[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Kimba, I don’t know. The calipers say ~14%. If I got down to 12% when I was scrawny (i’m just guessing), and I put on 10lbs of fat it would bring me to about 19%, and the calipers still say 14. But I seriously can’t believe it’s muscle, so what does that leave?? I know I have a little more fat hanging from my booty, for sure.
On a side rant, why do the charts say I will go up to 15.5% with the same caliper measurements when I turn 46 next month?? I mean come on…[/quote]
I betcha that some of that quickly-put-on weight is water. I mean, if you’ve really been chowing on the processed food, you’ve probably been ingesting a bunch of salt too.
And apparently a rounder booty is considered by many men (and some of the women round here) to be better than a smaller one. This was really news to me! I think like many women, my body image is shaped by the standard model body-type we see in the fashion mags or on TV, which is pretty scrawny on the boot-ay.
[quote]I am with you on doing more reps at a percent of max to progress. I don’t think I am getting enough volume and it’s time to get more rigorous with my training. As they say, anything will make a rank beginner stronger, but after a year, I am not quite a beginner any more.
Please join me in 5/3/1! We can help each other to choose accessory exercises.
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What has always stopped me before is my conscious choice to let my trainer-guy direct my workout on the one day I see him per week. I always have fun and get a good workout, but that kind of puts a monkey wrench in complying with any program.
I’ve toyed with the idea of running 5/3/1 on his 2 day per week plan (squat/bench and DL/MP) on the remaining training days in my week.
Oh I forgot to mention a minor breakthrough on deadlift yesterday. I have read over and over about “sitting back”. I hear it. I understand it. But I can’t DO it. Monday on my setup, I could feel the motion of sitting back. Then I proceeded to lift with my back anyway. But I’m pretty chuffed that I got a hint of it. I’ll try to bring it fully into the lift next.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
I know I have a little more fat hanging from my booty, for sure. [/quote]
i doubt that!
[quote]
On a side rant, why do the charts say I will go up to 15.5% with the same caliper measurements when I turn 46 next month?? I mean come on…[/quote]
i will second and third a WTF on that. i suspect it is similar to BMI index, that does not take into account certain factors. i’m sure it also has something to do with maybe elasticity of skin as we age or some shit rationale. but it must be BS for those that are actually building muscle (or at minimum, maintaining it!)
i need to get a readin’…
and arachne, whatever % that chart says, you have a fantastic body at any age, let alone 46! very inspiring…i hope you realize that.
I read one time we put on more ‘internal fat’ as we age. whatever the fuck that means.
I know I have fat in place I didn’t when I was an effortless 20 and 30 something. But hey, I didn’t have quads like rocks then.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Oh I forgot to mention a minor breakthrough on deadlift yesterday. I have read over and over about “sitting back”. I hear it. I understand it. But I can’t DO it. Monday on my setup, I could feel the motion of sitting back. Then I proceeded to lift with my back anyway. But I’m pretty chuffed that I got a hint of it. I’ll try to bring it fully into the lift next.
[/quote]
YAY! I’ve had this experience too, but only in a fleeting way. I would love to feel it all the time too.
As for leaning back in the deadlift - this is a weakness of mine too. I have to remind myself to lift my toes during setup to keep the weight back there. Dan and Jennifer Gaudreau (the folks who ran that meet) have had me set up leaning so far back that if I let go of the bar, I fall over backwards. That’s how I broke through a big DL PR last year, but I still have trouble doing it when I’m on my own.
I read one time we put on more ‘internal fat’ as we age. whatever the fuck that means.
I know I have fat in place I didn’t when I was an effortless 20 and 30 something. But hey, I didn’t have quads like rocks then.
[/quote]
internal fat…for the GP that doesn’t do a damn thing but keep eating and no exercise.
quads like rocks…there you go!
and kimba and Cal, don’t think you aren’t in my inspirational box too! me being 36 is old enough to realize the uphill battle it is to keep strong.
Hey! Im sorry to be so behind on your PR vids but you are so amazing for getting your goals! I have a couple questions, 1.)why do you walk out of the rack like you do? That wastes SO much energy. 2.) Why do you stop at the bottom on the 2x4s? You are costing yourself all of the elasticity of your muscles for the bounce out of the bottom. If its a matter of not knowing if your get low enough , trust me you do! Ass to the motha fucking grass low! Just drop til you bounce up.
You are already strong enough for that weight, you just need to get comfortable with it. And i guarantee you can do more. Start doing some heavy walkouts, it will help you just feel the weight on your back. I would say a walkout of 135 wouldnt be too crazy…then 110 will feel like nothin…
Princess Lindsay: indeed I am… thanks for the compliment and the tip. I’ll try to fall over backward next week.
BWG; Thanks for checking in! I have been walking out of the rack because when I videoed myself, it looked like I couldn’t quite make depth in the rack without hitting the safety rails. I’m going to try it again and video more carefully on your advice. I may have over done it on the depth! I was using the 2x4 to keep me honest and because my butt tucks under at ATG. I bet I have made enough progress to do away with it by now. I’ll try all you suggestions on Monday and let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
Well, at the gym today, a guy I work with stopped to give me some unsolicited advice. He’s really cool, not an asshole, and he used to powerlift and bodybuild back in the day. He suggested I go with lower weight and higher reps rather than testing my maxes all the time (duh). I’ve been thinking that anyway as discussed with Kimba. I kinda started this whole thing with a bastardized stronglifts 5x5 program in which I work up 1x5 each workout and when I got to 5x5 I’d increase weight, then I sort of slipped into 1x5 1x1, 1x1… always trying to do more weight but never did much above 5 reps. So for the rest of the year I’m thinking of doing 3x10 on all my lifts until the end of the year when I test my maxes to see if I met my goals, and set up for 5/3/1. It’s time for a change anyway. I tried to do 1x10 of bw chinups 3 times today and only made 8, then 5. I was really pissed off and swearing at myself but then I realized I’ve gained 10 lbs and I gave myself a break but did another set. I did manage 3 sets of 10 on the bench press with 70, 65, 65. That’s a new weight for 1x10 so… cool.
Catch you all Monday when I try it for squats.
I did do 1x10 squats with just the bar in the rack, and I think if I avoid bouncing the bar off one rail then the other and keep it under control, I can actually hit depth in the rack so I don’t have to walk out so far, but I’ll need to video on Monday and be quite rigorous about not cheating it.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Well, at the gym today, a guy I work with stopped to give me some unsolicited advice. He’s really cool, not an asshole, and he used to powerlift and bodybuild back in the day. He suggested I go with lower weight and higher reps rather than testing my maxes all the time (duh). I’ve been thinking that anyway as discussed with Kimba. I kinda started this whole thing with a bastardized stronglifts 5x5 program in which I work up 1x5 each workout and when I got to 5x5 I’d increase weight, then I sort of slipped into 1x5 1x1, 1x1… always trying to do more weight but never did much above 5 reps. So for the rest of the year I’m thinking of doing 3x10 on all my lifts until the end of the year when I test my maxes to see if I met my goals, and set up for 5/3/1. It’s time for a change anyway. I tried to do 1x10 of bw chinups 3 times today and only made 8, then 5. I was really pissed off and swearing at myself but then I realized I’ve gained 10 lbs and I gave myself a break but did another set. I did manage 3 sets of 10 on the bench press with 70, 65, 65. That’s a new weight for 1x10 so… cool.
Catch you all Monday when I try it for squats.
I did do 1x10 squats with just the bar in the rack, and I think if I avoid bouncing the bar off one rail then the other and keep it under control, I can actually hit depth in the rack so I don’t have to walk out so far, but I’ll need to video on Monday and be quite rigorous about not cheating it.
Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!
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I think this is a good plan. For myself, unless I can do 10 reps at a weight, I don’t really feel that I’ve conquered it. If that makes any sense.
That said, I think I’ve been a little too lax on going for my maxes. Figuring how how to combine both these approaches is obviously a work in progress for me too.
What are your goals? If you are going for muscle gains then you want to go for 8-15reps per set. If you want just purely strength then still to sets of 3-4 (average) for your big lifts. if you are going for a combo of muscle and strength, do your big lift heavy for the day but around 4-6 (bordering on hypertrophy and strength) and then do your secondary movements and increase reps as you continue your workout. I hope this helps!
I know I’ve been MIA for a while, but I just wanted to say thanks for the inspiration, advice and words of encouragement. Did my black belt test today and passed. No brick breaking, but did a speed break. Thanks again. You ROCK!
nvh! You’re back! Congratulations that’s so awesome. I was thinking about you alot and hoped it went well. Will love to hear any and every detail you care to share, when you are ready.
[quote]BlackWidowGirl wrote:
What are your goals? If you are going for muscle gains then you want to go for 8-15reps per set. If you want just purely strength then still to sets of 3-4 (average) for your big lifts. if you are going for a combo of muscle and strength, do your big lift heavy for the day but around 4-6 (bordering on hypertrophy and strength) and then do your secondary movements and increase reps as you continue your workout. I hope this helps![/quote]
BWG, my primary goal is strength, with a secondary goal of hotness. (gotta keep all my lovers happy ) If I have to pick one goal for the new year, it is definitely to add pounds to my 1RM on the dead, bench, and squat. I’m kind of infatuated with powerlifting.
So, increase reps only on the secondary movements, and this will help me to increase on the big lifts next time I hit them?
The weight gain is probably mostly water and a touch of muscle…I betcha, if you gave up the goldfish, ate protein/veggies for a day and pounded the water, you’d ‘magically drop’ 2-3lbs overnight!
Hi Girl! I’m mostly recovered at this point. The techinical portion of the test went fine (although I’ve got a little more work to do on my last form and jump spinning hook kicks will never be a masterpiece kick for me). Self Defense was fun - did some empty-handed stuff, used a scarf, a folded up belt (simulating hitting with the buckle) and a rolled up magazine (kind of like a dan bong). Really enjoyed that.
Did some breaks - not something I enjoy, but the one thing I wanted to do was the speed break. No issues there and I hope they will cut that portion out so I can post just that (or at least send you a link to it). I’m not sure if I’m using the same terminology, b/c when I looked up girls doing speed breaks on youtube, it showed a young lady holding a board and punching through it. That’s not what I mean - I threw the board in the air and punched through it as it was falling. FUN!!
Sparring was a different matter. I survived it. There are some things about how it was conducted that distress me. It’s something we’ll have to deal with in the school. I know - cryptic, but if you ever come to Germany or when I return to the States - I’ll buy you a beer and tell you all about it. At least my nose isn’t broken.
My next adventure in martial arts will be learning Combat Hapkido. Strictly self defnese and will definately increase my knowledge of small joint manipulation and pressure points. Still toying with the idea of competing in a tourney in Ireland next August, too - we’ll see. I lost to an Irish girl last time and would like a rematch.
As far as getting you that beer, I’ve decided to compete in a figure competition in Vegas next November. I may need to swing by Colorado to visit my best friend, too. I do, however NEED 10-15 pounds (maybe even more) of muscle. I took a look at myself in heels, etc - I look like a G*D@mn twig. NOT CUTE.
I’m at 115 lbs right now (5’6"), so for the next few months I will be eating whole cows, bison and more flippin’ chicken then you can shake a stick at. So, we’ll be gaining together, too…
nvh, very, very cool. I like all the random street weapons. That’s not something we do at our school, and neither are speed breaks. According to wiki it’s a speed break if it’s not supported on both sides. Either way speed breaks are badass. I tried them at home with a rebreakable board once and had nothing.
We do a little bit of hapkido-influenced self-defense, with some joint locks but not much.
I’d be really interested in following your journey to figure. Please share progress. As a skinny girl myself, I would love to hear it. I hear Molly has a cow, maybe she could hook you up.
Having a beer is a given any time you are in Colorado. Congrats again!!
Ob lifting: yesterday I committed a new deadlifting error. Lifting 125 for 10 reps, I began shrugging at the top on the last two reps, and today I have sore traps. I think that I would not have experienced that error if I had not tried higher reps at lower weight. Very interesting!
pmpm: I also tried almost tipping backward as you suggested, and I think for the first time one or two of my reps were correct. My butt and hams seem to agree today. Thanks!
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Ob lifting: yesterday I committed a new deadlifting error. Lifting 125 for 10 reps, I began shrugging at the top on the last two reps, and today I have sore traps. I think that I would not have experienced that error if I had not tried higher reps at lower weight. Very interesting! [/quote]
I’m glad I’m not the only one around here to figure out new ways to screw lifts up.
) If I have to pick one goal for the new year, it is definitely to add pounds to my 1RM on the dead, bench, and squat. I’m kind of infatuated with powerlifting.