would julyke to hear how everyone's workout went?
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Trying out Sheiko # 29
Day 1 - bench/squat
bench 1x10 @ 45, 1x5 @ 55, 2x4 @ 65, 2x3 @ 75 and 5x2 @ 85
squat 2x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 105, 2x5 @ 125 and 5x5 @ 145
bench 1x5 @ 55, 1x5 @ 65 and 4x4 @ 85
db fly 5x10 @ 15
good morning (standing) 5x5 @ 105
And to see what I changed, here is what the excel sheet had laid out for day 1.
bench 1x5 @ 58, 2x4 @ 69, 2x3 @ 81 and 5x3 @ 86
squat 1x5 @ 108, 2x5 @ 129, and 5x5 @ 151
bench 1x5 @ 58, 1x5 @ 69, 4x4 @ 81
db fly 5x10
good morning (standing) 5x51 -
bench day . . . mailing it in. kind of.
bench was all i did. the weird semi-guilt about not seeming to be able to take form seriously or even find it until the weight is at least a little bit serious still going on. i got it together at 65, did 75 and then elected to stick to 75 and actually use pretty good form for the first time in months, instead of pushing it up to 80 or 85 just for the number's sake.
trying to lift like a grownup, i guess. in the same spirit i did as much slowwwww lat work as i could on the pulldown machine, before someone else got on it. i've been seriously neglecting the lower trap/rear rotator housekeeping work, and it shows.
oh yeah. and since the form worked even if they weight was low, i made up for not doing a top set with 3x10 at 50 instead. so i should have rowed a whole lot more than i did, and i'm probably going to have the posture of an orangutan tomorrow. so much for 'grownup'.0 -
So... was feeling extremely proud of myself.
Got my 5x5 bench at the weight (85lbs) that I had roll of shamed twice the last time I attempted it, and hadn't attempted it my last bench session because my pride still hurt. Today it was easy enough I put 90 up just to see if it would be possible next time, as I lift alone and tend to be fairly conservative. with the exception of the roll of shames mentioned above generally want to be certain before I change weights.. Well it went well... so I tried another 5... this went on until I 5x5'd the 90lbs as well. (Yes, my chesticles are going to hurt like crazy tomorrow.). And I was feeling all on top of the world, and proud, and I see another gal loading up the bar (this in itself is strange at this gym!). She also put up 85 Lbs, and is like half my size.
It is amazing the misconceptions and assumptions my mind made despite not liking those made at me. I won't cover all of my dumb thoughts. But oh was I ever wrong. And her form was lovely, no half reps like most of the guys even do.
Turns out my "omg I finally did it!!".... was her warm up. Like I am a total introvert and don't talk to people at the gym, ever, but I broke that rule today to tell her what a total bad *kitten* she was, when she was done with her work sets. But gosh she inspired me to push harder the whole rest of the night. And reminded me to remain humble, as well.
Also, to note, she appeared to be lifting with her boyfriend, and his friend. And it added to her badassness that they waited until she was done with her sets, and proceeded to unload plates from what she lifted for their sets.2 -
So... was feeling extremely proud of myself.
well, you should. that's a HUGE sneak-stockpile of bench strength you've been building just by doing whatever you do.
i know the sudden reality-check thing though too. last week this dev on our team had some kind of low-back thing and was limping around, and he knows me in a vague kind of way as 'athletic' [hah]. so he was asking me various questions - this is a guy who knows absolutely nothing about lifting of any kind.
so somehow i got into explaining why 'bad for your back' is a bit of a myth with deadlifts (i mean, i did tell him DO NOT DO THIS without supervision if yours is jacked up. do not do it without supervision even if it is not) . . . i have him the full rippetoe, and it led to him really wanting to know how much i deadlift myself.
i made the mistake of telling him my proud heaviest-ever weight. told him it was my lifetime pr, told him there's no way i can claim being able to do it whenever i like, told him i'm pretty sure i wouldn't be able to actually. and does he listen? does he hell. he's so impressed because i look so 'fragile' [hah] to him, that he goes and tells the next dev who comes into the room. 'you know how much she can deadlift?'
yeah. well, next-dev is a 20-something guy and [we now find out] a powerlifter himself. facepalm. le sigh.
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Oooh, 9 days on. Heels still painful. Swelling gone down almost completely on right heel. Left still giving me jip. Bah! I wish I could sit all day with my feet up, but I am on my feet a good part of the day at work, and....am sticking to 5 x 5, no more running for me for a while! (it was only 3miles, arrrgh! and it was fine the first time I did it)
Anyway my upper body strength is overtaking my lower at the moment. Am up to bench 50kg (110lbs), OHP 37.5kg (82.5lbs) and row 55kg (121lbs). Cannot wait to get back to heavy squats and deads. Am going to hit the leg extension and leg curls today, to see how the muscles feel and to avoid agitating the ankles/heels. Ibuprofen and ice are my friends : )2 -
Ugh...feeling crappy and irritable and bloated...
Worked out anyway
Deloaded squats - 120lbs - 3x5 - nice to be able to do this weight with 3min rest now instead of the 5min I needed a few weeks ago
OHP - 66.5lbs - 5/4/4 - was supposed to be 66lbs, but I brought the wrong fractional weights!
Deadlift - 175lbs - 1x5
I absolutely was not going to put a heavy barbell across my hips to do hip thrusts today...ugh, I hate TOM...0 -
So, today I was doing sumo squats with a dumbbell- and someone called ME the badass...she couldn't said she couldn't imagine picking the 55lb dumbbell off the rack, let alone using it. So the warm and fuzzies I gave yesterday came back my way, which is an awesome feeling.
Also, there is a trainer at this gym who I've seen work with several folks, and I like what I see. So, I figured I would try a session, and perhaps at least get some form checks. Do you guys have any words of wisdom or advice when trying out a trainer? Questions to ask? Information to provide to them?0 -
Do you guys have any words of wisdom or advice when trying out a trainer? Questions to ask? Information to provide to them?
yanno, i personally am all about watching them work when they don't know that you're watching them. i didn't find my trainer that way, but doing that let me eliminate all the ones who work out of the rec centres i was lifting in, for one reason or another. and doing the elimination was really helpful because it led to me thinking about why each of them would not do for me. so that let me discover and build a list of criteria.
if you like what you see about the person's rackside manner <-- see what i did there? honestly, i think that's probably the biggest thing that i relied on.
i rode to work today and since i'm trying to do this actually-intelligent elimination thing to try and isolate exactly what activities cause my problem, i skipped any lifting. but i do have plans to go do cable pullthroughs and also single-foot switching, on a day where doing tht won't muddy the question 'is it the cycling that does it?'
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Sheiko #29 Day 2
deadlift to knees 2x3 @ 135, 2x3 @ 155, with belt 2x3 @ 185, 4x3 @ 195
incline bench 1x10 @ 45, 4x6 @ 75
seated dip machine 5x5 @ 91 (5 setting)
deadlift from box 1x4 @ 145, 1x4 @ 175, with belt 2x4 @ 195, 4x3 @ 225
curtsy lunge 1x5 @ 45, 5x5 @ 75
cable abs 3x10 @ 70
35 minutes on treadmill1 -
my cunning plan to do cable pullthroughs and the one-foot switch exercise and become totally stellar thereby fell apart a little. not that i don't still like both the ideas, just that in practice they were as difficult to get right as anything else would have been.
so after a while i ditched both of them and did deadlifts. self-imposed extra challenge: GRAB the floor with left forefoot and don't let it go. i'm now able to totally spread those toes , by the way \o/ three weekends ago i had to go look for little foam-rubber accessories to get any air between them at all.
still working on other aspects of the same foot - still doesn't feel like i can totally flatten that forefoot agains tthe ground. feels like the ball of my foot is convex from side to side
but the floor-grabbing rule did really change the mechanics in my left leg. which really changes my 'effective' strength, naturally. still, i got all the way up to 155 for 5 at a comfortable level of exertion, so i can't help doing math and thinking about how much weight that will probably lead to once this mega-neglected part of my anatomy catches up.
fingers crossed, and i did cable pulldowns too with my stellar new 'serious' left-handed grip. 3x5 at 35, just heavy enough to feel satisfying but not heavy enough to overtire.
feeling good.0 -
Today's workout:
Bench - 100lbs - 3/3/2 - I find it funny that even though I'm failing sets at this point I get so excited over one more rep than last workout
Squat - 125lbs - 3x5
Row - 105lbs - 5/5/4
Hip thrust - 230lbs - 3x5
And I tacked on 30 min of incline walking on the treadmill to get my steps in since I'm about to spend 3 hours in the car checking out the venue of a wedding I'm photographing next weekend...2 -
do i even lift?
no
i do actually. but pretty halfassed and omg the deadlifts must have hit me on a perfect 24-hour turnaround or something. i did a press workout of sorts, but i was fighting even with 65, and i'm bagged.
so i did a round of uneven suitcase carries instead. that's part of what helped to sort my shoulders out the last time they were cranky, and i'm probably due for a dose of them. start at the top of the dumbbell tree, take one from the top and one from the next row down, walk down cardio alley and back. switch hands, repeat.
replace lightest dumbbell with next one down from the tree. repeat. i went from 7.5 and 5 up to 17.5 and 15 i think, and my hands are tiiiiiiyurd.0 -
Day 3 of Sheiko #29
bench 1x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 55, 1x5 @ 70, 1x4 @ 80, 2x3 @ 85, 2x2 @ 90, 2x3 @ 85, 1x4 @ 80 1x6 @ 70 and 1x8 @ 60
db fly 5x10 @ 17.5
squat 1x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 110, 2x4 @ 130, 2x3 @ 150, 5x3 @ 160
good morning (sitting) 5x5 @ 55
20 minutes on the elliptical
The lifting took me a while. I started around 4:05 and finished the lifting portion at 5:43. Didn't have to wait for bench but did have to wait to squat for over 15 minutes. This program is not for the rushed, for sure.0 -
Last sess (FRI), was tiring, I was already tired. Long week, still in deficit. Friday = yawn fest. Managed to squat 55kg for lots of reps no problem *kitten* to grass, heels are un swollen and feeling fine. Will I be doing anymore 3 mile runs in the near future, I am not sure...so training is back on schedule. Although I am going to be *kitten* hot on my technique this week (powerlifter in the gym was critiquing my lack of pauses, eep!), as hoping beyond hope to maybe compete in some powerlifting meets in the next two years. So my mid-life crisis will be lifting all the heavy things! YAY!
Managed a few sets of bench at 55kg, was about to deadlift and time ran out on me. So I managed a warm up set. I felt so tired I went to bed straight away (about 9ish, maybe 8.30) and slept really well. Am considering buying a ballista/slingshot for my bench.
BUT, my hammies were pinging Friday. So maybe my stance is a little too wide, although my quads were singing in unison yesterday and today. Ha!
Creatine has not caused any water weight gain and seems to be helping me get a good night's sleep. Or so it seems. Is that even a side effect of it? Pffffffft! My body is changing fairly rapidly and am losing weight fast. I think my active job has helped maintain lean mass and all that jazz. Fingers crossed I keep to this good feeling stuff.1 -
hundred pound squats. i worked extremely hard on my lower traps and scapular stabilization stuff before i even got into the rack, and i did cable pullthroughs as well for the glutes (getting the hang of those, hopefully). for front squats i think i stopped it at 85. but i did those as singles and only a handful of them. i'm still guarding whatever is wrong with my hip like fort knox. the first rep i tried at a weight that just dive-bombed me into the hole, i stopped it and just did static holds for a couple of seconds instead.
so, the back squats i did as triples. 5x3 instead of the 3x5, because form form form form. and i'm not sure what i think of them, actually. each set seemed like it went by so fast there wasn't much time to think about any of it. and anyway, it wasn't like i felt i had much leeway to correct anything halfway through. i don't think going 100 was an unsafe decision to make, but it sure wasn't one of those weights i was dominating.
for accessory /warmup/ whatever, i did cable pullthroughs (getting the hang now, i think), along with pulldowns and scapular retraction holds, and in between the big sets i did dean someset's foot-and-ankle-strength thing with a 10-pound plate, just to make sure my left leg didn't get too crowded out of the squats. and then after the squats, i got on the pullup handles and did just a little more retraction work - basically the bottom part of a pullup from a dead hang. that was more to supply my back with some 'antagonist' work after spending so long doing its part of the squats. and because i just didn't feel like doing bent-over rows after all that.
tl:dr: i had one of those workouts where you know you're going to hurt like hell tomorrow, but where you go ahead with it anyway. ate a red pepper immediately outside the gym in hopes that if i keep mainlining vitamin c at all my connective tissue it'll go a little bit easy on me.0 -
Squats - 130lbs - 3x5
OHP -65lbs - 5/4/4
Deadlift - 185lbs - 1x4
Cable pull throughs - 5x10
So tired. Everything felt very hard.1 -
Day 4 of Sheiko
squat 2x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 95, 1x5 @ 108, 1x4 @ 129, with belt 2x3 @ 155, 5x2 @ 175
bench 1x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 58, 1x4 @ 69, 2x3 @ 79, 1x2 5x3 @ 95
db fly 5x10 @ 20
push up 10, 7, 5, 5, 6 had hands on dumbbells on the floor
front squats 1x8 @ 45, 2x3 @ 97, 2x3 @ 118, 4x2 @ 129
good morning (standing) 5x5 @ 1151 -
Well... bench press 5x5@90 went well enough I will probably be trying 95 next time... but I'm not entirely convinced it will go well. And that roll of shame from a few weeks ago isn't exactly something I want to repeat so soon. So, may reconsider before that time comes...
Squats 5x5 @90 was not nearly so pretty. My depth was not there, and form wasn't great. @canadianlbs -I think your description of "not an unsafe decision, but not dominating" is a fairly accurate description of my squats as well.
Speaking of not dominating- anyone have good suggestions for holding the bar on front squats?? Everything I have tried either hurts, or doesn't feel stable.
However- I went to grab a 55lb dumbbell to do sumo squats with. And a guy stopped me to ask if I needed the other one (currently in his possession). .... it was both awesome and flattering, and so crazy I found it hysterical... how on earth was I looking tough enough for someone to think I could do something with TWO 55lb dumbbells... *sigh* maybe some day...2 -
all i got for you on the front squats is this:
1. they work for me because i actually grip the bar. not tight, but i close my hands around it. the fingers-only thing kills me, personally.
2. my trainer says a lot of people can't get a front rack at all, so there's that.
3. i may just have fortunate anthropometry - huge hands for my height. but when i'm fully holding the bar it seems like that places it right where it ought to be.
idk what else is helpful, but fwiw i do take a full grip, and when i'm stepping in/under the bar i don't think about lifting my elbows so much. i just hold onto the bar and then 'drive' my diaphragm in under it. when i stand it up it's more like i'm, idk, kind of uncurling my ribcage from the diaphragm upwards, like a fern unfolding [so demure and delicate, me]. that straightens my upper back and the the rest of me seems to just come along for the ride and bring the bar too.
love the guy with the 55's thing
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I'm days behind in updating but I have been hitting my workouts, just getting lazy about posting them. I went to visit family last week and got lots of compliments on looking good, including my mom saying my arms looked ripped. Considering how uncooperative the scale has been, that was pretty exciting to hear!
So anyway, today was 5s.
Bench press 5/5/5+ (9) @ 67/77/82
OHP 12/12/12 (failed @ 10 on the last, had to rest 30 sec before I could finish the last 3) @ 52
Back raises with 12 lb KB 10/10/10
Lat pulldowns 10/10/10 @ 70/75/75
Assisted pullups 6/6/6 @ 75 cw
It's oppressive oh hot and humid in my area this week so through gym walks probably won't happen as much. I got a Garmin to track my daily activities, so I'm hoping to get a more accurate picture of my calorie burn throughout the day. I still have 20-40 lb to lose (20 for healthy BMI, 40 for looks) so I need to be as precise as possible in my calorie counts.3 -
Day 5 of Sheiko
Plan
deadlift to knees 1x3 @ 133, 1x3 @ 159, 2x3 @ 186, 4x2 @ 199
bench 1x6 @ 58, 2x6 @ 69, 4x6 @ 75
db fly 5x10
deadlift from box 1x4 @ 146, 1x4 @ 172, 2x4 @ 199, 4x4 @ 212
lunge 5x5
Workout
deadlift to knees 1x8 (full deadlift) and 1x8 @ 95, 1x3 @ 135, 1x3 @ 159, belt 2x3 @ 186, 4x2 @ 199
bench 1x8 @ 45, 1x6 @ 68, 2x6 @ 69, 4x6 @ 75
db fly 5x10 @ 15
deadlift from box 1x4 @ 146, 1x4 @ 175, 2x4 @ 199, 4x4 @ 215
curtsy lunge 5x5 @ 75
Slight oops on bench. Forgot I needed the 5's first as didn't have any at the moment and ended up doing 68 when was supposed to do 58. Oh well. Took around 2 hours at gym with waiting, rests and moving equipment along with the actual lifts.0 -
Nothing real impressive to report... probably pursuing a MRI and PT route on the ankle issues to hoprefully get off the running ban sooner ... and back to weight loss. Because although my lifting has benefited greatly from the running ban, my body weight has not.
Trainer at the gym put me thru the paces on abs/core stuff... for an hour.... omg... can I just skip waking up tomorrow?1 -
i really really should bench - these days i bench like two or three times a month, but it's always so hard to GET a bench and today was no different.
so i did squats again. quit after 95 this time, but i did 1x5 unbroken for the back squats, and the big news i suppose - i also did a 1x3 FRONT squats at 95. that is for-sure a pr.
and still lots of small things to get strong enough to be better at with this weight, but i was wearing my toe spacers inside my left shoe and i feel like i'm chipping away at the various things.1 -
Short workout today, just three exercises. Unloading the bar after deadlifts I managed to drop the bar on my foot, so I figured that was indication enough that it was time to be done.
Squats 6/6/6 @ 115
Kettlebell swings 20/20/20 with 20 lb bell
Deadlifts 5/5/5+ (8) @ 120/135/1500 -
Tomorrow will be my 9th Stonglifts 5x5 workout. Been loving it, but I have no rack and seems like I'll be needing it very soon. It was good to start with the measles 13.5 lb bar. It's weird not to run every day, but I'm enjoying something different and new.0
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I think I was saved from myself today. The other night I did a run/walk interval set to try and decide if I wanted to pursue the further action being proposed for ankles.... or if they were better... things went decently well... but still poorly enough my reply to doc was to pursue the PT at a minimum, and if that meant MRI was part of the package then so be it...
Today, I got mad and stubborn - some part of my brain decided that if doc didn't think things were worth answering back for days (only days so far this time, last round turned into weeks)then I Don't know why I'm following the stupid running ban. I was like 1-1.5 miles in, and a friend and her sister saw me, and wanted me to lift with them. They were even doing same muscle groups I was planning on and everything. So, I aborted the treadmill plan. Which, based on how things feel currently.... was a VERY good thing.
They have a prescribed plan they were doing from a trainer. And so we did some different things. But, part of it was OHP. and I ended up with 2x5@55, 1x5@60 and 3x3@65!!! If I can do the 3x3@65, then there is hope for a 5x5 in my future.... and I was supposed to have attempted that today but if I'm honest with myself, had I been left to my own devices, the 65lb idea probably would have gotten sacked...so... yay friends for the win!!4 -
meh sigh. lunchhour activity with a super-extraverted, super-sharey, super GIRL kind of woman from my workplace. who is also super-nice. but she talked so much about glutes and [tons other stuff] and all of it from such a subtly different perspective and mindset from me . . . that i seriously feel like i've lost track of my own whatever i had in mind and was quietly doing all by myself just 24 hours ago.
tl;dr: feel mentally derailed. nothing lift-y to talk about. but yay @hanlonsk for your ohp!!0 -
I did day 2 this morning after being away from the gym for a month or so due to life being dumb.
Had to deload, but I still feel good.
Down to 65lb on my squat, 40 on my BP, 55 on my row, 30 OHP and 90 DL. (I think I could have gone to 45 on BP this morning, but I was tight on time and didn't want to waste it getting up to add plates)
I'm still proud of myself for making it there 2 days in a row even though I am crazy stressed out right now. Taking tomorrow off and then I will be back in either Sunday or Monday. I want my muscles back!1 -
Day 6 of Sheiko
squat 2x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 108, 1x4 @ 129, belt 2x3 @ 151 and 5x2 @ 172
bench 1x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 58, 1x4 @ 69, 2x3 @ 81, 2x2 @ 91.5 (92), 1x3 @ 86, 1x5 @ 75, 1x7 @ 63
db fly 5x10 @ 15
squat 1x5 @ 108, 2x5 @ 129, 4x4 @ 151 (no belt)
good morning 5x5 @ 115
Had a guy let me work in at the start of my benching. Minor oops on the top set on the bench because forgot one of the .5 plates. Last squats went okay too and decided to go without the bench.0 -
very meh trainer day. it makes me realize how much of my mental bandwidth now goes to a kind of physio-maintenance. just monitoring my body and doing the little things.
got completely derailed from all that by yesterday, and never did get my groove back. form was lacking for deadlift and ohp both and i couldn't assemble my faculties enough to address any of it. missed my top sets for both of them, at the same weights that we tried a few weeks ago when i was nursing the injury.
disappointed because tbh i thought/hoped that the much-heavier squats i've been doing would cause progress that would carry over a little bit. instead it's feeling more like my amateur observation is still true: you can only be in a great groove for one or max two lifts at a time. so trying to take the long view and point out to myself that these things cycle and so long as there's overall progress in the wider scale, it's all good.
still. disappointed.0
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