Backwards on deadlifts

Tonight's session wiAGGRH cats do not care what one is trying to do!

Ok. So, tonight will be jump squats, 1x10xbar, 4x10x55, then bench press with the standard bar to as much weight for reps as possible. I will record it after. Deadlifts, down to 135 2x5 and video-record them for form check.

Here is what sucks. Resigned to lowering the deadlift weight, again, I then see a video someone posted of a knock-kneed 15 year-old girl pulling 200 lbs. Not a 15 y/o gymnast or sporty-looking girl, a totally thin little Bambi. WTF.

Home from the gym, today I tried something new: writing down my sets as completed while in the gym. Novel idea, right? After a ten minute warm-up on the Arc-Trainer and 25 back extensions, jump squats. 1x10xbar, 4x10x55, then 1x7x55, I had to stop due to lost form. Basically, I loosened up my upper back and the bar was smooshing down.
Standard bench press, 2x8xbar, 1x5x55, 1x5x65, 4x5x75. Best bench press sets ever. This was either because I was just doing it wrong before- press up from my feet too and get down below the uprights so they are out of the way? Who knew? Lots of people apparently, and now me too. Or the improvement came about from the dumbbell bench pressing I have been doing for the last three weeks. That is cool.
Deadlift, 1x5x115, 2x5x135, I'll upload the clip.

Bloody barbell complex and other workouts to try LINK

This better improve

As it is taking too long for the microplates I ordered to get here, I went to find some of the 2" washers that are often recommended for that purpose. Neither Lowe's nor Home Depot has ever heard of such things, in spite of much forum myth to the contrary. Considering how vast the merchandise selection is at both places, I would be unsurprised if they both have what I want and the guys I spoke to just had no idea. Looks like I am stuck waiting for the ordered pair and increasing reps when possible until then.

Happily, it is raining and if it keeps up the gym may be emptier then usual for Wednesday and I'll get into the new class tonight. That will be interesting, one of the trainers who is awesome, and the only one who knows Oly lifting is an instructor- and one of the trainers who is annoying as hell and insists on making up new whacked out Bosu exercises is the other. Guess where I want to be? If there are Bosu balls in combat class I am so out of there.

Update: No balls, but lots of punching. I loved it and can happily throw punches and kicks all night. Even better if they have somewhere to land. It is a fast-paced cardio-type class. Normally annoying trainer was pretty cute too, the class is tightly choreographed so no made-up stuff and she looked like she was having a blast. It was fun, I can do this a couple of times a week.

Spin, squat and overhead press

Finally had a lifting partner today, my gym buddy who takes all sort of classes was up for it. She squatted up to 65 lbs- first day! I wasn't too surprised as she is pretty strong. In bad news, we attracted one of those 'former powerlifters' (skinny old man) who has all kinds of fucked up suggestions to keep the ladies from hurting ourselves. There was a lot of nodding and smiling going on. I don't have the heart to tell someone off when I know we will see each other on a consistent basis, and he was trying to help, obnoxious as it was. So, my squats were 3x5x110, overhead press 3x4x65. We are taking a new Body Combat class tomorrow if we can get in, it's been hyped to death so may be full. The update on that will be tomorrow.
In the interest of fitness, I present to you Rammstein including amazing glitter-suit treadmill keyboardist.

I don't want to lower the deadlift weight!

Mr. Personal Trainer, so I'll do the planks suggested and next deadlift day (Thursday) go for 2 sets of three at 150 instead of one set of five. My core may look unstable but I can actually feel ab and core muscles in there, which were previously thought non-existent, so something is happening, it just needs to improve. It looks like it will be over a week before the micro-weight plates get here, so I'll muddle through until then and go for 70 lb overhead presses Tuesday, as well as 80 lb cleans. The form DVD helped on presses already and I'm expecting better results on power cleans as well. So, today Spin in the evening, tomorrow Spin then lifting, Weds probably that funny abs class. Still deciding whether to go back to Zumba as easy cardio, Spinning all the time gets old and its too hot and muggy to do outside cardio.

Good heavy day

It rained, so the gym was unusually packed for Sunday but I was able to get through training without having to wait around for power racks and what-not. Squats, 3x5x110, a little sloppy at the end but made it up. I'll stick with this weight next session to clean up the form. Dumbbell bench, 3x5x30 lbs per hand, then 3x5x 30 one handed, there were tough. Deadlift, warmup 1x5x115, 1x5x135, 1x5x150. Goals met, feeling too weak right now to even eat anything but did have almost a cup of organic skim milk. I'll probably just take a Spin class Monday, then Tues is squats, 3x5x110, Overhead press, need to look back at the previous workout, I don't remember if i got 65 lbs that time. I ordered micro plates, 1.25 each, should come in next week and help with the overhead press. Power cleans 5x3x80, will review form on the DVD a couple of times first. Here I am lifting, will try a more sideways view next time.
Did I mention the the Starting Strength DVD is amazing? It is comphrehensive and goes over the form plenty of times with a wide range of lifters, some even older then me! My squat form needs work, got to get out of the habit of looking forward while coming back up, and get the bar lower on my back, but at least the DVD makes one clearly aware of the correct way to do all the lifts. Implementing and breaking bad habits is another challenge.

Jumping!

Last night i took a mixed cardio/ weights class mostly as a chance to socialize with one of my gym buddies who hasn't been around in a while. Being aware of the idea that training with weights, especially barbells, makes one heavy and slow, I didn't know what to expect. Well, I did have an idea, so for the weights part of the class I choose the heaviest dumbbells offered, 7 and 8 lbs (the 7 lb ones were purple too!) and our multi-rep sets were not a problem. The surprise was during cardio. I was jumping, effortlessly and high, it seriously felt like i could do that all day, and this was after taking a Spin class immediately before. Love using Spin as a warmup. It was amazing. There was even the little exercise girl in the front doing everything just so, who ended up gassing out ha-ha-ha. To give an idea, I sport D-cups, so not the body type one expects to have an easy time leaping about but there you go.

Next training session tonight or tomorrow will be jump squats (my new best friend) 1x10xbar, 2x8x55, 2x8x60. Overhead press, going for 65lbs here, 3x5x65. Power cleans 3x5x80.

Form check

The Starting Strength DVD came yesterday, and I have been working my way through it, much to the dismay of my man who isn't as interested in weightlifting form. I did a modified volume day in the gym to implement the form tips. One thing I noticed is that I did get a lot out of the book after ordering it nine months ago, and changed my form as it got harder. As far as squats go that meant raising the bar higher on my back and changing neck position from looking down to up. Today was all about going back to the original form with the bar lower on my back and eyes on a point five feet ahead looking at the floor. Squat work sets were good, 5x5x95. (90% of regular 5 rep weight) Overhead press, more form which I had forgotten about most notably the shrug at the top was ok, 5x5x55. Then deadlifts which still need work but tightening my lats helped. 1x5x145. Next plan is to increase squat weight to 110lbs and order 1.25lb weight plates as soon as all the bills are paid. Work has been brutally slow lately so I can't justify another gym membership right now.

Changing my mind

I was going to do jump squats today (I usually alternate heavy and jump squats to relieve the grind of heavy squats every time) But today I am curious if the advice given me on staying strong during squats as well as not wimping out at the end will see me to a successful range of work sets. The new plan is squats at 3x5x105 lbs, overhead press 60 lbs 3x5, and power cleans 5x3x80. Recording them is probably a good idea too, I imagine the gym will be pretty empty today considering it is Father's Day. My dad's spirit would approve of a training session today in his honor.

Coffee is brewing. As skinny boys are encouraged to take advantage of the growth hormones found in a gallon of milk a day, so unskinny ladies of a certain age should be allowed the energizing effects of caffeine. Half an hour after that is consumed will be gym time. I am not sure if I will be able to get to the gym tomorrow as I am on niece watch duty until an unspecified time, but if making the 7pm Spin class is possible I will go.

Setting in my mind that my Dad was there helping the lifts helped along with Kyle's voice in my ear saying I could do it - I made every rep of every set. Awesome training session today.

discovered inner wussness

Friday eve session, started off warming up on the arc trainer, 10 mins, then 20 back extensions. Squats, 2x4x105. I filmed one set and have been informed that stopping out of fear I won't make the last rep is not failing, it is being a sucktard (not in those words, but you know what I mean). So man up woman! After that I did 1x5x95. Went on the bench presses, and found a spotter who is pleasant and strong yet does not cause me to have sudden sexual fantasies in the middle of the exercise thus compromising my concentration, and did 3x4x75, the last rep of the last tow sets assisted. We also learned that 'help' may be the agreed upon safe word but the actual word that comes out of my mouth before being pinned is 'fuck!'.

I went on to dumbbell presses and did 3x5x30 regular and one-handed. Then deadlifts, feeling weak and yucky so I did 2x5x135, another set of back extensions and called it a night. tomorrow, Sunday, will do jump squats, 1x10xbar, 4x10x55, then overhead press 3x6x60, then power cleans 5x3x80.

Thinking about deadlifts

Today will make two dead sessions this week, and Monday's was rough on my back, but the stiffness went away by Weds. So, the plan is to do 1x5x135, then try 2x5x145 but rest for a longer time between the two heavy sets. This will be after squatting 3x5x105, success in that means 5 more pounds on the bar next time Whoohoo!! Also dumbbell bench presses3x5x35, one handed 3x4x30, and I may reverse the order of that to prioritize the one-handed, will decide at the gym.

I'm also going to record myself squatting and deadlifting, if the clips are decent (at least, if I think they are) I'll upload them to youtube and send a couple of trusted people the link. If they want to look at that and give me feedback, that will be great. I'm still too weird about Internet privacy to post them here tho, esp when I see where some of my views came from yikes! There are some disappointed porn searchers out there when all they get is my training log.

First workout at the new gym

The plan is to join the new gym today and go over my current workout plan, a slightly re-arranged Starting Strength, with the owner Steve. Today's workout would normally be, jump squats, 1x10xbar, 3x12x55, overhead press 3x5x60lbs, hang cleans, 5x3x80 if possible, I had to drop down to 75 last week after failing them alot. Now, they have a lot of success with powerlifters at this gym, so the thing will be if I let go of the workout plan I have been doing and go with something else or not, not too sure about that.


Oops, change of plan. This is what happens when posting at four am. I forgot that today is Weds and it is abs class day. Now, yes one can work abs on one's own, but this class is not to be missed. In a regular Pilates-type abs class it is mostly silent women and very boring, but this one has a good 50-50 split. The guys in the class make these dramatic moans and groans whenever it gets difficult which cracks me up, and thus a must attend in spite of the fact that it is an annoyingly busy night to train. In other news, I did not sleep well last night at all, as the four am post should demonstrate, Ugh!

Update: The abs class did not disappoint, fun yet hard at the same time. Once in the weight room, I started w jump squats, 1x10xbar, 5x8x55. Next overhead press 3x5x60, I must go to Lowe's or somewhere for those washers to microload this, can't wait to get stronger. On that note, I forgot to see if they even had little plates at the new gym. Those guys who train there are awfully big so I don't know. Hopefully the 2.5 lb plates are standard in gyms. Then, power cleans 5x3x75- and this time they were real cleans. I figured out that four of those step risers equals the distance of a 45lb plate from the floor, and a guy was using the power rack, so i improvised. Pretty sure my form is still crappy when it comes to the squat at the end, I need to get Rip's dvd. What do you know, it's only $20! It is on the way, with shipping it still came to under $23.

Good squats, crap deadlifts

Squats, 1x4x105, 2x5x105 yay me! This was after a Spin class to warm-up, took 45 minutes of that, and my usual bunch of warm-up squats. I start with the empty bar and add 10 lbs at a time until I get to the work sets. Dumbbell bench after squatting, warmed up w/ 15 and 20 lb weights, then 3x7x25 one handed presses, 3x5x30 regular. Deadlifts 1x5x135, 2x4x145, the last rep w 145 was a lower-back crunchy need to drop it. so yeah. Not happy about that, I am pretty stiff right now.
I went to the Lion Heart gym today to meet with the owner and check it out, and will be going back on Weds to join. Steve was so enthusiastic about training and expanding his business. He includes a training session for new members (just like you said Kyle) so I am looking forward to that and getting strong. Grrrrrrrr!

What to do?

I am deciding between Spinning tonight or taking a night-time stroll, three miles or so, 4.0-4.5 mph. Spin is earlier, and the instructor is good except that she insists on doing these hop around on the bike things that I have never, ever noticed one person on an actual bike doing. Ever. Which makes me kinda hate that, so i just ride while the rest of the class bobs up and down around me. Temptation alert: another gym, more lifting oriented, and I yahoo-mapped it. This gym, Lion Heart Gym is 5 miles, ten minutes away and cheap. Soo, it is calling my name. The Y, however, is fun and I like the people there, so am basically deciding whether to have two gym memberships or not, and I am not a rich woman. We will see.

Tomorrow, squat, 3x5x105, overhead press 3x5x60, hang clean 5x3x80.

Ass-slapped and my hardcore disappeared

It is hard to jump-squat convincingly after that and while laughing. However, I got it together, and after abs class did jump squats, 1x10xbar, 3x10x55 and the one interrupted set. Then, the standard benches all appreared occupied (Wednesday evening and it was busy as hell the whole time) so I did dumbbell bench press. Warm-ups, then 4x5x30, 3x5x25 one-handed presses. After that, there was an empty bench but my presses were for shit, 2x3x75, 1x3x75. I dropped down to 70lbs but it still was heavy as hell. I really need to learn how to concentrate when the gym is busy.

Took a video of deadlifts and dumbbell presses and you can see a kid running by me in the pressing one. The deadlift one is on my Facebook if you are one of my friends, I only put real friends on there. Plus Dan John, as I had to have one celebrity friend right? Deads were okay though, 1x5x135, 1x5x145, then another 1x5x135 cuz I was feeling frisky like that. Or maybe it was due to the new Chuck Taylors I was wearing, yes, finally gave in and bought really flat shoes.

I just had to do it.

Even though yesterday was a scheduled light squat day, I had to try and go for 105. It went 3x3x105, 2x4x105 being spotted. The spot didn't work out so well, I get too distracted, but the squats were good if not numerous and I plan to fix that next heavy squat day. Tomorrow, I will jump squat 1x10xbar, 3x10x55. Bench 3x5x75, dumbell bench 30lb DBs 3x4, one-hand DBs 3x5x25. Then deadlift 1x5x145. This will be Weds night which means I will take the abs/core class first.
Other then that, the gym has been fun. I met two new people, a guy named Danny who's teenage daughters come in a goof around, but not for too long, and a huge Russian named Ben who looks like he knows what he is doing. Wish I was better at understanding accents. Spending time with my niece has given me the ability to have decent conversations with 5 year olds, so maybe I will get used to the accent in a similar way via repeated exposure.

Also, a lady who I often see at Spin class mentioned that she wasn't getting the results she wanted from Spinning, so I invited her to lift with me afterward. About my height and somewhat softer, medium build, I thought she would love the results in a couple of months. Well, she took one look at the squat rack and barbell, stammered something about not being able to do it and practically ran out of the place. So much for my potential partner. Sheesh, I told her we would start with just the bar, there is even a lighter bar that I used when starting. That was kind of weird. Oh well.

So, tomorrow, abs, jump squats, bench, and deads. Today, Spin.

Good squat day

Today I squatted 3x5x100 no problem. Do you have any idea how much enjoyment I get out of typing that? A lot. So, next time I am going for 105. Then, bench 3x4x75, single arm dumbbell bench 3x5x25. Deadlift 2x5x135, two sets of back extensions. I repped out the deads as it has been a sticking point for me, I think it has to be a back strength issue as I never feel it in my glutes and legs. The plan is that power cleans will make my back stronger too. Monday will be jump squats at 55lbs, overhead press 60 lbs, power cleans at 75lbs, so the only weight increase is for overhead press and I will work on reps for the cleans as well as making that lift technically better. I'll probably Spin beforehand. Side note, the gym had its annual Spin-o-rama today which is when people spin for up to three hours for charity. Never have I seen more unhappy looking folks!