Workout B for me today. Thought I wasn't going to be able to do OHP because my trainer worked my shoulders a lot yesterday. But gave it a try and was rewarded.

Squats 5x5 @105# Not a PR but refining my form really trying to get below parallel and not wobble or lean forward on the way up

OHP 5x5 @50# PR and was able to do all 5 sets! The last rep was really hard and I had to squeeze my abs and glutes tight to get that bar up over my head.

Deadlifts 5x1 @135# PR and this time it felt easy. Read some tips last night on this forum and it made everything feel easier and safer. The best tip was to walk away after each rep and set up anew for the following one.

I followed the lifting session with a spin/abs class. I'm spent.

He even asked me who trained me and I said the internet.

It's funny cause it's true! Internet trained here also!

I make fruit smoothies with my protein powder. I use frozen fruit, 1 cup of vanilla soy milk and 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder. It really tastes great. The fruit mix I use has papaya, pineapple and strawberrys in it. I believe it is called tropical smoothie fruit so something like that.

Re: protien powder - I haven't done it in a while, but I used to make coffee smoothies with it: cold coffee (I'd make extra the day before), protein powder (chocolate or vanila flavored), and ice in the blender. it would be like a frappe, and the protein powder sweetened the coffee. Not the extra caolories of fruit or milk, and it served the double duty of caffiene delivery.

Re: trained by the internet - YUP! It's sooo...affordable. And flexible, time-wise, lol. Busted watching form videos in the bathroom the other day.

Re: box squats - do you use a power rack or squat rack? If so, the safety bars would catch the bar, no? Box squats would just have you not falling, but wouldn't stop the bar, right? Hrmm.

MY GYM IS CLOSED. Okay, it's just that the weight room is closed while the gym goes through renovations - until SPRING. So, b/c I work out at the Y, I can go to the next Y over, and I went for the first time this week. Definitely have newer equipment over there, but the free weights are all in 1 big room with the cardio machines and weight machines. I miss the basement weight room that was only free weights at my Y. Plus, it's all more compressed/crowded - like, no clue how I'm gonna find the room to deadlift today. We'll see! Bonus: me and all the dudes from the old weight room are bonding over our displaced-lifters status. I feel like I'm one of the club over there, as there's literally just me as the only woman there on a regular basis (2 other women I've seen a few times, but one only uses the light dumbells - none are doing BB lifting on a regular basis) - and it's nice to feel fully accepted.

Monday I did W/O A:
Squats - 100 lbs (again)
Row - 2 sets @75 lbs, 3 sets @65 lbs (The evil lower back could not take 75 lbs - the muscles were fine with it)
Bench - 2 sets @ 90 lbs, 3 sets @ 85 lbs.

As I said in the goals thread, I am only lifting 2ce a week until my half marathon - I can't do heavy lifting too close to my long runs. But my plan to go up 5 lbs/week on squats is stalling at the moment, b/c 100 lbs still feels HARD and I'm still fighting for good form. So, gonna hit 100 lbs squats tonight again, and I'm not moving up until the form is solid. A2G or it's not worth it.

This AM: Kettlebell circuits via Iron Core - including snatches, clean & press, and deck squats with a 20 lb bell. Lots of 25 lb. one-armed swings. Y'all, those deck squats with a 20 lb, bell are NO JOKE, and I'm 100% certain I couldn't do them (at least, not sets of 10 of them) without squating heavy. In fact, I know I couldn't even do a morning riser (which involves laying flat on your back, one arm striaght up by your ear, and then going to standing w/o moving that arm from beside your ear) w/o crossing my legs before I started lifting. Love to see that we're developing functional strength!

This PM: W/O B! Bring it!

I agree with the smoothie idea. I have protien powder and now half a shake in mine every morning. I add in almond milk cause the canned shake makes them too thick along with a variety of fruit (strawberries and peaches today) with flax seed.

Today was an A workout...

Squats are at 110 5x5 (set 3, rep 4 was spaced and knees bowed...jeez) husband was spotting today and he commented my for was great...*kitten* to grass...although he said I am favoring my left side. (I am left handed)....before each set I repeat...*kitten* to grass, knees out, tits up...

Bench @ 85lbs 3 sets, failed last rep on set 4 (husband helped me get it up but just a bit), failed rep 4 on last set (again husband helped)...he said I got about 80% of the weight on my own.

Rows 5x5@ 85lbs no fail.

Got my protien in today (didn't even really have lunch just ate all my snacks) just wondering with my hunger lately if I should increase my calories...I lost 2lbs last week (after losing the inital water weight left) so my TDEE changed.

I am at TDEE-15% 1550 calories but now when I calculate (on actuals) TDEE-15% is 1747 but I don't want to go up if I should wait for more weight loss...not sure how much more I want to lose...maybe another 10-15...that would take me to about 152-157

Guess who totally dominated her OHP tonight, ladies? That's right, ME! W/o B, and after doing OHP seated since the Great Back Eff-Up of the summer, I had no choice but to do them standing tonight (new gym, no bench with the right rack). I made some big form corrections after watching a few Rip videos, and they were NBD at 55 lbs. (I've been struggling to get back to my record of 60 lbs). Getting those elbows out in front has made a huge difference. And I feel like I'm channeling Bumblebum's angelic profile pic.

Tonight:
Ohp 5*5 @55lbs.
Squats 5*5 @100lbs.
DL 1*5 @105lbs.

Not bad considering the day started with some heavy KBL work. Also did some weighted hip thrusts, made all the more awkward by the fact that this new gym is crazy tight in the weights section - so I'm hip thrusting mere inches away from some dude.

Fittree - jealous of you for having training partners - def more fun that way!

Stef - I'm trying ti figure out cals too. I'm finally seeing progress in terms of losing fat, and don't want to loss my momentum, but gotta fuel the workouts too.... So confusing.

I always thought of Herbalife as a waste of money.

also internet changed.. I usually say youtube but the internet is far more accurate!

what to think of suggesting box squats?! do you have safety bars? if so why do you need box squats. *kitten*.


So, I struggle to get up in my protein levels, it can be expensive all this chicken and eggs too, so thought I'd give protein powder another go. I'd got some samples a couple of months back and couldn't stand the flavour of artificial flavourings and they were disgustingly sweet.. so I got some unflavoured. It did come with a free sample pack of creatine, so that is something..

I'm not that fond of milk alone so thought I'd be cunning and mix it with my yogurt (at work most mornings I have yogurt and bran flakes with some cinnamon). After transferring the pack to a storage box, there was a bit left, so I took a scoop out for tonight. Mixed with yogurt and a little milk. Let's just describe the taste as 'funky' (and that is in the American, not great sense of the word!). I then had to add tinned pears, chopped preserved ginger, cinnamon, and a pack of chocolate buttons to try to disguise the flavour. Not good calories!! It was also very bubbly, hoping it's not going to have a disastrous effect on my system!

So.. ladies.. I have nearly a kg of the stuff, what is the best option? Mix it with as little liquid as possible, hold my nose, and get it down? Find something I can stand to make a 'milkshake' of it? Maybe instant espresso powder? Bite the bullet and throw it away? *sigh*

Do you eat/like bananas? A scoop of unflavoured whey blended with banana, a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder, and a tablespoon of honey is good (to me). I can even manage pea protein that way, and pea protein is 10000x harder than whey (for me at least. I don't mind whey plain with water).

Curious to hear what you ladies' protein goals are, or what you're reading about protein goals. I don't actually know what my BF% is, accurately, so I can't accurately calculate my LBM. But, I'm getting 110-150 grams of protein a day from food (usually 120-135g), and my LBM is about 120 (ballpark? Based on a BS BF%, so it may err on the low side). I know some people shoot for a percentage above or below their LBM - where y'all at, protein wise?

My goal is 124. Usually hit around 105-110 in a day, and I'm OK with that. I think 105-110 lbs is my approximate LBM, so that matches up pretty well.

So I didn't get around to lifting until 7 pm last night; over the spring and summer I was strictly an early morning lifter, but I've pretty much switched to afternoons when I get home from work. Not sure if it's just the change in daylight or I'm going to bed a little bit later, but I'm just never motivated to get out of bed at 5:35 like I was for the past several months. Last night was unusual though. I think I slept really well; not sure if it it's from lifting late or because I've been fighting with a head cold for a few days.

Anywho, I did my "light" Texas day; Squats, Bench, then I did a few sets of glute bridges, some good mornings and even a set of curls! Probably switching up my program next week, but not sure. I might feel better after I shake this cold.

I have mine set to 100g but I never get near it.

My lbm is 136ish. I currently aim for 150-160. I started out aiming for 100 and worked my way up. For me I feel best and recover best when I'm eating a crapton of protein. YMMV. I like trutein protein and quest bars to help. I also eat a lot of chicken breast even though I don't really like it a ton. :laugh: I eat local meat and 97% lean ground beef isn't available hence the chicken.

ETA: whey isolate is almost lactose free and is much easier on the stomach for those with milk sensitivity than regular whey protein.