March to the Gym
hanlonsk
Posts: 762 Member
K, y’all were making me check my calendar today. But, I think I’ve convinced myself it’s March.
Makeup squat day.
5x 45
5x 60
3x 70
5x 85
3x 100
5ishx 110 (this is the real reason I skipped it Tuesday after pt crazy. I would have to look, but IF I’ve ever lifted this before, it was for like 1)
Leg press
3x10 @ 160
Lunges
3x down and back w/ 20 lb dumbbells
Hip thrusts
3 x 10 w/ 35 lb plate.
Seems like I’m missing something, but close enough.
Makeup squat day.
5x 45
5x 60
3x 70
5x 85
3x 100
5ishx 110 (this is the real reason I skipped it Tuesday after pt crazy. I would have to look, but IF I’ve ever lifted this before, it was for like 1)
Leg press
3x10 @ 160
Lunges
3x down and back w/ 20 lb dumbbells
Hip thrusts
3 x 10 w/ 35 lb plate.
Seems like I’m missing something, but close enough.
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Replies
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Plodding along.... raeem to be dropping weight so will have to up calories as I don’t want to stunt my progress
1st March - lower body day
Deadlifts - 25kgx10, 45kgx10, 50kgx10,10,8
Lunges - 15kg plate each hand x 20,20
Goblet squat - 15kg plate x 15,15
Single leg assisted squats (green band) - 12,12,12
Dynamic single leg bridge, crunched & legs in/out x 15,15
10 min brisk walk on tredmill plus cool down
2nd March - upper body
OHP - 22.5kg x 9,10,7
Bent over row - 32.5kg x 8,8,8
Upright row - 15kg plate x 12,12,12
Side raised - 3kg db x 12,12,10
Dip - 12,12,12
1k brisk tredmill walk1 -
Loved the title!
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Hey buff ladies. I haven't been around because I haven't really been lifting - I've gotten into doing these functional circuit training classes at my gym that have a bit of everything usually - but I needed to come and tell some people who would understand.
We were doing a strength class circuit - dead lift x 5, hand raise push ups x10 (where you go all the way down and pick your hands up off the floor, then put them down and push up again) and KB swings x10.
I raised my dead lift weight every round (5 rounds) and on the 5th I PR'd! 5@175 at the end of the circuit no less. Maybe not impressive by some people's standards but I'm impressed with myself.
I need to get back into lifting more. I miss it! Happy March!5 -
Well done @jayemes !
Love the title.
Close-grip lat pulldowns (simulating chinups) 1 set of 15 x 70 lb, 3 sets of 8 x 75 lb
Upright row 3 x 10 @ 40 lb a bit too easy
Bench press 1 set of 7 @ 25 lb, 3 sets of 5 @ 27.5 lb, 4th set could only do 4
Goblet squat 1 set of 12 @ 27.5 lb, 1 set of 8 @ 30 lb, 1 set of 8 @ 32.5 lb, 1 set of 8 @ 35 lb
Glute bridges with a 25-lb plate 2 sets of 15
I guess that big lunch helped.1 -
5minutes stair climber
.6 miles running
And jump circuit in pt
Then, at gym:
5x20 wall balls, 8lb ball
5x45 second planks
4x10 push-ups. - last set wasn’t on my knees, this kinda confirmed a notion I had all week that I have a rib out.
4x10 hanging knee raises.
This is a bit random and blabby, but, this week has represented all the reasons why I love my little power lifter gym
Saturday afternoon , 2 others at gym folks figure out I am in self induced rough shape, razz me until I get stuff done
Sunday morning 1 other person in gym, we blast music, do our own thing, and acknowledge each other as I entered and left, but it’s early, and we no like talky before coffee
I don’t remember Monday... but Tuesday, at 5 pm, when most gyms are chaos, there was two of us to start, maybe grew to 5 of us. We spotted each other when necessary, laughed at/with each other.
Last night after it was clear I got all anxious cucumber over heavy set of squats, I got cheered for successful completion, and got feedback from a couple different angles.
Tonight,I show up, in between sets of wall balls I get nutrition info from one of the smart people. And second half was spent by myself... with music blaring... with room to do whatever I wanted.2 -
so tired of myself - and bodyweight bridges seemed to have been going well - so i tried it in t-space tonight.
65lb deadlifts with slow eccentric on the theory 'if eccentric is good for tendons, well then . . . ' and i think they were a mistake.
and 45 bench and i will say that the bench at least didn't seem like it was all that hard. i didn't go any further than 45, but for whatever it's worth i did do the reps from the 'bottom' - bring the bar down and press from a total and complete stop. i was mostly interested in getting my shoulderblades flat under me and then pushing 'off' them, so square one seems like an okay-enough place to start playing with that.
i haven't wanted to admit it but ever since i started doing all this unilateral glute-med and hamstring stuff, my s.i. and lower back have been doing that frustrating click-catch-and-pop thing. NOT muscle strain and tbh i don't think that it feels like discs. just . . . well, clicking and popping nad little firecracker pinches and *kitten*.
i need to drink a whole lot more water, i think
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Deadlift day
Deadlifts
5 x 85
5 x 105
3 x 125
5 x 155
3 x 175
1+x 195 I made 4, and without mixed grip, which I think means it’s a double overhand pr. But I wasn’t reall happy with how these felt. So...
2 x 195 mixed grip
Bent over rows
3x10 @ 60
Straight leg deadlifts
3x12 @ 75
Facepulls
2 x 20 @ 80
15 @ 90 - apparently I wasn’t quite ready to move up yet.
Rope crunches
20 @ 110
15 @130
15 @ 150
Then I went home and dropped something heavy on my “good” ankle
Below if I got it to work, 175 lbs, and my mixed grip 195. And my little gym that I had all to myself until abs!! Oh, and it really shows too man cookies and not enough running working out lately.
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Funeral for my grandpa was yesterday, so I think I'm feeling like a bit of weight has been lifted up my shoulders now. But I didn't sleep very well, or very long, so Iunno. Maybe I was too excited to go work out?
I certainly know I was ecstatic after this morning's workout! So much that I forgot to come check in here cuz I was riding the wave. Then I crashed hard this afternoon and basically got nothing else done xD
crossfit open 18.2 today. So I started with warming up to 105lbs on the (squat) clean, marking my bar and hand positions for the burpees and I selected Get Through This ~ Art of Dying as my pump-up/start song.
It was a good call =D
12 min CAP to complete:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 ... 10 for time:
- Db Front Squat @ 2x20lbs
- Burpees over bar (scaled version meant I could step in and out of the burpees and stride over the bar, so I did. Saved my legs quite a bit!)
10:50
1RM Clean (any variation)
I got 95lbs as a power clean like 10s after finishing the burpees. It went up so smooth I looked at the time, hurriedly slapped on a 10lbs bumper on each side and went again. 115 flew up and I caught it really high! Then dropped the bar and jumped for joy! I struggled with this weight, fresh, like a week ago. Today it just flew up like BAM, while my legs were like jelly! =D
I was so happy I felt a bit tired but not that trashed, so I did a 35x3 session.
5 min cluster repeats (do reps, rest a little, do reps on other side, keep repeating):
- KB swing snatch x5 : 8 rounds / arm at 30lbs, I believe?
- KB swing clean & jerk x3 : I thought I was doing 2s for the first 9 rounds, then got 3 rounds of 3, so that's 27 reps so 9 rounds of 3, kinda? xD 35lbs on this one
- Kb power clean x2, push press x4, swing x6, got 6 rounds per arm, @35 here too
then 4 min AMRAP KB TGUs at 20lbs, got 16 reps which is 2 more than "last week" (which was about 2 weeks ago. Oops? lol
I went for a walk this afternoon to loosen up my lower back. Then fell asleep on the couch when I got home xD Caffeine/adrenaline rush came to an end, haha. I gotta clean dishes after dinner for sure.4 -
Then I went home and dropped something heavy on my “good” ankle
i shouldn't be laughing, of course. but i am. sorry though.115 flew up and I caught it really high! Then dropped the bar and jumped for joy!
wow, that is great.
my workout today was cleaning up my dad's workshop for him well, no; not the whole space. but i cleared his work BENCH. spent pmuch the whole day doing that and other similar things, and it was very worth it.
pecs started hurting right on schedule when i got home this evening. 24 hours after the fact, on the dot. it's uncanny how precise my doms timing can be. but meanwhile up to that point, it was everything around the rear of my shoulder capsule that felt tender and stiff, and i can't explain what a triumph that feeling feels liek.0 -
Another cold morning in the home garage
gym! Brrrrrr! Some good numbers tho as follows and managed to move on to my new bowflex weights in incline bench!
Squats:
20kg x 10, 55kg x 9,8,8
Bench press:
20kg x 10, 35kg x 8,8,8
Inc bench press (dumbbells):
12kg x 10,10,8
Bear complex:
15kg x 7, 20kg x 5 (plate dyslexia again was supposed to go up in 2.5kg jumps)1 -
Whew, in opposition to yesterday, I really did not feel like going this morning xD My brain just wasn't in the game.
Deadlifts & push press supersets. Aim for 4x[6-8]
185x8, 195x7 (double overhand, grip started failing me here), 195x8 (switch grip, weak side), 205x7 (switch grip, dominant side)
vs 75x8, 80x8, 82.5x8, 85x8
My heart was pumping something fierce, so that was more the struggle on the presses than strength itself.
Took a good like, 8-10 mins rest here. Intervals did not sound fun...
4 rounds of 30s work/30s rest:
- 2DB front squats (2x20) -> 13/13/11/14
- hand release push-ups -> 10/11/10/11
- sumo deadlift KB high pull -> 14/15/16/17 (i think as I progressed my pulling strenght kept coming back a bit haha)
- hanging knee raises -> 12/12/14/9
and finished up witha 12 min clock to try and get through 5 rounds of
- wall walk & hold for ~20s (made 15/15/10/12)
- assisted pull-ups x10
I look forward to rest day o.o
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Checking in for the week, since I've been lazy about updating. I don't remember if I added my last couple in the February thread, but I'll just start with the March ones here.
3/2/18
Rough workout day, no energy, and tricky shoulder being tricky. Had to quit OHP and make it a very light day overall.
OHP
1x5 @ 67
1x5 @ 72
Dropped the rest of the sets, my shoulder was doing something funny as I went up that wouldn't resolve and felt painful, loose and not safe. Moved on.
Bench press
3x7 @ 77
Face pulls
3x10 @ 45
Triceps cable pulldowns
3x10 @ 35
Seated rows
3x6 @ 85
3/4
Squats 3x7 @ 125
Sumo DL 3x4 @ 155
Rack pulls 3x8 @ 135
Weighted step-ups 3x16 @ 65
Side-to-side box jumps 2x20, 1x30
Still feeling weak and very tired, and I know my period is right around the corner so nothin very heavy today. Hopefully feeling up to more soon.3 -
I was looking at next weeks programming, which is a major deload with an “ugh, really??? I just want to lift heeaavyyy” sort of attitude.... until today. I think I’m ready for a lighter week.
I am also trying to give up caffeine for a little while, and I think I learned today that without coffee, more food is needed for morning workouts.
5x
20 kettlebell swings @35
Down and back trap bar farmers carries @ 205
Yeah... that was it.
Intended to add a run to it... but the bruise from yesterday is right where a shoe goes, and it just doesn’t feel good. And so then I was going to add the deloaded bench day to it.... and I just didn’t have it or maybe just didn’t want it. Either way, it didn’t happen.now that I’m typing this though, it is only two pm, and I do have more food in me now... I suppose I could go back.
I did make enchiladas today. I get quite domestic when trying to avoid cleaning the house. This might be more reason to go work out more.... 1 -
Squats - 3x8 @ 30 lbs
Pushups - 3x8
Inverted rows - 3x8
Back extension - 3x15 @ 115/120/120 lbs
Felt great last lifting day, felt weak AF today.3 -
Deadlifts 2 sets of 5 @ 50 lbs, 2 sets of 10 @ 40 lbs, 1 set of 10 @ 50 lb
OHP 2 sets of 10 @ 10 lb dbs, 1 set of 8 @ 12 lb dbs, 1 set of 6 @ 12 lb dbs, 2 sets of 8 @ 11 lb dbs
Goblet squats 1 set of 15 @ 25 lb, 1 set of 15 @ 27 lbs, 2 sets of 10 @ 29 lbs
(I have microweights)
Knee pushups 3 sets of AMRAP
Warmed up first with a 3-mile walk2 -
As mentioned, I was definitely ready for this deload week whether my brain is or not.
Bench day.
Bench supersetted with pull-ups, all pull-ups are done with black band.
5x45
8 pull-ups
5x 55
8 pull-ups
5x 65
9ish pull-ups
Yeah, that was it for bench-like barely warmup sets
Dumbbell bench
3x10 @ 30s
Chest supported rows
3x12 @ 35s
Rear laterals
3x 20 @ 5s
And Incase anyone had the urge to try it themselves, let me save ya the trouble of experimentation.... this is what dropping a 45 lb bumper plate on ones ankle/foot looks like-it wasn’t too bad until i actually had to wear shoes all day today.
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[...]
And Incase anyone had the urge to try it themselves, let me save ya the trouble of experimentation.... this is what dropping a 45 lb bumper plate on ones ankle/foot looks like-it wasn’t too bad until i actually had to wear shoes all day today.
Been there, done that. I could've given you the warning! Heck, dropping a 5lbs plate on toes is a painful experience, already ! XD
So, 4.5 hours of sleep. Good day to go squatting heavy weight for moderate reps, and then do a cardio sesh, right?
Back squats, 45x5/5, 65x8, 85x5, 105x4, 125x8, 130x8, 135x8, 140x8 (still managing to hit reps with same-ish weights from week to week, happy about that).
I did superset the working sets with submax push-ups: 7/7/6/10
and penguin drill to try and practice double unders... that wasn't super awesome, lol
Then with a running clock of 5 min/1min x3
rounds 1 & 2:
- 500m Row (2:01/1:58)
- 20 double KB hang clean & Press @ 20lbs (did 10/10 on first round, chained all 20 on 2nd)
- alternating 1 arm KB snatch @ 30lbs (got 19 total on both, opposite starting hand. Works out well!)
Round 3:
- 250m row sprint (I think that was 0:52?)
- 40 2KB Thrusters -> I got 8/8/10/10 before the end. Rested my last minute and finished the ast 4. I'm a completionist.
Then rested about 5 mins because I was just wrecked.
3 min AMRAP
- KB swings @ 24kg
+ 5 burpees every time the bell is set down.
I got 40/36, 5 burpees took like 45s to get through. Like I said, I'm trashed. No amount of caffeine can make up for the lack of sleep here. But I found that extra gear in me I hadn't been able to turn on for the longest time today. So I expect some shattering results for the next open workout =D
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Newby to the group here and just completed my 2nd week.
5x5 squats at 32.5kg
1x5 OHP warmup with 20kg bar, 1x5 25kg, 2x5 22.5kg, 2x5 20kg.
2x5 deadlift at 60kg
Did 5x5 22.5kg last week so disappointed I had to drop down to 20kg. Trainer taught me to do the ohp with ez curl bar but I was having trouble getting it up to my shoulders at 22.5kg so decided to move to the 20kg straight bar today... maybe that was the difference?
Finished off with 20 mins elliptical, 10 mins bike.
Just home and normal 300 calorie lunch didn’t cut it... starving!
Finding I’m having to go to bed earlier too.
So far loving the program though!1 -
Newby to the group here and just completed my 2nd week.
[...]
Did 5x5 22.5kg last week so disappointed I had to drop down to 20kg. Trainer taught me to do the ohp with ez curl bar but I was having trouble getting it up to my shoulders at 22.5kg so decided to move to the 20kg straight bar today... maybe that was the difference?
[...]
So far loving the program though![...]
Felt great last lifting day, felt weak AF today.
Hey, so, I just realized I've kinda missed welcoming you guys to the group! Yay for more gals working on getting stronger! =D
@monica182 It's perfectly normal to do less with a straight bar than with the EZ curl bar, seeing as your grip is different. Having the hands closer to facing each other means you can recruit more of the pecs into the movement (but also means your rear delts basically shut down, I believe). I'd say keep on keeping on with the straight bar, as it evens out the SL program a bit better!
@cadori You'll have good and bad days. A whole LOT can influence performance, ranging from nutrition to hormones to sleep patterns. Focus on the trend as opposed to individual sessions and I promise you'll see improvements!
Today is a recovery day for me, but I made it a point to get in an 8 min EMOM of burpees (6 per minute). Got about 38 out of 48 strict (and some of the flopees were due to me slipping on the floor in my apartment, lol). Gonna keep augmenting intensity and volume on these. Goal is to work up to 10x10, but we're still a ways away from that, lol!
But hey, they say burpees are worth about 4cals each. With 50 in the bank, can I eat 200 cals more? lol (yeah, no, they are not. At least not according to my HR monitors xD)1 -
Yes, welcome @monica182 and @Cadori !
Great job on the OHP, I'm still working to get to that level (don't get me started on my weak shoulders and being stuck on the same weight for months grumble grumble).1 -
I'm having some trouble advancing on barbell rows. At one weight, my back does not get tired out after multiple reps, so I go up to the next weight. But then, my arms are doing more work so they tire out first, and I can't feel my back doing much work. What can I do about this?0
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I'm having some trouble advancing on barbell rows. At one weight, my back does not get tired out after multiple reps, so I go up to the next weight. But then, my arms are doing more work so they tire out first, and I can't feel my back doing much work. What can I do about this?
Easiest way to help would be to see a video of you doing the rows. So if you can do that, I'll be able to give you feedback for sure.
Otherwise, the general issue with rows is people tend to grip the bar too hard and too narrow. Try a finger over grip, without the thumb, about where your fingers lend if you put your thumbs on the bar at shoulder width and extend them.
Then, the trick is in the way you initiate the pull: think about bringing your armpits to face back behind you, shoulder blades squeezed and down (some people like to cue scaps into your back pocket). Your shoulders should not be shrugged/hiked up. Then pull your elbows up as opposed to the bar/hands, pause when the bar is about touching your chest and try to keep the shoulder blades tucked on the way down instead of releasing the whole system. You may still want to reset at the bottom of the rep in order to ingrain that motor pattern, as it will be useful for chin-ups, and also most pushing exercises as well!
I'd say, try this out with a lighter weight than you are used to and take your time with the reps. It takes a bit to learn to engage the lats properly, and retracting the scaps every rep is not as easy as it sounds, but once you've got the hang of it, you'll like rows more.
Oh, and having a stable base also helps. Engage your glutes and don't lock your knees, and spread the floor with your feet.
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One more lame-ish workout accomplished. Shoulder is still being weird with anything overhead, so it was a frustrating bunch of crap, but hopefully it'll go away soon and I can get back to my usual routine. Random annoying joint weirdness is annoying!
Bench: 3x8 @ 82
Seated row: 4x5 @ 90
Shoulder press with DBs: Made an *kitten* of myself with these, since I failed most of the sets I tried. Eventually ground out a couple sets of 10 with 20 lb dumbbells, in bits and pieces. No idea wtf is going on with my shoulders and overhead work but apparently it ain't happening right now.
Assisted pullups with wide grip: 5/4/3 @ -80 Still just not feeling very strong, and much less strong in this position than in the neutral grip assisted chin ups. At least my cycle started (sorry, TMI) so the hormone shift should happen soon, and I can try again when I'm back to normal.
@hanlonsk stop beating up your feet!0 -
Thanks @krokador - I think my hands may well be too close together, because I think I can get a feel for what you are saying - pull elbows up, tuck shoulder blades. I will have to stick with the lighter weight to get the right feel for it. Agreed on engaging the glutes - I have to tighten the hell out of my glutes and hams to keep myself in the right bent-over position and not tip forward.1
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^^^ there's also seal rows, if you feel up to all the fiddling and futzing around to set up for 5x5 sets of them. i've only bothered a couple of times, but they are very good for taking all the compensatory muscles out of the game and leaving you with nothing to do but pour it all into your lats.
mr t says that he's never had a female client who said she could feel her lats working, even when they quite clearly were. odd fact.0 -
I rarely feel my lats.... on the rare occasion I have, its the next day.
I’m taking this deload week a little too seriously. Yesterday I just skipped the gym entirely. Today I got put thru the paces at pt, was gimpy, I technically showed up to the gym, watched some folks take a go at 315 lb deadlifts hoping the gimpy would pass.... and it didn’t, so left. So, I am arguing that 5 minutes stair climber, 10 minutes running, and multiple jump circuity things count as a conditioning day, and I will just move on to squat day tomorrow.... providing I go tomorrow ...oops.0 -
I had that problem feeling the lats to a certain degree, too. But it was even worse for me with the pecs. Had to learn to squeeze 'em on their own before I could feel them on the proper exercises. Lats will come on a lot easier when your shoulders are depressed (and if you look at anyone doing rows for the first time, they usually are not, as we are shoulder forwards people for the most part), and the rib cage expanded (think about making yourself look wider, I guess?) Hold that and do a rowing motion, just sitting there with no weight at all, you'll feel the lats
Best way to learn to activate the chest I've found was holding a ball with my arms extended in front of me, and pushing into it from both sides.
As hard as my upper body was to learn to contract different parts, though, I've always been able to get by quads firing just sitting there. I always found it facinating as a kid that I could make my knees move... without moving xD0 -
Cardio today, 10 mins walk, 30 mins jog. Have changed my goals to only lose 1lb per week from this point on to try and maximize my strength and try to reduce any muscle loss. I could do less cardio, (averaging 30-40 mins most days) but going from morbidly obese to now being able to jog for 30 minutes straight I really don’t want to lose the fitness level I have built up. Internal struggles!
Have lost 27kgs so far but still have 16 to go so feeling a bit apprehensive slowing the weight loss down. Also still have 800 calories to eat after dinner... didn’t plan too well today with the extra calories. Going away on the weekend so thinking I might bank some of the extras for then. And maybe some ice cream tonight 2
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