April Check in & Chat - Spring into the Squat Rack
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Everyone seems to be doing great lately!
Did 135# for squats yesterday and was soooo sooo excited to load up the 45's!
My friend sent me a link to this and I think you ladies might enjoy it - how to get ready for bikini season!
"How to dress for your shape: are you human-shaped? play up your confidence and natural sex appeal by wearing whatever the **** you want.
Life Tip: As the weather gets warmer, continue to wear whatever the **** you want. Flaunt everything or keep it cool under cover. Dress to make yourself feel rad.
How to get a bikini body:put a bikini on your body
Want sexy own-the-beach summer legs? shave, or don’t because they’re your f*cking legs."
Just a little commentary on loving ourselves and celebrating our rad bods just how they are
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My friend sent me a link to this and I think you ladies might enjoy it - how to get ready for bikini season!
"How to dress for your shape: are you human-shaped? play up your confidence and natural sex appeal by wearing whatever the **** you want.
Life Tip: As the weather gets warmer, continue to wear whatever the **** you want. Flaunt everything or keep it cool under cover. Dress to make yourself feel rad.
How to get a bikini body:put a bikini on your body
Want sexy own-the-beach summer legs? shave, or don’t because they’re your f*cking legs."
Just a little commentary on loving ourselves and celebrating our rad bods just how they are
Loves this!!!!!0 -
I love that fishlover!
Great lifitng reports so far!
I had a great workout, too. 120 on squats, 67 on bench, 82 for rows. 20 minutes of cycling intervals which I was NOT into, and then walking at the dog park with the puppins.
I deserve a hot epsom salts bath, and I am going to have one. :glasses:0 -
how to get ready for bikini season!
What's a bikini??
:happy: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
I go in the pool with my workout clothes on. Doesn't everybody? :bigsmile:0 -
I too wear workout clothes in the pool...if I ever get near one!
Dani-water rowers are are type of rowing machine with a tank you fill with water for resistance. It's similar to the magnetic flywheel type, but it feels so much smoother. I've been wanting one for a while and finally found a used one at Second Wind (actually I just happened to call on the right day...it wasn't even on the floor and they were awaiting delivery). It's made by the company called Waterrower (I know, tough name to remember!!).
Back to lifting tomorrow.0 -
I too wear workout clothes in the pool...if I ever get near one!
Dani-water rowers are are type of rowing machine with a tank you fill with water for resistance. It's similar to the magnetic flywheel type, but it feels so much smoother. I've been wanting one for a while and finally found a used one at Second Wind (actually I just happened to call on the right day...it wasn't even on the floor and they were awaiting delivery). It's made by the company called Waterrower (I know, tough name to remember!!).
Back to lifting tomorrow.
Thank you for this !!!
I have to take a break from lifting for a couple weeks to nurse various aches and pains. It's going to be difficult to a) resist grabbing my barbell and b) focus more on cardio (eep! dirty word! eep!). But, I'm tired of being in pain all the time, so ... there you go. Hopefully things will mend soon enough. If I have to do a full reset, then so be it.
Ack. Ack. Ack. Ack. Ack. :frown:0 -
Oh no! I hope the break helps you feel better.0
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Dani - do you know the source of the aches and pains? Just thinking you could do some targeted work to help stabilize problem areas. I wish you strength, resisting the siren song of the barbell. . .
I stumbled through A today. Not sure if the difficulty came from it being the third workout of the week, not enough for breakfast, who knows. Overall, it probably wasn't that bad, just nowhere near as fluid as my BAMF day on Thursday.
Squats - 115 This is probably what zapped me, looking back on it.
Bench - I just went too fast through the whole thing. 1x3 at 90 - WAY too heavy today. Then 5545 at 86.25. Thank goodness for fractionals.
Rows - 1 rep at 100. Not ready yet. 5x5 at 96.25 Again, yea fractionals!
Hubby came in today to lift with me for the first time. He has done barbell work before, but it has been a few years. He had a great attitude about the whole thing, and didn't grouse one bit about my weights being so much higher than what he felt ready for. And it was nice to have an easy spotter for the benches.
Off to the mountains to visit my folks. Happy weekend all!0 -
Feasted on enchilada's and popcorn last night and I must say that all that fuel did wonders for my workout this morning!
Workout A, increase on squat and row. Did side lunges and back lunges during rest periods on upper body and then did a dumbbell complex to finish is out.....10lb dumbbells and 3 circuits of 8 reps front squat, front lunge, row, and curl to press. Now it's a beautiful day and I'm thinking my girl and I should head out for a bike ride!
I'm also trying to come up with a plan to use the hill behind my house for my cardio.....I'm thinking sprint up, walk across, jog down, then jog on the trail around to the other side and repeat. Any ideas ladies?
Happy Saturday!0 -
Oh no! I hope the break helps you feel better.Dani - do you know the source of the aches and pains? Just thinking you could do some targeted work to help stabilize problem areas. I wish you strength, resisting the siren song of the barbell. . .
Hubby was of the opinion I need to quit being a baby and let my muscles actually get conditioned, so evidently around here, "taking a break from lifting" means "get a personal DL record of 120". :laugh:
Bromelain, my tennis ball and foam roller are now officially my new best friends.
Happy weekend!!! :flowerforyou:I'm also trying to come up with a plan to use the hill behind my house for my cardio.....I'm thinking sprint up, walk across, jog down, then jog on the trail around to the other side and repeat. Any ideas ladies?
I say you walk up and down with a barbell on your back. Walking is cardio, right? :laugh:0 -
I'm also trying to come up with a plan to use the hill behind my house for my cardio.....I'm thinking sprint up, walk across, jog down, then jog on the trail around to the other side and repeat. Any ideas ladies?
Happy Saturday!
Nexangelus does hill sprints.
I have a hill route that's essentially up from A to B, across-with-gentle-slopes-up-and-down from B to C, down from C to D, turn around and repeat. There is a flat route from D to A if I can't face the last repeat. It's less sprints and more endurance, so I usually tack it on the end of a run as the last 1-2 miles. So yes, your idea should work.0 -
@Dani......perhaps you are starting to know me too well.....by planting that seed I just may in fact do that one day. Especially once I pick up my little barbell :laugh:
@xidia.....yeah, I'm thinking that it will be successful.....it's not a huge hill so I don't have a lot to work with. I think the other thing I could do is sprint up one side jog to the other side, walk down turn around and sprint back up, jog back to starting side, walk down, jog the trail to the other side and do it again. Meh, it's not a big deal....as long as the heart rate gets up, I think it will be effective!0 -
Vegas - That sounds like a good sprint plan as it is. I've been thinking of adding some in on cardio days since there is a hill right next to the gym.
Dani - Well, good luck on the rest and the DL PR
:laugh: That sounds very much like something I would do.
Kira - I think the lackluster lifting was going around, much like the BAMF day earlier. Rows kicked my butt today.
Workout A for me. Saturdays are always a rough day for me since I feel a little drained from the week.
Squat - 1x5 @ 75, 85, 95, 105, 115 I watched a Ripptoe video on hip thrust this AM before going and I think I get it now. It actually helps with the hip flexor issue in tandem with the pushing the heels down and out.
Bench - 1x5 @ 105 then 3x5 @ 115 and 1x3 @ 115 - still progress over tuesday, but these are getting pretty hard.
Row - tried to start with 105, just didn't have it so I did 5x5 @ 95. I think the bench zapped most of my upper body.
Monday I'll be back to a deficit to get the fat off after my lazy April (which was needed). I've made some great strength gains so I'm hoping I can at least maintain a slow progression with the weights. I don't plan on being far off of TDEE, but I know for me even a slight deficit can slow me down.0 -
Um....about my workout today...hmmm. I seemed to have spent the entire day sitting out in the (finally!) warm weather enjoying a wine tasting. I guess I did lift a glass...0
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Macy: sounds like a good day!
I've lifted Mon-Wed-Fri-Sun this week. I don't recommend it! Still, i know I'm only going to get in twice next week and maybe the week after, so i get a couple of lighter weeks to recover.
Squats: 42.5kg/93.5lb almost 75% bodyweight. My lower back is the limiting factor on these
OHP: 18.5kg/40lb Yay fractionals. These would have been easy were i not still suffering from my overreach-fail at bench on Friday
DL: 60kg/132lb bodyweight!! Back to where i was at the beginning of April. My lower back hates me.
I'm thinking that every time I think I'm going to need to do 2 sessions at this or the next weight (squats, DL) I should use my fractionals so I keep progressing each session. Is this sensible?0 -
Workout A, unusually in the morning (and I'm a morning person, it's SOOO lovely!) and fuelled by a pain au chocolat..
something worked, because I feel EPIC!
Squats - 40kg (88lb) 5x5 rocked it
Bench - 35kg (77lb) - this I hit 4 reps last time, gave up and went back down. This time 5x5, only the very last rep felt really really hard. Yay!
Pendlay rows - 45kg (99lb) - 5x5 good, will repeat next time didn't quite get the last one to my chest!
Also hopped on the gym scales. the last time I did this in November, I was 31.4% body fat. today, 27.3% lowest ever!!!
Oh yeah I'm feeling BAMF today.. except for the cramps and irritation of Aunt Flo. *sigh*0 -
Um....about my workout today...hmmm. I seemed to have spent the entire day sitting out in the (finally!) warm weather enjoying a wine tasting. I guess I did lift a glass...
Aren't recovery days the best? My "workout" yesterday was teaching my kids how to hang upside down and do flips on the bars and the playground. Oh, and throwing 40 lb bags of topsoil in and out of my car!0 -
So I'm just jumping in here with this week's workouts
Got my squats to 80kg 5x5 on wednesday - no stalls to that point. I wasn't happy with a couple of the reps - one I didn't go quite to parallel and an maybe 2 i leant too far forward. So I did 80kg again yesterday and did them all awesome! I think I might stay at 80kg tomorrow and go up again to 82.5kg after that as things are natrually getting a lot harder and therefore progression is going to be slower, but I'm so happy to be at 80kg!!!
Rows still at 42.5 kg, they're just so darn hard!
This wednesday I manged all 5x5 of my BP at 42.5kg I worked out with the boys so I had to save face and not give in (not that it was in the slightest impressive next to their 95kg!! that's my boyf and my dad who turns 50 this year! They're awesome!)
OHP... this is a big one for me
I completed ALL 5x5 at 27.5kg. I've been stuck there for ages and had not deloaded but I finally did it Will do once more before i go to 30kg
Deads are at 85kg and will defo be going up next sesh but only by 2.5kg as they're getting a bit hard now!!
And that's me as of week 8 workout 1 (or workout 22!!) Not long left 0 -
@xidia....I lift every other day also and surprisingly I haven't had any issues BUT I think it's because I don't progress every workout and I use smaller increments on my increases. My stats are:
Squat 3x5 @ 135#
Bench 5,5,4 @ 63#
Row 3x5 @ 93#
OHP 3x5 @ 55#
DL 2x5 @ 142# (tomorrow will be 145#)
I use my masking tape rolls as my fractionals and they are 0.5lb each so I can't go up in nice even 2.5lb increments :laugh: So it's usually either 1,2, or 3lbs at a time. Upper body is very weak for me so it's 1lb each time for that and usually a 2 and 3 lb split for lower. I have been very happy doing this as it gives me more of an opportunity to focus on form as my weight gets heavier. I actually did have higher numbers when I ended cycle 1 of SL but I realized that my form was lacking from going to quick, so I deloaded and this is much better! Anyway, hope that answers your question or helps in some way
Used the hill and trail for my workout this morning and it was so awful and so awesome all at once :laugh: My mind is spinning now with all of the options of what I can do. Exercising outside was never an option before mostly because it's much harder but I found that it was quite enjoyable today because I'm in much better shape :bigsmile:0 -
Ugh. Got some kind of virus and we're camping this week, so it's super important that I get over it before sleeping in a tent.
So, I'll have taken 12 days off of lifting, that's probalby 4-5 sessions, since I take weekends off. Sigh.
Haven't exercised at all due to coughing fits.
I'm very unhappy with myself right now.0 -
Ugh. Got some kind of virus and we're camping this week, so it's super important that I get over it before sleeping in a tent.
So, I'll have taken 12 days off of lifting, that's probably 4-5 sessions, since I take weekends off. Sigh.
Haven't exercised at all due to coughing fits.
I'm very unhappy with myself right now.
Don't worry about it. Strength gains, like weight loss, are usually not linear, and life simply just happens.
When you're up for it, deload, and get to llfting again. Maybe even lift on a weekend day when you're back from camping.
Get better soon! The weights will still be there when you're ready for them again. 0 -
glwerth-hope you feel better before you go. I had a horrible round with a virus this winter. Mucinex DM, fluids and rest. Yes, REST. You won't lose all your muscle, you need to recover first. It's taken my a long time to realize that!
I did my lifting today that I skipped yesterday...
Squat...stayed at 127.5, feels like if I go up I'll break form, so I'll spend another workout at this weight.
Bench...85, but only got 3 reps on the last 2 sets. Eh, it'll go up eventually.
Rows...95, last week missed on the last rep so stayed at 95. Felt pretty good.
Taking a break from today's cadio session now (raking!). It's cardio, right?0 -
just jumping in to keep up. This thread moves fast.
Did workout B today. Due to a math error, I squatted 117.5 instead of 112.5. I thought it was a little heavy, but my form was good. And then when I realized I can't add, I was quite happy.
66.5 (that half makes all the difference!) OHP, and then 178.5 Deads. I am going to pull 180 next time. That makes me feel BADASS.0 -
I did workout B yesterday. I usually do T-Th-Sat but I had a bad evening Friday and Saturday was spent in a funk. My eating was no good (but I logged it!), so when I lifted yesterday, I had a tough time of it.
Squats: 165lb 5x5
OHP: 75lb 3x5
Deadlift: 185lbs 1x5--I had sweaty hands (my gym doesn't allow chalk of any kind) and the barbell slipped a litte so I have a lovely little blister right underneath my right-hand ring finger.
I have one more workout in this round. I'm debating on what to do next. My fiance and I finally set a date, so I'd like to concentrate more on fat loss. Wedding pictures last a long time. :ohwell: I need to do some research since I really have no idea what I'm doing!:laugh:0 -
I will be taking an extra break/day before my next StrongLift.mi can feel my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome wanting to creep it's way in, my MON, WED, FRI are already busy this week, so I will do SL on Tues/Thurs/Sat.0
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My fiance and I finally set a date, so I'd like to concentrate more on fat loss. Wedding pictures last a long time. :ohwell: I need to do some research since I really have no idea what I'm doing!:laugh:
congratulations! how exciting.. no advice, just happiness for you 0 -
I have one more workout in this round. I'm debating on what to do next. My fiance and I finally set a date, so I'd like to concentrate more on fat loss. Wedding pictures last a long time. :ohwell: I need to do some research since I really have no idea what I'm doing!:laugh:
Congrats! Definitely stick with lifting of some kind, but maybe get some cardio in too, to help with further fat loss.0 -
Ladies, there is some serious work going on here. In numbers, in determination, in strength - glad I get to be a part of all this power!!!
B today:
Squat 115 5x5 repeat to make sure I've got my form nailed down - looked good.
OHP 65 5x5 ALL STRONG!! WOOT! Feeling really good about working through my first stall. I'll start increasing with fractionals next time.
Deadlifts 175 1x5 Booyah. Mixed grip is working great, but hoo-boy, do these higher weights get my heart pumping each lift. Had to take a 30 second break between 4 and 5 just to catch my breath!
And then I spent some quality time with the foam roller. Hurts sooooo goooooood.
Chubby -congrats on setting a date. Have you used any of the strength calculators to figure out where you fall? That might be a good indicator of where to head next - I'm heading up on the end of my first cycle, and need to figure it out too, so I'll be interested in your answers!0 -
I will be taking an extra break/day before my next StrongLift.mi can feel my Chronic Fatigue Syndrome wanting to creep it's way in, my MON, WED, FRI are already busy this week, so I will do SL on Tues/Thurs/Sat.
That's smart! I have learned to listen to my body's early warning signals for an FM flare.
I took both Sat & Sun off because my knee was still boogered up from power cleans 2 weeks ago. Le Sigh. No power cleans for me. I will try again in a couple of months. Good news is that my knee felt great (relatively) while riding over the weekend and is great (relatively LOL) this morning. So yeah, going to the gym after work!
In other news, I am now wearing size 18 pants and I have hit the one-third of the way mark re my fat loss, and I am feeling all happy about that. I have been consistently losing 1 1/2 pounds per week since January 1 -- the logging tools here at MFP are making all the difference for me. Special thanks go to figuring out my actual TDEE because it is a lot higher than the calculators gave me, and if I hadn't done that I would have given up from eating too little and being hungry and feeling like cr@p. The loss hasn't been linear, but over time it has been consistent.
And every pound that I lose makes my SL weights more impressive. I'm now on the strength charts for three of my lifts, and squats and deads are almost at novice level!! Bench is lagging way behind, not sure why. I was wondering last time if I am using too narrow of a grip. I'm going to work with that a little bit.0 -
Have you used any of the strength calculators to figure out where you fall? That might be a good indicator of where to head next - I'm heading up on the end of my first cycle, and need to figure it out too, so I'll be interested in your answers!
I used http://www.strstd.com/
I don't quite know how to read this, but I'm around Novice on most my lifts, as far as I can tell. I'm kicking around the idea of doing something along the lines of 3x8 and go more for endurance right now. I'm not good at making decisions.
ETA: I think I'm going to post something in the Eat Train Progress group and see if someone more experienced can steer me in the right direction.0
