On a mini vacay now - trying to not let the wheels come off the bus food-wise. Hoping to get in a run tomorrow, but not expecting to workout otherwise (as I'm flying solo with the kids and they can't be left alone while I hit the gym, I think).

Yesterday was my kettlebells day - did an Iron Core circuit DVD, which is new to me and I LOVE - involved 80 kettlebell swings at 25lbs. I haven't deadlifted since the back has improved, but did one-legged deaadlifts and good mornings with 15 & 20 lbs bells and FEELING IT today. Holy hamstrings!

Curls are so much fun. Makes you look tough. I especially like loading up the bar so much that I have to do a compound lift curl that is part curl, part reverse clean. You know with all the upper body momentum. Okay, I lied, I don't curl any more, but I do still check out the guns in the mirror. Some of the curling bros do have nice guns that I can see in the mirror

Any whooos, onto what I like to call efficient lifting. WO A today:

Squats 5x5 @ 115 - warm ups were really stiff so I did a few extra sets to work up to the 115
Bench 5x5 @ 85
Row 5x5 @ 80

Chubby - you still went up by 10lbs on last time - and I failed at barbell maths this week too lol

So today I learned something. Do not put the bar on your chest to change your grip halfway through a set. Yeah! It is a heavy thing and once your body is not engaged with the lifting process it is hard to get it back up again! Doh.

So my squats, I have been working on my form for a week or two and today was the first increase in weight for a while - don't laugh it's only teen tiny! 5x5 @ 32.5kg (72lb) Working on keeping my hips square, knees tracking out - I am a little knock-kneed and feet a little wider than shoulder width. And it seemed to work well. Could feel the muscles working in my glutes and the inside and back of my thighs. And I feel better about being able to keep my form good while I start to build the weight again now.

Bench press - increased again up to a whole 25kg (55lb). I did my 5x5 it was hard to really get that pec squeeze at the top. I may stick with the weight for my next session and see if I can just build a bit more strength at it.

Rows, I used the bottom of the power rack to rest the bar on which took it a good bit higher than even the 25kg plates would have done. And I managed my first proper Pendlay rows! at 5X5 35kg (77lb) Much easier to shift the weight this way. It is now a case of building muscle memory. Hopefully as that develops I will be able to start a little lower, we have the adjustable reebok step things so I could rest on 2 of those to go a little lower however I think I really do have a body compostition problem in respect of doing these. Even at 25kg height there is no way my legs would be straight enough for this to be a proper pendlay row and to put the bar down. I think my legs are just in the wrong proportion to my body to do them without some sort of extra height. But perhaps the muscle memory will build up enough. Who cares for the time being I can do 'em right!

I have looked at videos and stuff of form, I know what you mean about the back being flat (s shaped not ( shaped) And I can do it with the bar about a foot off the ground but much less and my head would either be lower than my hips or I would literally be crouching. I shall see how I get on now I have a way of elevating it somewhat

Dani that goes above and beyond the call of duty! Now chill out and enjoy your weekend

I do bend my legs even still with the bar on the bottom safety on the rack.

Impressive weights, ladies! :drinker:

Finished my first week with 5/3/1. Today was bench day. Thankfully I found a weight to calculate my weights for me because all the math was hurting my poor little brain! :blushing:

Bench: 1 set 5 reps each of 75, 85, and 90 lbs. That was after the 3 warm up sets. A lot of benching. I wore a wrist brace since it's been bothering me and it felt good. Skipped the dips and chins again and used the little handle thingies (name is escaping me) to keep my wrists straighter during push ups.

Seated rows (machine): 70, 80, 90 lbs (5 reps each)

Pushups- 30

then some ab work.

I ran 1.5 miles and walked 1 mile tonight also.

Kira I recommend grassfed chocolate milk before lifting. It always makes my squats and deads great. =D

Awesome numbers, Kira.

jstout- bummer about the travel!

So after watching an 11-year-old girl deadlift 100 pounds and a lady about my age bench press 250 and another gal heft about 6.6 times her body weight (altogether) ... I'm going to just shut up about my numbers.

:laugh: :laugh:

Dani - What was that lady's name who benched 250?? Was it Jennifer Thompson?

Kira - Thanks! I feel like I'm on track to advance my PRs if I didn't have to keep traveling. I'm going to do what I can and will probably get two days a week in under the bar and then do a dumbbell workout at the hotel midweek. Thankfully, once we wrap up what we are doing right now, we will have a few months of no travel so I can get back into a better routine.

ETA - Oh....and now I'm thinking about breakfast cookies. I'm seeing a banana walnut and bacon and maple cookie in my future. Made with protein powder for the extra bonus.

Dani - What was that lady's name who benched 250?? Was it Jennifer Thompson?

No ma'am. Professional body builder Kris Clark. That woman can move some serious weight around. In her 50s too (so actually older than me). Good-ness!

I've had nearly a month off lifting properly (just the occasional work out) for various reasons, but I went back today. Deloaded a lot from where I was to focus on form and hopefully now I can build back up and smash through what I was lifting before.

My first work out back in the zone:

Squats -50kg-5x5
OHP-25kg-5x5
Deadlift - 60kg 1x5, 65kg 1x5

It really helps reading about all of your success to spur me on - having to deload so much and start again is a bit disheartening to begin with so THANK YOU, ladies.

Hi ladies,

Just wanted to butt in and say hello. I've been lifting heavyish dumbbells for a while now, and I finally manned up (womanned up?) last week and jumped into 5x5. This stuff is so addicting, I love it! I find myself wishing everyday was a lift day!

Anyway, I creeped on the forums for a while before joining this group, you all are amazing and totally motivate me. Probably would've stuck with dumbbells if I hadn't seen some great success stories!

^^And that, folks, is how you make the best of a not-ideal situation.

And yeah, I'm curious to see if I can raise my arms over my head tomorrow.