First off, I want to say a major thanks to Szwarz and Scott. I think I may have forgotten to in my CNS fried state, but thanks so much to the two of you. You both had me fired up and believing in myself. You rock!
235 was easy haha. I’ve watched my videos abouot 400 times and realize I wasn’t as far from good depth as I thought.
I’m still exhausted. I took a nap this afternoon and ate like you wouldn’t believe. I’m now checked into my hotel/resort thing north of Toronto for my 2 days of training. Woo. Hoo. /sarcasm.
On a good note, I’ve already seen some colleagues I haven’t seen in a while and apparently we’re partaking in a few beverages a bit later tonight. For now, just checking some emails and replying to all these amazing posts
So the plan for the next 4-6 weeks is to de-load my spine. I’ll still have four sessions a week: Quad Dominant, Vertical Push/Pull, Hip/Ham Dominant, Horizontal Push/Pull. I’m really going to focus on my deadlift because that will hopefully get me deeper in my squat and help me with some explosion out of the hole.
I’m really looking forward to changing programs! Even though today’s sucked (in the it hurt real bad, but was so amazing sort of way), I think I’ll see some good progress in the next few weeks. Then, I’ll load up again mid-late September and either see what I can put up weight-wise, or see how many reps I can pound out at 225 with good form and depth. What do you guys think? I still am highly considering doing the V-Diet this fall, so my end date of this program is dependent on that.
Ummm I think that may be it on my thoughts for now. I know there was more i thought about while driving up here, but I’ve since forgotten. Oh the joys of being blonde and tired
[quote]ddot76 wrote:
Plus Szwarz makes his T-Nation debut! LOL!
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I would like to note that before I put up 235, Szwarz was still training himself. He came over and as Scott was setting up the camera to record, he made us pause while he wiped the sweat from his face. He wanted to look hot for everyone on T-Nation Right Szwarzy?
[quote]Bartl wrote:
YEAH! I knew you could do it. Congrats Court, you earned it. Now that you know you can do it, you can focus on full ass to ankles.
Way to go girl :)[/quote]
Thanks Chris I knew you knew I could do it What are your thoughts on 225 for reps or another max out in September? Are we still doing the vdiet ‘together’?
[quote]jeffthemaximum wrote:
You are incredible! I just found this thread today, and it’s great. Keep up the good work. I love the post you had early on about ‘full body curls’. [/quote]
Thanks Jeff It really helps with the motivation knowing people read this. I don’t want to let anyone else down either! I saw something today that could have turned out very poorly, however I was tired and not really paying attention after my workout. I don’t really get why everyone wants to try standing on Swiss balls? Especially with people like me around who can’t always control the nervous twitches their legs have
[quote]Sayjin wrote:
Raise you hand to accept an internet high-five you strong, sassy bastard! high five Congrats, Cour! Whats next - a trip to Disney Land where you squat Mickey and make him your…you know, B word?
And while its damn near heresy to say to not squat ass to grass, I figure I’d throw out a warning that its probably safest just to squat to power lifter depth, especially as you move up in weight. The benefits of going ATG aren’t worth the risk IMO. Not trying to rain on you parade, just trying to keep ya injury free, homie.[/quote]
Hey Homie
I appreciate the thoughts re: ATG. I’m really looking more for powerlifter depth than full on ATG. My mobility likely wouldn’t allow it right now anyway lol.
As for squatting Mickey, I was told today that I should be able to squat and/or piggyback my friend Scott since he’s only 230. Maybe I’ll squat him and make him my B-word first
Nice job, 235 is some serious weight, although I knew you’d get it after you easily handled the 205 early. Just curious but how wide is your stance? May be something to think about. Now time to pull from the ground, that’s the plan right?
Keep lifting hard![/quote]
Hey Andrew,
My stance is wider than shoulder width, but not super wide by any stretch of the imagination. It’s where I feel most stable. I can get deeper with a sumo stance, but I don’t feel as comfortable with it. And yes, pulling from the ground will be the important lift of the next few weeks. Todd has given me a goal to hit, but I plan on blowing that out of the water.
Okay so last update before I go participate in “Shitfaced 2008” (as my colleague has so eloquently put it). Tomorrow I’m meeting up with Crazy Canuck… an old university friend I lived in rez with first year… for a gym session and some post gym food. Should be good times. Haven’t seen him since we graduated. Let’s see how hard this T-Nationer likes to train
[quote]Court wrote:
Okay so last update before I go participate in “Shitfaced 2008” (as my colleague has so eloquently put it). Tomorrow I’m meeting up with Crazy Canuck… an old university friend I lived in rez with first year… for a gym session and some post gym food. Should be good times. Haven’t seen him since we graduated. Let’s see how hard this T-Nationer likes to train ;)[/quote]
I guess you won’t be posting for while. It will take you a few days to recover from the hangover.
Okay, so it didn’t take me several days to recover and post. I’m still recovering, but I’m posting
Monday night was a mess. I ended up drinking with a few coworkers, one of whom I used to work for before he moved to Vancouver. Long story short, he was buying shots for a group of us, I was sending drunk text messages out (sorry) and next thing you know, it’s 330am and I’m crawling into bed a mere 3.5 hours before my alarm goes off.
I went and ate breakfast and had 15min to kill before my course started. I knew if I went back to my room I’d pass out and wouldn’t get up in time. If I continued sitting at the table I’ve have to converse, and I wasn’t in the mood for that. So, I head to my meetingroom early and who do I see sitting at the front with his head down on his table? The guy I was drinking with the night before. He ended up being one of my course facilitators so I didn’t feel too bad about being a mess
Anyways, two long days of pretty dry material (International Financial Reporting Standards… woo. hoo.) but I got a decent training session in last night with Mr. Crazy Canuck himself. We chatted a lot about some of the different mobility work I do beforehand… I kind of felt like my brain was being picked which was nice… we did our own sessions. Mine was my new Vertical Push/Pull:
A. Assissted Pull Ups - 4x5 60s rest. I hate these. Mainly because I suck at them and feel weak.
B. Push Press - 4x6 60s rest. 5@25, 3x6@20lbs. 22.5 would have been the right weight I think, but they didn’t have it there.
C1. UG Pulldowns - 3x12 0s rest. 2x12@60, 11@60
C2. DB Laterals - 3x12 0s rest. 3x12@7lbs
C2. Upright Rows - 3x12 60s rest. 2x12@40lbs, 8@40lbs. Wow did that last set rock me. That’s all I can say.
D. Tricep Pressdown - 2x5/12/25 (dropping weight in half-ish each time) 60s rest. 2x6/12/25@20lbs/12.5lbs/10lbs.
I feel for D the weights at my gym are different… I struggled with all three of these weights. Not sure. Guess we’ll see next week when I do it at my gym.
Note to men everywhere: If you have man boobs, you should not wear a tight pink Abercrombie shirt to work out in. It just looks bad. And not manly at all.
Whenever you train at a new gym, it’s always an experience. It was nice to see my friend pushing himself. But there were a few sights in additiona to the above to be had there:
I walk in and the first thing I see is a guy standing on a swiss ball doing military press. He most certainly could have increased his weight if he was on the floor, so I don’t really get the point of the swiss ball.
At the end of it all, I was on the mats stretching (my ass/hips/hamstrings are still so mofo tight) and Andrew came by when he finished his session. There was a guy on the mats next to me with his feet straight up in the air doing what I presume to be leg raises for his abs. However he was doing them so quickly, my mind couldn’t help but head down to the gutter.
Okay…if you’re easily offended, please stop reading now. If you continue reading, I accept no responsbility for your anger and you have no right to send me angry hate mail.
I hate fat people. They actually disgust me. I was getting some comments/compliments from some colleagues I haven’t seen in 1-2 months about how I’d lost weight (which technically I haven’t lol) while we were eating lunch and they asked what I was training for/doing and I basically said I was lifting weights. This guy in my course who was at our table for lunch says (as he’s stuffing his face with the three desserts) “Why would you bother training so hard? It’s easier to just do what you like to do. What’s the point? It’s so superficial to train just for your looks”.
I looked at him like he had 2 heads. I was actually in shock. Did he actually just say that? Here’s a 30-40 year old man, with a stomach that rested over his mid-thigh when sitting down, shoving chocolate cake down his throat. And he asks me why I do something that’s hard? While he 2 equally obese friends nod in agreement? Ugh.
So I get back after lunch and they move us into different tables to do a case study and who gets put in my group? Mr. Fatass himself. We finished early and he starts telling the rest of our group (none of whom I knew) about how I lifted weights and was laughing like it was a bad thing. I ended up getting up and taking a break until we were ready to review them because otherwise I was going to ream this guy and it wasn’t worth my breath.
What do you say to someone like that? Who thinks I train just to look good? Sure I love looking good naked, however I love the feel of lifting heavy weights. The accomplishment of pushing my body to further limits each and every week. Do I explain to him that he’s pretty much one giant health risk? That the 6 cans of coke he drank the afternoon before wasn’t helping? Or do I just smile and nod?
Anyways, that’s my rant for the day. Now I’m off to volleyball, when really I’d rather just be going to sleep. Back to the office tomorrow. Joy.
[quote]Court wrote:
What do you say to someone like that? Who thinks I train just to look good? Sure I love looking good naked, however I love the feel of lifting heavy weights. The accomplishment of pushing my body to further limits each and every week. Do I explain to him that he’s pretty much one giant health risk? That the 6 cans of coke he drank the afternoon before wasn’t helping? Or do I just smile and nod?
[/quote]
You smile and nod, because arguing with crazy and stupid is just not worth your time.
This morning I’m heading from the train station to my office - in the middle of the financial district - and what do I see? A 40 year old man carrying a lunch bag… one of those little kid ones. Franklin the Turtle to be exact.
Here is a brief recap of my training session with Courtney. As she mentioned, we haven�??t seen each other in a long time (since Uni) and it was nice to be able to train and briefly catch up. So a few things:
-Her car stinks! But it stinks from a leftover chocolate protein shake gone bad - this girl is serious!
-The gym was relatively quiet and a lot of the bigger douches where AWOL, but like she said we did get to witness a few acts of questionable intelligence - The DB military press standing on the swiss ball was impressive, and very stupid.
-This was an unplanned session for me as I had been in the day before to do a full body workout. I figured that since she had just squatted 235 I�??d see what I could put up on tired legs. I worked up to 240. Considering I probably haven�??t back squatted in a year and have never had that much weight on my back I was happy with it.
-The weight felt like a f�??n tonne on my back but not wanting to be out-lifted by a girl and an earlier discussion about squat rack curls and gym douch-baggery gave me enough motivation to get it up.
-Afterwards we went out for wings and beer where topics of discussion included Brett Favre, Hockey and our favourite igloo building techniques.
-For the boys, Courtney is a true Weight Vixen, she�??s hotter in person, lifts heavy weights, eats wings and drinks beer - what more could you want?
[quote]CrazyCanuck wrote:
-For the boys, Courtney is a true Weight Vixen, she’s hotter in person, lifts heavy weights, eats wings and drinks beer - what more could you want?
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What more could you want?
A charming personality, a witty sense of humor, an elite level of intelligence, big boobs. I have all but the last
