way to fix this and get back on track fast and keep increasing?
Am I running out of 5lb/wk increase runway?
 
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I think I've fucked up my entire unracking situation and I think its causing me to finally plateau on bench.. I'm eye to eye with the barbell under it, and my arms are pretty bent (like 60 degrees) instead of slightly bent. I think I've just been relying on pure strength/mind-muscle and now that I'm getting to the point where technique matters my bad setup is killing me, I've been getting persistently sore with my pec-delt tie ins starting at around 155-160lb 3x8 on bench. I
Barbell over mouth, not eyes for heavier weights. If your delt pec tie ins are hurting that's not necessarily bad but can be a sign that you're not keeping your shoulder blades retracted and down for the entire lift. Consciously keep them squeezed together and downward, especially during the unrack. Leg drive is enormous if done correctly and your back needs to be tight in order to take advantage of it as well. Try a heavy triple or double then 2-4 volume sets for hypertrophy. The heavy, low rep will teach you and your nervous system how to adapt. Lifting heavy is just as much of a skill as it is mechanical strength. And yes 5lbs every week is not something you can sustain forever. It's mostly just the first few months of lifting as your neurally adapt to the movement and get your newbie hypertrophy otherwise we'd all be benching 400lbs after three years.
 
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