juliewatkin Member

I just did my 30 something ish meet in March. I'm an M2 (over 50) lifter. I compete at 57kg (125lbs). Lifts were: Squat 105kg (231lbs) Bench 55kg (121lbs) Deadlift 145kg (319lbs)

It's always nice to know I didn't leave any kilos on the platform. It's the best way to end a meet.

I just did a meet last Saturday. I think it was my 32nd or there abouts. I lost count a while ago.

I did a local open meet on Saturday. After a sketchy start falling forward in the hole with my opening squat, I hit all my other attempts. It was the first time I squatted from a monolift and I think the straps kind of threw me off. I got a PR total of 305 at 55.2 bw. This is my final deadlift. I've gotten this before but…

I can't speak for period weight gain anymore but I tend to eat like an idiot on the weekend and it shows on Monday. It drops over the course of the week. The last time I had pizza or McDonalds my weight jumped a good 4 lbs. I weigh every day and track it so that's a trend I recognize and don't worry about.

Me too and me neither. However, lately it's been 9C in the basement. Just touching a cold bar with my hands is enough for me.

It happens. The longer you go the less you'll stress about bad days. When I first started lifting, bad days really affected me. Now with over 1,500 training days under my belt it doesn't bother me. Some days are stellar, some are crap and most are just average. It's the most that are average that get you down the road.

Like you, I chose my time to look like a dork in another season. Mine was October. I did look like a dork though.

I'm not even sure why I prefer mostly beltless. It may be nothing more than laziness. However, I'll put a belt on for deads at a lower percentage than squat. Someone mentioned knee sleeves and I wish I never started using them. Now I feel like I can't squat without them. It's like my knees don't know what to do anymore.

I've been competing for almost 10 years and have a variety of belts. My current favourite for ease of use is my Wahlander. Having said that, I train predominantly beltless until I get fairly heavy. That's just my preference though.

I weigh a couple of times a day and track my weight daily on a spreadsheet. It allows me to track fluctuations and not get too over wrought about them. My weight can vary 4-5 lbs over the course of a week from water retention. Weighing daily allows me to see that. If you attach too much significance, it may not be good for…

I'm another proponent of hook grip. My hands are not terribly large and I find it a much more efficient way to pull than mixed. It's the grip I use in competition. Having said that, I train most of my working sets with straps. My hands get really chewed up if I don't.

Too bad i didn't know. You were right behind me.

For men or women? I was reffing the women on Friday. I was in the seat closest to the table.

Nice job. Too bad I missed you. I was reffing the open meet in the evening and working head table for equipped on Saturday.

Those are all awesome. What weight class are you? You mentioned it before by I can't recall.

This. Sometimes I think the rest is splitting a lot of hairs that are unnecessary unless you are competitive elite or, perhaps, trying to cut weight. FWIW, I've been competing almost 10 years. Eating like crap will affect performance but if you eat a well rounded diet you should be good to go.

After a summer of cutting cheese weight, I'm back down to my previous weight class. I lift at 57 but am sitting a bit under in this video; 55.6. I'm in the mid of a peaking cycle for a mid mid November. This is 242.5 for 5x5. I can't remember which set this was. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJR62yGrIhM

Reps looks solid. Pants look Awesome!

I set up my own gym in my garage and now my basement in my latest house. We have cage, bench (recently reupholstered in suede), 800(ish) lbs in plates, 2 Olympic bars, SSB bar, Olympic DB handles, bands, boxes, chalk bowl and a lifting platform. I started building it in 2009 and have spent approximately $1,000 over the…

20.2. Because I carry a fair amount of muscle, I'm a bit leaner than my general preference. However, I recently cut about 4kg for weight class reasons. Better for me is around 21.3 but competition so...

I always retain water when I walk. More so in the warm weather than cool. My fingers are like little sausages. It seems counter intuitive to me but it always happens.

You are so little and adorable. Nice job.

This so much. I was paying for audiobooks and they are expensive af. Now I get them through my local library using overdrive. I'm in the middle of "The Stand". I read it twice when I was younger and am loving listening to it now. I walk for an hour every morning before work and again with the dog after work and have gone…

I started lifting in my early 40's. A website I came across that helped quite a bit with form and great articles is https://stumptuous.com/

Were you walking or jogging/running? If walking, what type of shoes do you wear? The most I've walked is approx. 25,000 in one day but my feet and knees start to ache. I've been looking for new shoes and am interested in what you wear. Nice job on the steps!

I was recently gifted a fitbit alta and really like it. I had been tracking my planned walks with "Map my Walk" on my phone. However, I don't take my phone everywhere and was curious about general walking. The alta is great for that.

I'll add my $0.02 on hook grip. I've been using it exclusively in training (vs. mixed grip) and competition since 2011. Once I became accustomed to it and learned to trust it I began to use straps more to save my hands. I have yet to lose a lift for grip. The heaviest I've pulled like this is 147.5kg at 59kg. I think it…

I just started 5/3/1 as well. However, I'm omitting OH Press due to the fact that I have zero interest in it. I decided to go this route because it seems like a lot less volume that I've been doing and recovery has been an issue. To stay video relevant this is my second week squats: 197.5…

I would ask your trainer why he/she has you doing them. I don't do them because they won't get me where I'm going but your trainer may have a solid reason for recommending them.