good work on the PR Kimba!
Robilyn, thanks for the kind words re: the pictures! I saw your pictures, and you are one hot mama.
Mascherano, I do think you are exactly right. I used to struggle with deadlift form at much lower weights. Now, if I concentrate, my form stays good until close to my max. And for the first rep or two at my max. Form will ALWAYS be an issue at or near our maxes. Perfect form means that we aren’t pushing ourselves, but the form shouldn’t ever fall below a certain level of imperfect, if that makes sense.
What I’m trying to be better about is feeling my own form instead of relying on the video. BTW, I NEVER look in the mirror. I look at the video between sets to beat myself up on form.
This upcoming week, my 5/3/1 plan says to pull 170 – a full 10 lbs more than I’ve ever attempted. I’m certain I can break this off the ground, and I’m pretty certain I can do one rep with close-enough form. Video here, good, bad or indifferent.
Good luck with that - I’m sure you’ll rock it.
Later today my log will feature a video of how badly I stiff leg my DL’s when I get close to my max. Its pretty horrible.
I can’t wait! You’re so gonna rock it.
I’m pulling for ya 
(i make funny?)
Sometimes I wish I was smaller, however being small and lifting heavy is terribly impressive!
(5’8’’ 160 lbs)…honestly don’t know about BF right now.
p.s. I enjoy spray tanning, it’s an art…one that is usually destroyed if not done perfectly!
you can doooo IT!!!
Cal and Mascherano, thanks for the encouragement! MIM, you are a FUNNY GIRL. Joe, I’m coming over to see that…
MelanieAmber, sometimes I wish I was bigger! Usually those times come whilst under the squat bar or facing down a pull. 
If that is you in your avi, cool tat! As for spray tans, my last one is pretty well gone by now and I am unexpectedly sad. I say “unexpectedly” because I’ve been a sun-phobe for many, many years and thus my natural skin color is fish-belly-white.
I just realized that I forgot to log Monday’s military press day.
5/3/1 Wave 3, Week 2 - Military Press Day
50# 1 x 3 - working
55# 1 x 3 - working
60# 1 x 6 <–money set, Rep PR +1
I did these at home and was happy for the extra rep over last week’s attempt. Since I had the barbell loaded up, and a few more minutes before getting ready for work, I did:
BB bent over rows
60# 3 x 10
These were surprisingly hard, considering I can SA bent-over row a 45.
kimba - your queen of the money set
N, the “money set” is a great motivator for me. If I can only beat my prior PR by 1, that still makes my whole day. Today’s training was a day where I could be happy about modest gains.
5/3/1 “Off the Reservation” Day
Back squats to 3 risers plus step (still trying to cheat depth when the going gets rough – the step keeps me honest)
Bar 1 x 10
75# 1 x 10
95# 1 x 5
115# 1 x 6 ← 1 rep more than last week, and form was better
95# 1 x 5
75# 1 x 15
Still fighting and clawing my way back to 10 good reps at 115, which I did in January but not since.
Bench Press
Bar 1 x 10 warmup
65# 1 x 10
80# 1 x 6 ← Rep PR +1
Happy about the rep PR!
Independent handle lat pull-down
35# 1 x 15
Walking lunges
25s 1 x 69 steps, no stopping
Planks and side planks
Cable Hip Adduction/Abduction
12.5# 3 x 12 each leg, 2 exercises
Incremental progress – I’ll take that.
^x2 Good job!
Incremental progress FTW!! And you’re so consistent - if you look at the timeline, there’s nothing but good stuff.
ps. I still don’t understand how 5/3/1 works and I have the book! lol.
pps. white fish belly is very hot right now (Dita Von Teese style) - so be glad for it!
Congrats on the PR, Masch is right, incremental progress is a very good thing.
She is also right about pale skin.
Yeah on the bench rep PR! - I just hate the cable hip thing for some reason. probably because I suck. There seems to be a direct correlation between the stuff I hate and the stuff I suck at.
RBlue, thanks for the encouragement! Some days it is harder than others to get up the enthusiasm for making just a WEE BIT of progress.
Maschy, its still too early for me to tell if 5/3/1 “works”. I’m just now heading into the realm of weight numbers that I’ve never lifted before (having set my maxes low to start with). So the rubber is about to hit the road on real PRs as opposed to rep PRs.
Joe, I know in my head that pale skin is healthy skin. But it is SO easy to get sucked into the prevailing ideas of what is beautiful.
N, I truly don’t hate the cable hip exercises. I started out with them almost 1 year ago with less than 5# of weight and have progressed quite far. And, best of all, my ITB issues are much, much better! Which is the whole point of that exercise for me (PT prescription for a weak left gluteus minimis).
I 5/3/1 issues to, mostly that the numbers are starting to play with my head.
As in I start to think “Am I really expected to lift that for reps?”
5/3/1 is going to work great for you over the long run.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
What I’m trying to be better about is feeling my own form instead of relying on the video. BTW, I NEVER look in the mirror. I look at the video between sets to beat myself up on form.
[quote]
Hey there Kimba! I’ve seen ya around and reviewed your log from time to time and I just wanted to comment–GREAT WORK! Your progress is superior. 'Grats on your new PRs as well.
About the above quote–I’m a huge fan of the ‘feel the rep’ mantra. So much so that on those monster hits I prefer to close my eyes and “see” what I’m doing by feel. Don’t know if you’ve tried that yet, but I think you’d like it!
Continued success in your training!
Semper Fi
Joe, I’m really glad that you say that: I am looking at the reps and weight I’m supposed to do this week and I’m just a wee bit skeered.
Hi CD! Thanks for stopping by with such encouraging words. I did my very best to feel the rep on my squats last night and did a fair job of it. For some reason, feeling the deadlift reps is way harder for me so there is still work to be done.
Last night’s training was GREAT.
5/3/1 - Wave 3, Week 2 - Squat and Bench Day
Back squats (still to 3 risers plus step to keep me honest – I am a HUGE depth-cheater)
Bar 1 x 5 warmup
65# 1 x 5 warmup
85# 1 x 5 warmup
95# 1 x 3 working
105# 1 x 3 working
120# 1 x 3 ← money set, rep PR +1
85# 1 x 10
Previous to this, the most weight I’ve ever, ever squatted was 120# for 2. The fact that the program had me doing this weight for a minimum of 3 had my heart pounding. I looked at that bar for a long while, told myself I could do it and then…did it! I just did. not. want. to have to dump the bar on the rails in front of all the guyz in the weight room.
Form breaks were some knee cave and more forward lean on that last rep then I would have liked. I did not video, but tried to feel the reps. They felt fairly OK, actually.
Bench Press
Bar 1 x 10 warmup
65# 1 x 3 working
75# 1 x 3 working
85# 1 x 1 (failed on 2) <–money set
I knew going into it that getting 3 reps at 85# was going to be tough. I’ve never done more than 1 rep at this weight. Probably I could have done a better job of it if I benched on a separate day from squatting, as my CNS was probably a bit fried from the max effort squat that preceded it.
Back raises
17.5# dumbbell behind head 3 x 15
I thought for sure this was a PR, but it turns out I did the exact same weight and reps a few weeks ago. Next time, I’m picking up the 20# dumbbell for this exercise!
Dips
BW 1 x 10
I’ve been avoiding dips since I tweaked my left wrist doing weighted dips a few weeks ago. Its been feeling better, so I thought I’d do a test run of dips to see how it felt. The good news: no pain during and no flareup of discomfort afterwards. My plan is to try BW dips again for more reps tomorrow.
Bodyweight inverted rows on the Smith machine (4th pin from floor)
1 x 10
I stopped because this position twanged my left wrist. Kept my legs straight out though, and was happy with 10 good reps
Neutral grip pullup
Unassisted 1 x 2 – strict form from dead hang, shoulders hitting the bar.
band assist 1 x 7, 1 x 5
Again, the good news is that this position did not hurt my twingey wrist.
So, a little more progress! I feel like the tortoise…slow, steady but winning the race.
Yeah for the squat pr! I’m with you on the bench pr situation. It’s very heard for me to get PR’s across the board so I choose the most important one and gun it first.
Sheesh - 20lbs behind the head is not THAT far off from 25lbs Kimba - you must have abs of steel (add echo sound effect)
suck it up and hold a quarter behind your head.lol