Good morning!
What a great day I had yesterday. I feel like it’s all coming together. Strength, speed…
Went to sparring class yesterday and we did plyometric drills jumping and hopping over cones. Then he asks us to do 3-5 pistols on each leg using a partner assist and to try to do reps without assist. I was the only one to complete all my reps with no assist. Then I did 4 reps left and 8 reps right on the second set! Friends were hooting.
Next class I worked on jump turning kicks the whole time and actually was IN THE AIR while kicking on most of them. I swear sometimes it brings me to tears when I think how I started as a skinny little bookworm girl with thick glasses and when I started taekwondo I used to fall down sometimes when I tried to do a simple back kick.
Lifting today. Will report back later. I have been studying deadlift form and I have to get that bar closer to my legs, but I have seriously knobby knees and I’m not sure how to do that. Suggestions welcome.
Deadlift: 1x3 90 and 105 lbs 1x5 130 bb < this felt pretty good. I kept the bar very close to my legs on the way up and down. I would have liked to get more reps on the last one but my grip won’t do it.
Overhead press: 1x3 2x2 1x1 60 bb < this was hard but a least I got three reps on the first set.
Chinups: 3x3 12 db < this is new PR for weight and getting difficult
Squat: 1x5 85, 90, 95 and 100 bb and 1x2 105 bb < new PR woohoo I could feel myself leaning forward on the last rep. Have to tighten my core enormously to stay stable on these.
Bench 2x5 30 dbs < I was so demoralized from Monday’s benching I decided to go back to unilateral work to see if I can get past it.
seated calf < 2x10 65 lb < a fruitless effort to increase size of skinny calves.
I’ve been really frustrated the last few days with how weak I have been feeling. I did my OH presses yesterday, and last week I was able to do 90 lbs for 8 reps, this week I barely was able to manage the 80’s and could not get the 90 lbs past my shoulders.
I know in my case I have been getting way too little sleep and not eating nearly enough and not well at all…sigh.
Awesome on the squats–I did 105 for the first time last Friday. My boyfriend (also my trainer) says he is going to back my weights way down and get my form back in shape. Heh. Not sure why he things my form is bad, lol, with him being 900 miles away and all…but he is probably right.
[quote]Chrysalis wrote:
I’ve been really frustrated the last few days with how weak I have been feeling. I did my OH presses yesterday, and last week I was able to do 90 lbs for 8 reps, this week I barely was able to manage the 80’s and could not get the 90 lbs past my shoulders.
I know in my case I have been getting way too little sleep and not eating nearly enough and not well at all…sigh.
Awesome on the squats–I did 105 for the first time last Friday. My boyfriend (also my trainer) says he is going to back my weights way down and get my form back in shape. Heh. Not sure why he things my form is bad, lol, with him being 900 miles away and all…but he is probably right.
Chinups, I can’t do ANY yet. [/quote]
I really feel like backing off on the weight for the squat and increasing volume has helped me to get past the plateau with better form. I think I’ll try it with the bench next week and see what happens. Can you do negatives for chins? If you can’t do any chins, a negative will make you curse and sweat. Good training!
Bench: 1x17 55 lbs. < I read on AlisaV’s log about a competition for max reps at half bw and I thought I’d give it a try.
Deadlift 1x3 90 and 105 lbs, 1x7 130 lbs
Squat 1x5 90,95, and 100 lbs, 1x4 105 lbs
Incline Bench 2x5 55 lb
Lunge 2x5 40 lb dbs
2x3 pullups with a slightly wider grip than previously
and all my forms but Koryo in between sets.
Kickboxing and tkd tonight. I don’t know why everyone keeps asking me if I have been running… I still have two months to learn to run 5 miles. Right? Right??
Awesome kickboxing and taekwondo class this evening. My hook punches on the bag are definitely improving as I pivot much more and really get power from it. The tips I learned from the teenage boy last week on my jump turning kicks are really paying off. He said the power comes from really bringing the knee up high on the back leg as you turn and jump. It made my tornado kicks noticeably better!
Had a long conversation with another woman who got her blackbelt last year. She agreed at this point, your family and friends are pretty damn sick of hearing about your workouts and the fact that you are in class 6 days a week… in fact, you are pretty damn sick of yourself, but it will be worth it.
Over and out powerful women. Good workouts to all.
Tournament in Maryland later this month. I’m not really ready - it’s hard to do your own training when most of your class time is instructing. Still, it’s worth it to see the kids - love them so! Unfortunately, I’m so burned out after 8 months of tourney prep Saturdays with 4 hour classes and associated testing boards (I get to sit on those - I’m supposed to know how to run a test in order to test for black belt). It feels like forever since I’ve had a weekend to myself. Still, I’ll test in December - it’s time.
Wednesday update:
No lifting or class today. I ran the ‘blackbelt loop’ for the first time today. The requirement is to do it twice at the end of the test. One round took me 31 minutes. No where to go but up from here!
[quote]nvh95 wrote:
Tournament in Maryland later this month. I’m not really ready - it’s hard to do your own training when most of your class time is instructing. Still, it’s worth it to see the kids - love them so! Unfortunately, I’m so burned out after 8 months of tourney prep Saturdays with 4 hour classes and associated testing boards (I get to sit on those - I’m supposed to know how to run a test in order to test for black belt). It feels like forever since I’ve had a weekend to myself. Still, I’ll test in December - it’s time.
Thanks for asking! [/quote]
Maryland, US? I thought you were in Germany? I know what you mean about the rest. It just consumes your life as you come up on blackbelt.
Have a great day!
I ran three times last week and I do not want to run today. I missed it at lunch and took a nap instead. I would do anything to get out of this run. Kickboxing is at 6:45 and TKD at 7:30, so if I leave right now, I can manage it. And yet, I am still not getting up from my computer. What a wuss.
Deadlift: 1x5 100-105-110-115-120 lb. < I’m trying for the same breakthrough I’ve gotten on the squat. I visualize this like a launching pad headed toward my previous PR of 142.5. These feel strong and good.
Squat: 1x5 90-95-100-105 and 1x2 110 lb < PR yay! This means my squat, previously my weakest, is now my strongest lift (of the four big ones) for my weight. I shall now hammer the dead and bench.
Incline bb bench: 3x5 55 lb < I’m going to have to figure out why I am doing this lift to stay motivated.
Started my lunges but I have a kind of sharp pain in the right quad, so I’m going to back off until next week.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
nvh95 wrote:
Tournament in Maryland later this month. I’m not really ready - it’s hard to do your own training when most of your class time is instructing. Still, it’s worth it to see the kids - love them so! Unfortunately, I’m so burned out after 8 months of tourney prep Saturdays with 4 hour classes and associated testing boards (I get to sit on those - I’m supposed to know how to run a test in order to test for black belt). It feels like forever since I’ve had a weekend to myself. Still, I’ll test in December - it’s time.
Thanks for asking!
Maryland, US? I thought you were in Germany? I know what you mean about the rest. It just consumes your life as you come up on blackbelt.
Have a great day!
[/quote]
Yep, I’m in Germany, but the tourney is in the US. Last couple years it was in Ireland. Not prepared, just very very burned out. But, I’ll get to see my 'rents and being there for the kids will be wonderful.
Tuesday update:
Still haven’t run since Friday, but I’m fine with it. I’ll run tomorrow for sure.
Tonight, we did a lot of plyo and stance work with unusual kicks, and tons of kicks on shields. For some reason after a pretty intense workout day my fingers tremble. They are shaking like crazy now and I can hardly type!
I was very excited yesterday to hit 110 lb on my squat since that’s 1x bodyweight for me, but I understand I can’t even come to the party until I can squat 1.5 bw.
Tomorrow is lifting day!
Happy lifting to all the women here.
Still, it’s worth it to see the kids - love them so!