Hallowed: Sorry to ruin your murda (?)! You keep putting up great workouts, it’s coming along and those goals will be yours. Keep at it woman.
Koubs: I know, I’m depressed about it to, but it’s comforting to know that the snow situation is widespread. (we did have 1/4 of an inch this morning, woohoo!
Mim: Not until Wednesday. Big exam Monday, little one wed, then freedom.
Mainy: Good tip…I don’t usually clean it from the floor, the racks were just all taken and I was too impatient to wait around. I never thought about that with the reads though, good call. And you’re totally right about kids bringing us back to when things were simple. I had this homesick feeling walking by them, I so badly wish I were 8 years old again without a care in the world.
**Deads felt pretty good today. I’m still getting some mid-back rounding but I don’t think awful (?). Just need to increase upper back work next wave. I got asked to join a DL contest in February…looks like i’ll be spending Valentine’s day with a bunch of sweaty men, ha! Ok, back to da books.
Those are great deads. Nothing quite like the sound of the big plates jangling, is there??
As far as the back rounding is concerned, it looks like your eyes are focusing a little low, putting your neck posture down a bit. Can you try picking a spot higher on the wall to focus - above the mirror somewhere? That should make it easier to really pull your shoulders back, and minimize that rounding.
(I’m just assuming you’re DLing in front of a mirror which can cause some sneaky postural shenanigans)
HAHA! Didn’t even need to watch the vid, that scene has been seared into my brain. So awesome!
I don’t know girlie, your deads always look awesome to me! I can never critique form, so I’ll just listen in to what other says and see how what you do. But yeah, glad they’re feeling good!! They’re def looking good!
And nice work getting those sprints in after a DL sesh. Badass! How do you do those? 1 min on, 1 min off? I should start sprinting in a bit. I wonder if I should start on an incline, hm…
Valentines day with a room full of sweaty men sounds like heaven! lol!
Great form on those Dls, I dont see any mid back rounding. You seem to get your hips down really low on the beginning of the lift, Im trying to get a bit lower myself so I can get better lift off and stop stiff legging the shit of my pulls.
Anxiety attacks are no fun, I hope you can find time to take a break and get some peace of mind, there is nothing better than peace of mind.
Your comment about the children laughing reminds me of the classic Chi-Lites song “Have You Seen Her” and the classic Pearl Jam song “Black” maybe different content but still reminded me of 2 my faves.
cholulala - I just saw what you said about the night time anxiety attacks. A few years ago, I went through the same situation for months. I was pretty much a vegetarian and was also drinking a lot of caffeine. I went to the doctor and they diagnosed me with severe panic disorder and prescribed me all this garbage. I never took it and just did my own research. Lifting has helped a lot but what helped me the most was my diet and changing my pattern of thinking. I haven’t had a full blown panic attack in years, of course I occasionally get anxious and get similar symptoms but they are to normal levels like any other human. Check out “anxiety and magnesium deficiency” Changing some things in your diet might help and I hope it does. Anxiety is the WORST and I’m sorry you’re going through it.
Dirty secret: If you’re pulling a challenging weight, your low back is going to round a little bit. Watch a vid of someone pulling 800 pounds, you can’t do it with a perfect lower back. I thought your form was great for a top set.
[quote]scj119 wrote:
Dirty secret: If you’re pulling a challenging weight, your low back is going to round a little bit. Watch a vid of someone pulling 800 pounds, you can’t do it with a perfect lower back. I thought your form was great for a top set.[/quote]
I agree. When I see someone pull “a max effort” with near perfect form, I always know they have a long way to go even if they aren’t aware of it. It’s the pulling for reps with poor form that always concerns me and should be kept in check to avoid injury.
borrek-thanks, and good advice, i’ll try it next go around. Also, I was checking out the injuries and rehab section (because I can convince myself that is ‘studying’) and saw your post about a torn pec repair…was that recently? Ouch, hope you’re healing up nicely.
Masch: All the SBTB love! Next week all the children of the 80s/90s can discuss Boy Meets World and how Tapanga was clearly way out of Corey’s league. As for the sprints, I try to make them true sprints, 10-20 seconds max. I crank the incline (the ones at that gym go above 20%) and go as fast as I can (admittedly, not very). I usually rest between 30-40 seconds, depending on when I can find my wind again.
cal & minimal: thanks ladies (and yes mini, plenty of weight for the moment…but I haz big plans, don’t you worry)
matty: thanks–I think I maybe get too low. I keep reading about this 'don’t squat up a dead lift" and I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I’m doing. That pearl jam takes me directly back to college, passing out on a dirty old futon with a room full of friends, I love how songs can do that.
dani: thanks for the advice–it’s funny you mention magnesium because i have been checking into getting ZMA because I read it helps with sleeping too. I generally equate any health issue with a vitamin deficiency so I appreciate that, and am glad that you have your anxiety dialed in.
scj and snap: thanks, I’ll quit worrying so much. And Snap, I’m starting to be in your camp with the low v. high debate. My body seems to be a lot happier with the heavy singles vs. repping away at lower weight.
Oof I don’t know how you can sprint on a treadmill. I just can’t run on the damned things. I had no problem with the ones at my old gym but when I get on the ones where I train now, I can’t go more than 6mph without losing my balance. Sad!
As for DLing, I have the opposite problem, I think - I’m all back. I actually can’t get my bum down low at the start - it’s just not comfortable for me.
*My FF team made it to the Championship game (thanks ATL)
*Packers lost (sorry Wisco)
*I PASSED MY EXAM so they’ll let me come back in the spring. This is what it’s like not to walk around with a giant weight on my shoulders?
Training:
Monday: Spin tabata, 30 minutes max-incline walk
Tues: Max incline walk, then a smattering of whatever I felt like–some day I’ll de-load properly, really. I did try out some KB weighted pull-ups, hooking the KB around my toes. The english language isn’t my forte right now, I can’t figure out a proper way to explain why I like them. Just do them, they’re good.
Then gymnastics…I decided to chuck some back tucks (yikes), and was fine. Fine I tell you. And then I did one. ONE handstand forward roll, and spent the next two hours emptying my stomach onto the curb, and then into a variety of shady neighborhoods on my drive back. Luckily it’s fa-fa-fa-reezing here and my little vomit piles will probably freeze and be here until May. (good morning! how’s your coffee/breakfast? sorry 'bout that).
Anyway, here’s a video of my final hurrah, it’s not great, but whatever. I’m hanging up the grips. My going upside down days are o-v-e-r.
and if you want the full-on cheesy experience (i know you do), mute the above and play the below for the tunes (little girls in pretty boxes fans, I know your’e out there)
I hear you on the FF, Ryan and Roddy hooked shit up for me too! We have a T-Nation fantasy football league you should get in on it next year.
On the DLing, you are right, if you squat your DL your hips are too far away from the bar, I dont get low enough like Cal, I’m all back. If we meet half way our form would be perfect! (though your form is pretty effing good IMO)
Congrats on passing the exam, calls for a celebration.
Oooh! I’m so glad I have insomnia—because a lula gymnastics video was waiting for me. Your body position on bars is beautiful. So jealous of how you stay tight and hollow. A tap swing? I need to learn that! Straddle back? I thought you were going to go for that.
At my last gymnastics class I almost went for a giant (on the strap bar) but I was afraid. Can I learn that skill without a coach? I still can’t cast to handstand though. So, I guess I’m still not ready.
I’m sorry going upside down makes you puke. Uggh. So, I’m slow. I must be beaten over the head with bad news. That’s it? YOu don’t enjoy vomitting? No more gymnastics? Damn. I understand though. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing there.
Congrats on passing your last exam! Enjoy your holiday break. Oh and nice deads! I like your goal on those! But, think about it–315 is 3 plates–I think we need to shoot for that number instead of 300. Round numbers are over rated.
OMG!! YES!! Such beautiful gymnastics, Lula! Incredible. You gymnasts are really something else, you know that? Its so impressive. And yes I’ll take the full-on cheesy experience, thank you!
The vid is a wonderful way to celebrate the final hurrah…altho deep in my heart I hope you revisit the gymnastics again one day. Its such a wonderful talent and so unique. /end mom mode
Anyways, I’m really starting to wonder about the kinds of muscle fibers that gymnasts build along the years that can create both a lithe athletic build and also a very powerful one! Its really amazing. Maybe it has to do with the explosive movements and the muscle fibers related to that? I don’t know. But its so contrary to the kinds of muscles that I’ve built over the years, which are short and bulky and not all that strong…so interesting!
And yay on the exam!! Great work, girlie! And now now its time to chillax. Ahh… you deserve it
yay! congratz on the exams! im heading to the semi finals in one of my leagues somehow… lol. may just win it, as everyone else has lost at least 1 critical player. would think the backwards movement would have been worse. but, ill live vicariously through your vids too. unless Hallowed finds a bar that will hold me.
[quote]cholulalula wrote:
And Snap, I’m starting to be in your camp with the low v. high debate. My body seems to be a lot happier with the heavy singles vs. repping away at lower weight.
[/quote]
This is my path of choice because it works for my body. I know from experience that if I train too submaximally, my 1 RM drops no matter how many reps I do. But everybody’s different. And as far as getting hips down on DLs, I am no longer convinced that it’s important. What is important is back position. If someone can pull with high hips and keep their back largely out of it, there’s no need to dip lower. Storm the Beach said it really well:
One of the BEST deadlift tips I ever got was “You can quarter squat a whole lot more than you can full squat” so try to deadlift that way.
