Nearly fainting after squats :D

Are you at your limit when after completing a set of squats you feel like you're going to pass out or vomit? Being completely new to the gym, I feel these compound exercises take the most energy out of me. Apart from being very embarrassing, is this normal or should I be backing off the weights. I'm currently doing 3x10 at 30kg which is quite low in weight.

I am very interested in the Rippetoe workout as I find I get more out of these compound lifts than just doing isolation stuff?

That is called hard work man. You will get used to it. I have thrown up three times whilst doing legs or after doing legs.

If you are new, you are not going to get very little from isolation. I did it for 1.5 years and got some results but I wish someone had of given me a 5x5 at the start.

What you have been given is very similar to Ripptoe's if you ask me. You can see how much these lifts are affecting you with how you are feeling, you even said it in your last line.

I sometimes see stars after pushing it hard, especially on the heavy compounds.

I found the Ripptoes workout and this is what it looks like. Josh did you mean you would of liked to have done the compound stuff from the start or the isolation exercises? Maybe I am jumping the gun as I've only been at the gym 6 times (really enjoying it) but the below workout seems great.

• 
  [*]Monday - Workout A
  [*]Wednesday -Workout B
  [*]Friday - Workout A

• 
  [*]Monday - Workout B
  [*]Wednesday - Workout A
  [*]Friday - Workout B

Workout A:

• 
  
  [*]3x5 Squat
  [*]3x5 Bench Press
  [*]1x5 Deadlifts
  [*]**2x8 Dips (if you cant do these or no assist machine then do Decline Dumbell Bench Press with your hands Facing each other)
  

Workout B:

-LJ- said:

Josh did you mean you would of liked to have done the compound stuff from the start or the isolation exercises?

• 3x5 Bent Rows (or Power Cleans)

Click to expand...

LJ, what Josh is saying to you is that he did get some results by performing isolation work for the first 1.5 years, however he wishes he had started with the basics instead (I hope I'm right here Josh).

LJ, it's best that you have someone show you how to perform a proper powerclean than do it wrong and injure your back in the process.


Fadi.

Yep, Fadi is spot on. My big head and bad advice prevented me from getting better results!

Hmmm my lower back is probably the weakest link with me. I just had a look at the Bent Rows on Youtube and they seem as if I would pull my back muscles trying to do this.

I also don't want this to happen to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw0HRDIQ10I

-LJ- said:

Hmmm my lower back is probably the weakest link with me. I just had a look at the Bent Rows on Youtube and they seem as if I would pull my back muscles trying to do this.

I also don't want this to happen to me.

YouTube - Clean and jerk lift gone terribly wrong

Click to expand...

LJ, my advice re the b/bell bent over rows is this: do not do it unless you're doing around 15 reps and up. Otherwise do one arm d/bell rows where your back is stabilised by the assistance of an external object (the object you're leaning on). I know others on the forum may have a different point of view than I, but that was my advice if you wish to take it mate.

LJ, that link shows a weightlifter "blacking out" during a clean, or in this case a very easy power clean which this weightlifter decided to turn into a clean. Coming out of that clean, he held his breath and failed to breathe whilst under muscle exertion which caused him to blackout, (lack of oxygen to the brain). Not a very common thing but it happens to the elite as well as the novices just the same. My first week into the sport of weightlifting 29 years ago now, I dropped a snatch on the back of my neck and lost consciousness for a second. Got up and lifted that baby again and that was the first and the last mishap for me.


Fadi.

LJ mate, I repeat my offer to meet with you and give you some tips.

As to feeling nauseous, what happens is this. Your guts use a lot of blood to digest food. However, muscles also use a lot of blood to move you around and lift weights. So if you lift heavy or go for a run, the body may say, "I can keep the muscles going, or digest food, not both... he's still moving? Okay, I'll get rid of the food then." Thus you feel sick.

In the same way, your brain uses blood, too. So if it all rushes to your legs then there's less for your brain and it starts to shut down - you get tunnel vision, you feel faint, etc.

This gets much less once you have been doing resistance training for a while, and also as you build up your cardiovascular fitness. That's because your body gets better at pumping blood around, so it can supply two things at once.

So you just start slow and build up your strength and fitness, if you feel sick or faint stop and take a breather, then try it a second time - if you're still faint or sick, stop, do a cooldown, stretch and go home.

And don't go looking for videos of accidents on youtube, that really doesn't help you. I mean hey, if I were about to go for a drive in the car would I look at videos of car accidents? It'd make me a nervous wreck, and more likely to crash!

As far as bent rows with a BB or DB goes, we use a suported DB row 99% of the time. We actually use a KB as it "feels" nicer having the weight beneath the wrist.

I only have 2-3 lifters whom I allow to use a BB.

Yes, DB rows are definitely easier to perform without straining yourself.

Unfortunately, my gym's DBs only go up to 25kg so once I could do 15-20 reps with them I had to change to BB.

I dunno why, but I have this funny feeling DBs and KBs go over 25kg at PTC

Surely not!! haha

Markos, why do you only allow 2 - 3 lifter to do bent over BB rows? Is it to do with the strain they put on your back?

What do people think of T-Bar Rows?

Thanks all, PTC would suported DB rows be good for my lower back if I keep the weight down?

I can answer that, LJ.

If you lie on a bench and do rows, it places exactly zero strain on your lower back.

If you put one knee and the same side's hand on a bench, bend over and do one-armed rows like that, it puts very little strain on your lower back.

However, the only way to be sure is to pick a light weight, try it out, then a heavier weight, and so on.

No, it will have zero effect on your lower back, you need to strengthen it though or you will remain pissweak your entire lifting life.

Josh, I hit the PC hard, I can give clients a safer exercise that wont tax their PC, I have better exercises for that.

Whats good to strengthen my lower back then?

Ukrainian deadlifts, squats, dead lifts, overhead squats, pulls, good mornings