Daily Chat Thread

Beeps2011

Lol that your workout is easy, Dawn.

I am doing 4 x 6's this week. As a sampling of the weights I use:

Bench press: 65 BB
Lat pull downs: 85 lb
Deadlifts: 80 BB
One-armed row: 30 DB
Pullovers: 30 DB
Laterail raise: 10 DBs
WHT: 145 BB

True, I have a shoulder injury I am baby-ing. But my strength is far less than two years ago.

I aim to improve this in 2018. And lost FAT, too. Time to make the change. BOOM!

DawnEmbers

Another easy one. Was supposed to do it yesterday but didn't feel like leaving the apartment. Meet is Saturday and weigh-in is tomorrow morning.

squat 1x3 @ 108, 2x3 @ 129, 3x2 @ 155
bench 1x3 @ 65, 2x3 @ 75, 3x2 @ 88
sauna for 20 minutes roughly


And I've learned it's hard to get in calories on liquids but staying minimal carb. Pesky water cut. Plus side, after weigh in can eat whatever. mmmm carbs

DawnEmbers

Meet went fairly well. Everyone was nice and encouraging. Chatted with some of the other women during warmups and such. Squats were slow but I'm always slow on squats. I ended up not getting as much as I did in the gym but this time I didn't fail on the third set of squats, and it's still better than my first meet. Bench went okay. Started a bit light so did a jump then 121 felt pretty decent so could have just done 126 which was the gym PR too but decided to just go for it and tried 130, which I didn't get. Was the only fail of the day though for me. Bench is still weak and didn't improve much so will need to work on that. Deadlift was good. Finally achieved the goal of 2xbw at last.

(conversions using an USA powerlifting chart I found online)

Meet Attempts/Results

squat
92.5/203.9
95/205.1
100/220.5

bench
47.5/104.7
55/121.3
50/132.3 - fail

deadlift
120/264.6
125/275.6
127.5/281.1 PR


Didn't place. Harder for me in the 148 weight class. Need to get back down to 132 for the next meet and work on that bench. Maybe I should get a slingshot. *ponders*

Beeps2011

Wow, 2x BW deadlift?!? That’s crazy! nicely done, Dawn!

DawnEmbers

Thank Beeps.

Just for fun, I've got a week pass over at LA Fitness. It's a nice gym, the one I got the pass for, but it's on Hollywood blvd. Plus, they have hex plates but they have so many 10's and 5's and 2.5's. So, had fun getting in a quick workout before work then enjoyed the dry sauna in the women's locker room.

push press 1x8 @ 45, 3x6 @ 65
front squat 1x8 @ 45, 3x6 @ 95
clean 1x6 @ 45, 3x6 @ 65
jerk (practice) 3x4 @ 45
face pull 3x10 @ 30
tricep pushdown 3x10 @ 42.5

DawnEmbers

Behind in posting my lifting, so here are the last two sessions.

Yesterday:
deadlift 2x5 @ 135, 1x5 @ 165, belt 1x4 @ 185 and 2x3 @ 225
front squat 1x8 @ 45, 1x5 @ 65, 2x4 @ 95
good morning 3x8 @ 115
cable kickback 3x8 @ 40

Today:
push press 2x6 @ 45, 3x5 @ 65, 1x1 @ 85
clean 2x6 @ 45, 35 @ 65, 1x1 @ 85
jerk 3x6 @ 45, 1x3 @ 65
snatch 3x5 @ 45 - not up for doing 65 yet
pendlay row with straps 3x6 @ 95

DawnEmbers

Later shift at work today and lucky me, have morning shift tomorrow. Gym went okay though squats felt a bit heavy and knee wasn't a fan of the pauses this time around. Tried pausing with the knee sleeves on just to get some use out of them. Almost out of room in my current notebook. 2018 will feature a new gym notebook.

squats 1x8 @ 45, 1x6 @ 115, 2x3 @ 155, belt & sleeves 2x4 @ 185, 1x2 @ 205
pause squats with sleeves 2x5 @ 95, 1x3 @ 115
sumo deadlifts 1x6 @ 135, 1x5 @ 155 and belt 3x4 @ 158

Also managed to scratch my knee with my nail and break the skin during deadlifts. Never had the bar scratch my legs, so instead to get myself but at least didn't break a nail. Might need to trim my fingernails soon.

Beeps2011

Well, new year means new challenges! Opportunities for new successes!

My workouts are likely going to look like this:

M - cardio
Tu - weights
W - rest
Th - yoga
F - weights
Sa - cardio
Su - weights

I have a fancy ball at the end of January, so am really working hard to dump 5- lbs by then. And I am then going to be in good shape to keep cutting through Feb/Mar/Apr...to hit "goal weight".

My "goal weight" these days is still about 10 lbs UP from where I was 7- or 8- years ago....now that I am post-menopause, I don't think I can get that low and I am f-ing my mind by trying.

With the extra weight-lifting day, though, I hope my shoulder measurement comes up and my hip measurement goes down.

BOOM!

BarbellCowgirl

*Waves*
I miss seeing all of you ladies’ lifting stats! Been in survival mode for a while, but I am glad to see some of you still going hard at it.
Beeps, your schedule looks great. I’d wager a guess that your overall body composition is different than it was 7-8 years ago. Focusing on your measurements seems like a good idea.
Dawn, those are impressive numbers! Your consistency pays off.
Been doing essentially higher rep (8-15) workouts for the past two years- focusing on healing my disc. Well, DH and I started a strength phase this week. Despite feeling like I’m “starting over” the numbers did not reflect that. My body reminded me just how strong it can be- and it felt great. Looking forward to working being to continue getting stronger...again.

Beeps2011

Hi barbell!

Beeps2011

I did get in five workouts this week - I planned for six. Only two were weightlifting, though.

Next week, I will again plan for six, and see how it goes.

I am 4 lbs down since Jan 2. I want to lose 3 more lbs this month. Then 5 lbs down for February and then 4 lbs down for March.

I have promised myself the "time" it takes to dump the weight doesn't really matter....I am 100% on a mission and a mission it shall be. When I hit plateaus, I won't change ANYTHING....will keep the calorie cut, keep up the workouts, and let the plateau take care of itself.

I really love it when I am in a good headspace like I am right now....I need to stay very focused on how proud I am of myself. No, I am not breaking any weightlifting records; no, my clothes aren't fitting better. But, I love myself when I meet commitments to my self, so my self esteem is actually soaring!!

BarbellCowgirl

Beeps, it sounds like you’re in a very healthy place, mentally, right now. I’m slowly coming back to that myself. There’s nothing like knowing that you’re doing what is right for your body and mind.
My focus since Jan 1 has been to feed myself properly. I’ve managed to gain a good amount of weight since my pain issue started. Much of it was from lack of movement and some of it from simply losing focus on what my body needs(protein, vegetables, plenty of water). My body is much more cooperative when I fuel it.

Julieboolieaz

Anybody still around? I’m checking in to catch up with you lovely lifting ladies!

I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis 2 years ago, while caring for a drug addicted newborn. (Became foster parents) I gained 20-30 lbs in month and a half despite regular workouts and a 1400cal diet. My hair was falling out, couldn’t complete a thought or sentence, was exhausted all the time. Stopped lifting and got rather depressed.

Fast forward 2 years and I’m still up 30 lbs, but am feeling so much better! I’ve been back at a good gym since January this year and I’m lifting again . I haven’t been able to budge the scale but just started IF and LC together 2 weeks ago and am encouraged finally! Down a few lbs.

I’m raising 2 different toddlers now- our 2.5yo son we have guardianship for now, and our 1.5yo daughter we hope to adopt by the end of the year. My oldest will be a sophomore in college and my second daughter is a junior in high school, and we sent her to a charter school this year after homeschooling her for 8 years! Oh, and I turned 50 in May!

I’m feeling good, following SL 5x5 for now but plateauing there and looking at other plans.

Just wanted to pop by and see if you guys might still be around? Hope you’re all doing well!

Beeps2011

I am still around!

...my “last three years” story is this: peri-menopause threw me for a loop and I went on HRT, which has been splendid BUT, for sure my 15-20-ish pound weight gain is all menopause related.

Soooooo, I started a “challenge” a couple weeks back to shave off 1 lb a week until the scale reads like it should.

I never stopped lifting - have been religious about it for better part of a decade now!

Beeps2011

Here is what is working for me:

- if I eat nothing in the evenings (after supper) and drink nothing, I can get 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. Every time I snack, or I have a drink, for sure the sleep is hugely disrupted, including hot flashes.

- I want to reduce my HRT to “nil” in 2020, so it becomes even more necessary for me to remain vigilant about my evening routine. I am on the lowest does of HRT, but am three years into that, now, have had zero periods for a year ... it is time to figure out how to reduce HRT to zero and see if all my symptoms are gone.

- Lots of stress - the stress of the move here has mostly subsided. The stress of moving out middle son to university is over. The stress of youngest daughter being across the country for the summer is over. So, left with work stress and maybe hubby and I will build a house here in Toronto - which would be a VERY stressful endeavour. Sigh.

- My workouts are fine - not GREAT. I am bored with the weights, but do manage two full-body workouts a week. The cardio is actually pretty good because they still have step instructors at the YMCA I go to! I do know the step instructors are going the way of the dodo bird, and I likely would replace with pilates and yoga - maybe not “cardio” enough?

- It is tough to lose 1 lb a week....I am more in the 0.5 lb per week club. This is NOT a complaint. I was ten lbs lighter at this time last year- so, I ate all of my “move stress” last year. For sure. No more. Back to two meals a day - mostly veggies and protein.

- I stopped sweets about two weeks ago....that has helped A LOT. The cravings are mostly gone, now.