2 Meets 5 Months Bring It!

Training
101

RBlue - I actually do. I didn’t ever use one until the lifters at SSP told me to (and of course you listen to champion lifters…WHATEVER they say) and felt way more in control. I only use it though when I am going for 1s or heavy weight. If I wasn’t doing a meet I probably wouldn’t but it is everyone’s personal call!

So I have realized how deadly working in an office environment is (or maybe just mine) because there is a party almost everyday for birthdays, last days, if someone breathes, etc. I have consumed more candy and just thinkless snacks in the last 3 days than I have in the last year or more (ok, not too dramatic figuring I NEVER ate candy). But still pathetic. Never realized how much mindless work makes you want to eat and snack on crap. Dear Willpower,…

Other than that I am not eating bad, but I am eating what I want if I want it. I want to be at the top of my weight class (181…tears) so I am not stopping myself if I want more of something (pasta…yum), but I am not going crazy. After these meets are done I am going to do another 30+ day vegan cleanse to get the sugar, dairy (eggs, sour cream, and cheese), and gluten grossness out of my body, not to mention the bottles of wine I have been taking down on the occasion. I will also take a break from training to rest my body.

But I got another 60 days or so…and I promised myself a doughnut after this first meet!

102

So today was a weird mix of good, not so bad, and humiliating. Let me preface this log by saying I was clearly not prepared to do this workout as I woke up from a nap 30 minutes prior and only ate once all day before going in to the gym at 4:00 pm (totally stupid but I was so tired that sleep took precedence).

SQUAT:

warm-up/foam roll

warm-up sets
bar x8
95 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 3
185 x 2
205 x FAIL - a horribly embarrassing fail where I ended up leaning forward and falling, crashing into the squat rack (thanks Aaron my spotter who I thought was behind me but clearly wasn’t). I actually broke into tears because I felt so stupid, but I’ll get over it
205 x 1

Working sets:
225 x 1
235 x FAIL - I got the bar up and it was fine but I could feel the I was just shy of deep enough because it felt too easy
235 x 1 (PR)
250 x FAIL

Had decided earlier to squat and pull for 1s all today, but this may have been an unwise decision as I was getting fatigued, was running on fumes, and had already been in the gym for 3 hours

DEAD:
warm-up sets (flew through these)
135 x 3
185 x 2
225 x 2
275 x 1

working sets:
295 x 1
315 x 1 (24 HR gym PR, but pulled 325 at SSP)
330 x FAIL - That weight was just not coming up.

Called it a day after this because I could barely think, lest do anything else. Feeling crazy right now with being so fatigued and my neck is super aggravated. I absolutely have to lay off the chin-ups because this pain always happens and intensifies when I do them. During my nap I had even felt the area of pain throbbing in my neck. And I am licking the wounds to my ego with that ridiculous fail. Going to eat, chill out, and Aaron most definitely owes me a neck rub with Icy Hot.

But I did make some PRs!

103

glad you had a spot! sounds like it could have been worse.
you did hit 2 PR’s however (on an empty stomach crazy woman) so good stuff. speaking of food are you on a special diet? could you not have spooned some PP, grabbed a bar or anything? just my 2 cents.
cheers
N

104

Any day with PRs is a good day. Nicely done!

105

nlmain - come to think of it, I couldn’t have grabbed anything! I didn’t realize how small our food selection is at the moment:/ Also, I think I just have adopted the thinking that meals are better than snacking (true for the most part) but in this situation was not the best choice! I brought a shake with me (protein/carbs) to the gym, but I don’t think I accurately wrapped my head around how long this workout would take…over 4 hours is just TOO long. But warm-up, attempting 1s for two lifts, and the wait times all play a huge part I guess. Next time I will definitely remember to eat or at least bring a snack along!

kimba - thanks:) It would have been such a crappy workout if I didn’t have something sweet to walk away from it with.

Feeling pretty shitty today…lethargic, totally drained, and stiff. Aaron rubbed my neck for awhile last night. This morning it is a huge sore tender lump. This pain in the worst because it starts in my neck but shoots pain everywhere…down my back, into my pecs, and up into my head giving me headaches. I need an adjustment and a massage SO badly. Damn being broke all the time! I literally cannot afford it and don’t see anytime in the near future.

But I did notice yesterday that my knee pain has been gone for quite some time! Yay! At least something got fixed!

106

I always take a shake with protein powder + creatine to the gym and sip it throughout my training. Four hours is way, way too long.

Those forward falls are scary. Did Aaron at least get the weight off your back? I’d probably cry too.

Now, I’m not understanding why chins would exacerbate neck pain. What’s the deal here? You need an ART practitioner. You may have some entrapment going on.

107

knsnippetysnap - I am always annoyed by how long shit takes. We got to the gym about 4:30, warm-up for squatting takes about 30 mins and with 2-4 mins between warm-ups sets, 5-8 minutes between working sets, people wanting to chat, and the random drinking fountain/bathroom/breather break, it all takes way longer than I would hope.

We left a little before 8, so just over 3 hours. Ugh. You can understand why I was wiped out.

Aaron was able to help me get the weight up high enough to rack it, but yes, it was very scary. I thought Aaron was spotting me but I guess he was watching my form, thinking that 205 would be easy since it was just warm-up weight. Granted, it is usually easy, I just somehow got on my toes and was leaning too far forward. Thank God for the power rack stopping my fall, or I would definitely have a broken back.

Lastly, I have no idea why they aggravate my upper body. With benching too, my traps, pecs, and neck gets super tight and inflammed, more so from the chin-ups because it feels like it is pinching the left side of my neck…almost like when you crink (my made up technical term) your neck and pain shoots all over…thats it.

And trust me, if I had money, I would be getting much more body work done!

108

good better soon!

109

[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
knsnippetysnap [/quote]

Ouch!

110

Today was accessory day…after a weekend of booze, eating crap, and feeling especially tired, it felt both good to get in the gym and crappy because I feel pretty bloated. Clearly with not anally watching what I eat I have put on a little weight, but the closer I am to 181 the better I suppose.

Accessory:
Warm-Up

A1. Trap 3:
4 x 10 @ 7.5 DB (4010)

A2. DB Eternal Rotation:
4 x 10 @ 5-7.5 DB (4010)

B1. Lying Leg Ext:
4 x 10 @ 50-60 lbs (4010)

B2. Tempo Split Squats
4 x 5 @BW (4121)

Some random plate choppers (25 plate), side bends (45 plate) and chin-up extensions (kept these to a minimum).

Meet is in two weeks…pretty pumped and nervous too!

Bench tomorrow:)

111

So the shoes you squat in have too much heel to pass USAPL regs? Squat shoes have a negative heel, right?

112

The squat shoes I have used before are just your standard squat shoes…they had a heel (I thought the point of squat shoes was to have a heel…maybe there are other kinds). The shoes I am using now are Doc Martens and won’t qualify as indoor athletic shoes. Boo.

So I am on the hunt!

113

2 weeks?! That’s exciting!

Nice work as always.

114

So had a great bench workout today!

BENCH:

Dynamic warm-up (this took awhile to get warm, especially in my upper back with the accessory work yesterday)

Warm-Up sets:
bar x 8
65 x 5
80 x 5
95 x 3
105 x 2

Working Sets:
120 x 3
125 x 3
125 x 3

Decline Bench Press Pauses ( 3 secs down, 3 secs pause, UP!)
95 x 2 (warm-up)
120 x 3
125 x 3
125 x 3

T-Bar Row:
4 sets x 6-8 with 45 plate

interchanged with some random chin-ups, which were really hard because I was fucking BEAT after those pauses and fatigued from the workout yesterday. Could really only do 1-2 at a time.

I felt really good today, especially figuring my gym MAX was 125 a couple weeks ago! I prepared my arch on the bench differently today by arching with my feet on the bench and then putting my feet down instead of feet down and arching which really hurt my back (duh). THIS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE! I love it and feel way more confident with my bench. Clearly these aren’t outrageously awesome numbers or anything but I see such a great improvement from a few weeks ago.

Squat Thursday:)

115

Wow! That’s really cool. From what I imagine, you’d get a good arch that way. Good stuff!

116

[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
I prepared my arch on the bench differently today by arching with my feet on the bench and then putting my feet down instead of feet down and arching which really hurt my back (duh). THIS MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE! [/quote]

Yes, this is how I do it. Then after I have my feet planted I do one final scootch by placing both hands on the side bars and pushing into it. PMPM has the coolest approach into the bench. Wonder if she has a video to share?

117

Thanks Masch:)

kpsnap - I would love to see a vid! I would also love to hear what is going through your mind before a squat…whats your mantra? I need some motivation and some inspiration because I am feeling super insecure about my squat and need to clear my mind of any negativity and fear…this is my battle and my downfall. I also appreciate how you stick so stringent to form. I too strive to have correct form rather than heavy weight, which doesn’t happen enough (point in case, the guys (and girls) who quarter squat heavy or good morning squat). Advice on mental clarity?

Shiteous SQUAT workout:

Let me preface this by saying how frustrated I was with my workout today, at least 25% of it. In addition to the usual “I hate training at 24 Hour” and my feeling of insecurity with my squat form, I was still sore as fuck in my back from my bench workout the day before. I tried to get warm, but I could not get my back arched which messed me up. My form sucked today because of it; all the usual suspects were there (folding, elbows flaring, shallow depth). When I got to the box squats I tried to focus and pulled it off for some of the reps, but was mentally fucked. My squat is definitely all mental and I struggled today. I was still really psyched out from that fall on my last workout and had no confidence going into the hole.

Dynamic warm-up

Warm-up sets (these looked fine for the most part):
bar x 8
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 3
165 x 3
185 x 2

Working sets:
210 x 3 (sucked. Totally lacked confidence. Had a guy spot me while Aaron took video which I am too mortified to post. This guy is big but uses the Smith machine to squat. He proceeded to give me advice on my squat. Mortified squared.)
215 x 3 (sucked even more. Got in the rack to feel more secure but didn’t help as much as I hoped.)
205 x 3 (felt ok, especially rep 2, but still not great)

Box Squats:
Kept them light and used them mostly to try and get out of my head. Tried to focus on elbows super tight and forward and glutes squeezing at the top.
135 x 3
155 x 3
145 x 3

Here is where I tried to salvage this workout:

Hip Thrusts w upper back on low box:
135 x 10
185 x 8
185 x 6
185 x 8

interchanged with Ab Wheel (I keep super strict form on these with my hips pushed out, my abs tight, no dip into my lower back, and the wheel staying parallel my head so as not to put too much strain my shoulders. I also do them slowly to really get my core under tension. Today these felt really good and strong so it boosted my spirits!):
10 x BW
8 x 25 plate on back
6 x 35 plate
8 x 25 plate

I am taking the next two days off for some personal stuff, but am going to utilize the rest time. I am going to do one or two light and form focused workouts before next weekend. I would really like to hear where you ladies get your head before a big lift because I think…no, I know my biggest hurdle is mental insecurity.

Fuck. Gotta get my head right!

118

Okay. I’ll bite.

For me, it’s all about having confidence with the lifts. If I approach the bar “knowing” I will get the lift, I do. Knowing I will get the lift comes from lots of practice and feeling like it’s a totally innate movement for my body. That there’s no checking my setup or any part of the lift because it feels so intuitive. Honestly, thinking too much about form totally throws me off. That’s why I’m amazed when I watch lengthy setups between reps.

I’m constantly thinking about form when I bench (squeeze the bar, squeeze the glutes, stay tight in the core, drive with the legs, hold the arch, etc.) and, consequently, I’ve never been a successful bencher. Maybe that’s where you are with your squat right now.

For squats, I actually visualize that I’m on the platform. I see the same head judge and hear him say the commands. I imagine people watching. And I feel the rush of success. Of course, these thoughts pass through my mind at lightspeed. It’s not really a mantra, but you get the idea.

One of the reasons I love this sport is because it IS so mental. Which can work to one’s advantage or disadvantage. And we’ve all been on both sides of the coin.

119

kp - I absolutely comprehend and agree with what you are saying. It’s nice to see it in words sometimes! At my last meet, I just knew that 341 dead was coming off the ground, no questions asked, even though I hadn’t lifted over 325. My goal is to get my mental squat there as well:)

Accessory Training today. The same workout as before, a little heavier on the weights but eventually dropped off to lighter weight since I am still not recovered. I trained today, which I wasn’t planning on, to be able get one more accessory workout in before the meet.

I am going in to SSP on Tuesday to do one more overall lift with commands and to hopefully pick up some shoes to borrow. It will be nice to train with lifters and be back in the dungeon! After that it is rest time until the meet. I am going to take this meet “seriously” in the sense that I want to see where my strength is at from all this training and I will give it my best, but there is no pressure.

At my last (and first) meet in December, I went in as a newbie but really wanted to set the WA state record for my Raw weight class. And I did! But this meet is just for me to challenge myself and get more experience.

I am actually more excited for a “meet” at this other gym called ‘Fuck the Card’, where its super cheap and lifters, big guys included, come in to lift and shoot the shit without all the politics and requirements of USAPL or any other lifting organizations. Just lifters showing off their shit which should be a blast!

Also, I have decided that after some other athletic goals I want to accomplish over the next few months, by next spring or summer I am going to start training for some Strongman/woman stuff! I am SO pumped. Can’t wait to flip some tires and carry some heavy ass weight!

120

I was where you were about 2 years ago, my spotter didn’t spot me and I went forward into the power rack…didn’t get hurt, just kinda “scared” and pissed. It took me a long time to get over it too…too long.

I also had/have a time getting over…“oh crap this is heavy” when I picked the weight, but really never had an issue squatting it. For this I do heavy or overloading the squat setup, just to get my CNS used to holding heavy weights.

I also used to over-think everything, (probably still do sometimes) but now when I approach the bar, it’s only “I own this” “keep fricken tight” “down and up like a piston” and visualize it before approaching the bar.