[quote]Spock81 wrote:
Howdy
I’m coming up on my two-years-since-i-had-sex iversary
[/quote]
Yikes! that is a long time. You’ve still got a ways to go to beat my record though, so ha! (oh wait.)
HI
FUCK THE WORLD!!!
K squats
135 x 5
145 x 3
belt
160 x 7
Everything felt heavy and I felt like a tired, out of shape weakling, piece of shit.
DId a few heavy singles after
170 x 1
175 x 1
180 x 1
Front squats
115lbs
3 x 3
deadlifts
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10
145 x 12
leg ext
2 x 12
leg spreader
3 x 10
side bends 25lbs
x 25/side
ropey cable abs
1 x 50
So ya I dunno, felt drained/retarded.
I am wondering if going from squatting 6-7 x’s a week to like 3 sets a week is having an affect on my squat 
I FEEL SO CONFLICTED
I hate everything about everything!!!
KBYE
Hey everyone!! I think I am going to do this
except I dunno what DB exteneral rotation is or this glute ham plank thingie
Maybe I’ll do my normal ab stuff???
here is a DB ext rotation
http://vimeo.com/57523234
its a ‘rotator cuff’ exercise.
there are a bunch of ways to do them - but this way is as good as any.
the glute ham plank thingy, its basically holding your self horizontal from a GHR machine for X amount of time.
I think you should do whatever makes your heart happy. With that said, maybe you could do 531 for a couple more cycles at least and then go back to higher volume if you’d like? I’ve been thinking of ways to get more frequency in 531 and theres really quite a few options.
Yep, thats one option. I like the idea of having 3 lower and upper days, but I’m not sure thats feasible at this time for me.
Your title reminded me of this song. lol
Ya know, i think that squat program is right up your alley. You want to squat frequently, you want to squat more weight and you want to perfect your squat form and you also want it to become automatic. I say it’s a win-win all around.
Well I thank you for all the advice and support, my cyber family!!
I was thinking last night, ya know, if you had told me 4 years ago that I’d still be finding 205lb deadlifts and 160lb squats heavy at this point in training I woulda said, “Oh, well fuck it then”.
What a godamn waste of my time this all has been. I don’t lift more now than I did 4 years ago, maybe my form is slightly less ugly, but the weight is the same. I never got beyond N00b gains, and I don’t really see myself ever doing so.
I have put all my blood, sweat, and tears into this nightmare of a passion for FOUR FUCKING YEARS and I have NOTHING to show for it but frustration and traps that make wearing a low cut shirt look extremely unattractive!!!
I have put every little thing I had into every fucking workout and I am still, after all this time, at square one.
I have worked out sick and feverish, I have worked out through the most stressful and depressing times in my life, I have worked out after no sleep and being painfully hungover, and I have always given it my all, and never made excuses, and I do not get any stronger. Ever. Period.
Sometimes my bench will throw me a bone and be really awesome one day, but other than that, everything is fucking embarrassing.
Somebody please tell me why, why does 160lb squat feel hard to me? Even just going for a few reps, WITH A FUCKING BELt, does it feel heavy as shit? I have said this before and I will say it again, teach a chick to squat and she’ll have my #'s in 6 months.
I am fat, weak, and out of shape, why on earth do I even log my fucking workouts here? So I can continually broadcast to the world that all my lifts remain stagnent and I never really accomplish anything? That is fucking humiliating.
Honestly, this would be like a dude ‘powerliftig’ for years and still only squatting 225. Can you put yourself in that situation and tell me you wouldn’t feel the same?
I’ve had it with this, this is depressing, and frustrating, and not fulfilling me in the slightest.
I need to lose some weight and hopefully start liking myself again in the process. I know I’ve tried and failed before, but maybe this time is different, I dunno.
I wanna give it a shot anyway. Maybe get down to 135lbs. THat would be like losing 15, or probably more like 20 after the brazillion steakhouse I went to last night :/.
Anyway, we’ll see.
I love you ALLLLLLLLLL and am cyber hugging you on a daily basis. MWAH*
Chin up Spock! You are a great lifter, and you are strong! You’re certainly twice as strong as most women believe they could ever be. If you want to make losing weight a goal then that is great too!
If you’re frustrated by your strength plateau then my first piece of advice is PUT SOME MORE FUCKING WEIGHT ON THE BAR GODDAMMIT. You do the classic girl thing where you never approach the weights that you could actually do. Men do the opposite, which is just as bad (or worse) where they constantly use more weight than they should. I think you’re stronger than you believe first of all, and second of all if you would stop being afraid to get a spotter and add weight, your plateau would end.
But besides that it hasn’t been a waste. Your powerlifting journey is part of making you who you are. It builds character and your log has provided happiness and even inspiration to loads of people.
If 205 deadlifts still feel heavy after 4 years then maybe that’s just how it’s gonna be. It doesn’t matter what it feels like, it matters how much you lift. 205 may feel heavy, but you deadlifted 195 for fucking 13. So it doesn’t matter if 205 feels heavy, to you, it’s not, period. When’s the last time you tried to deadlift 250? Or 275?
You can do it!
A few things:
-
I have never seen a female at the gym squat, deadlift, or bench press as much as you. I know there are women much stronger than you but you’re definitely at least in the top 1% of women everywhere, seriously.
-
Everything that csulli said. Don’t be afraid to get a spotter and lift more, even if your form might become not 100% perfect or you might even miss a rep.
-
Also along with what csulli said… Going to the gym is not all about progress. My lifts have not gone up much in the last couple years either, but I would never, ever call it a waste. The gym has been the one thing I consistently look forward to every day, without it I’d go nuts, and I feel it has made me better in pretty much every way.
OH NO!! SPOCk!!
I’m sorry you are feeling so frustrated. First off–you’ve nothing to be ashamed of, and you HAVE progressed. Also you haven’t injured yourself which is a treasure.
Lifting is a life long thing. There are plenty of lifters–top ranked and amateur-- who have had YEARS of being shit then a year of being good, etc. Its a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng process.
Try not to get stuck on numbers one way or the other. You can not compare yourself to others because there will always be someone better and faster quicker. Try to remember why you like to lift and started to lift. You already know its not all candy and good times and PR’s this lifting thing which is why its so rewarding–its hard work and training. And its a process.
Also traps are far from unattractive! Traps on a women are totally sexy and anyone who says otherwise is a douche. follow you heart Spocky but please don’t feel like you let yourself down.
YOU PEOPLE ARE LOVELY, AND DON’T YOU EVER FORGET THAT!!!
Well I don’t plan on becoming a spin class enthusiast any time soon, but I think I am going to take a lot of the focus off my numbers for a while, and spend a little XXtra time doing cardio.
Because I am so insecure, I get jealous very easily, and I find it hard not to get down on myself when I see chicks 20lbs ligher than me, lifting wayyy more weight than I can. I know it’s immature and not nessessary, BUT I also believe maybe if I liked myself more, these things would seem much more trivial. I think carrying extra weight is holding me back in that regard.
I am going to do some kinda of “bro-esq” routine, and keep my reps in the 6-8 area for most things for a while.
I am thinking like, oh, and I am also maybe going to call something a “leg” day, instead of a squat day, even though I hate that more than anything in the world, LOl.
K so like
LEg day
Chest day
Back day
Leg day
Shoulder day
Back day
Off day
Clearly I’m not going to go batshit crazy and start doing like smith machine squats or anything, but ya, whatever will be will be.
So today I did:
Squats
135 x 8
135 x 8
Deadlifts
155 x 8
175 x 8
175 x 8
Front squats
85 x 8
85 x 8
Leg ext.
2 x 10
back ext
2 x 10
25 mins on the bike whilst watching Star Trek. Spock was bein’ all logical and the crew was all pissed that he wasn’t able to be more emotional and empathetic about the dude who got killed by this really stupid looking creature type thing.
mat ab circuit thing.
Um I ordered some stuff from protein factory cause my digestion has been really awful lately and I am scared of my old protien powder. Hopefully that helps.
I also had a dream that I was a bounty hunter and I got some guy and threw him in my car and then I started singing really loudly.
I would really like to be a bounty hunter, I think I would be good at it. I could wear army pants and have a beating stick and drive a big truck or something.
Maybe that is what I will be when I grow up.
BYE
HI
K so I am going to start trying to think like a dude when I am lifting weights like, don’t be a baby/be afraid of shit.
I’m afraid of life, i never realized that I was that way in the weight room also, but I clearly am.
TODAY:
Bench
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
incline bench
85 x 10
85 x 10
Cleans to press, and this time one clean for every press.
Not like
clean, press, press, press
but
clean press
clean press
Etc…
SOOoO
65 x 6
75 x 3
80 x 3
85 x 1
85 x 2
65 x 8
Very fun and cardioy
Lat raise
15lbs
2 x 10
tricep SS other tricep shit
15 mins cardio
cable ropey abs
2 x 25
leg lifts
x 25
K so kinda felt like I got a bit back in the zone during this workout instead of just wanting to leave like lately…
No protien powder this AM so my tummy felt a lot better, coulda been why I felt better in the gym also.
MAYBE
UM
BYE
Something that helped Dave Tate. He had to find a way to train his beat up body and it was messing with his head that he couldn’t lift what he was able to previously.
Solution: Do your main lifts (squat, bench, etc.) at the end of all the other exercises and movements.
Example:
- walking lunges, hamstring curls, leg press, squats or deads
- clean and press, dips, bench
etc.
That way, psychologically, there is less pressure to hit numbers in the big lifts. You can still get strong and it’s a good BBing approach.
It also fits with your desire to lose a few pounds. Your strength might go down while you lean up but the above approach takes the pressure off since you won’t really know if it is the weight loss or the reorganizing of the exercises.
Anyway, the point is…You can do it.
[quote]giterdone wrote:
Something that helped Dave Tate. He had to find a way to train his beat up body and it was messing with his head that he couldn’t lift what he was able to previously.
Solution: Do your main lifts (squat, bench, etc.) at the end of all the other exercises and movements.
Example:
- walking lunges, hamstring curls, leg press, squats or deads
- clean and press, dips, bench
etc.
That way, psychologically, there is less pressure to hit numbers in the big lifts. You can still get strong and it’s a good BBing approach.
It also fits with your desire to lose a few pounds. Your strength might go down while you lean up but the above approach takes the pressure off since you won’t really know if it is the weight loss or the reorganizing of the exercises.
Anyway, the point is…You can do it.
[/quote]
I see what you’re saying, but I actually disagree with this… (I’m assuming Spock’s PL numbers are still basically her priority)
Dave Tate did this once he was well out of the prime of his lifting career, knew he would not be hitting the same numbers ever again, and decided to just focus his training on looking and feeling better. Spock is still well within her prime lifting years (for at least another decade) and (I assume) still wants to improve her numbers. When leaning out, if trying to keep strength up, I think it’s very important to keep the focus on your main lifts, or else they will drop, as you mentioned.
Guts, and don’t give up. Who cares if the weight feels like 300 or 100, can you squat it or not?
Yes it sucks walking out a heavy weight and staying tight for maximal sets, but you can get them can’t you?
Do a westside template, go for a max in a special exercise (occasionally your comp stance or grip) that was ground out, and took at least ten seconds to finish then move onto the supplemental/accessory work two days a week one for the bench the other for the squat/dead. Then the other two days of the week do something similar but dynamic effort work instead of going for a max and do some heavier supplemental exercises afterwards.
For things feeling heavy, walkouts work nicely for the squat, I also hear the same thing for lockout work for the squat (from pins) and accomomdated resistance (bands and or chains). Supramaximal bench work I find works wonderfully (lockouts starting from pins) for strength and making it feel lighter, you should try supramaximal holds (lockout the weight and hold it) and also the same with unracking the weight and hold it (with the pins high so nothing could go wrong). Read, learn, apply, and repeat. Strength Training Education: Weight Training, Powerlifting & More | Westside Barbell
[quote]Gmoore17 wrote:
[quote]giterdone wrote:
Something that helped Dave Tate. He had to find a way to train his beat up body and it was messing with his head that he couldn’t lift what he was able to previously.
Solution: Do your main lifts (squat, bench, etc.) at the end of all the other exercises and movements.
Example:
- walking lunges, hamstring curls, leg press, squats or deads
- clean and press, dips, bench
etc.
That way, psychologically, there is less pressure to hit numbers in the big lifts. You can still get strong and it’s a good BBing approach.
It also fits with your desire to lose a few pounds. Your strength might go down while you lean up but the above approach takes the pressure off since you won’t really know if it is the weight loss or the reorganizing of the exercises.
Anyway, the point is…You can do it.
[/quote]
I see what you’re saying, but I actually disagree with this… (I’m assuming Spock’s PL numbers are still basically her priority)
Dave Tate did this once he was well out of the prime of his lifting career, knew he would not be hitting the same numbers ever again, and decided to just focus his training on looking and feeling better. Spock is still well within her prime lifting years (for at least another decade) and (I assume) still wants to improve her numbers. When leaning out, if trying to keep strength up, I think it’s very important to keep the focus on your main lifts, or else they will drop, as you mentioned.[/quote]
Spock is struggling mentally with the fact her numbers are not moving as quickly as she would like. This will be compounded as she leans out.
But I did mean to add that this would be a short term until she is at a weight she is comfortable with. Back to PL programming after that.
And Westside is not what I would recommend for someone with training ADHD.
Spock, didn’t mean to talk about you like you are not in the room 
Double post. Stupid phone.
Here’s a Stones song
Well one of the best and worst things about it is the fact that you frequently rotate exercises. For some things you don’t want for a long period anyway, when I do a three week ME cycle of something I am absolutely dreading it even if I can get a PR and get some good lifting done. I normally rotate that stuff once every one or two weeks.
Somethings must stay constant, for example always some DE work whether it be lower percentage with less rest, higher percentage more rest, bands, chains, or straight weight, different amounts of each but it always needs to be in there. If your lockout is a weakness you should nearly always train it after you have done your main bench movement of the day, or if your weak legs are holding your deadlift back you need to squat after you main movement most of the time. A template I like to use is
Sunday:
DE bench
lockout of some kind or close grip pressing
rows prefered to go for three max sets
lats of some kind (pull up if my shoulders are feeling good)
some trap exercise without straps
optional tricep and curl super set
Monday: off eat, rest maybe go pillage a small town
Tuesday DE squat
DE pull
Squat variation
Hamstring/glute (stiff legged deadlift, or romanian deadlift something like that)
weighted abs
Wednesday some sprinting or something similar, off if weather doesn’t allow
Thursday
Max effort bench either closegrip something, floor press, or rack lockout
normally a jm press variation, lockouts during this part of my training
rowing straight sets
lats
rear delts
tricep and bicep superset
Friday
Max squat, deadlift, or concentric good morning
squat or rack pull variation sometimes a good morning but my lumbar erectors are more than strong enough
hamstring/glute
accessory exercise low rest and high rep
weighted abs
Saturday
same as monday
Supplemental/accessory work gets another three or four week cycle every 3-6 weeks on average. I respond to volume fairly well so something like that could bury other people who aren’t used to such high volume.