[quote]buckeye girl wrote:
Those are some bruises you got. My belt gets me sometimes, and I lift with a girl that looks like she was punched in the sides repeatedly. I don’t know how to avoid it. We were told to deal with it.
If you can tolerate a thinner or softer belt that might make things better…
I’m jealous of your pullup skills :)[/quote]
I have a long sleeve sweater that I work out in sometimes. I may try the belt on the outside of that and see if it helps.
Thanks for the compliment on the pullups. It’s pretty cool how quickly you can progress once you get the first couple.
Monday Mar. 10 (Home):
Cleans:
60x1x5
70x1x2
80x1x1
90x1x1
100x1x1
105x1x0
100x1x0
I should have skipped 70 and done fewer reps on 60. I feel so close to 105.
OH Press:
60x1x7
65x1x5
70x2x3
75x1x1 (PR - Yay)
BB Curl:
50x2x7
55x1x4
60x2x2
Plank:
2 minutes
Weighted chins:
15x3x2
Unweighted chins:
1x7
1x4
Wednesday Mar 12 (Gym) D.E.
Zercher Squat:
115x12x3
Deep Pull:
135x12x3
Bench with chains - 2 per side:
55x12x3
Pull ups:
1x6
2x5
2x4
T-Bar Row:
45x5x5
Todays young guy comment at the gym after deep pulls. “Are you training for something because you are doing the hardest exercises ever.” He should see my cartwheel. They really are cute. I wish we were allowed to bring them home with us. I mean that in a non-bad way. I think.
Friday March 14 (Gym)
Worked out with Trainer/stongman competitor Derek and Diane (a client of his). I wanted to work out with her since she is a couple of years older than me and a bit farther ahead in terms of strength. Just far enough ahead to push me but not be demoralising.
Bench:
45x1x15
70x1x5
95x1x1 (I struggled with this but Diane pushed a couple out at 115)
85x10x1
Bench lock out:
135x1x5
155x1x5
175x1x2
Bench bottom start:
65x1x5
85x1x3
95x1x1
Incline Bench:
50x1x12
70x1x6
70x1x5
Sunday March 16 (Gym) with Derek:
Deep pulls:
135x1x5
165x1x3
185x1x1
200x1x1
210x1x1
Stand and hold (basically just unracking and standing and holding it as long as possible.
I can’t remember the entire progression since my head nearly exploded. I maxed at 405 grunting and straining the entire time. Good thing I’m not a planet fitness. I may have screamed a bit at the end but my hearing had shut down by them. His rationale is just to get used to having heavy weight on your back. It was a bit of a rush.
I didn’t get any bruises from the belt this week since I wore it over a sweater. The jury’s still out on what my back will look like tomorrow.
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
This is a picture of my stomach after working out yesterday. This is the first time I have used my belt for longer than a couple of minutes. I used it for squats and deads. I’m not sure why it caused these bruises. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent bruises?
[/quote]
Yeah – stop using a belt. You in no way lift any amount of weight that requires a belt. It helps you in no good way.
[quote]mmllcc wrote:
ouroboro_s wrote:
This is a picture of my stomach after working out yesterday. This is the first time I have used my belt for longer than a couple of minutes. I used it for squats and deads. I’m not sure why it caused these bruises. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent bruises?
Yeah – stop using a belt. You in no way lift any amount of weight that requires a belt. It helps you in no good way.
[quote]aeromom wrote:
Wow I love your lifts- great pull up video.
Keep up the good work, I look to your thread for inspiration!
Michele[/quote]
Thanks very much. That’s great to hear. I look at yours and a number of others here for inspiration.
I like looking at people’s progression over time at both good days and bad. Strangely enough, what I find most helpful is seeing people move onwards and upwards after bad days. We can all applaud the good days and personal records but sucking it up and moving along after the crappy ones takes more effort.
OH Press:
65x2x5
70x1x5
70x1x1 (Crapped out on this set)
70x1x3
75x1x0
BB Curl:
50x2x8
55x1x3
60x2x1
Windmill:
30x1x10
30x1x8
Weighted Chins:
15x1x3
15x2x2
Unweighted chins:
1x7
Wednesday March 19 (Gym) D.E.
Bench lock out:
135x12x3
High Box Squats:
185x12x3
Rack Pulls:
205x12x3
Pull Ups:
1x7
1x6
3x4
I tried to set up a time to work out with the trainer that I did last weekend. I completely gapped it and forgot it’s Easter weekend. I guess I need to go purchase a life. I’ll put that on my list for Saturday.
Squat:
45x1x8
135x1x3
155x1x2
175x1x1
185x3x0 (This is my previous high that I have hit several times. I was hoping to hit 190 or 195 today.)
Deadlift:
135x1x5
185x1x3
195x1x1
205x1x1 (getting hard but I could pull more)
Set up for 215 and felt a bit of a painful cut or something on my left hand. Decided not to pull anymore.
High box squats:
185x2x1
205x1x1
225x1x1
225x1x get frigging pinned to the box.
There was only one other person in the weight room and he had his ipod on and couldn’t hear me. I couldn’t figure out how to get out from under. A regular squat would be easy. Just hit the pins. Sitting on a box I was afraid to go forward with the weight onto the pins. I sat and watched myself get redder and redder and yelled louder until the guy heard me.
He was huge and had no problem pulling the weight up. He then lectured me about how dangerous squats are and they should only be done in the smith machine. Normally I’d argue but what can you say when you just pulled a big nob move and had to be rescued.
Finished up with pullups. Thought I couldn’t hurt myself on those:
1x7
1x6
1x5
Pain in left hand was callous tearing off. It will be fine soon but right now it looks like a big crater.
Went for a long hike in one of the local conservation areas on the Bruce Trail. It was lovely and peaceful and I didn’t hurt anything or embarrass myself
I’ve been incredibly sore in the couple of days following this workout. I’m trying to remember how I was standing/the angle of my feet when I was squatting because I’ve been walking bowlegged since Thursday morning. The feeling is the same as horseback riding after you haven’t done it in a while.
Friday March 28:
OH Press:
65x2x5
70x2x3
75x1x1
OH Squat:
60x1x10
70x1x6
80x1x6
90x2x5
Floor Press:
60x1x10
70x1x6
85x1x5
85x2x1 (Pinned. My 13 year old daughter pulled it off me.)
BB Row:
60x1x10
70x1x9
80x1x8
85x1x5
90x1x5
Windmill:
30x2x10
Weighted Chins:
15x3x2
This was tough to start because I was still really feeling Wednesday’s workout.
I was reading someone else’s log recently in which their goals were weight loss etc. She didn’t feel like she was making much progress. One of the suggestions given to her was to take photos every 6 to 8 weeks to compare since changes would be more noticable than when you see yourself every day. I thought this was a great suggestion.
Although my goals are to lift heavy, not lose weight or sculpt my body, I thought I would start doing photos as well, to track the physical changes brought about by lifting heavier.
Attached is a photo of me the summer before I quit smoking and started working out. Notice the stick like arms
The next couple of photos are today. They are not flexing or trying to look muscular. Just standing there. I don’t have similar pictures for comparison from a couple of years ago since it would never have occurred to me to take pictures in my underpants.
Front view. Notice the not stick like arms. One of the changes I have noticed since lifting is more mental in that I feel more physically present than I used to. If that makes any sense.
Side view. Before I started working out, my ass looked like someone smacked me with a shovel it was so flat. I want a big round butt. I still have a ways to go.
Today was good despite feeling earlier in the week like I’d been ridden hard and put away wet. I got two P.R.s.
Next Sunday I’m working out with my trainer. He mentioned there would be a local strength competition in May. I’m going to get more info on that since I can’t do the one in April (next weekend) because of my daughter’s dance competiton.
Low Box Squat:
45x1x10
45x1x5 (readjusting box position)
135x1x5
155x1x3
165x1x2
175x1x1
185x1x1
190x1x1 (PR. For sure I know I broke parallel since I touched the box)
195x1x0 (This one was so close I could smell it. I almost ground it out but hit a point where I stalled and held it for a while and couldn’t get past it)
Trap Bar:
140x1x10
190x1x2
200x1x1
210x1x1
220x1x1
230x1x1 (PR)
240x1x0
Hi-
Late to the party here!
Did you learn most things on your own while you were watching the guys? Or did you have people teach you the moves( oh squats, deadlifts, etc)
I’m super jealous that you can do pull-ups!!
Did you get to flip any tires yet?
[quote]mominmaine wrote:
Hi-
Late to the party here!
Did you learn most things on your own while you were watching the guys? Or did you have people teach you the moves( oh squats, deadlifts, etc)
I’m super jealous that you can do pull-ups!!
Did you get to flip any tires yet? :P[/quote]
thanks for dropping by. I learned most of the stuff by myself and reading on the internet. Two of my favourite sites are
www.stumptuous.com (I love this. It’s for women and the writer is as funny as hell. It’s entertaining just to read) www.stronglifts.com. This is great for beginning strength training and has a lot of demonstration videos which I found helpful. I just watched and practiced.
I haven’t flipped any tires yet. I have high hopes though with the new guy I’m training with. He has really cool stuff in the basement of the gym.
[quote]goochadamg wrote:
Is your OH press a military press? I love those numbers- especially your pull ups. Thanks for the posts.
Michele[/quote]
I’m pretty sure they are the same. There is no bounce to it. It is straight up from the chest with no assistance pushing through the knees. I find it difficult but then I find any upper body moves difficult. I prefer squats and deadlifts where a lot of the move is assisted by a big arse
This entire workout was crap. I blame the beer and nachos Thursday night followed by lunch at McDonalds on Friday. Blech. There’s a reason I don’t eat out much or drink.
