Ta-da!

Thanks to the good workout vibes sent by Siobhan yesterday's session went perfectly. I changed the squat warmup from 10 lb raises to 20, so it went 1x10x air, 1x5x bar, 1x3x 65, 1x3x 85, 1x3x 105, 5x3x 117.5 ! The first three work sets were pretty smooth, the fourth was tougher. Psyched myself up and made the fifth one easily, minimum of good morning. Then, as I was hoping my lifting partner would show up in time for some more squats, and also because I was pumped from the successful sets, 3x5x 105.

Overhead press was good too. 1x5x bar, 1x5x 55, 3x5x 65. Romanian deadlifts, 1x5x95, 2x5x 105. Finsihed off with power cleans 5x3x65 and 25 back extensions. It felt good to sit down after that! Really good workout session, now have the weekend off unless I can get in the gym Sunday which I doubt.

Monday will be squat, bench, deadlift day. Looking for 4x4x117.5, squats, 4x4x82.5 bench, 155 lb deadlifts.

Friiiday! Friiday! (to the tune of that girl's awesome song)

A better one for today's session is from Chumbawumba but I forgot the name of it. Be glad you are spared my singing. Trying it again, five sets, three reps at 117.5 lb squats. Then, overhead presses, 3x5x65. Romanian deadlifts, 1x5x95, 1x5x100 lbs. Top it off with power cleans, 5x3x65 for fun. This protein thing is interesting, sometimes I have had to make myself eat it but after five days of this I am not bloated or fat-feeling. I haven't specifically reduced or started counting carbs, being aware of the amount of protein I'm going for made me eat less of the yummy, I mean carby stuff.

Which reminds me, last week I watched the movie Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. The main guy, Joe I believe, did have an astounding amount of weight loss and regained health, but even as I watched it was obvious the man had nothing in the way of muscle tone. Curious, I went to the website and found, in the Frequently asked questions an inquiry of survival without protein for extended periods of time. Te response was that we have protein already in our body tissue that can be released. Um, isn't that a big part what our tissue is made of? I think the site just advocated the destruction of lean body mass.

Voodoo science aside, it does seem like a good way to force ingest a ton of nutrients. A couple of my friends tried it and only lasted two days, the kale in the main juice was unpalatable. On that note, I have just talked myself into a delicious spinach, cold water, hot sauce blend!

Funny dilemma

I am dying for a massage. That said, after discovering that even eloping requires planning and money, I don't want to spend a lot on the massage. Amazingly (or so I thought) recently one of my sister's neighbors dropped a business card and flyer advertising intro rate massages for $15 a hour. The business card includes the therapists certification number on it. Well, that is perfect! However, I forgot to get the number. When I went back to her house and told her I was going to get the massage, my sister said that when she lays out in the sun she sees the neighbor hovering behind the trees in his front yard, apparently peeking over. She is sure he is a pervert.

So, do I get the cheap massage and risk being spied on by a pervert? Uh, no! That sucks though, hopes and dreams dashed... Guess I'll go to Walmart and buy a pool noodle to roll around on.

Rough squats

Here goes; 1x10xair, 1x6xbar, 1x3x55, 1x3x65, etc until 105, then 1x2x105, 1x2x115, Work sets, 2x3x117.5, heard a knee pop but no pain on the third rep of the second set. Then 2x3x117.5, 2x2x117.5, lots of struggling and good morning going on. Backed off to 115 and still only did 1x2x115. Finished (gave up) with 2x5x95. Felt crappy after that debacle.

Standard bench was 1x8xbar, 1x4x55, 1x3x65, 1x2x75, 3x2x82.5, 2x3x82.5, interestingly the last two sets were easier. I had spotter interference helping for the first three sets reps three to five during the first two sets so am only counting the first two reps.

Cleans for technique, 1x5xbar, 5x3x65, nice cleans but did scrape my neck on one of the reps.

All-righty then. Friday lifts will be squats, see how it goes with 117.5 again. Overhead press, 67.5 lbs. Romanian deadlifts, 1x5x95, 1x5x100.

The Protein Project

In spite of being nearly gagged by all the protein yesterday, I woke up hungry at 4am. Seemed like a good idea to get a head start on the 150 grams, so got up and had a can of light tuna (I shared the juice and leftover with the cat) three big radishes and two big glasses of water. Today will be an easy workout day, just a Spin class. Tomorrow will be squats, 5x3x117.5, bench press going for an increase in weight here too, 5x3x82.5 and power cleans starting back at 65lbs.

It's amazing

how little I want to post when I can't use the browser of my choice. Get in gear Blogspot/Google!!

Thanks to the back-to-school sales I picked up a big notebook to keep track of my protein intake. The goal is 150 grams of protein a day. Tonight's session will be squats, try for 115 again after that low set Friday (I had to back off to 105 for reps, all shaky and falling forward like a goof). Also on Friday I did 4x4x80 bench presses, and 2x5x95 Romanian Deads which were fine while I did them and a literal pain in the ass (lower ass) the next day. That is fine, I hope its strengthening what needs to be stronger.

Back to tonight, going for a good form 3x5x115 squats. Overhead press 3x5x65, deadlifts 2x3x160. Lofty goals considering the mush of lst week but what the heck?

Good squats, shitty deadlifts. Squats were; 1x10xair, 1x8xbar, 1x3x55, 1x3x65, 1x3x75, 1x3x85, 1x3x95, 1x3x105, H2O break, 3x5x115! Back off sets, 1x5x105, 1x5x95.

Overhead press 1x5xbar, 1x3x55, 1x5x65, 2x4x65. Deadlift, 1x3x135, 1x1x145, 1x1x155, three singles at 160- never got my form dialed in with these. As I was taking a shower after I recalled the cue to pull the bar back into me- completely forgot that earlier. Took 5 lbs off and pulled one at 155 and finished for the night.

First, the good news..

Deadlift PR at 155lbs! Everyone's tips really helped, including the DVD. When my back is good and tight the weight goes up pretty easily. This is especially good, considering I may enter the powerlifting meet in Oct. For the experience of course. Overhead presses were not good, 3 sets of two reps at 67.5, and squats 2x5x105. The deadlifts were 1x3x145, 1x2x155, the second one wasn't good so I regrouped for a minute then 1x1x155.

Making up for it

Last night, after the usual fitful night that comes after a heavy late evening workout, I couldn't sleep and decided to go to 6am Spin. After that, I attempted the power cleans skipped yesterday. They basically sucked at 75 lbs, I'm going back down to 65 and working up again. The good news is, done training for the day and I am getting a pedicure this afternoon.

Wednesday will be squats, 3x5x115, overhead press 3x5x67.5, deadlifts 2x3x145 either before or after Coralette's class. Thursday off.

Why I have a blog (rant warning)

It is not just to keep track of my lifts, although it may seem so at times. One of the best things about a blog is that I can freely state my opinion about anything I want without some ridiculous assholes coming back with stupid comments. Even better, if one did go so far as to post an unwanted comment here, it has to go through me first. Muahahahaha! Deleted! Terminated!

Back to training: Today will be squats 4x4x115, Bench press 5x3x77.5, then... I don't know. It should be power-clean day but I've become off-schedule with them and have read so much conflicting information on doing them correctly that now I'm more confused about them then ever. That said, my other choice is deadlifts and my lower back doesn't feel normal yet. This could be from the raised weight on squats Saturday as well as Romanian deadlifts. Deadlifts are pissing me off anyway, I keep seeing women pull higher weights then me who have been lifting the same amount of time and it is frustrating. I need to generate more income so i can afford two gyms, bet there are some Oly lifters at the real gym I talked about in an earlier blog.

I sent the owner an email asking about meets in the area, so when he gets back to me I'll see if we can work something out for 'drop-in' sessions. Now I have a couple of hours to go before the gym will hopefully be not too crowded to lift.

Squats and bench were successfully completed, and I did 4x4x77.5 on standard bench presses. Next bench session will be 80 lbs. I think I just didn't know how to bench and switching to dumbbells helped me get the motion down. Squats were okay at 4x4x115. The new rep scheme has really been helpful in preventing stalls so far. No pull tonight, on the bright side my lower back feels normal again, so I will pull tomorrow night after Spin.

New test post

Checking to see if it works in Safari. All-righty then, the missing post issue has something to do with Firefox. Last night it was impossible for me to get comfortable between back soreness and feeling hot as hell. It is a good thing its the weekend and i could sleep late. Yesterday's workout was good, PR on squats, 5x3x115! On the second set my knee did a little something, so I really need to focus on pushing the knees out at the bottom of the movement. Then I did 5x3x65 overhead press and 2x5x95 Romanian Deadlifts, it is still a challenge to keep the bar path going along my legs and deal with breathing.

Monday squats will be 4x4x115, bench press 3x5x77.5, power cleans 5x3x 80. Those are the goals. If I get up early or can't sleep again I will take the 6am Spin too. I'm taking my little niece sometime this week so flexibility will be important, thus i better lift while I can.

Also, my Tamara Cohen t-shirt from Wild Gorilla Man arrived. The size chart on the site had me concerned so i ordered an xl, but the shirts have a nice generous cut and drape. A large would have been fine. The fabric is so nice I think I'll wear the shirt out and about rather then to work out in. Let's see how my image mojo is....

Test post

Squat, bench, deadlift

Motivation was low, but I went anyway

And did squats, building up to 4x4x110 kind of ugly squats (there is video) then back off sets 1x5x105, 1x5x95. Overhead press 5x3x65, still effing hard. When I say it was hard, I mean the last rep doesn't seem to go up by strength but by sheer will. Then I chose Romanian Deadlifts, which were also a struggle at 1x6x95, 1x5x95, 1x4x95. Breathing is hard to get sorted out with these for some reason. So, at least I went and did something. Looking for a better, higher energy session Wednesday.

One thing I have noticed, is no matter what slop my form check is, there is always some goof doing some odd exercise in the background.

Monday workout

Dealing with indecision right now, I am considering whether to take the 6pm Combat cardio class, Spin or just a quick cardio warmup before lifting. It will depend on how antsy I am at the end of the work day. I also need to decide whether to do heavy squats again or mix it up with front squats, then overhead press, then either power cleans or Romanian Deadlifts. I love the way the RDLs target the hamstrings in a way the other exercises don't. It's been a while since I've 'cleaned' because I need to concentrate to do those correctly and the gym can be so busy and distracting. I may move them completely to after a 6am Spin class. So I'm looking at the regular, squats 4x4x110, overhead press 5x3x60, cleans 5x3x65 or front squats 3x5x65, same ovp, RDLs 2x8x95.

Good old body image issues

Yesterday, I felt broken and sore and decided not to go to the gym. Immediately after making that decision, I looked in a mirror and thought, "Eww, I look fat today."

Later, I called my sister and mentioned that we all may have body image issues. Her response was, "Well we need to lose weight!" We are pretty much the same size, 10-12 US. The truth is, we don't need to lose weight. Both of us can walk into any store that caters to adult women and find clothes that fit. They may pull across the bust in my case, or gap in the waist in hers, but it isn't a matter of everything being too small. We fit comfortably in airplane, roller-coaster and ski-lift seats. Men find us attractive and ask us out. We could probably live another 40 years this size in good health.

Her need is actually a desire. I think it stems from being little girls in the 70s, when there were only three TV stations. Images of Chrissy Snow and Charlie's Angels are burned in our psyches as the right way an adult woman looks. I don't know how to fix this. I know that when I'm struggling to keep good form with a heavy weight that that is the only thing on my mind, and I like it.

Good lifting day, squats were good at 5x3x110 (finally!)then back off sets 1x5x105, 1x5x95, bench press 3x5x75, I will switch the rep scheme to 5x3 next time at 80. Deadlifts 1x3x135, 1x3x145. I did a couple of sets of overhead press and bicep curls with the bar to finish off. So for Monday, squats 4x4x110, overhead press 5x3xwhatever I can, power cleans 5x3x65.

Bummer low-carb lunch

Having read tons of nutrition info on various weightlifting sites, the need to get lots of protein has been pounded into my brain. I aim for 100-150 grams and often fall a little short of that. I have never been a dieter, so when low-carb proponents enthusiastically discuss the thrill of being able to eat steak and bacon, it's like, okay whoop-de-doo. But I am trying to give it a shot.

Earlier today I picked up some lean steaks and portabella mushrooms, which I made for lunch today. I sauteed them in olive oil and finished off with red pepper flakes and sea salt. It just wasn't that great. A baked potato, steak frites, or piece of crusty buttery garlic bread would have complemented the meal perfectly, but of course that is not recommended. That meal was a lot less enjoyable then working out! The protein thing isn't always a depressing failure, last night I had a sauteed chicken breast and the man made a big yummy mixed greens salad, so that was good. Oh well, every meal can't be great. Maybe shoes will cheer me up.

The 6am Spin class today was fun. Tomorrow the plan is squats, work up to 5x3x110 (pr) back-off set 1x5x105, 1x5x95. Bench press on the standard bench, 3x5x80, if that doesn't work I'll do 3x5x77.5. Then deadlifts 1x5x135, 1x5x145 really working form. If it deteriorates I'll adjust the number of repititions at the time. I'll try to get form video too.

Uggghh

First the good news, squats were successfully completed. Upping the weight next time to 110lbs. In case anyone doesn't know this, Wednesday evening at 5:45pm is a TERRIBLE time to hit the gym unless you just want to be a social butterfly. Luckily, I snapped up a squat rack (after giving two young guys curling in it the Bert Stare for a while) and parked myself there the whole time. So, yes I was an asshole tonight. Owning it!

Maybe Karma was getting me because overhead presses sucked ass. I ended up struggling to do 5x3x65 instead of the 3x5x65 planned. 2x5x95 Romanian deadlifts, 2x8x45 overhead presses, yes just the bar, and 2x10xbar bicep curls. After that I took Coralette's combo class which is much harder after lifting and dragged ass home.

Spinning (spun?) tonight and what's up tomorrow

Looking at squats, 3x5x107.5, overhead press 3x5 dammit x65, Romanian deadlifts, 1x5x95, 1x5x97.5. I have my friend lifting with me, and she has shoulder issues so I think overhead press will be better for her then bench. I did both Monday, and the other option is power clean which her shoulder has problems also (yes I will fix that sentence later). So, a quick and dirty lifting session and then Coralette's combo class which should be fine.

Epic workout

And I didn't even get to everything on my plan. It all started with Spin, and I have to admit that having a cute guy right behind me probably caused more show-off-ness then would normally happen in a warm-up Spin class. Red in the face and heart still beating faster then usual, I hit the squat rack.
Squats, 1x10xair, 1x8xbar, 1x3x55, 1x3x65, 1x3x75, 1x3x85, 1x3x95, 1x3x105. I waited for a crappy Mariah Carey song to end, then did 4x4x107.5, 2x5x105. These squat sets were good, totally video worthy, I kept form and concentrated on each rep, no flopping. Being Monday it was too busy to film but I am proud of those squats none the less. Next heavy squat session will be 3x5x107.5 and soon- the bigger plates! Rippetoe dislikes 35 lb plates but I can't wait to put those on the bar.
Overhead press , 1x5xbar, 1x5x55, 3x4x65, the fourth rep was a fight each time. All of the standard benches were taken so onto dumbbell bench press and one-handed. I worked up to 30lbs, 3x5x30, regular and then one-handed. By now i was so done so no pull tonight. After running around doing a couple of errands home and eat.

Thought of the day, 10 lbs of added weight on the bar per month equals 120 lbs in a year. Less then a year for my 225lb squat! That will be a great 45th birthday accomplishment.

Some pics

Side view coming along okay, I started taking note of what bloats me. So far in addition to powdered coffee creamer, ice cream (doh!).

Ahh, cellulite.

These are the Quads of Doom baby!

Proof that genetics are king; I never work my calves. Maybe they are like that from carrying the rest of me around! As tempting as it is to re-name this post, "Big-legged Woman" I hate to imagine the search engine results that could happen. In three months, I'll redo these and see what changes.