RBlue, thanks for the kind words about the pictures!
Today was a great downhill ski day. I started out the day wondering my my quads were already a bit toasty. And then I remembered yesterday’s walking lunges with 50 extra lbs. Oh, right.
Turns out that this hotel has a kick-ass weight room, featuring a power rack with adjustable pins. Score! My gym’s lone power rack has a non-adjustable rail, so I played a bit with bottom up squats from pins. That is certainly hard, and I understand now why Meat recommends these to address form issues.
However, after yesterday’s training and today’s ski, I just didn’t have enough left to seriously make use of the good equipment. I did two sets of back raises (15 lb dumbbell behind head x 15 reps), two sets of kroc rows (40 lb dumbbell x 5, 10 reps). Some squats with 65 lb. just to play.
A power rack with a non-adjustable rail? Wow, that sucks. There are so many poorly designed pieces of gym equipment. The rec center in my town just put in a new weight room. HOWEVER, the flat bench is so high off the ground that I can’t get my feet flat. And it’s non-adjustable. It’s designed for the feet to be placed on “rollers” at the end of the bench so you can’t drive with your legs. Totally useless for me and quite disappointing. Also, there’s no chin bar. None. Lots of useless equipment, though!
Kimba sounds like you are in heaven! I have never been skiing but I can imagine how fun it must be. No worries that you didn’t get a “serious” workout in the hotel gym(which sounds badass by the way). You work your ass off most of the time, so the hot tub soak probably did you a world of good, equal to if not more beneficial than a tough workout.
You are one very active little lady! No wonder you stay so svelte.
Snapper, I was pathetically excited to see a power rack with real live adjustable pins. How sad is that? Seriously, I’d never even seen one, much less used one. Is there anything you can put under your feet to make that bench usable? And no chin bar? In the entire gym? That’s nuts.
Owlie, you must try skiing or boarding! I’d bet real money that you’d be fantastic at it. My favorite thing about the skiing is the speed. The beautiful thing about strong legs and core courtesy of all the squats and deads is that I can safely go faster! My skiing buddies call me “Rocket Girl”.
Mascherano, the hot tub was perfect – until some weird dude came in and all of a sudden, I was done with it.
Bobbi, I absolutely agree. As soon as I have moar, there will be moar.
catchin’ up - most excellent pics! and since I’m already in an “open” relationship (per DCA’s definition) can I join the virtual (not virtuous) polygamy gathering?
[quote]soldog wrote:
catchin’ up - most excellent pics! and since I’m already in an “open” relationship (per DCA’s definition) can I join the virtual (not virtuous) polygamy gathering?
Yesterday I got out of bed feeling a bit punky. Not sick, exactly, but that “off” feeling that your body is fighting with some bug or another. I thought about not training, but I wasn’t feeling that bad and I made deal with myself that I wouldn’t push it and would leave if I felt too tired.
5/3/1 Wave 3, Week 2 - Sumo Deadlift Day
Sumo Deadlift
From risers:
65# 1 x 5 warmup
85# 1 x 5 warmup
105# 1 x 5 warmup
115# 1 x 5 warmup
From floor:
125# 1 x 3 working
140# 1 x 3 working <–felt easy but my back was slightly rounded
160# 1 x 6 <–money set, rep PR +2 BUT form was bad on the last 4 reps
135# 1 x 3 <–just to prove that I really can deadlift with decent form
So I got a rep PR on the 160#, but it wasn’t pretty. Basically I can’t feel when my back rounds. But what I do feel is that the lift is EASY. When the lift feels easy I invariably look at the video and see my back in various stages of round.
The lift becomes hard when I concentrate on spreading the floor with my feet and knees, when I stick my butt out, when I pull back…when, essentially, I do the lift correctly. I’m trying to figure out why this is. Perhaps my back is stronger than my legs/glutes?
So, after pulling I was pretty well fried and made an executive decision not to do jack shit for accessory work.
Today I plan on MPing at home. And, I am feeling lots better.
The rounded back. Makes me nervous to read those words. I have thrown my back out twice from bad DL form . . . shooting hips up and pulling with my back. Interesting since you pull sumo. Usually the rounded back is more prominent with conventional, I would think. It’s good that you can video and be aware of your foibles.
I didn’t like the asymmetrical pull of the mixed grip. I went to a snatch grip, and use straps on the heaviest sets. I like it a lot better. Have a great week.
Awesome on the 160!!! Aaaaand you’ve caught me. Great work!
Intersesting about feeling out the form - I also need to learn to do this. I have the opposite problem of you though - unless there’s shooting pain, I think everything ‘feels fine’.
But I wonder, if we’re trying to push more weight becuase the lighter weight isn’t as challenging, we’re inevitably going to need to correct your form, right? In otherwords, as you go up in weight, form issues are always going to be an issue. (mascherano is overthinking things again)
[quote]Mascherano wrote:
Awesome on the 160!!! Aaaaand you’ve caught me. Great work!
Intersesting about feeling out the form - I also need to learn to do this. I have the opposite problem of you though - unless there’s shooting pain, I think everything ‘feels fine’.
But I wonder, if we’re trying to push more weight becuase the lighter weight isn’t as challenging, we’re inevitably going to need to correct your form, right? In otherwords, as you go up in weight, form issues are always going to be an issue. (mascherano is overthinking things again)[/quote]
I think you’re right Mascherano, form is something you’re always going to have to work on, especially when you’re getting close to your max.
Nice job on the PR kimba! I’m sure you’ll be able to get that with perfect form soon enough!
