Nadia, what an outstanding run! It will take me a long time to catch up to you (literally).
I can’t resist the special sensor spot in my Nike Frees, so next time I have a free minute I’m going to the Apple store and buying myself the nano add-on kit. I haven’t been using my nano much because I don’t listen to tunes when I lift. This provides a good use for it!
Kimba: Data can be a good and a bad thing. Sometimes it’s important to just run how you feel. And as newbie runner, you can expect newbie gains. You’ll have me in your sights soon enough. I’m not going to get any faster without significant effort.
++++++++++++++
Training today leftovers from my 3-3-3 week Military Monday
I wasn’t sore when I woke up this morning so I figured I should get this done so I can get to my 5-3-1 week (finally)! Short and sweet.
MP 45x5; 50x5; 55x5; 55x10; 55x7; 55x7.
Pullups 25lbsx3x3.
HLR three sets of 10.
Nice weighted pull-ups!
all I want for christmas are your pullups 
What Frenchy said. However, I am lucky to get any pullups, much less weighted ones.
Newbie gains?!?! I haven’t had newbie gains at anything in a good long while! I’m excited.
Laststand, nlmain, and Kimba thanks for the pullups kudos. I want n8tives pullups for christmas–she’s pulling up 45 and 50lbs. Pulling up a plate is very cool.
++++++
Training today 5-3-1 squats.
Squats 45x10
65x5
85x5
90x3
100x17 (big rep PR)
I know I care about squats now, because I was actually nervous today. I was worried that my half marathon efforts would ruin my chance for a pr. Fortunately, my previous squatting efforts, hampered by fear, have been completely gutless. My previous best was 100x6. I was hoping for 100x10. But, I smoked that.
I pushed the reps as close to the fail line as I could. It’s amazing how many more reps you can grind out if you give your body a chance. My body starts sending out distress signals pretty damn early.
ACCessories:
Boring but big: squats 65x10x5 super setted with go go bulgarians (5 sets of 10 with 10lb dumb bells–I had a little bit of the shakes here) and foam rolling, which was as close as I could come to laying on the floor in a fetal position without actually doing that.
I’ll run later if I can, but it is possible that the effects of this workout will reduce me to a walk.
[quote]Nadia Comeandeat wrote:
Laststand, nlmain, and Kimba thanks for the pullups kudos. I want n8tives pullups for christmas–she’s pulling up 45 and 50lbs. Pulling up a plate is very cool.
[/quote]
I read the following in a T-Nation article awhile ago and no longer aspire to do chins with added weight:
Probably the most shocking result of this entire experiment was the level of rectus abdominis activity elicited by a bodyweight chin-up! It beat out any other abdominal exercise, weighted exercises and all, in mean and peak rectus abdominis activity.
Chin-ups are ultimate “anti-extension” exercise for the low back. Some lifters let their lower back arch excessively, which is not only unsafe, but sub-optimal. If they brace their lower back and keep a straight line from their shoulders to knees, the core musculature has to work very hard to prevent the low back from extending.
Another surprise was that using extra weight on chin-ups via a dip belt didn’t increase rectus abdominis activityâ??it lowered it. If you’re aiming to get a great core workout via chin ups, I recommend performing slow, controlled repetitions while focusing on keeping the hips and spine perfectly neutral throughout the set.
That is a big squat PR, and so soon after a HM no less! You are doing awesome. “fetal position” made me smile.
Snap, I remember that article. It made me feel better about continuing to improve my weak attempts at BW chinups.
My body sends out distress signals for bench haha
Great squatting, it’s great that you pushed through.
I hate when people set a goal in mind to do 10 reps, and stop at 10 when they could have done more.
Good job pushing through.
nice job on the big rep pr
[quote]kpsnap wrote:
[quote]Nadia Comeandeat wrote:
Laststand, nlmain, and Kimba thanks for the pullups kudos. I want n8tives pullups for christmas–she’s pulling up 45 and 50lbs. Pulling up a plate is very cool.
[/quote]
I read the following in a T-Nation article awhile ago and no longer aspire to do chins with added weight:
Probably the most shocking result of this entire experiment was the level of rectus abdominis activity elicited by a bodyweight chin-up! It beat out any other abdominal exercise, weighted exercises and all, in mean and peak rectus abdominis activity.
Chin-ups are ultimate “anti-extension” exercise for the low back. Some lifters let their lower back arch excessively, which is not only unsafe, but sub-optimal. If they brace their lower back and keep a straight line from their shoulders to knees, the core musculature has to work very hard to prevent the low back from extending.
Another surprise was that using extra weight on chin-ups via a dip belt didn’t increase rectus abdominis activityâ??it lowered it. If you’re aiming to get a great core workout via chin ups, I recommend performing slow, controlled repetitions while focusing on keeping the hips and spine perfectly neutral throughout the set.[/quote]
I remember reading that article too. That pullups are good for the abs is just another bonus. I don’t do them for that purpose. I do pullups to get good at pullups–for me, excelling at pullups is an end in itself.
I alternate weighted with bw pullups on a weekly basis. My bw days, marked by high rep sets or high volume, are harder. The weighted pullups are a nice break from that kind of intensity and given my pullup goals, I think they have their place.
Kimba, Nikki, and Nlmain: Thanks for the support. Of course, a fair number of those reps were ugly and a certain number were quite the grind. Probably a few high ones too.
But, in my gym, (right now anyway) there are no points for artistry. It’s more like a MMA fight, brutal and ugly, me v. gravity. I feel badly admitting this, but I don’t really care about form/technique when I am rep maxing out. I can feel my form breaking down, but I keep going. It’s not even really about the numbers. It’s about the effort.
I have alot of respect for max effort. Its unusual to see that in the rest of life.
No injuries, though. That would be soul-destroying.
[quote]nlmain wrote:
all I want for christmas are your pullups
[/quote]
I concur…you’re amazing!!
Brute, I think the same thing about you. Word. (But, really, I don’t know what “word” means). I feel like I’m learning a new language when I read the posts here.
Kimba: Ahh yes injuries. I do worry that my present compulsion for rep prs puts me at risk for those. Fear of injury is one of the reasons I used to underperform on the squat. I never pushed the reps because well, I’m a runner. I baby my legs. But, it was a pesky overuse running injury that got me on the 5-3-1 program, and that was the best thing that ever happened to me as an athlete.
Yesterday was an event. Bird feathers strewn about the main living area of our house. Dead robin under the treee. Impenitent cat. I’d like to believe that he is just and inefficient killer, but I fear there was intentional maiming and torture of the victim. He is now on the naughty list.
The evening concluded with a Christmas miracle. (I’m going to be irreverent here). Violent retching by my daughter. A hallway and bathroom covered in what appeared to be five gallons of chicken popcorn (her school lunch) and bile on the floor, walls, and cabinets. She has quite the range. She threw up so much that I expected her to deflate before my very eyes.
A bit of a drama queen, she said her good byes–she told us that she loved us–and then prayed that the vomiting would end that she could have diarrhea instead. Praise be for diarrhea.
And yes, her Christmas wish came true. Amen.
With one more kid in the house and her father and I most definitely exposed, I wish she had overreached a little bit more in her prayer.
I had/have big plans for a bench pr today. Still hoping I can make that happen. Later.
That’s a beautiful cat, but killing the Christmas robin is such a bad move at this time of year!
And commiserations for the vomit and poop fest. Not good. Not good at all.
I know Cal. It appears the Robin’s death brought an immediate pox upon my house.
And training today was less than stellar.
5-3-1 Bench.
Bench
45x5x2
65x5x1
80x3
90x9 (This is a rep pr +2). I’m not really excited about it though, because I can’t say that I got those additional two reps because I’m stronger–just in a more reckless state of mind. I wouldn’t have gone for them a few months ago. And they were grinds–as in I almost got pinned–not the confidence builders I hoped they would be. Damn.
Unfortunately for me, every additional 5lbs yields a precipitous drop off in reps, and at 90x9, the road to my 100lb bench all the sudden feels less certain.
Hoping to stay on course BBB
Bench 65x10x5. Here again, I used the same weight for my BBB bench as I did for my BBB squat. I am a douche bag.
Barbell Rows 65x10; 75x10; 85x10, 95x10
I’ll run some later for sure. For now, I’m still trying to get the stench of vomit and death out of my house. Falalalala lalala la.
Those grinds build the foundation for later. Two extra reps is nothing to turn your nose up at!
You are sure hard on yourself. Two extra reps are awesome! Who says you could have gotten those earlier on? The point is that you didn’t up until now. Celebrate and move on.
I find the same thing as you: my ability to rep weights decreases very, very sharply. But if you can do 9 at 90, then I’m willing to bet that with the confidence of a spotter, you could grind out 1 rep at 100 right now.
I’m actually hoping for a 100 lb. bench in 2011. I’m at 92 lbs. for 1 rep right now. I think its possible for both of us.
