Oh Help Me Great Fitness Gurus!

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 6/25/2012 1:59pm

You know, I wondered where he was...

Glad he's back. :-)

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/19/2012 8:50pm

Ok, time for an update. I've kept up with Stronglifts, went through a de-load, and am again stalling. My bench, press, and upright row all feel great, my form is solid, my weights are going up.

Squat, and deadlift suck. In spite of my best efforts my squat form is mediocre at best. I'm stuck, till the end of the year, in a big-box gym with trainers that simply have no idea what they are doing. I've taped myself, attempted to self correct my form, and have had some, though not much, success.

I've come up with a few options.

a) De-load again, and try to focus on my form even more. This would bring my squat to under 200lbs, and while I think this could help, it's basically what I've already tried, and failed, to accomplish.

b) Get a trainer, even a bad one, and hope for the best.

c) Quit my current gym, and join a barbell club, or CrossFit gym.

At present, the third option appeals to me the most, but I've heard really scary things about sketchy CrossFit shops. There's a few close to me, most likely one of these two would "win" in the end, due to location.

http://www.snoridgecrossfit.com/

Or...

http://eastsidesc.com/

The first is right next to where I'll probably end up moving, the second is right next to where I work. I don't have any idea how to gauge a quality barbell gym, so any advice there would be appreciated.

To restate, my goals are to get into better shape, and lose weight. Suggestions based on the above?

**Lindz** · Posted On: 7/20/2012 12:58am

Did you try doing fewer sets of squats? Once you've stalled a few times you're supposed to go to 3x5 and then 1x5 then stop doing strong lifts

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/20/2012 10:10am

Originally Posted by Lindz

Did you try doing fewer sets of squats? Once you've stalled a few times you're supposed to go to 3x5 and then 1x5 then stop doing strong lifts

You drop to 3x5 after two de-loads, yes. However, that doesn't fix the poor form, only has me doing fewer reps, with poor form.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 7/20/2012 10:49pm

Getting a trainer seems like a losing proposition; odds of them knowing anything are not good.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about either of the gyms you've named or the people involved.

One other thing to consider is this: Crossfit HQ takes a great deal of pride in their unpredictable (schizophrenic?) approach to training, but I'm of the opinion that to learn how to do something well, you need to do it correctly and on a regular basis.

That said, Eastside sounds expensive :-/

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/22/2012 11:23pm

Originally Posted by TheRuss

Getting a trainer seems like a losing proposition; odds of them knowing anything are not good.

Unfortunately, I haven't heard anything about either of the gyms you've named or the people involved.

One other thing to consider is this: Crossfit HQ takes a great deal of pride in their unpredictable (schizophrenic?) approach to training, but I'm of the opinion that to learn how to do something well, you need to do it correctly and on a regular basis.

That said, Eastside sounds expensive :-/

It's Western Washington, EVERYTHING is expensive. My issue is that I can't fix my form without outside help, yet I can't seem to find reliable outside help. Continuing to squat incorrectly is going to lead to injury. I know that.

It's also looking like the move to Snoqualmie isn't going to happen. So, I've got three CrossFit places in the immediate area. I'll do a walk through of all three, see if any of them catch my eye, and are in budget. I'll report back after.

The other two options:

Crossfit Redmond: http://crossfitredmond.com
Crossfit Fuse: http://www.crossfit-fuse.com

No word on either.

**ChenPengFi** · Posted On: 7/23/2012 2:17am

Is Crossfit the only option?

**ignatzami** · Posted On: 7/23/2012 1:43pm

Originally Posted by ChenPengFi

Is Crossfit the only option?

Yes, and no. In my area there are big box gyms, the YMCA, and Crossfit.

The only barbell club, is Crossfit Eastside, and they are one of the most expensive options around. Moving from my current gym, to the YMCA, doesn't really solve anything, nor would moving to a 24 hour fitness.

I'm willing to explore other options, I'm not dead-set on Crossfit, but I'm not finding much else in my area.

**Res Judicata** · Posted On: 7/23/2012 3:02pm

Crossfit's coaching quality control is crap. Some of the coaches really know what they're doing and have certifications from other organizations (e.g. USA Weightlifting). Others, not so much. The coaches at the first link you posted appear to have been athletes, so they'll at least know the basics. They also have the Level 1 Crossfit cert--a two-day class. The other place doesn't list coaches or qualifications--something that makes me quite nervous.

Post some videos of you squatting and pulling and maybe we can fix your form.

**1point2** · Posted On: 7/23/2012 8:56pm

Disregarding your "where to train" question, I don't understand your attempt to combine StrongLifts with weight-loss cardio work. That takes a huge amount of recovery, in terms of food, sleep, and plain old mental effort. Rip's foaming at the mouth about Starting Strength not being the same program when you add stuff to it also applies here, despite it being StrongLifts.

Heavy lifting in sets of 5 with a high-intensity cardio finisher at the end is pretty much the greatest thing since barbecue, but have you considered putting the linear progression on hold while you focus on weight loss through metcons? (By this I mean still lifting, but not increasing the weight each session.)

Also, CrossFit can be very hit or miss. I found success using a box for an occasional squat form check-up.