Strength / Weight Training

Yes, good idea but if you can worth getting a recco from someone you'd trust. You're based in East right?

Yeah, there's a bloke at the place I climb who's a PT, seems to know what's up.

Ah nice.

Some of the PTs I see at my gym are fucking awful, so good if you know the guy already

Now that I've begun putting my feet on an elevation my weighted glute bridges are finally starting to come into focus.
But still, which area of the back to lift with? A lift using the entire backside evenly seems pretty impossble tbh. So it seems to me I have to choose before I begin the lift; either lift with the bum, the lower back or the upper back.

Glutes is bum lift with bum but keep your abdominal muscles engaged: It's tempting to turn into a sort of big C shape, but the idea is to push up with glutes while engaging core (push bellybutton in) :)

Yeah, I guess the name says it really.... puts on dunce hat
Still good to get the details.

Seeing really good improvements in my DL.

Few months ago mentioned thinking of getting a lifting coach. Instead I dropped right back down on weight and starting getting people to check my form as I gradually increased weight. Yesterday I managed 5x5 of 140kg DL and 5x5 of 95Kg on the bench, which is a pb

though at 90kg, think that still makes me a beginner....sigh

Have you had any coaching?
I ask because I think I'm doing ok, but having someone say "damo, do this not that" makes sense. Where do you look? I'm trying to evaluate 4 different pts at my gym (pure Sydenham).

Coming to the end of my cut in 6 weeks and now going to focus on incorporating more compound movements to get ready to hit a 5x5 program from August and up the cals again. Any advice on where I should start from again?
I was 80ish kg squatting 5x140kg in Feb, I'm now 72kg and 5x90kg...but I've not done much legs the past few months and started running again.

5x5 stronglifts says start at 45kg and I'll be looking at hitting 130kg in 12 weeks. But I'm hoping for some muscle memory to kick in which the app doesn't take into account. Do I stick to the app, do I start at 45kg but increase weight quicker, or start higher and increase more gradually? I'm happy with form, and upper body/core has maintained strength much better than the legs during the cut.

I've just started the gym once again after 6 months training for an Iron Man that never happened. I'm finding it hard to get back into the rhythm of things. I'm happy with my lifts (DL:260 SQ: 220 B: 160) so continuing 5x5 is not that alluring. I'm thinking of trying a Crossfit style program to help with my endurance and maybe mix in some pilates/yoga as my flexibility is poor.

I got a friend who does crossfit and training to be a PT to write me some programs. They're good but I found there were too many movements with weights and it was a bit much (with playing football/cycling etc). I cut the volume and weights of them down and added in some more unweighted exercise (boxjumps, battle ropes, bosu ball pressups etc).

No coaching. I just got someone to watch me and started right down on weight and built right back up just focussing on form.

My chest day currently looks like this:

Bench (main exercise as per the juggernaut programme)

Incline dumbbell flys - 4 x 12
Reverse-grip bench - 4 x 12
Spoon press - 4 x 12
Dumbbell rows - 4 x 12
Loaded carry - approx 3 minutes each side

That makes 4 exercises on the front and only one for the back. (not sure which side the loaded carry targets). I am wondering whether I could benefit by adding some more exercises for the upper back? The only one I can find so far is the Y raise.

Rear delt work is never a bad idea either to improve balance. How hard do you hit back throughout the rest of the week? If you're hammering it on deadlift day then you could be good. If not, can't hurt to add pull-ups to get some extra volume and a bit of vertical plane movement.

Deadlift day is:
Stiff legged deadlift - accessory
Deadlift - main lift
Good mornings - accessory
OH press - accessory
Side bends - accessory

OK, a bit more research done... Please help me decide on two (or maximum three) of the following for chest day:

Bent over row
Bent over dumbbell face pull
Bent over Y raise
Bent over fly

I've been experimenting with resistance bands this week. Standard lifts with the resistance band on the negative.

Tough as fuck

I'd go for Kroc style DB rows and face pulls (cable machine though). And then pull-ups between every set you do on the bench because that's an easy way to get a load of volume in on them without really thinking.

But then I'm me and you're you. I love Pendlay style barbell rows too.

Bent over row is perfect for supersetting with the above

I'd add face pulls and bent over fly maybe alternate between the two throughout the week?

First time doing deadlifts today (and other stuff) with a PT, just learning correct form etc. Managed 80kg which seems ok as a starting point. I'm a big lanky 6'2 and 73kg.

Rear delt and upper back differ, but I strongly believe in both. Good strong back means everything, rear delt is never seen.

I wouldn't worry too much about weight at this point, technique will be key. Plenty of reps just going through the motion was what got me. The next point PT will be really useful is when you really have to lift as form can go out again then.

After todays DL session backs of my knees are a little tight/tender - probably just didnt warm up enough?

Yeah, now that I know roughly how to not completely fuck it up, I'll just practice high reps at low weight until the next time I see the PT.

I'm guessing you also have cyclist's ham strings? Do you find DLs help with that? Can definitely feel it in the legs today as well.

Regarding equipment at home, I have basically no space for "stuff" so what are people's opinions on just having a steel club and an average (10-15kg?) kettlebell to derp around with in the garden?

Mostly just for filling in gaps in stability etc...