picturing you falling on your ass, legs and arms doing the beetle thing… lmao. glad you didnt, though.
time for an overshare: moar food + moar rest isnt helping my tom issues either. im sposed to lift in an hour and a half. it wont happen. I’ll do a shitload of mobility work, and lift tomorrow.
I wish you the goodness of chocolate and bread with butter.
Strong bench and rows for a PMS week. You’ll kill it next week when you feel better.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
sigh OK. I had my bloke take this photo last year so I could look at what was wrong with my squat mechanics (turns out: everything). The arse is pretty much in evidence here. (And this is why I also have to do box squats).
I hope I’ve improved a bit since then.
As for today, skipped the gym as I still haven’t recovered from Sunday’s kettlebell hell. My deltoids are completely fried, as are my hams. I’ll make up for it tomorrow.
[/quote]
Cal, just a thought. I could be wrong. I’ve noticed my hips are extremely tight the day after incorporaying KB swings in my metabolic workout. I tend to have trouble hitting parallel and keeping my heels on the floor on squat day despite mobility work and foam rolling.
Do you think omitting KB work, would help with your hip mobility?
Like I said, it’s just a thought…
Also wall slides from MT helped me with my form on squats. Get to parallel or just below and just sit there and hold it for as long as you can…Great for your quads and hips…On good days, I add a plate or two to my lap.
Agony.
Funnily enough I do started doing the KB swings to improve my hip mobility and glute activation. It seems to do some good - I haven’t noticed it having an adverse effect.
I’ll give the wall sits a try, though.
I skipped the gym yesterday - it was blowing a gale out and my flat was warm and cosy.
Made up for it today and actually felt pretty energetic.
1 x 15 x bar
1 x 12 x 30kg (66lbs)
3 x 10 x 40kg (88lbs)
3 x 5 x 50kg (110lbs)
1 x 1 x 55kg (121lbs) - FAIL (I didn’t fail because I couldn’t get it up, so to speak, but because my butt didn’t touch the box. I guess I was a bit wary of the weight first time around. But then…)
1 x 1 x 55kg (121lbs) - WIN!
I am pretty pleased with this. Form isn’t yet awesome but it’s improving. I know if I go lower I develop a horrendous butt wink so I’m sticking with the five risers for now.
I followed each of the sets up to and including the 40s with 20 air humps or whatever they’re called (lying on floor, feet on the box)
3 x 12 x 10kg (22lbs)
Then did some weighted glute ham raises, reverse hypers and clams to finish.
My butt can feel it now.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
1 x 1 x 55kg (121lbs) - WIN! [/quote] <-----awesome!!
[quote]
I am pretty pleased with this. Form isn’t yet awesome but it’s improving. I know if I go lower I develop a horrendous butt wink so I’m sticking with the five risers for now.[/quote]
what is a butt wink?
3 x 12 x 10kg (22lbs)
Then did some weighted glute ham raises, reverse hypers and clams to finish.
My butt can feel it now. [/quote]
glad your butt is feeling it…i was wondering if anyone did cable leg stuff. i’ve thrown some in after doing squats & DLs, but this was prior to my ‘real’ squats (in the rack) i personally liked the cable leg variations and it felt like something was getting worked…
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I skipped the gym yesterday - it was blowing a gale out and my flat was warm and cosy.
Made up for it today and actually felt pretty energetic.
1 x 15 x bar
1 x 12 x 30kg (66lbs)
3 x 10 x 40kg (88lbs)
3 x 5 x 50kg (110lbs)
1 x 1 x 55kg (121lbs) - FAIL (I didn’t fail because I couldn’t get it up, so to speak, but because my butt didn’t touch the box. I guess I was a bit wary of the weight first time around. But then…)
1 x 1 x 55kg (121lbs) - WIN!
I am pretty pleased with this. Form isn’t yet awesome but it’s improving. I know if I go lower I develop a horrendous butt wink so I’m sticking with the five risers for now.
I followed each of the sets up to and including the 40s with 20 air humps or whatever they’re called (lying on floor, feet on the box)
3 x 12 x 10kg (22lbs)
Then did some weighted glute ham raises, reverse hypers and clams to finish.
My butt can feel it now. [/quote]
55kg to five risers for the win!!! That is my pre-form-check PR and I’m dying to get back there with my butt to the box. Jealousy abounds.
Your training is coming right along, doesn’t it feel good to see the squat numbers go up!! 135 is just around the corner! And nice DL, do you lift conventional or sumo for pulling?
Cant wait for videos!!! Dont forget the videos!!!
G
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
My butt can feel it now. [/quote]
the important question is, can i feel it in your butt?
congrats on the pr!
Cheers ladies.
Talenaah - butt wink is when your tail rolls under at the bottom of a squat. It’s usually attributed to tight hams and hip flexors though this page says otherwise. You can see in the video what I mean: http://swiftonline.com/crossfit/archives/540
CBear - you’re more than welcome, my butt could do with a nice deep tissue massage.
I will try and get video soon.
Not a very good workout this morning. Perhaps I should have scheduled a rest day to follow the squats. I wasn’t tired as such but definitely had less energy than yesterday.
Bar x 20
60kg (132lbs) x 10
80kg (176lbs) x 5
90kg (198lbs) x 5
100kg (220lbs) x 5 (I actually failed on the first attempt, but realised I was wearing my Frees rather than my Chucks, so took them off and had no problems with the 5 reps)
110kg (242lbs) x 1 (This felt all wrong. I have done more than this before but this morning it wasn’t happening so I decided to cut myself off to avoid injury).
I’m developing a niggly lower back. I know a lot of it is from sitting, but there’s no doubt I’m losing my arch on the heavier weights. I also think it’s partly down to switching from training after work to training before - there’s obviously less synovial fluid doing the rounds at 7am even if I think I’ve warmed up thoroughly.
What I need to do here is lighten up - literally - and concentrate on form for a while. Also, leave the heavier lifts for the weekend when I can get up a bit later.
Bar x 20
30kg (66lbs) x 10
35kg (77lbs) x 5
40kg (88lbs) x 3
45kg (99lbs) x 1
Stopped there because I felt that trap tweak again. My neck was already stiff from sleeping funny, but that deep trap pain definitely seems to come from doing overhead pressing (but not chins and overhead kb snatches, funnily enough).
First time I got that trap pain was when I was giving Crossfit a try and the workout called for handstand push-ups (I can’t do these, btw - I was subbing pike push-ups instead). So there’s something odd when I shove weight up vertically. I think it stems from a big muscle imbalance which came from compensating from my original rotator cuff fuck-up when I was 24. Physio pointed this out to me once - I guess the muscles imbalance is still there to some degree, even though I’ve restored much of the joint’s mobility.
3 x
Smith Machine body rows (or fat man pull-ups) x 10
Shoulder width push-ups x 10
After that, only had time for some bird dogs and stretching before I had to go to work.
I am going to have to do a bit of a rethink here - I’m not 21 any more and can’t treat my body with the same recklessness as I have in the past. Gotta pay attention to form and take care of any problems, else I’ll end up in a wheelchair by 65. Not what I’m after.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
I am going to have to do a bit of a rethink here - I’m not 21 any more and can’t treat my body with the same recklessness as I have in the past. Gotta pay attention to form and take care of any problems, else I’ll end up in a wheelchair by 65. Not what I’m after.[/quote]
You and me both, my friend. Add paying better attention to “recovery” to that list. If you squatted yesterday, I’m not sure rack pulls today was the best option.
BTW, I tried on the Nike Frees and didn’t like them. Just felt weird to me.
I bought 'em for running as they’re nice and light (I’m a forefoot striker so I’m not after cushioning and stability) but turns out they are comfy for walking around in. I would rather have Vibrams, though, but they’re not so easy to get in the UK. I absolutely need to try shoes on before I buy because of my weird shaped-feet (well, not that weird, but I have a wide forefoot and very narrow heel, plus that extra bone thing going on) so I have to get up to a shop that has them. Plus they’re fucking expensive.
Since I can’t run at the moment and English winters pretty much suck for wearing Vibrams, I’ve put it off until next year.
I too have to be more gentle with my body…If I’m sore I can barely walk I won’t squat again, for example, haha…
It’s hard,because we want to be ‘strong,’ but will only hurt ourselves! 
Talking of which, I just visited the physio about my damn foot and had to endure 45 minutes of him grinding his thumbs into my right calf and ankle. If I’d been under interrogation, I’d have told him everything.
As it is, I don’t think there’s much that can be done for the foot other than to let it heal, which could take a long time as there’s a poor blood supply to that area. I can walk on it and lift weights - just no running unfortuntately, which means no sprint workouts. Damn.
Well, I guess I should be thankful it’s getting to winter and thus nasty weather to be outdoors anyway.
Just cooking some venison sausages for dinner. Yum.
Can you buy venison there, or do you go hunting? 
Yep, I go hunting all the way to Sainsbury’s. You can buy venison steaks and sausages and other game in the bigger supermarkets (in London, at least) which is pretty cool.
Hunting is no longer popular in the UK - you need all sorts of permits and guns are highly restricted, and there are only a few small areas where you can do it. It’s not like the US, so it certainly wouldn’t be an easy way to get your protein.
Sausages were awesome, btw…which is good because I’ll be having them again tomorrow.
my hubby is an avid hunter…and we still have a freezer full from last winter!
Great lifting, I’ve found that if I’m not careful I can easily tweak my low back on rack pulls because of the amount of weight I can load on the bar for those.
Today’s workout…
1 x 20 x bar
1 x 20 x 30kg (66lbs)
1 x 8 x 50kg (110lbs)
5 x 5 x 55kg (121lbs)
I’ve dropped a little weight in order to add volume. I had some success with 5x5 before so going back to it now. I’ll add some more weight next time.
3 x 10
3 x 5 x 30kg (66lbs)
2 x 10 x 25kg (55lbs)
2 x 10 x 20kg (44lbs)
and some stretching.
My low back was a bitch this morning - it’s mostly down to going to the physio yesterday. He had me lie on my side while he messed with my foot and my hip and back got quite snarky as a result. I need to do a lot of foam rolling and stretching - I must admit I’ve been neglecting that recently. Bad.