some days aren’t meant for certain lifts - you did well to continue with the rest of your session and hit some PRs. it would be boring if everything always went forward, there would be no challenge. anybody could just go the gym any old time and do better than they did before
Snatch PR’s are the best:)
when the weight gets to me - cause it happens, I think that I’m throwing this DB not pulling it. Does it make sense?
and it’s 2 steps forward 1 step back because it seperates the wussies from the strong. You will go back, you won’t let this bring you down and you’ll totally kill it.
Thanks George and N. for the sympathy.
So, for Sunday’s training I was still pretty pissed off about missing my money set deadlift on Friday. Turns out that I forgot to bring my notebook with my prescribed 5/3/1 weights for bench and squat, so I felt that this was a sign from the Universe that instead I needed to spend that day testing my 1 rep maxes.
Just to be sure that I really wasn’t a scrawny, weak bitch.
Total Brotard 1 Rep Max Testing Day
BW = 112 lbs.
Bench Press
Bar 1 x 5
65# 1 x 3
75# 1 x 1
85# 1 x 1
90# 1 x 1 ← PR +5 lbs.
92# 1 x 1 ← PR +7 lbs.
93# 1 x 0 ← fail, couldn’t get it off my chest
I had never attempted more than 85 lbs. before, and it appears my 1 rep MAX is 92 lbs. Just about where I thought it might be. I have to put 20 lbs. on my bench to get to a bodyweight lift, which will be a challenging goal for a long time to come.
Squat (3 risers/step)
Bar 1 x 5
85# 1 x 5
105# 1 x 1 <–some knee cave
110# 1 x 1 <–more knee cave
115# 1 x 1 <–horrible knee cave
120# 1 x 1 <–horrible knee cave
125# 1 x 1 <–PR + 5 lbs. disgusting knee cave
130# 1 x 1 <–PR +10 lbs., so much knee cave that my knees KNOCKED TOGETHER
135# 1 x 0 ← walked it out OK, but couldn’t get out of the hole
So 130 lbs. was UGLY, but I was determined to get that sucker up.
And now its back to being a responsible lifter and working at pussy weights to fix my knee cave.
Dips (all with dip belt)
BW +5 lbs. 1 x 5
BW +10 lbs. 1 x 5
BW +15 lbs. 1 x 5
BW +20 lbs. 1 x 5 ← PR +2.5 lbs.
BW +25 lbs. 1 x 3 ← PR +7.5 lbs.
BW +30 lbs. 1 x 3 ← PR +13.5 lbs.
BW +35 lbs. 1 x 0 ← no go, but I’ll bet I could get this up if’n I was fresh
I’m kind of glad I didn’t have my notebook with me, because I totally did not realize I’d never dipped more that +17.5 lbs. I would really, really like to dip a 45 lb. plate.
That was really fun. I feel much better now.
Hey kimba lady! That is a great set of PRs you have there!
First…to say that is a damn fine looking pair of pants! And you have a great smile. I sympathize with the grocery store dude.
OK, knee cave. When you are squatting heavy are you still actively thinking about pushing your knees out? Or, is it possible that your mind switches to thinking about the heavy weight, your back arch, foot position, etc.
I only ask because sometimes it is like golf…you start thinking about the various components of your swing and the shot will suck. Maybe for you the only thing you should repeat (aloud if necessary) is "knees out!.
Awesome dips.
Look at all the damn PR’s, the dip one in particular rocks.
Alright!! WTG! cheers
I think you are doing all you can for yourself as far as the knee cave goes…
Have you tried taking your stance out wider? I think I’ve asked before.
You actually don’t make that weight look heavy. Like you could do more! DO you think it’s more of just a habit now?
Lol @ total brotard 1 rep max. HA!
a) love the pants! sexy as hell kimba.
b) 130 squat - woot woot! I will say, that knee cave was impressive. Lol! I have no recs for this obviously, but Git makes an interesting point re: what you’re actively thinking whilst squatting. I’m an over thinker, so it really helps me to go over my cues before I squat, that way I don’t think about it when I actually do the movement. I’m sure eveyone’s cues are different depending on our strengths and weaknesses. I’d be interested to hear what yours are (no pressure obvs!)
c) Hot damn with the dips!! You’re a beast and my hero. Congrats on that, and yeah 45 will be cake (pun intended!)
Great training woman! Keep it up.
George, thanks for the encouragement!
giterdone, indeed those are new pants which frankly, I tried on and then had to have them. I’m glad I wasn’t mistaken. 
Sometimes I go grocery shopping right after the gym without changing, so grocery store dude has seen most of my workout clothes.
When squatting, I am actively thinking knees out. In fact, these days that is pretty much all I think about. But it just feels to me like I cannot move the weight up without the cave. If I refuse to let my knees cave, then something (hips? glutes? core?) gives up the ghost and I’m stuck in the hole. I don’t know, but it feels like the knee cave is a compensation for a weakness elsewhere. And it won’t go away unless I find and address that weakness.
Joe, I was particularly happy about the dips. I didn’t know I had it in me to dip that much weight!
Betty, thanks for the cheer! I have tried a wider stance and came to the conclusion that it makes the knee cave worse. I don’t think the knee cave is a habit – its non-existent at lower weights, and over time it is kicking in at slightly higher weights. For example, I used to get knee cave at 85 lbs., but not anymore.
Maschy, new lulu pants FTW! Honestly, if there were a contest for most knee cave, I would totally win it! I don’t think “thinking” is the issue. Gotta work on weak hips (i think) to make that shit go away.
Im just thinking it would be hard to have knee cave if you are in a sumo position, toes pointed out and get those knees tracking over them…
also do you do any sort of glute activating stuff before hand?
maybe possibly you are very quad dominant(like most women are) that coming out of the hole your glutes are snoozing on the job? And how are those hammies/lower back? Also, HIPS! Do you do anything for them?
Just throwing things out there!
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
Im just thinking it would be hard to have knee cave if you are in a sumo position, toes pointed out and get those knees tracking over them…
also do you do any sort of glute activating stuff before hand?
maybe possibly you are very quad dominant(like most women are) that coming out of the hole your glutes are snoozing on the job? And how are those hammies/lower back? Also, HIPS! Do you do anything for them?
Just throwing things out there![/quote]
This sounds like a familiar discussion…squat stance, toe position etc.
But, I think you are right. With you feet out so that you squat down between your legs (doesn’t mean you necessarily go below parallel), it feels more natural (to me) and forces your knees out.
I was going to mention it but I didn’t want to be Mr. Boring Advice Man…again.
[quote]JoeGood wrote:
[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
Seriously y’all, the band thing, do it weightless, not even the bar! Esp. to start! It’s so much about just waking up muscles that you aren’t using when you squat.[/quote]
So you put the band at the midpoint of the knee and focus on really pushing it out? I assume this will work as well for wide stance squatters?
[/quote]
Just above the knee. I am a fairly wide-stance squatter, at least equipped, but I am probably narrower when I play with bands like this.
awesome PR’s! you are doing something right for sure
I know how you feel about the bench. I only have 10lbs to go for bodyweight and yet it feels like lightyears away.
nice work kimba!!! 
Nice PR Day! You’re doing some awesome stuff.
Just my 2 cents, but in my experience widening the stance only increases my difficulty in keeping my knees open. I used to knee cave horribly in my first few years of squatting, and if I really widen my stance my knees start to cave again. I’ve found that thinking “sit back” while breaking at the hip and then focusing on pushing my ass back while allowing my knees to bend over my toes has been the mental image that works for my form.
And in the end I had to do crazy pussy weights for a while, using that mental thought process, before my knee cave went away. Now I just think “ass back, look up, stay tight, push through the heels”.
Anyways, just my thoughts that widening your stance may actually increase the knee caviness.
Betty, that is a good suggestion for me to do my glute activation exercises before squatting. I stretch my hip flexors extensively before every workout, but I could throw one-legged glute bridges back in.
giterdone, I really appreciate advice men and women. Without the folks that stop by here and look at my vids and make suggestions, I’d be way, way worse off and lifting small.
PMPM, I am a narrow squatter that has to go wider to keep the bands up. Go figure.
Thanks N., Brute and Greeney for the encouragement!
Frzn, my experience validates yours. A wider squat stance makes the knee cave worse for me. And, I am very heartened to hear that you conquered knee cave by putting up with pussy weights for awhile. This gives me hope!
My gosh. I go away for the weekend only to come back and find that you’re not only the hottest lifting chick but the STRONGEST as well! Damn! Awesome work.
alrighty, someone (anyone) feel free to chime in and correct me if im wrong.
what i see is that youre breaking at the knees to initiate the movement, rather than your hips.
because youre doing that, youre not sitting back in the movement, which is making your center of gravity right the fuck over your knees, which will be stronger when closer together.
keep your upper back tight, and make some of your accessory work squatting just the bar, with your stance wider and your toes pointed however the fuck you want them, and if you can think about sitting back, you may start to feel what im talkin bout, willis.
i keep my knees out better when i think more about squeezing my ass to make my hips come forward and up.
ok.
now fuck yeah for your pr, woman! and your mini happy dance!
[quote]CBear84 wrote:
alrighty, someone (anyone) feel free to chime in and correct me if im wrong.
[/quote]
My God. What’s happened to you? ^^^^
I’ve watched the vid a few times. Kimba may break a bit with the knees, but not bad. I can’t figure out the weirdo knee cave. I’ve really never see anyone’s knees come together like that on a heavy squat. Has anyone else seen that? Maybe you need some beefier thighs? Like mine! We may weight the same, but I have way more serious thighs. I did, however, get my hair cut to exactly the same length as yours so that we can look even more like twins.