Beginners Gains

Training
441

Alexus: Congratulations on your comp. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it wasn’t very many pages back in this log where you were feeling a little self conscious in the gym. Now, look at you stepping out there and showing off your stuff. I’m totally impressed. As everyone else has said, competing takes guts.

And, I always tell my kids that a first experience is just a first experience–judgments about whether they are good at or like the experience are to be withheld. I believe that you have to give everything you are willing to try once at least one good second try.

442

Alexus, you did a great job! Your second snatch video it looks like you extended too early but you’re very close. Your first snatch looked really good to me! Under pressure that was pretty good IMO.

More drive on your push press, but you probably know that :slight_smile:

443

Why are you push pressing rather than jerking?

Cool vids, girl. And you look fab, BTW.

444

sweet vids Lex! The first snatch looked perfect! Way to get under that bar.

And your cleans are really good too! Awesome job. But yeah, more drive on that push press. Either way, excellent work!

445

I’m with everyone else. Congrats on the fact that you got out to the comp! It’s my first time checking out your log and I think it takes a lot of balls. I would love to compete someday. I have to say, it looks like you were a little nervous and hesistant especially in the pressing. But the good thing is, you’ve got one comp under your belt and next time some of that nervousness will go away.

Great work overall!

446

thanks for the support everyone.

i was feeling really very self-conscious. the others were lifting a lot more than me and i felt like a little kid being humored along playing earnestly with toy weights. they are encouraging and i really do appreciate that, but that is how i felt, anyway. i think it was a bit awkward, too, because in training they mostly seem to get that i do better if they basically ignore me, but you are supposed to watch lifters to show support etc… it did throw me a bit. people yelling their own lifting cues etc. usually i turn up my i-pod and zone everyone else out 'till it is just meandthebar… i’m sure time and practice will help me. confidence will develop over time. i’ll figure out how to find the zone when people are paying attention to me.

i need to rehab my toes to jerk. need to stretch out the ligaments / muscles so i can balance comfortably on the ball of my foot. i have been working on it and they are improving, but it is going to take a while. i’d really like to be able to jerk for the next comp (3 months) and i’ll stop using the mirror now, too. that really has become a bad habit.

yep, didn’t drive the press properly. then bailed on it rather than attempting to use my back to press it out.

i think i did do pretty well, for me. can do better next time, of course, but need to remember that there are training days when the weights i did for the comp simply won’t go up. so things could have gone a lot worse. it really did take a lot of courage for me to do this. i am glad that i did. only way from here is up.

my training priorities:

  1. toe rehab (for jerking)
  2. squat rehab (mobility)
  3. squat strength
  4. core strength (aka: abs)

time to write a program to be getting on with over the next couple months.

447

you know what I like about this? “can do better next time”

now feed the hunger and kick your own score to shreds. And others might have been moving more weight but I doubt anyone was looking as fine as you doing it :wink:

448

Great job at the comp Alexus. I can understand the awkwardness you felt being watched like that. It looked like you rushed your lifts a bit to get out of the limelight. You have to start believing that you have every right to be there.

Looking forward to seeing your new program for some pointers.

449

TRAINING

EVA / softball rolling 20 minutes

goblet squats (sub 10kg dumbbell) 2x5 (warming up)

joints are feeling fine! fish oil and glucosamine for the win!!!

snatch bar drills for warm-up.
up to 5x3 @25kg.
trying to get the bar moving back into me then out gradually gaining momentum to extension and getting my ass under it fast. think these are coming along. need vids to be sure…

cleans. did a few singles up to 35kg.

front squats. clean into position then double. x5 @35kg. failed the last two reps on the last two sets. two back off sets of 25kg for 5 reps.

abs. elbow plank 60 seconds. elbow plank with 2.5kg 60 seconds. elbow plank with 5kg 60 seconds.
first time weighting them. weight felt fine. it is the second minute of planks that kicks my ass, really. want to get to 10kg (pretty green bumpers) for the weight then build the time back to two minutes. or one minute thirty seconds then move to the pretty yellow bumpers… will see.

realized that i hate heavy squats and i also hate reps more than 3. doing heavy (for me) squats with more than 3 reps is never going to make me love squats. yes, greasing the groove is important and more reps than 3 are required for that… but what i really want to do with my squats is bring up my 1RM so that I can stand up heavier cleans. the time will come when i need to suck it up and do some high rep heavy squats. that time will be after i’m starting to like them, though. or at least feel more neutral towards them.

450

New Program:

(Know it isn’t perfect, but it will do as something to be getting on with for the next 4-6 weeks):

WARM-UP: EVA / Softball rolling. 3-5x5 goblet squats until the movement is comfortable.

MONDAY (volume)
Snatch 8-10x3
Front Squat about 25 reps (5x5 or 8x3)
Chin ups (interspersed trying to grease groove on jumping to the bar and pulling self up 10 reps to start(?)
Abs (3 sets up to 2 minutes weighted interspersed).

TUESDAY
Snatch play / technique (30 minutes max)
Press 5x5
GHR 5x5 (assisted)
Calf raise 5x5 (focus on quality of toes stretching back. will progress to lunge and bulgarian split squat then jerk as foot mobility improves)
Back extension 3x10-15 (need to add weight)

WEDNESDAY (volume)
Front Squat about 25 reps (5x5 or 8x3)
Clean (10 reps to max)
Snatch (8-10x3) - will see how this ordering goes for me
Abs - 3x weighted plank up to 2.00

THURSDAY
Snatch technique / play (30 minutes max)
Push-Press 5x5
Chin-Ups as last time
Calf raise 5x5
Back extension 3x10-15 weighted as needed

FRIDAY (max day)
Front squat to max (about 10 reps)
Clean (10 reps to max)
snatch to max.
Abs

SATURDAY
Snatch play / technique (30 minutes max)
GHR 5x5
Leg Press 5x5
Calf raise 5x5
Back extension 3x10-15 weighted as needed

451

Looks like a suitable program to me. You’ll know what needs to be tweaked once you get in there and start doing it.

You’re a woman after my own heart with the six days/week training. I am actually kinda sad/bored because I can only be in the gym four days/week for the GVT. I know that recovery is crucial to my program, but still hard to restrain myself. I’ll just live vicariously through you for now, ok?

452

Alexus!!! great job at the meet! I’m sorry you didn’t get your pr’s, but you did it and its DONE! first meet over and done with :slight_smile:

you look fantastic by the way. I have to go catch up on your log now :stuck_out_tongue:

453

A plan! I love it. And I hear you on the squats. I have no love for them either. They are taxing mofos. But, I think you have a good plan of attack with those. Keeping the weight heavy and the reps low is bound to help you up that 1 rep max.

454

So funny because I’m in love with squats right now. Just infatuated with them and want to do them every damn time I walk into the gym. But I tend to cycle through my lifts in terms of who my current mistress is. And right now I’m picking roses for the squat.

455

I’m a bit like that too - I’ve been concentrating on squats recently. Unfortunately they don’t love me - I always end up with several distressed bodyparts after doing squatting for a while. Ugh.
Well done on getting through the meet. Here’s to the next one.

456

I’m the least proficient at the squat. And of course, it’s my least favorite lift. That probably means I should be squating everytime I go in there!

How are you weighting your elbow planks?

457

All I can say about squats is that you will get better at them.

458

thanks vege. i’ll live german volume training vicariously through you. i would like to give it a go - but need to start enjoying squats first. i used to enjoy them so know i have it in me somewhere. just need to find it again.

aw, thanks brute. yeah, it is done and i did it and i’m going to do another one. i am kinda proud of me. if you told me i’d be doing this when i joined the gym a couple years back i never would have believed it. would like to do an official comp one day - but need to learn to jerk first.

thanks nadia. i really really really really want a bodyweight front squat!

aw snap. i so hope i get there soon with the squats. i think i will. i feel something in the air…

cal - yeah, squats are tricky for me like that, too. hoping a combo of fish oil, glucosamine, and daily goblet squats for mobility will fix me up. will have to see, though.

puff - i’m weighting my planks with a plate on top of me. it goes like this: ‘can you put this on me please? - no, wait for the timer… ok NOW’

thanks debra. yeah, i will get better at squats. i will :slight_smile:

TRAINING

EVA / softball rolling.

5x5 KETTLEBELL SQUATS (sub dumbbell):
1x5 10kg slow down explosive up
2x5 10kg dynamic trying to catch the bounce
1x5 15kg slow
1x5 15kg dynamic
feeling good :slight_smile:

30 minutes max SNATCH
bar work. up to a few triples at 25kg. felt ok.

STRICT PRESS 5x5
it has been a while. my strict press has gotten weaker (moved to push-pressing singles)
20kg 1x5 warm-up
25kg 5x5. got through them. must remember some abdominal activation goes a long way with these.

GHR 5x5
combo of using a stick and pylo push-ups.

supersetted (gasp!) the GHR with

CALF RAISE
5x10 (realized sets of 5 are too wussy even for me).
focus on standing high on tip-toes in lifting shoes with my toes out flat then moving into as deep dorsiflexion as possible.
stretching one way makes the other way sieze up, kinda. some broken glassy feeling… will see whether this is good pain or bad pain over time… i do think i’m getting more dorsiflexion.

BACK EXTENSION
haven’t done these in a while but last time they were easy so knew i needed to add weight but no idea how much.
1x15 unweighted. just to check. arms out, thumbs up 3 sec hold at top.
1x15 with 2.5kg for the first 5 reps then switched that for the 5kg for the rest of the set.
1x15 with 7.5kg. this set felt like some work. will start all three sets with 7.5kg next time.

why am i doing sets of 15? i have no idea. more weight with sets of 10?? sounds like a plan to me…

459

LOL ;D

I for one know that you’ll love the squat again. You’re just too hard on yourself; gotta go with the flow and appreciate the small things.

460

lol @ the loaded planks routine.