Strong Curves program

[Stroumphette]

Hello, I bought the Strong Curves book few weeks ago, read it and I started the program this week.
I've been lifting for god 4 years now but to be honest mostly spinning my wheels and not achieving much. I'm trying to move pass that with this new program and I decided to go for the beginner full body since I cannot do the required stuff of the advanced but I have few questions.
1 most of the workouts call for 10-20 rep. I'm more used to 5-8 from my previous program ( SS and NROL and BGB) Also it's quite a wide range and I don't use the same weight if I aim for 10 or 20. Should I privilege 20 rep lower weight or 10 rep higher weight?
2 what about body weight and especially body weight squat? I have been working in my squat form with SS and I was up to 130lb but Strong Curves call mainly for body weight. Should I add the weight anyway?
I really want to make the changes and finally get somewhere with my lifting and I want to do it right!
Thanks

[LinzCapp]

Hello, I bought the Strong Curves book few weeks ago, read it and I started the program this week.
I've been lifting for god 4 years now but to be honest mostly spinning my wheels and not achieving much. I'm trying to move pass that with this new program and I decided to go for the beginner full body since I cannot do the required stuff of the advanced but I have few questions.
1 most of the workouts call for 10-20 rep. I'm more used to 5-8 from my previous program ( SS and NROL and BGB) Also it's quite a wide range and I don't use the same weight if I aim for 10 or 20. Should I privilege 20 rep lower weight or 10 rep higher weight?
2 what about body weight and especially body weight squat? I have been working in my squat form with SS and I was up to 130lb but Strong Curves call mainly for body weight. Should I add the weight anyway?
I really want to make the changes and finally get somewhere with my lifting and I want to do it right!
Thanks

If it were me, I would lean more towards the 10 rep range using heavier weights. I think since you are not really a beginner, you could add weight to squats, even if it's just a goblet squat holding the weight at your chest. I think it's a great program, and I'm sure it will become more challenging as it progresses! Never hurts to go back to the basics sometimes!

[Stroumphette]

Thanks for your advice. I'm gonna follow it and see how it goes. I went through the book again and actually it says that the beginning is all about learning to activate the glutes. At the moment I feel most of it in hamstrings so I'll add a big to weight to keep it challenging but not too much and learn to focus more on the glutes.

[rockangel]

If it were me, I would honestly do the program as written. It is written that way for a reason. I have also been lifting for 4 years and just ran 2 cycles (24 weeks) of the advanced program. Even the advanced program has body weight exercises, and they are challenging. Dont get me started on those single leg body weight hip thrusts!
It is a great program and well written for its purpose. Besides, the exercises change every 4 weeks, so you wont be doing body weight but for a couple of workouts.

[Stroumphette]

Hi, would you do more like 20 rep at body weight then? 10 rep at body weight doesn't really feel challenging compared to SS. Or maybe I should do everything super slowly. I seem to feel it more when it's slow speed.
I get that it's been written for a reason. My question is more whether it's body weight because the assumption that beginners would not be able to handle weight or body weight because it's how it's supposed to be.

[rockangel]

I would do it as written, which means, doing the body weight exercises at 20 reps.

In the advanced, you do straight leg situps for 20 reps and cable abductions at 30 reps, so high reps are put in the program for a reason, and that is the way he wrote it so that is the way it was supposed to be.

if you have been "spinning your wheels" as you said, and you choose to do this program, then do the program as written. The purpose of the beginners is to make sure the glutes are firing and to build movement patterns. You may have some of the movement patterns down, but ime, most people are lacking in the glute activation department.
Also he address this exact thing in the book, pg 141 on my e-version. Start with the body weight and concentrate on getting every little bit out of every rep... if you feel like its still too easy then add some weight... but honestly I would still do it as written, because the program is more about glutes than anything. Body weight bridges can be very challenging , for the box and parellel squats its a good chance to work on form and assess for weaknesses, and for me, stepups are a KILLER with just body weight! as the program progresses week to week, the exercises do get harder and weight is added.