July workout check-in thread - Don't July about your PR
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Saturday check-in
Total is cardio day - actually it's the day Cora, my 18mo blue heeler pup and fave work-out partner gets to run and chase rabbits and other critters. Today was a 6.5 mile hike at about 3.6mph.
At the end of my hike, I could slightly feel my quads, proof that the box squats are working, but the good thing is that even after that hike, my wonky knee didn't feel strained or stiff. I am being to think the leg curls,extensions and squats are doing what they are supposed to be doing - strengthening and stabilizing my knee.0 -
Yesterday's was workout A for me.
Squats: warm up, 2x5@95, 2x5@100, 5@105
Bench: warm up, 2x5@57, 5@57.5
Rows: warm up, 5@65, 2x5@67
Glute bridges: 4x10@45
Have a nice weekend, ladies!0 -
Workout B (Sun)
Dumbbell side bend - 5 x 15 - 40
squats 5 X 5 - 140
overhead press 5 x 5 - 60
barbell rows 5 X 5 - 80
reverse curls 5 x 5 - 60
underhand bicep curls 5 x 5 - 95
dumbbell skier swings - 5 x 15 - 40
flys 5 x 8 - 40
hot potato squat 5 x 10 - 150 -
I ate SOOOOOOOOOO so so so so much this weekend, lol. Today I did some...cardio...after my SL workout.
Squats: 5x5 @125
Bench: 5x5 @105, triple digits now!
Row: 5x5 @80
Then I did some tire flips, toes to bar, tire flips, pull ups using tire, more tire flips, and jumps onto the tire. Then, I was tired. HA, GET IT?
Okay, anyway, then I rowed for 10 mins and called it a night.0 -
stretching and rolling (lightly) my quads before starting seems to be helping a lot.
squats: 5x5x65.
ohp: 5x5x45.
deadlift: 5x1x60. i started each rep from the beginning, to make the setup a habit. found the big 10lb training plates and it was suddenly like 'huh? is this all that i need to do?'
other notes: big, big difference, i notice, from getting set for each rep with a big breath and a tight core. i not only felt way stronger, but i was much more stable, i think. and each rep was a lot closer to being exactly like the rep before it. i feel good.
note: i'd been misunderstanding 'tight core' to mean something like the 'suck in your gut' your parents keep saying to you. in the form check videos though i noticed other people getting tight first doesn't look anything like that, so i tried it the other way round - more kind of barrel-bodied. i like it.0 -
Happy Monday everyone!
It was workout A for me today.
Squats - goblet, 45lbs dumbell 5x5.. I'm starting to feel those. really concentrating on getting back up through my heels/bum and not with my hips.
Bench - 65lbs still deloading but did 5x6. Will do same weight, 5x7 next time then try again with 70lbs 5x5.
Row.. GOD I HATE ROWS. I feel like puking when I do them. I should check my breathing. Deload to 65lbs again. It was fine though. 5x5. I am afraid to go up to 70 again, I failed it so bad last time.
This weekend was cottage weekend. I didnt log any food. I drank way too much beer. The weigh in is going to be brutal!! Hopefully I can have a good week nutrition wise and pretend it didn't happen
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Then I did some tire flips, toes to bar, tire flips, pull ups using tire, more tire flips, and jumps onto the tire. Then, I was tired. HA, GET IT?
Well you sure were on a roll with that tire! haha
Past 3 days I've had my first Compete day in my lifting program (45 minutes balls to the wall nearly non-stop work. Crayyyyyy), ran 6 track laps, and did some hang snatches with back squats today. I kinda don,t like that I keep doing back squats after snatches because I don't get the best representation of my strength from being already fatigued. 3 sets of 5 at 150? I was doing 5x5 at that weight like 3 months ago, y'know? xD
Ended today's session with 4 rounds of
- 3 min rows
- 1 min KB Swings
- 1 min jump lunges
- 1 min rest
I'm still not sure where my legs have gone and it's been a few hours now lol0 -
Cardio day! 44 minutes of HIIT sprints (30 sec on - 60 sec off). Nothing too crazy or exciting.0
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Hey ladies... missed posting my Friday workout...got busy with "stuff"...so the flux is my son's ex GF, now not ex, might be pregnant....so life is up in the air right now...he will be 20 in 9 days...should have some sort of confirmation from the doctor this week...hence all the cooking I did this weekend...for those who did not see...7 batches of jam, 3 pies, strawberry shortcake, a batch of bread and beans...all the while getting groceries, doing laundry, hanging it out on the line etc...managed 18k steps on Saturday...can you guess what I do when I am "emotional".....
Anyway so Friday was DL day...
Squats @ 155 3x8
OHP @ 93.5 3,2,3...blah
DL @ 190 1x5 felt great after the workout but drained...
Today was workout A for me...and to be frank I just didn't want to do it...but I did...I knew I would feel better afterwards.....
Squat warmup + 3x5@160...felt great...moving up (that was a current deload to help with form as my hips were coming up to fast)
Bench warmup + 3x5 @ 125...felt great...was easier than the 123.5 on Last Wed go figure
Rows 3x5 @ 125...gonna move up on these...widening my grip didn't help
I am loving the 3x5 part of the app btw...it makes it so much easier to keep track of actual deloads.
Went for a 2 mile walk today as well...add that to the 9k steps I got at work (yes desk job) sitting at almost 15k steps today..
Thinking about buying a fitbit next weekend as I got a "bonus" at work for my 15 years of service....any comments on Fitbits?0 -
So I skipped Friday's workout. Between a nasty head cold and some back issues I figured I needed it (first missed lifting day since I started back in February). Felt really weird and kind of depressing but meh.
I took a massive deload on my squats, even with a the extra time off I felt my back get a little twingy. I did get ATG with all of them though so I will console myself with that
Squat 135 3x5
Bench 95 3/3/2 and 85 lbs 2x5
Row 75lbs 3x5
Accessories
Negative pull ups 3x8
Flies 3x10 16lbs
@stef good luck with your son's troubles. I put my mom through the same kind of hell (only I was the pregnant girlfriend not the boyfriend obviously). And I love my fitbit.0 -
@Stef, I'm sorry things are stressful! I can't imagine. I have a 20 year old daughter that we thought was pregnant last year and I was really worried because she wasn't ready for parenthood by a long shot. It seems that adult children are more challenging than little ones.
I skipped the gym Sunday night because I opted to lie down with the little girls to put them to bed...and then I got sleepy...so, yeah, no go. I was almost tempted to skip last night, too, because I was tired, but once I got there, I felt better.
Squats -- 1x5 @ 80 and then had to back down to 75 for the other 4x5 because of my nasty knee. Ugh, this thing drives me nuts with the popping and cracking. It sucks getting old!
Bench -- 5x5 @ 70. Did 'em all, oh, yes, I did!
Rows -- 5x5 @ 40. I deloaded significantly here so that they would be easy and I'd have no reason to skip them. I almost forced myself to do more but then I came to my senses.
I'm so busy at work that I wasn't able to get out for a run yesterday and am not sure if I can sneak it in this morning. I ran Saturday and ran most of a 5k run so I was super excited about that. My goal is to be able to run the whole 5k distance without stopping by August 1, which is my 1 year anniversary of quitting smoking.0 -
Workout B yesterday
Squats 5x5x85 - no idea why suddenly these are feeling easy, but I love it! Probably a combination of more energy from upping calories plus I think my core strength is improving
OHP 5/5/5/4/4 x 55. Next time for sure... I was SO CLOSE on the last 2
Deadlift 1x3x125
I think I'm going to deload on deadlifts and switch to straight leg. I just feel them more in my glutes/hamstrings than regular ones, which I feel more in my quads/core0 -
Yes! I squatted and deadlifted more than I weigh today, and increased my bench press again too!
Workout A (Tues)
dumbbell skier swings - 5 x 15 - 40
overhand bicep curls - 5 x 5 - 95
Reverse curls - 5 x 5 - 60
Bench press - 5 x 5 - 75
deadlifts 5 X 1 - 145
squats 5 X 5 - 145
Dumbbell side bend - 5 x 15 - 40
lateral hot potato squat 5 x 12 - 15
flys 5 x 8 - 400 -
Workout B yesterday
Squats 5x5x85 - no idea why suddenly these are feeling easy, but I love it! Probably a combination of more energy from upping calories plus I think my core strength is improving
OHP 5/5/5/4/4 x 55. Next time for sure... I was SO CLOSE on the last 2
Deadlift 1x3x125
I think I'm going to deload on deadlifts and switch to straight leg. I just feel them more in my glutes/hamstrings than regular ones, which I feel more in my quads/core
Have you tried sumo? Straight leg deadlift is more of an accessory lift than it is a main strength one, typically. Sumo stance you'll definitely feel it more in your hamstrings and bum. Don't forget to squeeze that butt while you pull the bar off the floor, too!
@perseverance: AWESOME!
Following today's clean & jerk + OHP and pull-up session, I'm going to start logging the "hurt myself" sets as entire exercises of their own. Lol. #Krash0 -
@perseverance1: awesome squat and deadlift!!!! Great workout too.
@stef: good luck to your son! Keep us posted.
Anyone ever done crossfit classes? Any thoughts on them? I like the strenght training they do and the intensity. I might be tempted to try it. Not sure yet.
Today was plyo/tabata style day!!! OMG. about to die.
Round 1:
Bodyweight squats
Jump Squats
Box Jumps
Mountain climbers
(2 times)
Round 2:
Jump lunges
Single leg deadlift - left
Single leg deadlift - right
Plank
(2 times)
Round 3:
Jump rope
Bench hop overs
Side skaters
Box push ups
(2 times)
Repeat entire routine twice. Total 35 minutes. It was all kinds of brutal.0 -
Workout A for me today. There were plumbers(?) in the gym at 5am when I got there, working on pipes under the floor right underneath one of the squat racks, so my MFP friend that also does SL and I shared the rack for squats.
Squats: Should have been at 145, but left work early yesterday... food poisoning from expired milk. I cut back to 135lbs and did 5x5 just to be safe. I was still feeling kind of tired and not 100% this morning.
Bench press: 80lbs 1x3, 4x5. Didn't rest long enough between my last warmup set and my first 80lb set... I know I could have done it if I'd waited longer. Oh well, next time!
Did not have time for rows this morning. Between sharing equipment / longer rest periods while we took turns, I was at the gym for 70 minutes just doing squats and BP... was going to be late for work if I stayed to do rows.0 -
Have you tried sumo? Straight leg deadlift is more of an accessory lift than it is a main strength one, typically. Sumo stance you'll definitely feel it more in your hamstrings and bum. Don't forget to squeeze that butt while you pull the bar off the floor, too!
Interesting, I'll check those out.... still figuring out the different kinds of lifts, it's hard when they're all so similar! I just find the conventional ones awkward - I think I'm going to deload anyway to work on form; they aren't hurting in any way but something just doesn't feel right. I also have to do mine elevated on a little stack of plates, and trying to get the bar back to the start without missing or rolling off onto the floor isn't helping... hopefully I can find some bumpers or 45s for a reasonable price soon0 -
2nd week of Wendler's!
Bench: warm-up + 65lbs x 3, 75lbs x 3, 85lbs x 10
Squats: warm-up + 120lbs x 3, 140lbs x 3, 155lbs x 5
Accessories:
Barbell Complex @ 70lbs, 4 rounds
- 5x Bent over rows
- 5x Lunges
- 5x Pendlay rows
- 5x Straight-leg Deadlift
Found out I was able to clean the loaded barbell and press it almost all the way up (pressed it up enough to get behind my head and rest on my traps to do the lunges). Aaaaaaaaaaaand I'm spent.0 -
good luck stef with everything. I've heard great things about the wrist fitbit from my friend but know many others love them. There was a thing on the news the other day about "are calorie trackers making us fat" where a woman blamed her fitbit for gaining weight because she ate exactly what the thing told her she should. Obviously she doesn't have MFP to tell her they are never going to be accurate and you have to play around. *sigh* sounds like the lawsuit against vibram five fingers...
Anywho mixed up my own workout A today because all squats racks (4) and all smith machines, not that I would use them, (3) were taken when I got to the gym. It's never that busy and and the racks are certainly never that busy. Besides the obvious power lifter these bros obviously didn't know bros skip leg day...
Bench: did the full 5x5 70.5lbs since I was angry at the racks haha
Squats: 3x5 125lbs.
Hip thrusts: 3x10 40lbs (hip flexor was injured/weak back from the spring race season working up to a 10k so I read these help since the muscles are connected)
Assisted chin ups 3x5
Also started C25K on Sunday to try and work myself back up to my pre-hip flexor running. Hopefully starting from scratch (even though i feel dumb because I've done a 10k) will help me dial it back up slowly and fix this hip flexor issue-along with the hip thrusts and leg lifts to help.0 -
Hello ladies!!
Was supposed to do workout B today but I was out of buddies so I wanted to do something a little different!! Workout B will be Friday
So today was..
Squat to press - 3x10 with 10lbs dumbells. meh should have gone with 15s. next time!
Chest flies - 3x8 with 15lbs dumbells. Gotta get that bench up!!!
Single leg deadlifts - 3x8 with 45lbs empty bar
Power cleans (god I love that move!!) - 3x5 @55lbs
I was sweaty sweaty!! It felt great!0 -
@Gen2703 - power cleans are so cool.. one day I'll stop being intimidated and try them
Workout A today
Squat: 5x5x90 - Was getting tough on the last two reps, so we'll see how Friday goes, but with three lifting days left in July I think I might hit 100 before August
Bench: 4/5/5/4/4x75 Deloading next time
Row: 3/4/4/3/0x65 I'm still having trouble finding the right arm width - my left elbow tends to lock up at the wrong angle
And then I did a set of sumo deadlifts at 65 just to see how they felt and I loved them0 -
Thanks everyone...we should know tomorrow or Friday...ie Son...as for the fitbit..I read some reviews...it won't sync with my phone..but the Jawbone is looking promising and apparently was just bought out by body media
@perseverance great on those DL and Squats
@coady I used to do the sumo (mainly due to comfort) recently switched back to SL and wow what a difference the SL isn't nearly as heavy
@Gen if we had a crossfit gym I would give it a go
@katro will definately be watching you with the wendler thinking of starting in Sept
Workout B for me today...minor mishap..
Squats warmup + 3x5 @ 165..these felt great...
DL warmup +1x5@195
OHP...minor mishap...barbell math...1x3@98.5....then nada..should have been 93.5...but I am impressed with myself anyway0 -
Thanks everybody, @ Stef hope things work out well for your son.
Had to look up Sumo deadlift and powerclean...wow, not sure when I am going to be ready for the powerclean, awesome though!0 -
Hey guys, haven't been too chatty lately. Been insane with swim lessons, going through a separation/divorce, trying to work out AND spend time with my kid.
I did this workout yesterday:
Squats @130 5x5
OHP @80 4/4/3/3/3...which is up from 4/3/3/3/2, so decent increase but I can feel the deload. lol
DL @135 1x5 taking it easy on this one and going up slowly, I was at 185 before that slight back pain I got0 -
So I have been back at work for 3 days now and I love my job, I just hate working lol. Getting into the groove there is taking some time and the kids are slowly adjusting. I found out that there is a running club that goes every Wednesday and that the building has change room/shower so I think I'll get back into running a little more.
Run at lunch was 35 minutes, running with people that run faster than me is great, love the extra motivation. Downside, it was effing tough.
Workout B late tonight was
Squat 140 lbs 3x5 still working back up
OHP 65 lbs 3/3/3 2x5 55lbs
DL 185 1x5 another fail and deload or get it and up the weight and I got it. Very happy about that
Accessories
SLDL 10/9/8 135 lbs
Glute bridge 10/9/10 135 lbs
On a side note, my company has this wellness program that has a different brand of pedometer. It is kind of a pain in the *kitten* because it has special equipment to get the data off of it, but I am curious to see how it matches up with my FitBit.0 -
@suremeansyes . . . that really sucks.So I have been back at work for 3 days now and I love my job, I just hate working lol.
+1, and i'm not even working. two interviews in two days, on extremely short notice. one of them i only heard about on monday, the other around this time last week, with the request coming in two days after the recruiter 'presented' me. plus all the footwork of keeping each recruiter in the loop about the status of their 'competition' job from the other one . . . both jobs looking to start someone next monday. i'm exhausted just from wearing the clothes.
pretty standard for freelancing, but i've been having such a nice peaceful not-in-work-mode phase and now my brain has suddenly thrown itself back into okay-you-work-fulltime mode. so i haven't had much mental time free for thinking about lifting and form during the day, and i felt kind of on the left foot through most of the workout today.
anyway. workout a, i guess.
squats: 5x5 @ 65. i think this is 5lb up from last time, not sure. seemed strong but the knees . . . .
bench press: 5x5 @ 55. also 5lb up, and that was pushing it. doable and i feel i kept form all the way through, but it was HARD.
rows: 5x5 @ 50. this is the same weight as last time. i carted the mid-size bar over to the scales and weighed myself and it together, and it's only 30lb, not 35 as i thought i'd been told.
thoughts:
i don't think it's the squats that are hurting my knees. i think it's something in that deadlift/row stance, with the knees only a little bit bent. the tissue over the surface of the entire knee feels like it's taking a hell of a load. going to keep thinking that thought and see what i think by the next workout, i guess. i may join the sumo revolution . . . my inner thighs need the work.
rows are weird. a) there's this weird little bermuda triangle space about two inches deep right in front of my chest, and some reps just kind of . . . vanish into it when i get up that high. it doesn't feel like weakness and i don't think it's impingement since i can do it sometimes. it's just a kind of neuromuscular black hole. maybe it is fatigue, since it seems to develop as i continue the set. and b) i never get the doms in the muscles that are supposedly doing the work. i get it in my bum - not so much the muscles themselves but maybe the 'skin' layer of the muscles. anyway, i repeated the sets that didn't quite make it there for all reps, since the weight wasn't that heavy and i felt good enough.
did a little supplementary stuff, not 100% seriously. lat pulldowns, and that cable one where you pull the handle horizontally across your body.0 -
Running late, all I had time \for this morning:
Workout B (Thurs)
squats 5 X 5 - 145
overhead press 5 x 5 - 60
barbell rows 5 X 5 - 80
reverse curls 5 x 5 - 60
underhand bicep curls 5 x 5 - 100
Dumbbell side bend - 5 x 15 - 400 -
Went to the gym last night and...
Squats, 5x5 @ 75 -- my knee felt better but it's driving me crazy because it seems like when I try to add weight, it starts acting up again. Ugh.
OHP, 5x5 @ 45
Deadlift, 1x5 @ 155
I weighed myself yesterday at 156 so I basically lifted my own weight. It wasn't easy but I was really amazed that I could do it at all!0 -
Getting into the gym once a week is kind of a bummer... but it's better than zero times a week!
Last night's workout I just did a little bit of whatever:
Squats
various warmups then 175 5x5
then I just did some misc stuff - kind of a circuit of OHP, Bench and narrow stance squats which I am kind of starting to love
BP 65x10x3
OHP 45x10x3
Narrow Squat 95x10x3
-- I cannot emphasize how different these are from wide stance heavy squats. The last set of these left me KILLED and sweating like mad. On the way home I could really feel these - I don't even know how to explain which muscles - high/front quads/hips? Also glutes and hams.
I need to get a form video of these to be sure I'm doing it right. What's the little thing "terribly useful block of wood"? I can see why this is needed for this style of squat.
Cheers all - it's pre-Friday!0 -
Hi all! This my first time posting in this thread. I've been kind of working my way up to SL for a little while, and now I've got everything up to the olympic bar, except for OHP.
Workout A (Monday):
Squat: 5x5 - 20lb
BP: 5x5 - 45lb
BR: 5x5 - 50lb
Workout B (Wednesday):
Squat: 5x5 - 45lb
OHP: 5x5 - 35lb
DL: 1 @ 120lb, 1x5 - 115lb
Yesterday was my first time using the squat rack and the oly bar for squats. I knew I could handle the weight, but I had been working on my form with weighted broomsticks until yesterday. I made the mistake of looking down to check that my knees weren't going over my toes sometime during my third set, and when I tried to look up again, I ended up falling backwards. The rack caught the barbell, but I knocked the back of my head against it! I took a couple minutes to collect myself, then got up and did that set over, and finished out just fine. It was embarrassing because it was such a stupid thing, but I survived. Needless to say, that's a mistake I won't make again.
Yesterday was weird in another way -- normally,dead lift is relatively easy for me and OHP is a nightmare, but last night it was the opposite. Any clue why that might be? Even after I went back down to 115, I struggled to do my dead lift with good form.0
