Shauna's Journey to 350+

Training
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ladies, sound like you all had pretty relaxing weekends…and now it is Tuesday and back to the grind.

On Sunday we had some buckwheat pancakes for breakfast, went to the game, watched a girl projectile vomit too much Bud Light on the people in front of her, watched the Seahawks kick Detroit’s ass, went to the store EXTREMELY hungry, made some bad decisions, and ended up going to bed with a stomach ache. This was extra shitty because not only did I have to start training for this new job early in the morning, but hten had to get into Todd’s and train right after. My belly was still hurting after Pepto and drinking water all day, so I was nervous about squatting too heavy. Funny enough, early into my workout my stomach felt better…and then I found that I had started that crazy time of the month…on the second week of my pills. I have never been synched up with the blanks (weird), but it made sense with all the stomach issues. Anyway, my workout wasn’t bad even though I was super tired and fatigued.

I did find out yesterday though, that depending on how my attempts at 1 RMs at the squat and bench go (I have never done 1RM for either of these lifts ever), I could end up breaking some Washington state records in all 3 lifts for my weight class (181)…I believe they would need to be at least a 320 DL, a 192 SQT, and a 143 Bench. Since I have done all these weights for reps before, I think they are attainable. I am going to talk to Todd (pseudo coach) and see if he thinks I should go for it. Tomorrow I plan on trying a 1 RM bench and if it is a total failure I will just stick with the deadlift as my only event. If it is decent I may be doing the whole meet…three weeks out! It is exciting for it being my first time, but I am also competitive, so now that I know it is in the realm of possibility, I want to go for it just for the challenge.

We shall see. Probably going to walk and sled for awhile and then going to the Humane Society to volunteer.

Yay for puppies and kitties!!

I am ridiculous.

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[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
I could end up breaking some Washington state records in all 3 lifts for my weight class (181)…I believe they would need to be at least a 320 DL, a 192 SQT, and a 143 Bench. Since I have done all these weights for reps before, I think they are attainable.[/quote]

If you believe they are attainable in this meet, then they are. Go for it! What’s the worst thing that could possibly happen as compared to the best thing (state record holder!)?

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Happy benching!!

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Go for it. I reach higher numbers in a meet than I do in gym for squat and deadlift. I am only 8 lbs away from 300lb deadlift I know I can get it in Dec. I will open with something I have done and I know I can lift…then I move the weight up.

some men will start with their max weight as openers…fail and then throw tantrums. that was the funniest thing I have ever seen! Grown ass man throwing a tantrum.

Hopefully cutting to 132 won’t hinder that. I want to achieve elite status and stuff…maybe 2010 I can achieve that I will have some more training under my belt!

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Those are the top weights for 181 class for the state? In what fed? Those are crazy low numbers.

Now don’t get my wrong. YOU are a hoss and lift serious weight but as STATE RECORDS in the 181 class those numbers are shit.

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yeah i think our state records for the 123 weight class are way higher than those. haha

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I think we’d ALL be able to smash those records! :slight_smile:

you got it in the bag Shauna!

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[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
Dear God this forum is like a breath of fresh air. Strong women…fuck yeah.

So 1 week ago I went with my bf Aaron to his powerlifting “gym” (a hole in the wall basement with racks, power racks, tires, GHRs, platforms, and NO F+ING MIRRORS!!! AWESOME). God I hate 24 hour fitness. Anyway, I deadlifted for his coach Todd, a conventional 3 rep set of 285 and he told me to do a meet coming up here on Dec. 5. I went to this meet last year when Aaron lifted, and even though Aaron has been nagging my ass to get serious about lifting, I never actually thought that a year later I would be doing it…especially deciding to do so 1 month before the meet. So good times. But I will only be doing the deadlift, because it kicks ass, my bench is decent, and my squat sucks and 1 month is not enough time to get those proper.

A bit about me…
I have been “training” and not just “working out” for about 1 year.

I have not focused on powerlifting, besides incorporating DLing, SQTing, and benching into my workouts with no real training regime for these lifts specifically.

I have never trained in 1 RM form, but figure after pulling 3 X 285 after 6 prior sets, I can shoot for about 340-350 for a 1RM (would prefer 360+ but we shall see).

I LOVE LIFTING HEAVY.

I have an injured ankle that has never healed after 4 years…probably my fault for being too much of a lazy asshole to rehab it properly when it happened.

My stats are 175, 22% BF (assuming), 5’6"

I just started the Anabolic diet in attempts to lean out, but I guess that’s fucked. More food for me…although keeping with the AD for now, just bumpin up the kcals.

I figure this is a good place to track my progress, but more importantly, get some real feedback and advice. Anyone have any good advice for what my training should look like?

Pull workout tonight. Log it later.

BTW- the pic was from a few months ago before a vacation…hence the tan. A few pounds heavier and 100% paler today…sweet for me.

[/quote]

It’s good to see woman lift heavy. At the gym that I train at. I’ve only seen two females
deadlift. The majority avoid it like the plague. Anyways good luck on your upcoming meet.

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I totally agree that they are pretty low numbers. These are the records for the USAPL for the northwest. When I checked out American/National raw records, they were MUCH higher…like 450 DL and something like a 280 bench. I guess I am just thinking that it would be cool to have something to walk away with from my first meet after a month of powerlifting.

Thanks everyone for the support and encouragement. I am going in to train today and will talk to Todd and figure out if this is something I should do…I mean, really, why not? A 192 squat? I think I can get that in the bag;)

BTW, 450 DL…holy hell!

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hell yes you should do it! why the fuck wouldnt you?

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O.k. first off let me tell you just by looking at your photo I am highly impressed, highly motivated, and just in fuckin’ awe! Was that too much :slight_smile:

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So here is how my workout went yesterday…

Dynamic warm-up - plyos, band stretching, blah blah blah
I couldn’t really get super warm which is frustrating since I have been pumped for this workout since Monday.

Bench - we did these start, pause, press, rack style since i have never trained for that. The first one Todd called the commands, but the second on, Paula Houston, a kickass PL Masters athlete who has been doing this for 20 years called, and she was pretty brutal with her pause, hence the fail.

bar X 10
95 X 5
115 X 2
135 X 1
135 X 1 - fail ( I literally had to hide my face so all the humongous beefed up guys wouldn’t see me cry. I was sooo fucking pissed I missed this, and was even more upset that I didn’t do better than I thought I would. But it was my first time doing less than 5 reps on bench and doing it with the calls, so I am confident that next week I will be stronger. Gotta get 145…)

3 Board Press
125 X 3
135 X 3
150 X 3
160 X 3 - Todd says it was 160 but I’m not sure because he sneaks weights on and off the bar when you aren’t looking, weasely bastard!)

Afterwards I did a few sets of some bodybuilding movement, shoulder press, tri pushdown, iron cross, etc. but not too much volume because I was super fatigued. Having the adrenaline and then it going away, crying for 10 mins in the bathroom, and having your period really takes it out of you (I was probably the only speck of estrogen in that room).

I am discouraged that my numbers weren’t higher, but I also know I am SUPER hard on myself sometimes and often don’t see the bigger picture of the strides I do make. 135 is my PR for flat bench, but instead I focus on it not being good enough.

This is why I have eventually dropped out of every sport I have ever done since I was 5…if I wasn’t going to the Olympics for it, why bother? So I know I can be good at this. I know I have only really started powerlifting training for 2 weeks now. I know I decided to do my first meet 2 weeks ago. I know this is my first meet ever.

And I know I can go into this experience and have fun and challenge myself without telling myself that if I don’t break every record ever I will have failed. Like, slow the fuck down girlfriend. So one day at a time…

Doing some cardio later.

Sincere thank yous and hugs and a few very sensual kisses to you ladies who got my back.

And high fives to the gentlemen…that’s all I got.

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[quote]shaunar25 wrote:
This is why I have eventually dropped out of every sport I have ever done since I was 5…if I wasn’t going to the Olympics for it, why bother? So I know I can be good at this. I know I have only really started powerlifting training for 2 weeks now.

I know I decided to do my first meet 2 weeks ago. I know this is my first meet ever. And I know I can go into this experience and have fun and challenge myself without telling myself that if I don’t break every record ever I will have failed. Like, slow the fuck down girlfriend. So one day at a time…
[/quote]

Just you try to quit now. Quitters aren’t too popular 'round here… :wink:

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You’re making PR’s on bench – pretty enviable PR’s. And it’s your first time with the commands. You’re doing awesome.
I’ve cried after bad gym days too – but that wasn’t even a bad day!

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I know what you are talking about when you want to quit because you don’t meet your own expectations. There are a lot of things I am not good at because I couldn’t stand to be bad at them long enough to stick with it when I was young. I got my blackbelt only by telling that stupid voice to shut up and just keep swimming, swimming… (Finding Nemo reference).

Being too hard on yourself is just another way of failing. You are strong so just keep getting stronger and don’t punish yourself!

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x2…
you only having 2 weeks at powerlifting training, you can’t be getting discouraged yet. you have some definite promise in doing this…so stick with it! (yes, you are way strong and pretty hot too…so you better shut it…) :wink:

and like kimba mentioned elsewhere…it’s a marathon, not a sprint. we all have our goals and we should enjoy the pursuit of excellence, as hard as may be sometimes.

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haha you sound like me in regards to goal setting. I look up world record holders and put my numbers against them like FUCK! I suck!

one PR at a time…

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just stick with it!

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you got this. worse thing that happens is you don’t shatter every record and at least have something to beat next meet. =+)

i have a feeling u’ll nail those numbers though. keep workin hard!

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So that “cardio” last night mysteriously turned into Quiznos and a banana split. My brain will most definitely have to confront my stomach about how that happened.

Yum to bread.

And ice cream.

And carbs.

And the four pounds I somehow put on overnight.

Damn it.

Worth it though.

Ate chicken and broccoli for breakfast.

Back to the grind.

Sigh.