Confused and Need Help, Everything Contradicts Itself

Yes the general idea was correct re. the walking and HIIT. General idea is to step it down gradually just like you increased your calories gradually

Deadlift you are starting with your hips too high. Shins are ok, but you want to keep the stretch in your hamstrings that you’re getting now, but with your butt a few inches lower than it is in the video.

issues with your hips and low back, i am not quite sure. Initial thoughts are to sub out the ab exercise that hurts with one that feels ok.

The knotted stuff can be worked out by using a softball and leaning it on the wall with your traps or back against the ball and using it to deep tissue massage yourself.

In a few weeks I"ll check in with you again on the intensity level. . . . of dropping down, because I tend to be an extremist, one of the other, so that’s why I ask for such specifics. . . .with the deadlifts, to get my butt lower, does that mean I’m overarching, try and keep the butt going backwards, not up and back?? Hope I got it@ THanks so much, and God bless

I dont know that youre overarching, no. but yes it is more of a back rather than up and back.

Deadlift–which you are trying to do here–and RDL or Romanian DL are 2 different animals. RDL usually starts with unracking the weight at the top and going down first (though not always). RDL is exactly as you described: hips super high, torso pretty much parallel to ground depending on leverages. Basically the only thing that happens is you hinge at the hips and they move back as you arch.

Deadlift allows more knee bend. it is still fundamentally a hip hinge and not a squat, so you get the same kind of tension in the hamstrings, but you can bend the knees more and hips slightly lower.

Its a spectrum: on 1 extreme the RDL or good morning where hips don’t sink at all, and on the other extreme is the squat where your hips sink to parallel with your knees or below and you get more quads involved in the lift. The “regular” deadlift is between the two and more similar to the RDL than the squat in how it feels, but your torso sits less horizontal than the RDL or good morning.

RDL is what I want to be doing. I think. . . .Do they work different muscles?? YOu had me down for doing dumbbell romanian deadlifts. . . so if that is what I’m trying to do, then is my form good? Or no?Just kind of wondering why I get that pull in the middle back, maybe its normal

RDL is fine, but I would set the bar up on a higher platform and then grab it and back away from the stands to do the lift. I dont like the fact that you’re reaching that far down given that your back is telling you it doesnt like it.

I also gave you the advice on doing regular deadlifts because it causes less discomfort–when done correctly --due to less horizontal torso in the bottom.

Now if you start on a high platform (the top of the deadlift) and then go down you can avoid going into the “hurt” zone with your back.

You don’t want to get your back bothering you. it is better to avoid it

hey there! I’m always about problems no, but I appreciate all the help you give me.
Ok so I did RDL’s, and they were better. I did start higher, but actually the “Pull” i got wasn’t from the beginning part, it was during the RDL part, going down until a hamstrnig stretch, but what I did change was putting more of my body over the bar, instead of behind it and trying to push between heels. I could definitely do regular deadlifts as well, just using my platform because I can’t get it all teh way to the floor, since I don’t have huge, big/tall weights. If you dont mind explaining, what is the different between RDL and regulars in terms of what do they work differently?

Ok and also, either the step ups and /or the lunges are still causing stiffness/pain in my kneecap/patellar tendon. Should I continue and give them time or find alternatives or what do you think? IF it’s just a matter of my tendon getting used to the moves, that’s fine, but if it’s doing more damage than good, I’d rather change.

Hey there! Hope you’re still here once in a while! I’ve stopped step ups and lunges for a week now, to give my knees a break. I weighed myself today and I’ve gone up to 117.8 pounds, but it’s not the first time it’s happened to me, hoping it’s just hormones. My measurements are a little bigger, NOt good, stomach 29.5 and waist 28" but again, hoping it’s just hormones. I am still just walking 5 days a week, at probably like 4.2 mph around there. After another week like this, do you think I should cut calories, lower walking or stick with everything the same?

Although I am male, I can relate to what you mean…

I follow a bodybuilder on YouTube, his name on there is Gokuflex. He shows videos of his clients that ask for his help in losing fat, he runs through each week, what macros he placed them on and how much cardio for them to do while weight training.

What I learned is this… He does NOT place them on a calorie deficit. He utilizes cardio as the fat burning component, has them focus on hitting their macros each day and will place them at specific numbers both for macros/cardio… Normally he will start them at 2 x cardio a week for 300 calories… (300 calories could equal a good 45 minutes cardio session depending on what you choose, but this does not mean HIIT, this is for light cardio) Most of his clients will lose a good amount of weight per week anywhere from 1-2 lbs and throughout the weeks he will alter the macros (depending on their new average weight for the week) and he will also add cardio if needed at the same amount of 300 calories to burn…

They will most likely eat at maintenance level while the cardio brings in the deficit for fat loss. The week to week photos of his clients speak volumes. They lean out well, look a bit more muscular, and helped me understand the approach more…

When I was on a calorie deficit AND counting macros, it’s very hard to hit certain numbers especially on the protein side without risking more calories per day…

If you don’t mind cardio, then I suggest going with your maintenance calories, hitting your macros, and doing at least 2 x cardio sessions per week to start at about 300 calories to burn each session… Test it out… So far this has been done for males… Not sure how he’d approach females on this… This is to give you an idea.

I’m still trying to figure out my rhythm and what will work best for me. I’m looking to try this approach and use what I observed from his videos.

BTW - as far as losing muscle, I would probably think overload of cardio and a deficit would do the trick… Keep your protein intake where it needs to be, keep cardio in control and if you do more cardio than what you might consider normal, than just eat slightly more to maintain muscle volume. Fasted cardio should not affect losing muscle… I workout in the morning fasted with weights and I haven’t lost any muscle…

Just some ideas, I’m still learning myself…

Good luck!

In this case it might be a form related thing, but I would recommend you see someone in person about it now. Preferably a chiropractor that works with athletes and such. It’s hard to diagnose such things over the internet. In general tight hip flexors, tight calves, and knotted up IT band/glutes seem to be things that contribute to knee pain, but some of it can just be over-use. It would be best to get someone to see you in person about it.

Thousands of lifters have dealt with it and come back lifting strong so I would not accept a diagnosis of “stop lifting weights, it will never get better”, but I would listen to them about things to change and/or give rest to for a little bit on the knees.

Do squats bother your knees still?

the goblet squats. . right now I think yes. . . but back squats (is that the name) don’t. I think it’s because I did that stepping/jumping HIIT and I just haven’t allowed them to heal. But when I do the “couch stretch” it really helps and trying to roll the IT band does too. So I think I just need to lay off things and get new videos of my form in a week or so to check it out as well. Keep on with the walking 5 days a week and maintenance then?

and would you recommend for me RDLS or regular deadlifts?

Thanks, . . . it’s so frustrating, because of my body shape to begin with and any kind of bloating makes me look pudgy. . . I’m doing maintenance and walking. . . I will try and use my pulse to know how many calories i’m burnign, hopefully 300!!

Well, I’m not too worried–you were 118 when you started this thread so you are actually still lower in weight and at the very least no worse off. But the difference is that now you are eating a healthier amount, and that is much safer.

I don’t know what your calories are currently at, but I would focus on more activity rather than less calories. Without bothering your knees you can still look at things to do for your upper back, shoulders/chest, and legs. Focus more on upper body and on hamstrings–find lists of exercises that hit your legs and simply try them out to see if they hurt your knees or not. If you haven’t already, I would really invest in a pair of dumbbells that can be adjusted in weight up or down.

One thing you can do for conditioning is to take a loaded bar and hook your elbows under it and just walk around the yard with it there. Focus on standing up straight as your back will be very tired after a bit. I would suggest getting pads/towels for your elbows. You can also do the same with loaded dumbbells–either holding them on your chest or down at your side like suitcases. Go for time, or laps, or see how much weight you can carry for 1 lap. Anything creative, the goal is just to improve that area from last week. I would not necessarily do this every day, maybe 2 times a week to start ON TOP of your walking and current weight workouts. Either after your weights or at a separate time of day.

You can also hit up an Army surplus store for a duffel bag and have someone put some sandbags in it, use it the same way.

Interesting. Yes that is most likely the reason. One of my clients used to be very heavy into aerobics–just because it was cardio that wasn’t boring, she was still lifting with me at the time so she understood how to lift properly–and found that her knees and low back tended to bother her more frequently. After about 4 weeks of laying off of that she got better. So I tend to agree. Keep the couch stretch and roll the IT band.

Also invaluable: look up Kelly Starrett on youtube and look up piriformis mobility with his name. Or basically any kind of mobility you think about: hips, ankle, back, “squat mobility”, or “knee pain” whatever. He is a great source of information and very reliable. You will probably find a lot of things I wrote for your warm-up and other variations of that in his videos, as well as a lot of stuff I haven’t written here.

You can also look up Dr. John Rusin for good information, although I don’t like him as much. He is knowledgeable and reliable, but I just prefer Starrett’s approach more for a general approach.

As for deadlifts you can use them both lol. It’s not an either/or situation!

Yeah still at 1600 calories. I will maybe just try a few laps walking around the park with 10 pound dumbbells on top of my hour walk, just making the hour a bit longer, right? Is that to increase endurance/burning more calories??

And Rdl’s or regulars?

ignore that on RDl’s or regulars?? I will switch them up!

It is for both, but I would suggest putting the weights in a backpack to do that walk. The conditioning I was thinking of would be very difficult to do–you try to pick weights that are hard to carry more than 30 yards at a time.

gotcha. … so either a backpack or those weighted vests I see at walmart no?? Or maybe I have an old ROTC duffelbag. What you’re describing is farmers walk no?? I could maybe do that between supersets. … . with 30 each side.

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Yep. All good ideas. Odd shaped objects like duffel bags and sandbags have a unique effect on core training and condtioning that regular shaped weights do not. And yes, farmers walks. You can do them with weights held at the sides, or loaded on your back, carried in your arms, on top of your chest (front squat position), all kinds of ways for both upper body and lower body workouts.

The general term is “loaded carries” and the farmers walk is a specific kind where you hold the weights at your side like suitcases.

The only limit is your creativity. you can do them between supersets, after the workout as a “finisher”, on a separate day for longer as dedicated conditioning, whatever you can think of. The only real rule is to gear them towards gaining strength --so pick heavier weight that are very hard to carry rather than light weights that you can carry forever.

Hey there! Aragorn, I seem to be maintaining everything, my weight, my lovehandles, my waistline. … . stilll just walking and trying to lift heavy. I was sick for a week so I did nothing and I had to miss a day here and there as we are selling our home/buying and things are crazy, no time. So should I keep doing everything the same, but not drop the walking 5 days a week since it is just walking?? And should I still stick at maintenance?? thanks

Guess I gotta be honest. . …hope it’s bloating, but today I am weighing 119.6 so either fatter a bit or bloated. . . hope it’s the second. .