That's awesome Amy!

I had the exact opposite workout yesterday. I usually hit the gym with my husband around noon M-W-F but I was late getting moving so we went around 6:30 last night (stupid child-care at the gym is closed from 1 - 4 so it's either go early or go late). Usually, it's the guy show which doesn't bother me, they're all pretty nice and don't seem to judge. But apparently later in the day is a different story. We were right next to some girls who were lifting heavy and squatting like pros. I was so embarrassed there with my light weight, *kitten* squats (I'd delaoded to try to get my form down, still not passed parallel and wondering if I'll ever get there) and feeling like a fat ogre. It was so embarrassing to barely lift the bar for OH press (still haven't made it passed just the bar) and my deadlift was so bad, I started to lose my grip but just half-assed finished anyway to just GTFO - so stupid, just lucky I didn't hurt myself. That was my first really terrible workout - started 5x5 in January. I'm sure the girls didn't care, I'm just so self-conscience that it really got to me. Either way, I'm going to just try to make it at noon, I feel way more comfortable with that crowd.

Ty Canadian and Amy, it's so nice to have a place where I can write about my lame head issues and you guys totally get it!!

Today was a much better workout. Went at the right time, the squat bar was even free when I got there! That's the first time ever.

Squats 5x5@65lbs - gonna have to deload down to the bar though next time, still not low enough. How the hell am I ever going to break even?!
Bench Press 5x5@57lbs - first time using my fractionals!
Rows 5x5@60lbs - didnthe same as last week thinking I totally failed but it was easy today.
Planks 3x40secs

After the weekend though I really need to focus on my diet. Eating and drinking too much so not seeing a single result. I'm in a better place today then I have been in awhile so that should help. But for now... it's Friday night!! Have a good weekend ladies!!

Those fractionals are a huge help! I'd be completely stalled on OHP if it weren't for them.

Walked to the gym (1.5 miles)
OHP - 2 x 5 with 17.5 lb dbs, 3 x 5 with 15 lb dbs
Deadlifts - making progress, 2 x 5 @ 80 lbs, then 1 x 5 @ 90 lbs (highest yet) and no back issues!
Goblet squats (could NOT find an empty squat rack!) 1 x 5 @ 42.5 lb, 5 x 5 @ 47.5 lb
Walked home

Legs felt stiff and a bit achy afterwards, which was fine.

Today was supposed to be deadlift but worked at the other location and the gym nearby has the hex plates and well, just one squat rack (but 4 benches). Going to have to workout the schedule once I official start the 10 week program so that I'm on upper body days there. I switched for today and did the upper body accessories, ish.

band pull aparts, 2x12 for warm up
wide grip bench press 4x10 @ 45
preach curls 1x10 with the ez bar, 2x10 with 10 added
tricep pushdown with rope 3x10 @ 60
face pull 3x12 @ 60
dip attempt with assisted machine, 2x6 @ 60 assistance
30 minute walk treadmill at a 3 with an incline of 2

jenxbowers wrote: »

Update on my hip feeling popped out... I woke up this morning unable to put weight on it. What the *kitten* did I do

Ouch I hope that heals up soon!

Saturday workouts are always tedious, but today wasn't too bad. Worst was some crossfit princess who was teaching someone to do various free weight work but not doing it well, then walking off and leaving her crap all over various pieces of equipment so people constantly had to ask if she was still using it. And the she had the nerve to look annoyed at being asked. I don't think she's a trainer at my gym either, so she probably isn't supposed to be training anyone even if she was doing it right (like, if she'd set the bar at the appropriate height in the rack for her client so the woman didn't have to go on tip toe to unrack for squats). Grumble grumble.

Anywho....
Squats 3x5 @ 140! One ugly good morning rep but otherwise felt pretty good. May stay here on Monday just to feel really solid before adding more.
Seated OHP: 5×5 @ 57. I must have gotten into really good form somehow bc this felt great!
Deadlift: 1×5 @ 160. I have a stupidly difficult time loading and unloading 45s onto the hex bar--like, it's embarrassing to wrestle with them so much--but I don't know what to do differently. Anyone have some magical loading/unloading advice?

canadianlbs wrote: »

jenxbowers wrote: »

Update on my hip feeling popped out... I woke up this morning unable to put weight on it. What the *kitten* did I do

oh geez. is a doctor an option? i can't help thinking that maybe it was just what it felt like at the time: a partial dislocation? and if so the sooner you see someone who can resettle it without stressing the connective/supporting tissue any further, the better.

i don't mean to be alarmist. but as my damn rheumatologist was always wagging her finger and saying to me 'the hip is a major joint, you know.'

Yeah, no, thank you so much, you're right... my plan is to call my doc if it doesn't feel better by Monday. I'm not able to walk properly without sharp pain so I'm really worried. I've been icing it. Anyone know how to elevate a hip easily? Lol

I regret trying to push through my workout. Either this feels better Monday and I take a few weeks off squats, or it's worse and I take off months. I should have been thinking more long term.

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

Worst was some crossfit princess

i should not laugh, because krok is a cross-fitter . . . she's certainly evidence that the ones that give the thing a bad name are the ones you notice. but all the same this is so like ms captain-selfish at my gym i'm going to laugh anyway.

i turned out to be on a rest day :tongue. not complaining, though. my sciatic/hip thing has been so much better since that little massage student pincered the far edge of that glute and hung onto it that i feel a little bit weird about doing 'nothing' at all. in fact, it's so much better today that i feel weird partly because i keep forgetting just yesterday i did heavy deadlift and press. so the rest day is legitimate anyway. but it also feels like i could go out there and push down a tree . . . so i 'should'. i was foiled in my Dastardly Plan to tack on an infrared sauna before doing tomorrow's massage, but that was prolly just greed at this point so Oh Well.

i'm planning to go and do that, and then lift afterwards. this is deload week so i believe that's okay, and yeah . . . i am probably being too eager but i can't help pre-planning about how everything's oging to be rhapsody-smooth when i do it. even the squats.

Today's workout after warm up
Squats 5x5 @104lbs. These felt pretty easy think I need to move up now.i feel like I have no confidence with squats and get a mental block when I go over 110lbs.
Bench 55355 @66lbs.
Rows 5x5@68lbs.

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

canadianlbs wrote: »

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

Worst was some crossfit princess

i should not laugh, because krok is a cross-fitter . . . she's certainly evidence that the ones that give the thing a bad name are the ones you notice. but all the same this is so like ms captain-selfish at my gym i'm going to laugh anyway.

No offense to Kroc, and I certainly don't want to paint all crossfitters with a broad brush. I've known others who did crossfit who were perfectly respectful, considerate people. I only know this one was a crossfitter bc she was wearing a T-shirt that said crossfit as she paraded around badly teaching in a non-crossfit gym...I think a staff person may have eventually said something to her but at one point I saw her walking around with a hoodie over the shirt so maybe she just covered up and kept going. I was soooooo sorely tempted to go to the girl she was "training" afterward and say "girl, that bar is up too high on the rack and the box squat she had you doing isn't low enough" but I didn't want to be an a-hole. If I see her struggling with the bar when she's alone I'll offer to help, but I'm always wary of crossing a line.

@jowaring, go for it! I believe in you

thanks amy!i think its because I have failed a few times at a higher weight,ive sat down and not been able to get up lol.i workout at home so only my husband is there to see.i need to stop being soft lol.

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

canadianlbs wrote: »

amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »

Worst was some crossfit princess

i should not laugh, because krok is a cross-fitter . . . she's certainly evidence that the ones that give the thing a bad name are the ones you notice. but all the same this is so like ms captain-selfish at my gym i'm going to laugh anyway.

No offense to Kroc, and I certainly don't want to paint all crossfitters with a broad brush. I've known others who did crossfit who were perfectly respectful, considerate people. I only know this one was a crossfitter bc she was wearing a T-shirt that said crossfit as she paraded around badly teaching in a non-crossfit gym...I think a staff person may have eventually said something to her but at one point I saw her walking around with a hoodie over the shirt so maybe she just covered up and kept going. I was soooooo sorely tempted to go to the girl she was "training" afterward and say "girl, that bar is up too high on the rack and the box squat she had you doing isn't low enough" but I didn't want to be an a-hole. If I see her struggling with the bar when she's alone I'll offer to help, but I'm always wary of crossing a line.

@jowaring, go for it! I believe in you

No offense taken. technically I often do crossfit-like workouts, but I'm not following the WODS much, or even trying the open workouts this year (back injury, gotta treat my hips right, and all). There are people in my gym that will do that. Set up 3 bars, 2 boxes, 1 step, 3 kettlebells and a rower over half of the rig area where I usually workout (need some open space, y'know). Then proceed to explain some complicated circuit to 2-3 other people, they take turns on all the pieces of equipment for 1-2 rounds, then leave all the stuff on the floor and disappear for a long time. And when you're finally like "well what the hell, they,re gone. I need some space/need this" and go clean up some, they reappear all loud and chatty bragging about doing the ugliest set of 20 push-ups in 20 seconds ever ( I don't know why, but these ladies have the worst form for push-ups I've seen. They like, go down half an inch, their butts sagged, arms super wide, sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just go tell them they'll tear a rotator cuff at some point xD but they're also much leaner and fit and stronger than I am, so I would feel pretty out of place trying to give advice )

Rant aside, I ended up mostly resting yesterday, and starting to incorporate the standing routine of the hip mobility program I've been doing. All I gotta say is: ow. There is much work to be done, still xD

Today's workout was an every 2min x12 min of double kb complex:
- russian swings x10
- push press x8
- power squat clean x6

I used 2x20lbs, mostly because the gym doesn't have 25lbs KB and swings with dumbbells are just awkward, but also because I think I've finally learned the lesson that I'm better off struggling a little less but with good form, than trying to go for broke and, well, breaking something. It was about time! The last 2 rounds were pretty tough, still, so nothing gone to waste there.

Then I did a 4 rounds for time (with a 10 min time cap)
- 15 assisted pull-ups
- 15 HR push-ups

made it through 2 rounds and 9 pull-ups, evened it out with another 9 push-ups after time. Assist was 135lbs for the first 21 reps, 150 for the rest, but this was a different assist machine than I typically use, and considering what I can do on lat pulldowns, I think it's a bit off and was more like 100lbs and 120. Anyways.

I then spent 40 minutes doing the kneeling hip mobility routine and the core work. Hoping for a walk later today, it's super sunny, but it's also still quite cold, so I may not go very far.

krokador wrote: »

There are people in my gym that will do that.

hee. the stereotypical ones do make themselves such easy targets, don't they.

but they're also much leaner and fit and stronger than I am, so I would feel pretty out of place trying to give advice )

that's the position i'm in with the selfish show-off in my own life. unfortunately she has me beat on every front except the one of me being a much nicer person than her

still, it would be fun to find out at some point just how much 'stronger than you' some of your bunch would be if they did have to use a strict form.


anyway. wow, i've had a busy-ish day. massage with the first-year student was actually kind of bleh, because i made the mistake of identifying my own specific issues and so we did do the full-assessment thing after all, which cut into time by a lot. then instead of just doing a general she tried to help with those things, and unsurprisingly she wasn't that great at it because it's just her first year and i'm not sure if she's up to that section of the book yet. we'll just say that she has the theory of trigger points down, but not really the touch when it comes to locating them. she was a nice kid and it's just 15 bucks, so after a while i just gave up and humoured her: 'yup. yup, that's it.' it just reminded me too much of sex with someone who doesn't quite get what he's looking for

an instructor came in and showed her how to do a 'leg pull' to decompress my hips though, which was amaaaaaazing. worth the trip and the cost of the session just in its own right.

and i followed through by going to a [non-regular] gym afterwards so i can say that it definitely did me some good, even so. i was determined to squat and lo and behold. that was the first time since pre-flu that my body's felt normal throughout the whole rom while i was doing them. my hips went back, my back stayed still, and i had no problems with getting the depth. and funny how that works - no buttwink anywhere that i could see or feel.

i had to talk myself into adding weight to the bar to start with and then i had to talk myself out of it, at a certain point. i went up to 65 and did 3x5 instead, front and back. and the front squats felt great, again. i felt really dialed in and like i had an extremely short lever arm and strong back.

annnnd then, for my next trick i made a dork of myself with the trap bar :tongue. i've never used one before but i've been curious for a while because of the can't-squat factor. and this rec centre had one just casually stuck in the stand along iwth the rest of the bars. so i grabbed it, laid it out on the floor and then suddenly realised that it has handles (doh). i was actually trying to pre-empt my own dorkery, because when i saw the handles i thought 'uh oh. what if i'm about to be That Fool In The Gym who did a whole workout, dude, and the whole time the trap bar was upside down aaaahahahahahahahaaa what a moron'. so i asked which way up does it go.

for those who are wondering, the doh factor is, there is no right-side-up for trap bars. you can just choose. handles down, you have to grip at exactly the same level you woudl with a regular bar, so you get a regular pull. handles up, you take about two inches off the distance, is all. so basically, handles-up is just a very very low rack pull, i guess.

this dawned on me after i'd done two or three sets with the handles upwards. but you know what, i LOVED that trap bar. idk if it's the bar or the massage or both together, but i was so in love with the feel that i half-expect to find myself unable to ride tomorrow because of the doms.

anyway, i really wanted to test-drive my new hips, and also to use any 'new' muscle that might not have been able to work well for a couple of months. and i did.