[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
That is a great idea. I just tried an air squat with my mini Woody band doubled and I think that would be a helpful cue. Thanks![/quote]
please take video. i can’t wait to see ya waddle out with the bb on ur back! lol
[quote]dejavued wrote:
please take video. i can’t wait to see ya waddle out with the bb on ur back! lol[/quote]
ha ha! I think the trick here is not to have to waddle out too much. I’m a huge klutz, and if anyone would trip, its me.
Which, of course, I would get on video for y’alls entertainment. I’m good like that.
Despite the doubters out there, I made it through my Fri-Wed. deload without sneaking in any training. Yesterday’s easy two hour bike ride doesn’t count – that was more for my mental health.
Today’s training:
Back squats to 4 risers plus a step
Bar 1 x 10 for warmup
65# 1 x 10
70# 1 x 10
75# 1 x 10
80# 1 x 8
65# 1 x 15
I’m still getting some knee cave and butt wiggle on 80# on the last few reps. But the other weights felt like I had good form, albeit the last reps of every set were a bit challenging. I think I will work in the 80-90# range for my second squat day of the week on Friday to try to nail this weight down.
The deload certainly didn’t help my squat. But seeing as I successfully fought off a virus during that time and was feeling a tiny bit weak today, I’m not blaming the deload. Probably if I had trained, I might have pushed myself into sickness.
Bench Press
70# 8/7/6 reps Not bad, but not my best. I’m working on making this a full body lift.
Walking lunges – 1 x around the parking lot holding 10# plates. This was challenging after all of the squats.
HS Overhead pull-downs (2 independent handles, neutral grip)
50# 1 x 20 reps
Dips
BW 1 x 18
supersetted with
Triceps push-down with V-bar
50# 1 x 20
Shoulder press/biceps curl combo
12.5# 1 x 15
A shitload of ab work with a 10# medicine ball.
Oh, and on my way out the door, I detoured back into the weight room to try some speed deadlifts.
65# 3 x 3
Probably a mistake because I was pretty tired already. There wasn’t much speed there.
I am REALLY happy to be back on my normal training schedule.
Whoah, 18 dips? Nice going.
[quote]Cal Jones wrote:
Whoah, 18 dips? Nice going.[/quote]
Thanks. I’ve done 20 before, but haven’t worked on dips in awhile.
what program(if any) are you doing?
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
what program(if any) are you doing? [/quote]
Well…excellent question. I’m really not doing anyone’s program. At the moment, my main focus is getting my squat and deadlift form in order. I train 3 times a week, two squat days and one deadlift day. I will usually bench press at least 2 times a week. Then, I fill in with chinups, dips, rows, overhead pressing, barbell hip thrusts, pull-throughs and single leg work. Trying to do different stuff every workout.
Strangely, I never seem to run out of ideas for variations of the above, and ALWAYS feel that I should be doing more squatting and deadlifting to learn my stuff.
I don’t have any fat loss or bodybuilding goals; I’m mainly interested in gaining some strength. After I feel more comfortable with my form issues, I’ll probably fire up 5/3/1.
cool…I’m not on a program right now either…^5 
Today’s workout:
2 hr 33 min moderate/easy effort bicycle ride.
I’m sore from yesterday’s workout, leading to an epsom salt/strawberry milk bubble bath (this smells just like the Nestle strawberry milk I remember from childhood…mmmm) and my best friend, the foam roller. Now why the heck is my right quad hurtier than my left? Mystery.
Nutrition was challenging today because the three (count 'em, THREE) novacaine shots in my jaw it took to numb up my tooth for its filling made it so I couldn’t chew for most of the day. Saved by greek yogurt and banana and small pieces of cantaloupe. Fried eggs. Also, cottage cheese mixed with some peanut butter and tiny pieces of apple = delicious and able to fit in my mouth, which still doesn’t open real wide.
ewwwww i did the dentist thing not long ago myself and it gave me a renewed desire for flossing. i had to use my post last resort sippy cup of a shaker and drink it thru the straw!
Im so glad you were able to find yummy eats!
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
Today’s workout:
2 hr 33 min moderate/easy effort bicycle ride.
I’m sore from yesterday’s workout, leading to an epsom salt/strawberry milk bubble bath (this smells just like the Nestle strawberry milk I remember from childhood…mmmm) and my best friend, the foam roller. Now why the heck is my right quad hurtier than my left? Mystery.
Nutrition was challenging today because the three (count 'em, THREE) novacaine shots in my jaw it took to numb up my tooth for its filling made it so I couldn’t chew for most of the day. Saved by greek yogurt and banana and small pieces of cantaloupe. Fried eggs. Also, cottage cheese mixed with some peanut butter and tiny pieces of apple = delicious and able to fit in my mouth, which still doesn’t open real wide.[/quote]
just working out any imbalance issues between your quads.
sorry about the dentist issues, my sympathies
man i’ve got to try some greek yogurt. i’ve heard a lot of people swear by it lately.
sucks on the filling! looks like u were able to martha stewart ur way around starving. nice.
Greek Yogurt FTW!!!
I eat tons of it and sorry about the dentist Its a hassle
stonyfield makes greek yogurt now…13P for a little snack size cup and 5C…
Hope you are feeling better Kim(ba) 
Well, so far the best thing that has happened this morning is that my damn mouth now opens all the way again.
I’ll take it.
CBear: I highly recommend the religious use of floss. Otherwise those dental hygienists will hurt ya.
Soldog: Agreed, an imbalance. But my left quad/glute is the weaker side, so I’ve got to make more of an effort on single leg stuff to bring up that side. A sorer right quad must mean that leg is doing more of the work, and that is bad.
deja: Martha Stewart I am so not. Too funny. The greek yogurt has just so insanely much protein, and I’m always trying to stuff more protein down my gullet.
kmc and every other dentist-phobe: thanks for the sympathy. I’m lucky to have a great dentist who is also a friend (I did see her drunk once but she’s the ultimate good-girl smartypants) so I’m in capable hands.
MIM - Stonyfield Farms makes greek yogurt??!? I love their stuff, and a snack size would be so perfect.
yep, it’s true…I get mine at wal-mart
Last night’s training was hard. I wish I could say it was hard because I was killin’ it and therefore moving lots of heavy weight. No. From the very first touch of the bar on my chin-ups, I knew that I was in for a struggle. Do you ever have a workout where the mind is willing, but the body is weak? I hope I’m not the only one…
Anyway.
Chinups (at home, plenty of rest between sets, mixed in with foam rolling, hip flexor stretch, scap wall slides, spiderman walks and glute bridges)
BW 3 x 5 reps. If you had paid me a $1 million I don’t think I could have squozed out a 6th rep on any of these sets.
Back Squats (to 4 risers and a step)
Bar 1 x 10 warmup
80# 3 x 5 reps
85# 3 x 5 reps
70# 1 x 10 reps
Both 80# and 85# felt heavy. 70# felt light, but after the 6th rep I struggled due to fatigue. I almost didn’t go up in weight because I was feeling so weak. I got myself to do it by telling myself I’d just go for singles if it was too hard. Thinking positively, I did better on 85# than I thought I would.
My last set at 85#, showing off my problem du jour: knees caving in while coming up, which doesn’t happen initially but gets worse as the set wears on and I get more and more tired.
Its not that I’m not thinking about pushing my knees out – I totally am. Its that I’m NOT ABLE TO as some muscle group or another tires after the first couple of reps. Unless I get a better suggestion, I’ll just keep at this weight for a bit until I strengthen up.
Single Leg RDLs with the Barbell
Bar 3 x 10 reps.
I could absolutely bring up and down more weight than the naked bar, but am severely limited by my shitty balance. Although improving my balance is important, right now the most important thing is strengthening up my left glute/ham/quad, the weakness of which is causing me to favor my right side during squats. I’m thinking of switching to one-leg hip thrusts a la CBear-and-the-Siouxsie-weight because I can hit hard what I need to without balance limiting me.
Standing Overhead Press with barbell
Bar 1 x 6, 1 x 7, 1 x 6 <–rep PR (+0/+1/+2) – My night was saved – an actual improvement! SO. HAPPY. I supersetted these with the Single Leg RDL’s, so had plenty of rest between sets.
Cable hip abductions for my weak left gluteus medius & minimus – 16.53# 3 x 12 reps each leg for each of two exercises.
Dumbbell Chest Press (flat)
30# 1 x 10 – these were very, very hard
27.5# 1 x 8 – also hard, I could not make myself do another set even at the risk of y’all’s pointing and laughing.
A hard night of feeling weak. But deadlift day is tomorrow and I love that. Onwards.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
Both 80# and 85# felt heavy. 70# felt light, but after the 6th rep I struggled due to fatigue. I almost didn’t go up in weight because I was feeling so weak. I got myself to do it by telling myself I’d just go for singles if it was too hard. Thinking positively, I did better on 85# than I thought I would.
My last set at 85#, showing off my problem du jour: knees caving in while coming up, which doesn’t happen initially but gets worse as the set wears on and I get more and more tired.
[/quote]
Kimba,
It’s amazing how parallel our journeys are. Our sizes are similar, our weight max’s are similar. Our ages are similar. I do that trick too: if I am feeling weak on reps on something I think I should be able to do, I put another 10 on and say, fine then push this for one rep and I will let you quit. Then sometimes I put another 10 on. It’s actually how several of my PRs were accomplished so far.
I don’t think your knee caving is as bad as you think. I read over on meat’s thread that you should not rely on the mirror, but your own body. Now that you have the risers to tell depth, have you considered turning around and abandoning the mirror?
Enjoy your deadlifting tomorrow! Mine is Monday.
[quote]arachne12 wrote:
Kimba,
It’s amazing how parallel our journeys are. Our sizes are similar, our weight max’s are similar. Our ages are similar. I do that trick too: if I am feeling weak on reps on something I think I should be able to do, I put another 10 on and say, fine then push this for one rep and I will let you quit. Then sometimes I put another 10 on. It’s actually how several of my PRs were accomplished so far. [/quote]
Are you my long-lost evil twin??? Seriously, though. Parallel journeys. Although your bench kicks my ass.
[quote]I don’t think your knee caving is as bad as you think. I read over on meat’s thread that you should not rely on the mirror, but your own body. Now that you have the risers to tell depth, have you considered turning around and abandoning the mirror?
Enjoy your deadlifting tomorrow! Mine is Monday.
[/quote]
I’m glad to hear that you think the knee cave isn’t so bad. This is something I’m REALLY sensitive to, because I struggled with knee cave for a long, long time when I began squatting. “Solved” the problem by not squatting to depth, and now its back a bit.
Meat actually did cure me of looking in the mirror. I’m looking at the wall above the mirror when I squat. I can feel my knees cave, though. And obviously, the film doesn’t lie.
[quote]kimbakimba wrote:
arachne12 wrote:
Are you my long-lost evil twin??? Seriously, though. Parallel journeys. Although your bench kicks my ass.
[/quote]
I’ve got you on the overhead press too 