September-time we work our butts off!
Replies
-
Lifted yesterday after work. Two days in a row wasn't too bad though my legs are tired and I skipped lunges as my knees hadn't been too happy. Second time of squats but was light so didn't need my belt.
bench 1x5 @ 65, 1x4 @ 75, 2x3 @ 88, 5x3 @ 99
squat 1x5 @ 108, 1x5 @ 129, 1x5,8,3,6,2,7,4 @ 149
bench 1x5 @ 69, 1x5 @ 79, 1x5 @ 88
db fly 5x10 @ 17.5
good morning 5x5 @ 1150 -
I can't do overhead press with 45lbs
I can only get it up like 3 times and that's it. My community center doesn't have lighter bars. What do I do? Should I use dumb bells instead? In the same way (5x5) ?
i go so up and down with ohp. sometimes i'm a boss at it and sometimes i fight that bar too.
what i would do is probably keep the bar and do five sets of three instead. or 8 sets of two, if that's what it takes. basically, i worry less about how many i can do in a row and just focus on doing the right total number of reps. my deadlift 'sets' tend to just be a long series of singles, for instance.
making sure you're fully rested between sets also makes a huge difference for me, with the small-muscle lifts like the press. i tend to go into type-a mode when i'm lifting, like a twitchy driver. my trainer is always trying to get me to rest a bit more. mr squats watched me once and said 'chill. ain't like you're gonna lose all your gainz in an extra 45 seconds of doing nothing'
0 -
Back at it today!
snatch grip push press x3 + snatch balance x3 + overhead squat x3, 4 sets
85, 87.5, 90, 90
not too bad, but wasn't feeling all that strong, and a bit wobbly, too
front squats
115x8, 122.5x5, 127.5x5, 127.5x5
superset with feet elevated pike presses, 4/6/5/5
wrists were not happy on the set of 8, left one wasn't much more on the other sets. Last set was also very, very slow. I am not in the best shape today.
Wanted to leave. Figure I could just do the metcon another day. But the last thing I needed was to quit on top of the subpar session, so I strapped on the resistance bands to the rig and did the circuit I didn't want to do 2 days ago:
2 rounds, 10 reps of each (bar @ 75lbs, from ground), for time:
- pull-ups
- overhead squat
- chest to bar chin-ups
- front squats
- knees to bows
- back squats
Beat my previous time doing this one by about 4 minutes! So it wasn't all in vain! xD 14:50. And out!
Taking tomorrow off. I'm a bit too beat up. Need more sleep.0 -
Well, yesterday was supposed to be trainer day. But it was one of our terrible 5:30am is the only time sarah can fit it in sort of days. And trainer's alarm didn't go off. On the bright side... it was not me who failed that meeting time first.
So, trainer day today. Everything felt terrible.
Was supposed to get to 120lb squats. We stopped at 105. We did two sets of five there... but we stopped there. And even hose sets were questionable. And before the first set at 105 , I even had a "start to go down, and this feels terrible, we need to stop and start over" sort of thing.
10@45, 10@65, 8@75, 6@85, 5@90, 2x5@105
Bench, at least felt within a normal variation of bad. But it didn't feel good. I didn't even look at the sheet to see what I was supposed to have done, I may have actually stayed on program for this one.
10@45, 10@65, 8@75, 6@85, 5@90, 5@100, 5@105. Or as he called it, 4 and some change at 105. I technically got all 5 reps last time we tried 105, but we had much lower working weights up to that point that day. So, I think I had a greater total load today. And the first 3 reps were much cleaner this time. And given how the day was feeling overall I was satisfied.
Deadlift... grrrr.... we were supposed to try for 190 .... and totally didn't happen....
10@65, 10@85, 8@95, 6@115, 5@135, 5@165 (these weren't real pretty, this was the point where plan was adjusted down.) tweaked some form, 3 more @165. Then we tried for 180... and it took about 4 set ups before I got 180 off the ground. Once it came off the ground I actually connected 2, which beats last times version of 180. I did get a 3rd rep.... and 4 not only didn't connect but didn't want to come....grrr.
Then more ab roller...still haven't accomplished the next level of proficiency on it.
This next bit I'm going to share, as many of us seem to have caught the struggle bus lately. So bear with the rambling, it has a point I promise.
Trainer has figured out that I despise squats, but know they are necessary evil. He is used to essentially understanding that if we get thru squats, rest of the day goes pretty smoothly. That was not today at all... I was probably closer to tears during deadlifts than squats, and I was pretty close for squats.
When I got done, trainer stated "excellent work today." And I looked at him very incredulously, and replied "if you say so." "You don't think today went good at all, do you." "No, not at all." He then stood there a minute, and randomly asked "do you have a retirement account at work?" I replied yes. (He used to be an accountant so I totally thought this was headed a different direction than it was.). "Do you ever check it?" "Like twice a year..."
"So... then you know, that the stock market, since its inception, has continued to go up. We are constantly hitting record high numbers... but in between those record highs, it does ALLL SORTS of crazy things. It plummets, it jumps, it has valleys where it stays down. It has times where it climbs steadily Lifting is the same way... when you are beginning those jumps are big and quick. But, as you have been lifting longer, those valleys get wider, and longer, but the peaks can do the same thing.... but, despite the valleys, the general trend is up."
The story in my telling it is not nearly as articulate as it was imparted to me. But hopefully you get my point. It somehow was fortifying to me to hear ... so hopefully it helps some of you guys as well.
1 -
Deadlift... grrrr.... we were supposed to try for 190 .... and totally didn't happen....
10@65, 10@85, 8@95, 6@115, 5@135, 5@165 (these weren't real pretty, this was the point where plan was adjusted down.) tweaked some form, 3 more @165. Then we tried for 180... and it took about 4 set ups before I got 180 off the ground. Once it came off the ground I actually connected 2, which beats last times version of 180. I did get a 3rd rep.... and 4 not only didn't connect but didn't want to come....grrr.
*Snipped*
Dude. You worked out at 5:30am and you did 3 of the major compound lifts in the same session, with a *kitten* ton of volume and high weights.....and you're feeling bad about it?! Girl! Perspective! You are rocking this. I have yet to deadlift more than 165, and you're almost at 200 after squats and 50 lighter deadlifts. You're doing FINE. Better than fine.
My numbers were not quite so huge as Hanlonsk's, lol, but I was pleased with my OHP today. I think I broke my PR for highest OHP for reps.
Bench: 8/8/8 @ 70
OHP 5/3/1+ (3) @ 72/77/87. 87!! I thought when I started with SL 5x5 that I'd never hit 100 lbs on OHP, and now I think I might hit it by the end of the year. Yay me!
Lat pulldowns 7/7/7 @ 85
Assisted pullups 5/4/3 @ 55/55/45 CW. I was supposed to do 55/50/45 but forgot to move the pin. Might have been able to squeak out another rep at 45 but I was pressed for time.
Also, the creepy guy I mentioned in the "guy at the gym" post from the other day has been banned for at least 30 days. A trainer complained about him and he continued to ask inappropriate questions of me, hang around the childcare room, and generally be inappropriate on the gym floor. The owner was pissed that the guy kept it up with me after he had been spoken to, so they kicked him out. Then the owner and my trainer escorted me out since I was stroller-walking today and the dude hung around outside the building for awhile. Probably didn't need an escort, but it was nice that they took it seriously!0 -
-
@amyinthetardis1231 today was not 5:30 am, thank god. Yesterday was supposed to be. Today was a day off work, and 8 am... which is kind of like 5:30 on a work day maybe in terms of my level of awakeness.
I wasn't so much disappointed in the results, as disheartened by how terrible each and every lift felt... like everything above 65 lbs on bench and squat, and like 100 on deadlifts like was feeling wonky and sucky, and just not good.
Also, I am in awe of you and krokador's OHP. Trainer is taking a much deserved week off this coming week, so OHP may be part of my solo lifting. I've been bouncing between the bar feeling heavy, and maybe being able to pull off 65lbs on OHP for months... may need to try and break that pattern for my own head space...0 -
@amyinthetardis1231 today was not 5:30 am, thank god. Yesterday was supposed to be. Today was a day off work, and 8 am... which is kind of like 5:30 on a work day maybe in terms of my level of awakeness.
I wasn't so much disappointed in the results, as disheartened by how terrible each and every lift felt... like everything above 65 lbs on bench and squat, and like 100 on deadlifts like was feeling wonky and sucky, and just not good.
Also, I am in awe of you and krokador's OHP. Trainer is taking a much deserved week off this coming week, so OHP may be part of my solo lifting. I've been bouncing between the bar feeling heavy, and maybe being able to pull off 65lbs on OHP for months... may need to try and break that pattern for my own head space...
Those off days do suck, I hear you. Are you in the later half of your cycle, by any chance? Outside stresses getting to you? Last month made me really aware of how much those affect me now.
Re: OHP, I was stuck at just the bar for ages when I started. I've made a ton of progress the last few months by doing a couple things: One, my programming changed to more volume, so I'm doing OHP 2x a week with a light weight/high rep day and a high weight/low rep day. Two, I make it a point to grab the skinniest bar I can find because that slimmer diameter makes a world of difference in my grip. I can lift 20 lbs more with the skinny (definitely 45 or 55 lb, not a women's bar) than with a standard thicker bar. It just works better for me. I'm also doing more accessory upper body work so I'm building up strength in my arms, shoulders, traps, and back.
I also found that when I was failing everything at hte gym and feeling crappy, taking a few days off helped. I am usually at the gym 3-4 days a week, which isn't excessive, but it was enough to wear me down. Breaks are good.0 -
tested my 8-rep max for ohp yesterday at mr t's, idea being that if/when my *kitten* ever gets back together i'll be doing his accruing-volume workout instead of the one that i'm on. 8 sets of 2, then start adding one rep to one set until i get up to 8x3, then repeat up to 8xsomething, THEN add some weight and re-start 8x2.
i started at 35 and did two sets, then the 5lb increments up to 50. bad news is it got harder and harder, and the last two reps of the last set were a fight and a half and then more of a fight. but the good news is the harder it got the more my old form began to come back. and it was 8-rep sets, i suppose. so there's that.0 -
spent the morning wearing my automated bum-clencher (dunno what else to call it - it's a little ems unit i ordered about 2 weeks ago) and ended up at the gym.
i've lifted my embargo on bench. occurred to me about a week ago taht not benching is probably why i can't do taht good strong 'sternum lift' thing that puts your upper chest directly under the ohp and makes for a wonderful 'shelf'. so i re-started with it, being conservative and doing 5 sets at 45 and then only two at 50.
some squats but just with bar and nothing to squawk about. the only ones that i liked where actually the sort of low-goblet squats where i was holding a 25 dumbbell at crotch level or thereabouts. think i did 5x5 of those too, and i could be wrong but i felt like they really kept my knees back, my hips back, and my back straight. and put all the work of the exercise into the zone that i wanted it in.
0 -
So... I've been spastic and aimless with no trainer. I don't know why, it's not like I haven't ever lifted alone. And spastic is normal operating mode... but the aimless needs fixed. Like, the closest I got to normal lifting was today... and there may or may not have been an open beer... while I was lifting... (power cage at home)
Sunday I technically touched a barbell.... did squats... but it was all empty bar bell at best... I was working on form and depth kind of... but it still was rather a non lifting session
Today I did a bit better, but not much.
Squats10@45, 10@65, 8@75 3x6@85
Bench 10@45, 10@65, 8@75, 3x6@85
When trainer gets back I am going to hate my life...0
This discussion has been closed.