Good squats with the real plates, and goal for next year.

I've successfully squatted 60kg, yesterday 6 sets of triples. My deadlift has not been progressing. Admittedly I don't push past back pain, it's my back and I am going to take care of it. So, as work sets are 135 for squats, 95 for bench, stuck at 165 for deads, I'm moving away from current programming and going to Squat Day, Bench Day, Dead Day, rest, repeat. I hope one day of recovery between squats and deadlifts will work and allow me to continue progression. There are two weeks before I go skiing, 10 days of that so I'm thinking twice a week workouts at the gym there will be the best I can do. The trip is all about skiing, that is why I'm going and is my priority.

So, two weeks to try out the new plan, I should be able to put ten lbs each on squat and deadlift in that time. I'm benching 100 lbs whenever I can grab a spotter, so I'll either go for 100 without a handoff and see what happens, or try 105 w spotter. Or both. Next year, goal squat 100kg for triples. Also, I'm going to make myslef more outgoing towards people who tend to blend into the background. Doing a handstand would be cool too.

Knocking on wood

So, new programming for squat progress has been going well as well as the change to high-bar. I squat twice a week, when the weight is increased by 5 pounds, the first session of the week is 3 x 3 at the new weight. On the second I do 5 sets of three. Next session, increase by another five pounds and do 3 x 3 and so on. Yesterday, 3 x 3 x 130, Sunday, 5 x 3 x 130. Weds 3 x 3 x 135, yay!! Forcing myself to take two days recovery between sessions has helped too. It is extremely hard sometimes to stay out of the weight room, but as long as this is working it is the plan.

Bench press has stalled at 95, so whenever I have a good spotter available I'll go for heavier weights. 100 Sunday (with spotter) 95 if no one is around. I've been approaching deadlifts with caution since the last back breakdown. Monday topped them out with a set of 3 at 165, then one of 2 also at 165. Sunday I'll go for 3 x 3 x 165 to see how that feels. Adjusted if its very light or something is off. Sleeping, eating and yoga in the meantime.

In just over three weeks I'll be on my skiing vacation- cannot wait. Actually its more like ski-camp. I have ten lift tickets and six lessons so, yeah. Lots of time on the slopes. I absolutely love it.

Almost forgot, on non-deadlift days I've continued to do the lat pulldowns and cable rows. Am using 100lbs after warmup sets for these. The plate jump is huge, I went from 85 last week to 100 last night, because I tried it and could. So when I get to 8 manageable reps with 100 on both I'll go heavier with this. The extra back work has made me feel more balanced and comfortable.

I've really had to try a lot of things beyond the basic Starting Strength program to progress. It may work for a woman like me, age and fitness level, with an SS coach standing there watching everything. When you are on your own, the game is completely different. I'm glad I found it to get ne started though, if I'd had to start with the New Rules of Lifting for Women, also highly recommended but so freaking complicated you need a spreadsheet for the exercises, I'd probably have given up long ago.

Getting impatient and trying out high bar squats.

Session from 11/10; I wanted to lift and couldn't bear to spend more then 5 minutes warming up, so 5 minutes on the elliptical. After watching the world powerlifting meet all weekend and seeing every lifter use high bar squats, I decided to give it a shot. Low bar has been back problems for me consistently in spite of the claim I've read that it places less stress on the lower back. Maybe that is true in general, but where I am fractured (or whatever has happened back there) the low bar position doesn't work for me. So, I grabbed the trainer who knows what he is doing, and is familiar with both the low-bar via Rippetoe and high-bar via competing, to watch me.

1 x 8 x 45, felt awkward as hell. 2 x 5 x 65, better, easier to reach depth. 1 x 5 x 95, nice, getting used to looking straight ahead. 3 x 5 x 105, super comfortable. What the hell, add 10 pounds and do three sets of one rep each to see how it goes. I did one rep at 115, it was dreamy so instead of racking the bar I did two more.

Note to self: knee sleeves and a belt are good, helpful things. On to bench, 1 x 8 x 45, 1 x 5 x 65, 1 x 4 x 85, my plan was to do 4 x 4 x 95, no lift off, but instead did 2 x 3 x 95, 1 x 2 x 95 bummed and pissed now. Took ten pounds off and did 2 x 5 x 85, 1 x 6 (with spotter, good one, no hands) 85.

Time for some pulls, lat pulldowns, 1 x 8 x 60, 1 x 8 x 70, 1 x 5 x 85, 2 x 6 x 85, varied my grip for all of these. Seated rows, 2 x 6 x 70, 1 x 8 x 70. I'm kind of surprised that doing this bro upper back stuff made my back feel better, so plan to add that in on non-deadlift days.

Today, squats 3 x 3 x 115, bench, 100 if I can find a spotter, see what happens with 95 if not. Deadlift 3 x 3 x 135. Overhead presses dependent on lower back, 65-70 lbs.