Gillian's Journey

[Gillian Mounsey]

Age 34
Height 5'5" (almost, closer to 5'5" than 5'4" - was measured last weekend)
Weight 148

I have been looking through everyone's logs for a long time and decided that it was time to start my own. I have learned from and been inspired by many of your experiences.

I wasn't sure whether my log belonged in intermediate or competitive lifter. Anyone that knows me will laugh at that and tell you that I "compete" everyday at everything. You will be hard pressed to find anyone more competitive by nature than I am. Not sure yet if this is an attribute or personality flaw.

I chose to put the log here because this weekend I will be competing in my first powerlifting competition.

2011 USAPL Northeastern Championships
http://www.florida-powerlifting.com/2011neusa

Below is the link to a video of the meet openers that I am planning to hit. This was my workout from yesterday.
http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/

I will be competing Raw in the 67.5kg weight class. My goal is to post an elite total and break the American Bench Press record in my weight class at my first meet which is currently set at 203.75lbs.

After this weekend, I plan to detail my workouts in this log. Please hold me accountable if I slack off on this.

This weekend will be the 8 month anniversary of my first Starting Strength workout. 8 months ago (this Saturday) is when I stopped being a crossfitter and became a lifter under Rip's guidance and with the daily coaching of my husband, Mac. The focus of my future is the sport of weightlifting. I have chosen to enter the powerlifting competition for 4 reasons.

1. Get competition experience
2. Test myself
3. As a demonstration of all the hard work that went into the past 8 months
4. To have fun!!!

Gillian

[Oldster]

I'll be watching your log with great interest, Gillian! Should be fun.


My goal is to post an elite total and break the American Bench Press record in my weight class at my first meet which is currently set at 203.75lbs.
I dunno that you should be worried about breaking records your first time out. Maybe instead just get onboard and establish a baseline to build upon during future competitions? My $.02.

[grubinski]

Best of luck this weekend ... Have fun!

[Gillian Mounsey]

I'll be watching your log with great interest, Gillian! Should be fun.


I dunno that you should be worried about breaking records your first time out. Maybe instead just get onboard and establish a baseline to build upon during future competitions? My $.02.


I agree with your advice completely. Honestly, I am satisfied just to be there and to make a total at my first meet. I understand how lofty my goals are for my first meet but I believe that I perform to my mental expectations. Things don't always workout the way I planned, but I always shoot for the stars. 25 years ago I would have insisted that I was going to be the next Mary Lou Retton - that didn't workout but my drive/ambition has never relented.

[Michele Knaub]

EXCELLENT, so psyched to see your log, Gillian!

Do you know what time you are lifting on Saturday?

[Mac Ward]

I dunno that you should be worried about breaking records your first time out. Maybe instead just get onboard and establish a baseline to build upon during future competitions?

Just teasing you...I'm guessing you don't REALLY understand the voracity of this statement below!


Anyone that knows me will laugh at that and tell you that I "compete" everyday at everything. You will be hard pressed to find anyone more competitive by nature than I am.

Oh boy is this true.

You're gonna do great, because you accept nothing but greatness.

I'll be filming each lift so we can all watch in awe and wonder later!!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Michele,

I will be lifting in session 1 on Saturday morning. It runs from 9am till 1PM. All of the women and the men's classes under 148lbs will be lifting at this time. No idea where I will fall in. I do not have a competition total so according to the rule book I will be in the first flight of my weight class if there are multiple flights. Best guess is that I will be doing my first attempt squat before 9:30.

If anybody else had more accurate information, please correct me.

Gillian

[Michele Knaub]

thanks. i'll miss it but break a leg.

[Valhall]

Awesome, good luck!

And we expect a full report and pictures/video if possible :-D

[Tamara Reynolds]

Oh. This. Is. AWESOME.

[Karl Schudt]

Good luck, Gillian. My girls love your training videos, especially my six year old, who is very interested in weightlifting.

[MikeC1]

That is a very impressive bench press, Gillian. Best of luck.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thank you for your support.

We are getting ready to leave for the meet in Philly. It should be about a 4 hour drive provided that the DC rush hour traffic has cleared up. The plan is to stop off at Penn and visit with Jim Steel and his athlete/assistant strength coach Tracy. I can't wait to meet her! I am hoping to workout with his female athletes in the near future but today will just be to say hello and check out the amazing facility.

After that we are headed to the expo center for the technical meeting and so that I can get a weight on the competition scale. I am sitting very close to the top of the 67.5kg weight class - this should be interesting. I guess there will be no consuming of Philly cheese-steaks today :(

I will be lifting in the 9am session tomorrow morning. Mac will keep everyone posted with my lifts and hopefully video links. I'm very excited. My family is coming down from NYC to watch the meet - this is a big deal because they are absolutely terrified to watch me lift heavy things - it makes them nervous, they think I am going to hurt myself. My mother breathed a sigh of relief when I retired from gymnastics. I don't think weightlifting/powerlifting makes her feel any better.

[Tamara Reynolds]

Good luck! Kick some butt. Have fun!

I am at the American Open right now as a platform coach for someone. Start planning now. Next year, you and I will lift at the AO together!

[Oldster]

I will be lifting in the 9am session tomorrow morning. Mac will keep everyone posted with my lifts and hopefully video links. I'm very excited.
I gotta tell you, I'm excited too! Can't wait to see how you do.


My family is coming down from NYC to watch the meet - this is a big deal because they are absolutely terrified to watch me lift heavy things - it makes them nervous, they think I am going to hurt myself. My mother breathed a sigh of relief when I retired from gymnastics. I don't think weightlifting/powerlifting makes her feel any better.
I think Mom will feel much better. Very very cool that you will have your own cheering section!

[hbriem]

Good luck Gillian. Have a Philly cheese steak after the meet. Or even after the weigh-in ;-)

[f4thpathway]

A classic:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzhcaKo9YOQ

[Mac Ward]

Gillian just finished her first meet.

Squat: 127.5Kgs (281lbs) PR, Bench 85Kgs (187.25), Deadlift 150Kgs 330.5lbs PR. Bench 2nd and third lift attempts were for the American record of 93Kgs (204.5lbs) but proved to be too much today.

Total: 360.5 Kgs (798.75lbs) which is considered an "Elite Raw" total. (773lbs is considered Elite) Gillian's Wilks total: 368.2285.

All this in her first meet.

Proud of my wife, and grateful to Rip for all of his help and guidance throughout.

Mac aka "Geezling"

[Oldster]

Wow!

Very very nice.

[Callador]

Grats on the meet, very impressive!

[FKYT]

What, no American records on your very first powerlifting meet?!? Come on now.............

Just kidding. Congratulations! Damn, elite level on the first meet out!

[Gwynn]

I'm excited to see your log on here and congratulations on a great meet. I will be looking forward to video footage.

[Michael Wolf]

An elite total in your first meet! Congrats, looking forward to seeing the inspiring training and successful meets (PL and/or WL) to follow!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Here it is. Meet video footage and my detailed account of the day...

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/


Today will be a much deserved rest day. Have a headache from all of the adrenaline yesterday and I am more sore than I would have imagined. Tomorrow I will resume my regular training and squat 5x5 @255 lbs and press 5x5 @120 lbs. Olympic lifts resume on Tuesday - C&J to a heavy single.

The meet was a spectacular experience. I met great people and I found the USAPL to be exceptionally well run and upheld the highest standards of movement. I will compete at Raw Nationals this coming summer. For now it is back to becoming a better weightlifter in my garage. Next meet will be a USAW one in the early part of 2012.

[Tamara Reynolds]

I haven't watched the video yet because I read the summary in between watching lifters at the AO. So much awesome! Congrats!

Just for you and Rip, I set a squat PR of 110 kg yesterday. Low bar squatting in the training hall of the AO. It was epic.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Nice job Tamara. I can't even imagine the excitement of being there, let alone getting to get a workout in. We are DEFINITELY competing next year!!!!

[Clint Merrill]

Today will be a much deserved rest day. Have a headache from all of the adrenaline yesterday and I am more sore than I would have imagined. Tomorrow I will resume my regular training and squat 5x5 @255 lbs and press 5x5 @120 lbs. Olympic lifts resume on Tuesday - C&J to a heavy single.



Congrats on a great first PL meet. However, you might not want to hit it this hard 2 days after a full power meet.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sick today. Woke up with a horrible head cold that my husband has had for over a week. Very thankful that I did not get sick until after the meet. Slept most of the afternoon and then decided to attempt to train and make a judgement call after the squat warm-ups. The cold is all in my head - mostly sinus pressure, congestion and a headache.

TM Volume Day

Squat Warm-up sets
2x5x45, 5x95, 5x135, 3x185, 2x225

Work sets
5x5 @235 (felt pretty good other than having a difficult time getting a good breath)

Was planning to do 5x5 @255 which is where I left off the week before the meet. We made the decision today to do a reset at 245 on volume day. We then took it down to 235 because I am sick and wasn't mentally or physically in a good place.

Press
Warm-up sets
2x5x45, 5x70, 3x90, 2x110

Work sets
5x120, 5x120, 4x120, 3x120, 3x120

This should have been 5x5 @120 but I just didn't have it. Sinus headache progressed and I tanked and stopped caring. I will repeat this weight next week.

[Carlos Daniel]

I know some people disagree with me on this, but I think training while sick is not a good idea. If it's systemic (fever and malaise will tell you), your body is gonna be in a catabolic state whether you want it or not. While you may be able to train, you'll have a hard time recovering, which is the whole point of training anyway.

[Grant Mccaulley]

Yo Gillian

don't want to hate, but did you compete this weekend? and now you are sick and doing volume day??? I konw you are a go getter and on fire for this, as am I, but really try to take a week off after a meet your body will thank you and your progress will too! Just my two cents for want that is worth.
I think you are an awesome athlete and lifter; a huge inspiration to all my young female lifters, keep it up!

Grant

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thanks guys. I am guilty of letting my desire to train override my common sense yesterday. I always tell my clients that real discipline and growth comes from their ability to rest when they are supposed to- I did not listen. I will rest today and possibly the the next several days. My cold is worse.

[Michele Knaub]

Take care, G.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thanks Michele.

Taking another rest day. Still sick. Antsy to hit a Deadlift PR this week after learning to make some adjustments tn my set-up but that will have to wait until I can breathe through my nose again.

[grubinski]

that will have to wait until I can breathe through my nose again.

It's not a set of 10, it's anaerobic. Who needs oxygen?

[Matt Reynolds]

Great job on the meet Gillian! It was cool watching your vids. More PRs are on the horizon. :-)

[gumbo]

Congratulations on totaling elite. Very nice. By the way, we actually met briefly earlier this year, when I was at CrossFit Woodbridge for a couple of months before moving to Alexandria. Are you just training in your garage now, or have you found any black iron gyms in NoVa to occasionally visit? There's a thread about NoVa gyms over in "Training," but we weren't coming up with much.

[Gillian Mounsey]

I haven't really found anyplace convenient (less than an hours away) worth going to. Doing all of my training in the garage right now. We have a small heater and keep our barbells in the house overnight. When it gets too cold, we will train on base. Where are you training in Alexandria?

[gumbo]

I go to Trident CrossFit, but they don't have an open gym policy - I just have an understanding with the owners. I did CrossFit there for several months, and after struggling to gain weight & strength, the owners encouraged me to run Starting Strength, eat big, and drop the met-cons for a while. Definitely one of the more "strength-friendly" CrossFit gyms and very nice people.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Gumbo - I couldn't agree more, they are exceptional people. Say hello to Chriss and Andrea for me.

Feeling better today. Off schedule this week because of the meet and being sick. Today would normally be snatch and C&J to a heavy single.

Deadlift
Warm-up sets
135x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x2, 295x1
Work-set
315x5 PR
(was hung up for 2 weeks on 310x5, making 5lb jumps each week)

Clean and Jerk - light day
55kgx2,65kgx2,70kgx1,72kgx2,74kgx1,70kgx5
first oly day in 2 weeks, not opening my hips on the cleans as usual

Pull-ups (strict)
3x15
(stopped doing weighted pull-ups the week before the meet because I had developed a nasty case of golfer's elbow. Pull-ups were pain free today)

[Tamara Reynolds]

not opening my hips on the cleans as usual

You know, I left the American Open feeling much better about my lifting. I used to beat myself up over technique a lot, and while that is obviously still a focus of my programming, I am okay with just getting a whole lot stronger and making the lift. Samantha Zimmerman isn't the prettiest lifter, but she still cleaned and jerked 114 kg for the win at the AO. I'd take that.

[Kyle Aaron]

Thanks guys. I am guilty of letting my desire to train override my common sense yesterday. I always tell my clients that real discipline and growth comes from their ability to rest when they are supposed to
Based on your previous history which you showed so honestly with us, this is not a surprise.

I tell my clients that if unwell, they may practice the movements only, no significant load. For example, the woman who's back squatted 60kg for 30 reps gets to front squat the empty bar. Or she gets to play with the 8kg kettlebell. This is enough to satisfy the workaholic in them without being so much to use up their recovery resources and make them sicker.

[Gillian Mounsey]

I agree Kyle. Training becomes habit and ritual. I train in part because that is all that I know. It helps to have coaching - an intelligent level headed person that has your health and best interest in mind. Do you ever tell someone not to come in at all?

[Grant Mccaulley]

I tried that, I would rather have them come in so that I can monitor what they are doing, most of the time if they do not come in, they will just go run outside or do treadmill sprints at home, fucking addicts!!!

if they come in you can have them do corrective exercise, stretches, easy cardio, something to keep them distracted

I love to have them sit and visualize their lifts, going through each cue in their mind, super effective, if they can chill and focus that long, I time the sets for each movement.

[KyleMask]

A little late here, but cool meet video. My girlfriend recently started lifting and will be in the same weight class as you if she decides to compete eventually. I showed her the video, and I think she was pretty inspired.

[Gillian Mounsey]

12/10/11
BW 145 (hydration an issue, usually at 148 these days)

Not the best of days. Been eating hot and sour soup (and not much else) all week in hopes of clearing my sinuses. I know, not exactly what the doctor (or mom) prescribed but it usually works for me when I have a cold. Well, the hot and sour soup left me with a hot and sour stomach. Additionally my lower back has been hurting since Thursdays workout.

Squat
Warm up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2
Work sets
3x5 @ 245 (we decided to do a small reset here after the meet)
Felt good, harder than it should have been but maintained good bar speed and clean form. Back felt ok.

Bench
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2
Work sets
190x3, 175x3, 175x3, 175x3, 175x3
Plan was to go 5x3 @190 - that didn't workout. First set was very tough, struggled on the last rep. Could not set my lower back today because of the pain. Backed down to 175 for the remaining work sets

Dips
3x15

Wanted to snatch today but made a judgement call not to. Mac and I are leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and I want to be able to walk when I get off the plane and enjoy our trip. I am proud of myself for making this decision - the old me would have snatched anyway despite all of the indicators not to.

[melody]

Have fun in Vegas, I just returned and it was cold!

[Kyle Aaron]

I agree Kyle. Training becomes habit and ritual. I train in part because that is all that I know. It helps to have coaching - an intelligent level headed person that has your health and best interest in mind. Do you ever tell someone not to come in at all?
Sure. If they have a head cold, they can still train, if it's gone into their chest or they have a temperature, no workout. And obviously injuries will affect things. I just tell them, "You can recover from your workout, or from illness/injury, not both." This would go double if I were training anyone at your level, I just have beginners.

Happy anniversary, coming up to our second myself.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Worked out at Average Broz in Las Vegas which shares a facility with CrossFit Las Vegas. Amazing people - they were all very good to us. If you visit Las Vegas this is the place to drop by.

Squat
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2
Work Sets
3x5 @250 (felt easy, good speed)

Press
Warm -up sets
Barx5x2, 75x5, 95x3, 115x2
Work-sets
130x1 (Was supposed to do 3 here, didn't happen. Was doing quite a bit of socializing and lost focus)
125x3, 125x3, 125x3, 125x2, 125x2, 115x2 (I had completely mentally checked out by this point)

Great gym. We will go back tomorrow to do our olympic lifts.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Average Broz again today
Deadlift
Warm-up sets
135x5x2, 185x5, 225x3, 275x2, 295x1
Work set(s)
320x2, 320x1, 320x1, 320x1
Was supposed to be a set of five. After the double I ended up taking about 30 seconds between the next three lifts. My low back was tweaked going into it so I was being cautious and was afraid. This sounds ridiculous but I aggravated my back walking around Las Vegas in high heels.

After deadlifting I worked snatch technique for about an hour with John Broz coaching me. I learned a ton. It made our Vegas vacation extra special.

[Michael Wolf]

After deadlifting I worked snatch technique for about an hour with John Broz coaching me. I learned a ton. It made our Vegas vacation extra special

There are many reasons why you are awesome, Gillian, and this is definitely one of them!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Lower back (left SI joint) is severely aggravated. This has been a weak spot for years since I first injured it doing a back flip off a pool table in heels and landed funny. I seem to re-injure it once or twice per year, most of the time not in the gym. In retrospect, I should not have deadlifted on Wednesday with a tweaked low back.

Light training day for recovery.

Squats
Warm-ups
Barx5x2, Barx20x2, 95x5
Work sets (if you can call it that)
3x5@135

Was painful to unrack and rack the bar but the squat itself felt okay.

Bench
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2
Work sets
5x3@180

Getting on and off the bench was a challenge but once I was in position I felt fine.

Pullups (strict)
1x20

Chin-ups (strict)
1x20

Dips
2x15

[SaraSaraT]

"I first injured it doing a back flip off a pool table in heels"

You know how sometimes you get hurt, and people ask you how it happened, and you say something like 'man I wish I had a cool story but I (insert something clutzy/lame that you did)'?

This is not one of those times.

[hbriem]

This has been a weak spot for years since I first injured it doing a back flip off a pool table in heels and landed funny.

That's ... a cool injury story. A stupid thing to do, but cool story.

When I was a youngster, my signature dancefloor move (yes, stupid I know) was popping down into a side split. Stupidly I kept it up after I quit karate training. Then I did it once at maybe 25 after not having tried it or even done a stretch of any kind for a few years and tore the adductor on the inside of my left thigh (predictably). It hurt for 20 years whenever I tried stretching. It's better now.

[Gillian Mounsey]

That's ... a cool injury story. A stupid thing to do, but cool story.

When I was a youngster, my signature dancefloor move (yes, stupid I know) was popping down into a side split. Stupidly I kept it up after I quit karate training. Then I did it once at maybe 25 after not having tried it or even done a stretch of any kind for a few years and tore the adductor on the inside of my left thigh (predictably). It hurt for 20 years whenever I tried stretching. It's better now.

Um.. hate to admit it but I've done that one too. I've given up splits for good now. That last one I got down into, I though I was going to need to be helped out of. Not as bad of an injury as yours but quite embarrassing.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Took the weekend off to rest my back. Flexion is painful, specifically picking up my left leg or reaching for the floor. Squats do not hurt.

Squats

Warm-up
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2

Work-sets
255x4 (failed on rep 5), 255x2 (Didn't have a 3rd one, back did not hurt but it isn't quite right. Definitely prevented me from going for it)

Back-off work sets
225x5, 225x8 (could have done 12-15 here but Mac stopped me at the agreed upon number)

Press
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 75x5, 95x3, 110x2

Work-sets
3x5 @120

Snatch - light technique work with relatively high volume. Practicing what Broz corrected. Went back to passing through a full squat on every snatch. I have been using the split snatch since July. I like the way the split feels better but understand the need for proficiency in the squat if I am capable of it.

Back is tired now

[Kyle Aaron]

I don't think a 255 squat counts as "resting the back."

Let your work be work, and your rest be rest.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Light day, backing off until my back is better

Front Squat
20kgx5x2
40kgx5
60kgx3
70kgx2
80kgx2
85kgx2
90kgx2
92kgx2
92kgx2
(back felt fine but I was conservative, first time front squatting in weeks)

Deadlift recovery
135x5x2
185x5
225x5

Clean and Jerk - technique work/trying to get full hip extension and get rid of my looping bar path
Up to 70kg with 8 reps at 70 kg (approx :30 between reps)

[Gillian Mounsey]

December 21, 2011

Squat (recovery at 80% of 3x5 weight)
Warm-up
barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5
Work sets
205x5x2

Bench
Warm up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2
Work sets
180x5x3 (easy today)

Pull-ups
Warm-up
5,5 (unweighted)

Work-sets - weighted, 25lbs
8,8

SI joint still not feeling good. Worse today than yesterday but better than it was.

[Gillian Mounsey]

December 22, 2011

Low back/SI joint in a bad way today. Not a chance of getting under a barbell. Pain made me grumpy all day.
Took my step-daughter to the base gym to practice her rope climbing skills. Light workout.

Warm-up (with the hope that circulation would be helpful)
5 min bike
5 min step-mill
5 min rower (felt good)

Work-out
5x 25 ft rope climb (Alternating with Mikayla. She kicked butt today. Very proud of her). First two ascents arms only.

3x8 weighted dips with 25 lbs

[Gillian Mounsey]

December 24, 2011

At home in NYC for Christmas. Trained at the globo gym in Queens that I have been going to since I was 16yrs old. Low back still compromised. Decided not to deadlift,snatch or C&J till after the new year.

Squat (conservative)
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3
Work sets
225x5, 225x5, 225x10

Press
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 75x5, 95x3, 115x2
Work-sets
125x5x3 PR!!!! (was strong today from the holiday overeating I think)

One-arm DB rows (wanted to pull, got inspired by the bodybuilders in the globo gym setting, haven't done these in years)
Warm-up set
40lbsx 8
Work-sets
3x8 @60lbs

[Gillian Mounsey]

December 26, 2011

Off schedule from the holiday. Lots of hours in the car and poor (non-existent) nutrition today. SI joint still inflamed but getting better. Itching to squat heavy soon.

Recovery squat
Warm-up sets
45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3
Work sets
3x5@205

Bench
Warm-up sets
45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2
Work-sets
3x5@182.5

[Gillian Mounsey]

December 30, 2011

First training day after three days off. Has been a crazy week. Went to NC to buy a house because Mac got orders effective March 1st - a 3 day whirlwind. Bought a house! Our dog Rudy died last night when we got home. Wrecked the front right wheel of my new Mercedes (my anniversary gift) driving my mom to DC this morning - hit a massive pothole and bent the rim - Expensive, emotional few days.

Squat
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2
Work set
250x5

Press
Warm-up sets
Barx5x2, 75x5, 95x3, 110x2
Work Sets
3x5@122.5

My back is better!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday, Jan 2.

Mac and I have decided to start a new program with the assistance of Jim Steel. I have been doing quite a bit of wavering between Olympic weightlifting and powerlifting and have made the decision at this time to focus on powerlifting and getting stronger overall. My husband and I have found the olympic lifts frustrating without regular outside help. I recognize that I need hands on coaching to truly improve. We have several major life stressors right now that I must keep in perspective - buying a house, moving to a new state, and starting over professionally.

I have been immensely inspired by Jim Steel's athletes Tracy and Christi - I wanted to know how they train.

My goals are to keep my training up through the life transition and continue to make gains. Specifically, I am training with the goal of winning the USAPL Raw Nationals this August in Killeen, Texas. Additionally I would like to compete in a few Oly meets in 2012 and possibly a strongman event. I wanted to join a roller derby league but Mac said that I would get my butt kicked and quit after the first match. Apparently I lack the necessary agression.

My rep schemes for the new program are calculated off my maxes either at the meet this past December or in the garage over the past month:
Squat - 285lbs (meet)
Bench -205lbs (garage)
Deadlift - 330lbs (meet)
Press - 135 lbs(garage)
Clean -85kg
Jerk - way more than I can clean but not tested beyond what I can clean
Snatch - 63kg

Today's workout
Snatch:
50% x2, 60% 5x2
31kg x2, 38kg 5x2

Squat (in lbs):
50%x10, 60%x8, 70%x6, 80% 4x6, 60%x15
143x10, 170x8, 200x6, 230 4x6, 170x15

Romanian Deadlift:
115 3x10

Prowler:
10 rounds of Push for 40 yards, rest 30 seconds, push 40 yards back to start
Mac went between my rounds

[Gillian Mounsey]

Tuesday, Jan 3

Clean & Jerk: 50%x2, 60%x2, 70% 4x2
42kgx2,50kgx2,60kg 4x2

Close Grip Bench (max estimated off 70% BP max)
60%x5, 70%x5, 75% 4x6, 60%x15
90lbsx5, 105lbsx5, 115lbs 4x6, 95x15
This felt very easy. Could have done 100 reps at 95lbs. Have a feeling my close grip max is more than 70% of my BP max.

Barbell Curls (lbs)
70lbs 3x5
45lbsx15

Reverse Barbell Curl
35lbs 3x15

Ouchie. Pump was a weird feeling. Have not done a bicep curl since the late 90s.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday January 5th

High bar squat (light/for speed)
Warm-up
Barx5x2, 95lbsx5, 135lbsx5
Work sets
4x6@150lbs
(first time doing a high bar squat, Jim Steel had us watch videos of Chakarov to learn the form)

Deadlift
50%x5, 60%x2, 70%x2, 75%x2, 80% 5x2, 69% 12-15
165lbsx5, 200lbsx2, 230lbsx2, 250lbsx2, 265lbs 5x2, 200lbsx15

Barbell Row
115x6, 135x6, 135x6, 135x6, 135x6, 95x15

Weighted strict pull-up (+15lb KB)
10, 10 ,10

*Sprints
10x60 yards with :30 rest bewteen

* I should have been doing the sprints at 70% but I refused to let Mac be faster than me so I stayed with him. I guess I was closer to 85%

Video of today here: www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/

[Gillian Mounsey]

Friday 1/6/12

Bench Press
50%x4, 60%x4, 70%x2, 75%x2, 85% 5x3
105lbsx5, 125lbsx4, 150lbsx2, 165lbsx2, 175lbs 5x3
Felt light but tougher than it would normally be. I'm sore from the new stimulus this week.

Press
70% 4x7, 60%x15
95lbs 4x7, 80lbsx15 - tough set!

Super-set Lateral raises and upright rows 5x12
Lateral raises - 10lbs
Upright rows - 35lbs

Weighted Push-ups
4x15 reps with 25lb plate on back

Today's video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 1/9/12

Snatch (50%x2, 60%x2, 70% 4x2)
35kgx2, 40kgx2, 45kg 4x2
Light and easy, form was good today, bar actually rattled off my hips - finally full extension!

Squat (60%x5, 70%x5, 80%x2, 85% 4x6, 70% x10)
175lbs x5, 205x5, 230x2, *240 (4x6), 205x10

* I screwed up here and was a chicken shit. 85% was supposed to be 245 today not the 240 that I chose to do. It was a 15 lb bump from last week for the same volume and I didn't think I would succeed in getting 6 reps in each set. We called Jim Steel during the workout (but after I finished squatting). He explained that it was about getting the total volume - total number of reps (4x6 was the preferred rep scheme but the total count for today needed to be 24 reps at 245lbs). In the future I will keep this in mind and do whatever weight I am prescribed and achieve the reps in however many sets it takes.

RDL
135x10

Conditioning
6 reps of:
Sprint 10 yards, hop 10 yards, power skip 10 yards, sprint 10 yards

We were supposed to do the prowler today but the road conditions were snowy/icy and the only place that was workable was the center of the road. I decided that it was dangerous to push the prowler in the dark in the middle of the slick road - even if we could get out of the way when a car came, the prowler may cause an accident. Mac would have sucked it up and done it. I think I exercised common sense.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Tuesday 1/10/11

Cleans 60%x2, 70%x2, 80% 4x1
115lbsx2, 135lbsx2, 155lbs 4x1
(very light, added a jerk here just to continue to keep the movement tuned)

Close Grip Bench Press (using 80% of Bench Press max as estimated max)
60%x5, 70%x5, 75%x1, 80% 3x7, 70%x12
100lbsx5, 120lbsx5, 125lbsx1, 135lbs 3x7, 115lbs x12

Very light, I think my regular bench and my close grip bench might actually be the same number. Turns out that my regular bench grip is narrower than it should be when we examine videos.

Barbell Curls
5x15 @ 45lbs

Wrist Curls (yucky ouchie)
3x15 @35lbs

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday 1/12/12

Body Weight 144lbs (down about 5lbs in last 2 weeks, don't think I am eating enough, stress may be a factor?)

High Bar Squats (light)
135lbsx5, 155lbsx2, 165lbs (3x7)


Deadlifts (using estimated max of 335lbs for calculations)
70%x2, 80%x2, 85% 5x4, 70%x10
(warmed up with 135lbs 2x5, 185lbs x5)
235lbsx2, 270lbsx2, 285lbs 5x4, 235lbsx10

This was hard work. Not accustomed to so much volume. Was nervous about getting all of the reps but I did ok.

Barbell Row
140lbs 5x5, 95lbs x20 (maybe too light here, easily had 30 reps)

Sternum to Bar Pull-ups (strict)
30 reps total as:
8,8,7,7

I asked Steel today if these should be weighed, he responded "no". When I got to them in the workout it was a pretty hysterical thought that hours earlier I believed I could do chest to bar weighted pull-ups after all the deads and rows. Very happy he said no.

Prowler
10 rounds of push 40 yards, rest :30, push 40 yards

Absolute misery. Decided to use the same load as Mac. Really wanted to quit. We timed the uphill pushes on the way back on the last few, I wanted to beat Mac so bad but the best I could do was tie his time on the last one. Inside I was getting angry at him because it was so much harder for me. This is what I get for continuing my prowler workout last week when he was puking in the ditch on the side of the road.

Will post today's training video later.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Friday 1/13/12

Bench
60%x2, 70%x2, 80%x2, 85% 5x4
125lbsx5, 145lbsx2, 170lbsx2, 180lbs 5x4

Press
75% 4x7, 60%x12
105lbs 4x7, 90lbsx12

Kirk Shrugs (shrug plus upright row with 2 second pause at belly button)
7x3
First 3 sets with 115lbs, last 4 sets with 125lbs
*never done these before

Weighted Push-ups
5x20 with 25lbs

Video will be up shortly
www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 1/15/12

Snatch (in kgs)
Warm-up
25kgx5, 35kgx5, 40kgx3, 45kgx3, 48kgx2
Work Sets
80% 8x1
50kg 8x1

Squat (in lbs)
Warm-up
Barx5x2, 95lbsx5, 135lbsx5
Work sets
60%x2, 70%x2, 80% 10x4
175lbsx2, 205lbsx2, 230lbs 10x4

Good Mornings (first time doing these)
65lbs 5x5

Training days this week were adjusted because Mac and I are going to the Starting Strength seminar in Atlanta this coming weekend. Normally squat day is on Monday after 2 consecutive days off. Today was tough, I didn't feel fully recovered going into the workout.

Video to be posted later - it will be the snatches, the last 3 of my 10 sets of squats at 230lbs and my attempt at proper good mornings

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 1/16/12

Yucky day... Making this post from the emergency room. Popped something in my lower right calf on the first prowler push. Not sure if it is achilles or gastroc. Can't walk.

Power clean
Warm up then 165lbs 6 x 1

Press
105lbs 5x5- focused on moving the bar fast

Close grip bench press
115lbs x5, 135lbs x5, 150lbs x2
160lbs 6x4

Reverse barbell curl
40lbs 5x15

Prowler- would have been first time on flat ground. Brought prowler in car to a parking lot.

Total failure- 1 step and done :(

Video posted later...

[Gillian Mounsey]

Wednesday, January 18

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x95, 5x135, 3x185, 3x3x230.

Calf felt OK during the workout. It hurt after the workout, and feels a little better today.

Woo Hoo! Back on schedule, going to be able to make it to the Starting Strength Seminar in Atlanta after all.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Friday 1/27/12
High volume day after a tough week with little rest.

Bench
Work sets
5x5 @ 180lbs
2x12 @ 150 lbs- this was not as hard as I expected it to be

Press
Work sets
5x3 @ 120 lbs- Tougher than I would expect, not used to benching before

100lbs x 9

Kirk shrugs
125lbs 6x3

Lying tricep extensions
Only had a regular barbell and it hurt my elbows, guessing my grip is incorrect

3x10 with bar (was supposed to do 5 sets here but it didn't feel right)

Push-ups
Joined Mac, was not supposed to do these

2 sets: 30 reps, 50 reps

I'm sore today. Training with Steel on Sunday.

[benana22]

that's awesome that you'll get to stop there on your way home. Hope there will be lots of good video and info.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 1/29/12

Trained at UPENN.

Amazing training day with "Three of the strongest people in the world" - Jim Steel (referring to himself, Tracy, and Christi). I want to squat like Tracy!!!!!!!

Snatch
70% 6x1
100lbs 6x1

Squat
175lbsx2, 205lbsx2, 230lbsx2, 260lbsx2, 275lbsx1, *275lbsx2, 205lbsx12
* Double at 275lbs was actually easy. I was in shock. I am definitely stronger that I was a month ago!

Romanian Deadlift
175lbs 3x10

Video at http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[james7454]

Hey its Jim steel...Tracy and Cristri are strong, I am just trying to keep up!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday, January 29

Three position Clean: 5 sets at 60% BW (42Kg).

Close Grip Bench:
70%x3, 80%x3, 90% as many as possible
135lbsx3, 155lbsx3, 175lbsx7

DB Curls:
5x10 Did not have light enough DBs so used a KB which was awkward. Will get 25lb dumbells.

[Michele Knaub]

gillian, i hope you won't mind if i ask a specific question in your log.

to prepare for the powerlifting meet, did you train the bench press in "meet style" - pressing from a dead stop just over the chest?

i've never done this and am curious how i should prepare.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Michele,

Of course I don't mind. I stated training the bench press "meet style" 3 weeks before my meet. Meet style entailed waiting for verbal commands from my husband and pausing on my chest until I heard the command.

Make sure that you look up whatever commands the organization uses. They operate differently. In USAPL you have to wait for a command before bringing the bar down to your chest, a press command and a rack command.

I think I would do it the same way again the next time that I compete.

Are you excited about your meet? It's March 3rd, correct?

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/1/12

Happy.Happy.Happy.

Olympic squat (light)
170lbs 2x5

DEADLIFT
205lbsx3, 240lbsx2, 275lbsx2, 305lbsx2, 320lbsx2
340lbs 4x1 Huge PR!!!! Previous PR was 330lbs for a single on December 4th, 2011 at a powerlifting meet
So happy, this made my week.

Pull-ups
4x15

Thanks to Jim Steel for the exceptional programming. Thanks Mac for being there always and believing in me. Thanks Matt Reynolds for the pre workout prep advice. The coffee was a huge help.

video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[melody]

2/1/12

Happy.Happy.Happy.

Olympic squat (light)
170lbs 2x5

DEADLIFT
205lbsx3, 240lbsx2, 275lbsx2, 305lbsx2, 320lbsx2
340lbs 4x1 Huge PR!!!! Previous PR was 330lbs for a single on December 4th, 2011 at a powerlifting meet
So happy, this made my week.

Pull-ups
4x15

Thanks to Jim Steel for the exceptional programming. Thanks Mac for being there always and believing in me. Thanks Matt Reynolds for the pre workout prep advice. The coffee was a huge help.

video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

awesome deadlift!

[Diana]

2/1/12


So happy, this made my week.



awesome! you deserve it!

[bigstve121]

Great work, keep at it!!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thanks guys. I am experiencing a post adrenaline headache right now. I got really worked up today. I think I finally came to the realization that the only thing preventing the bar from coming of the ground was my chicken shit brain.

[Grant Mccaulley]

Gillian

Those deadlifts look easy really, how about 400 by 2013?, get some!!

Grant

[Michele Knaub]

next time leave the happy dance *In.*

[Mac Ward]

Thanks Mac for being there always and believing in me.

You make it all better.

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/2/12

Bench 85% 5x6
185lbs 5x6

Press 75% 4x6
110lbs 4x6

Kirk Shrugs
115lbs 5x6

Push-ups
5x25
First set with 45lb plate, 2nd set with 25lb plate, last three sets unweighted

Very fatigued today.

Video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Grant Mccaulley]

go to usapowerlifting.com

2012 Battle on the Border VI
Upper Palmetto YMCA
857 Promenade Walk
Fort Mill, SC 29708
March 24, 2012
Event Details

USA POWERLIFTING
BATTLE ON THE BORDER

2012 USAPL
Battle on the Border:
March 24, 2012

Upper Palmetto YMCA
857 Promenade Walk
Fort Mill, SC 29708


Grant

[Grant Mccaulley]

where are you moving to in NC? I used to live in Charlotte, Greensboro, Boone; would move back anytime, still have many friends and lifting contacts in the state

[Oldster]

Very fatigued today.
After pulling a 340 PR yesterday? Shocking..........heh...

Incredible PR however!

[Gillian Mounsey]

I am moving to Cedar Point North Carolina. It is near camp Lejeune, about 20 miles from Morehead city

Grant, if you have any suggestions of places that I should check into let me know.

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/5/12
A day to remember...

The plan:

Clean pulls 70% 3x3

Squat- 5 waves of 225x2, 255x1, 280x1 followed by 230 6-10 reps

RDL
185 3x8

What actually happened:

Clean pulls and RDLs went fine, exactly as rx'd

Squat-
Warm up
barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3

Work sets (waves)
225x2, 255x1, 280x0 Fail

After the profanity and emotional outburst subsided we went into the house to watch the video tape and see where I went wrong.... Lifted my head coming out of the bottom and lost hip drive

225x2, 255x1, 280x0 Fail

225x2, 255x1, 265x1

225x2, 255x1, 270x1 (heavier than I expected)

225x2, 255x1, 270x1

230x 8 This got ugly, I wanted 10, my form broke down severely and I was close to passing out, Mac made me rack the weight. I wanted 10 today if it killed me after the prior failures today.

I learned a lot from today. I am devastated by my failures but am satisfied with my effort.

I hardly ever have days like this- so few that I can recall exact dates that I failed on reps during training- they stick with me and haunt me.

Looking forward to my next squat day. Time to seriously address my nutrition, that is an area that I am not giving 100% to.

[Diana]

bummer on the day, but your perseverance is amazing.

can you explain the waves. how much rest inbetween the different reps of the wave? what's the purpose?

[Grant Mccaulley]

Not fimilar with that part of NC, actually the gym I used to train at is closed, it was called the house of pain and no longer exists that I know of, the other gyms in Charlotte and Boone that I worked at and lifted in are closed too. Ashville is where Tbone is at, she may be your best bet to find coaching, Mac just needs to get better!

As far as your nutritional questions, lets get to work, give me a call sometime if you want my help. This is about 60% of what I do right now, I typically work on fat loss but I have some that are now on lean gains/strength gain protocols that are working. 5634681996.

Grant

[Gillian Mounsey]

My very close friend and former training partner (when I lived in NYC) has decided to start a log here. Her log is called Staci's Log and is in the Intermediate Training Logs.

Staci and I met in March of 2008 at our first CrossFit class. She left CrossFit long before I did realizing that it was hurting her more than helping her.

In early 2009 Staci worked her magic and scored us a great deal at a gym in mid town Manhattan (Mid City located on 42nd street between 8th and 9th ave). We brought in our own equipment including barbells, bumper plates, racks and kettle bells and the gym let us do whatever we wanted. We had something very special- an amazing place to train and great company.

We spent our afternoons training together whenever we could until I moved to Virginia. Having another female to train with was invaluable to me. It was a time of self discovery. It is when I fell in love with barbell exercises.

Staci began Starting Strength today after playing around with various programs over the past two years. Watch her progress. She has amazing potential - I will be turning it up a notch to keep her from catching me :)

[Gillian Mounsey]

Grant,

I am familiar with Charlotte. Where I am moving to is on the coast, pretty far from everything. The nearest city is Wilmington about an hour away. I think I am about 8 hours away from Tbone. I wish we were closer.

Thank you for offering to consult. I will definitely keep that in mind. First I need to stop eating like an unsupervised 12 year old. Much of my calories come from ice cream, brownies, candy, breakfast cereal, frozen pizza and other horrifying food sources. My protein is way too low. From what I can tell, I rarely hit 100 grams per day. I have been fortunate enough to never get fat or have any unfavorable blood values. I get teased that I can turn peanut M&M's into muscle. I know that is not true. It's time to start addressing my weakness - DIET

I know what to do, now I just need to do it. I will be in touch if I have any questions.

Thanks again,
Gillian

[Staci Rudnitsky]

I will be turning it up a notch to keep her from catching me :)

Oh lord, I may have just created a monster....

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/6/12
Frog jumps
5x10 (calf felt okay)

Close grip bench
75%x4, 85%x4, 95% 2-6
145x4, 165x4, 185x5

Barbell Curls
65lbs 3x6
45lbs 1x12

Mac is traveling, had to workout at the regular globo gym in order to have a spotter for the bench. Lucky for me I found a great spotter that did not upright row my bar. He was also odorless, was not wearing shorts that are too short, and kind enough to step out of my visual field during the sets. It was a good day!

[yonkyogirl]

There's a guy at my gym who wears shorts that are virtually underwear, it's not something I want to see!

[mariawolters]

Yay for a competent spotter!

Re diet, I'm in the process of cleaning up my diet, and I find I need to cook an awful lot more myself. Just stuff like chillis, omelettes, and I'm working on getting most of my carbs from veg.

Have you checked out Georgie Fear? She has an app with recipes that I use a lot called Fuel Up; I make her muffin recipes and they are the best wee protein bars I've come across. Very simple, yummy ideas. Georgie's a dietitian who's worked with athletes, so she knows how to make sure you get your protein.

http://www.askgeorgie.com

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thanks Maria, I will check it out.

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/8/10
Squats (Light)
170 2x5

Deadlifts
Warm-ups
135x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 265x2, 295x1

Work sets
315x5, 315x2,1,1,1

Was prescribed two sets of five. The first set of five took everything I had. This set taught me how to hang on.

The first set was expensive, I was only able to get a double and then three singles for the second set. In the end I got all my reps.

Barbell Rows
30 reps total at 165 lbs
8,8,7,7

Video posted soon...

[jenica]

I can't wait for the day I'm pulling 300+ for sets. Or reps, for that matter! You serve as good inspiration-- keep up the good work.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Bill just said "So she's barbell rowing more than me.". I think it's time I make you a new tote bag :)

[Tamara Reynolds]

Bill just said "So she's barbell rowing more than me."

This made me laugh.

And, it makes me want to try to barbell row for the first time ever, but...

[Gillian Mounsey]

Video is up....

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/


Deadlifting, rowing and a happy dance to Elivis Presley!

[Diana]

a happy dance to Elivis Presley!

best part of the video...haha.

nice deads!

[Mac Ward]

best part of the video...haha.

And you're only seeing a very small portion of it. The dance happened pretty much throughout remainder of the workout post deads. Must be the exceptional music.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Tbone - I should clarify that my husband doesn't lift. He means she is rowing something that weighs more than he does :)

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/9/11

Monster bench and press day!

Bench
130x5
150 2x4
160 2x3
170x5
185 2x5
195 2x3 PR
205x2 PR
210x1 PR
215x1 PR
170x8
150x6
140x8
130x12

Press
100 2x8
85 3x10

Floor Press- first time doing these
175x4, 165x5

Was supposed to do Kirk shrugs after the press but my right shoulder is bugging me and the top of the shrug movement aggravates my AC joint.

Very happy with today!!!!! That USAPL Raw American Bench Press Record will soon be mine in the 67.5 kg weight class!!!

[Michele Knaub]

That bench is insane.

[Diana]

that is killer! what was your bench attempt at the last meet?

[yonkyogirl]

215x1 PR

Wow

[hbriem]

That's an amazing bench for an unequipped female lifter.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Video from today....

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog/

I missed 205lbs at my last (which was my first) meet. The American Record for the ladies 67.5 kg weight class (USAPL Raw Open class) is 203.75 lbs. I made a mistake from jumping from an opening attempt at 188lbs to 205lbs for a record attempt on my second lift. I missed the second attempt and third attempt at that weight. The rationale was to go for the record on attempt 2 and if something went wrong I had another shot at it.

I will definitely get it next time....

[Gwynn]

You killed that 205 for a double and then got 215 for a single. That's utterly fabulous.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

That bench is insane.

This.

[jenica]

Awesome PR! You're killing it this week.

[Mac Ward]

I will definitely get it next time....

Because you have busted your hump and trained with a purpose. Proud of you, wifey.

[Tamara Reynolds]

Tbone - I should clarify that my husband doesn't lift. He means she is rowing something that weighs more than he does

Oh, it doesn't matter. I just found it hilarious. And, I have never done a barbell row, so I have no idea what I can do other than "Not As Much As Gillian."

[Tamara Reynolds]

Bench
130x5
150 2x4
160 2x3
170x5
185 2x5
195 2x3 PR
205x2 PR
210x1 PR
215x1 PR
170x8
150x6
140x8
130x12

Very happy with today!!!!! That USAPL Raw American Bench Press Record will soon be mine in the 67.5 kg weight class!!!

Should I even say that I am not surprised? Which is not to say that I am not impressed. I should have listened to Rip and made you do 190 for your workset at the seminar, haha!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

"Not As Much As Gillian."

...and yet another good T-shirt idea ;)

[Mac Ward]

...and yet another good T-shirt idea ;)

There are several Gillian themed t-shirts at gym she works at, she's too embarrassed anything, we don't need any more!

[Tamara Reynolds]

There are several Gillian themed t-shirts at gym she works at, she's too embarrassed anything, we don't need any more!

Does she make any money off them? My husband gets exceptionally irritated that more than one gym has quotes from me on their shirts, and yet I don't get paid, haha. But, I don't even make money off of my own gym shirts. Shirts are too expensive as it it. I just let Spreadshirt handle them and don't add a commission. With that thought, I think I am going to make some Gillian themed shirts and put them on Spreadshirt. They will have glitter, of course.

[Simma Park]

This log--I officially pronounce it awesome.

And inspiring.

And awe-inspiring.

[Diana]

I will proudly wear a "not as much as Gillian" shirt!

Gillian, when are you competing next?

[Gillian Mounsey]

The ones at the gym are cute. I do not make any money off of them. They say, "Got Gillian?" like the got milk campaign. On the back it says "we do" with the logo of the gym. I was mortified when the owners made them last year but my girls like to wear them.

The most embarrassing shirt in my honor was one of a photo taken of the sweat print that my butt made after a Crossfit workout sitting on a plyo box. Somebody took the pic and turned it into something that looked like a Rorschach ink blot. The design kind of resembled angel wings and luckily the t- shirt did not say "Crossfit: Gillian's sweaty butt- Get Some"

Very glad people are no longer capitalizing on my sweat angels. Something to be said about having my own garage gym.....

[Gillian Mounsey]

I would like to compete in April or May. Have not chosen which meet yet. Open to suggestions....

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/12/12

Final squat day before the move on Wednesday. Went to train with Steel, Tracy and Christi today at UPenn one more time while we are still only 200 miles away (as opposed to the 500 we will be when we move to North Carolina).

Squat
95x5
135 2x5
185 2x3
225x2
255x2
270x1
280x0 (fail, again....)
280x1 YAY!!!!
280x0 (another miss but at least I got it today)
225x5 Pause reps at Jim's command
225x5 Pause reps at Jim's command

Deadlift (light)
225 2x2
275x2
315 2x2

"No-touch" deadlift
275x9
275x10

Mac PR'd his deadlift big time today. Very proud of him. Posting the video in a little while. It was an incredible day to train with such amazing athletes. It is not often that I am the weakest girl in the room.....I love it. All the more reason to get stronger!!!!!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

It is not often that I am the weakest girl in the room.....I love it.

I'm giving you a year or so to get used to it. Because I am on a mission to out-squat you, missy!

[Gillian Mounsey]

I'm planning to be squatting 350 or so by then so go ahead and try to catch me....:)

[Gillian Mounsey]

Today's video is up - cameo appearances by my she-ros!

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[jenica]

Nice work! I don't get to do it often, but I also find training with girls stronger than me rewarding. I always push harder than I think I can. I also love that you classified a 315 DL as light :)

[Michele Knaub]

just once i'd love to be in that position... the mind reels.

[melody]

Today's video is up - cameo appearances by my she-ros!

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

those paused squats looked hard!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

I'm planning to be squatting 350 or so by then so go ahead and try to catch me....:)

Bring it :)

Video was amazing, as always. Gratifying to see how hard work has paid off for you and Mac. Thank you for sharing - most appreciated!

[Gillian Mounsey]

It's amazing what you can do with Steel standing over you and yelling at you. Our trips to UPenn have taught me to stop being such a sissy and to clear my mind of any self doubt.

After a failed squat yesterday Steel said to me, "you're not weak, you are scared". It hit me that he is absolutely right.

[jenica]

I was finally able to watch the video. All I can say is wow. Moving big weight, and those paused squats and no-touch deads look brutal. Today is my off day, but it makes me want to go lift! And you are so right-- lifting is such a head game, which seems odd to anyone who has never been under a heavy bar.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

re: scared - I am fast approaching my PR on the squat (squatted 185 for 7 last summer). It's very likely those weren't to depth. So, I'm equal parts excited and petrified of revisiting 185 on Wednesday, never mind surpassing it. PARTICULARLY because I am going at it solo. For some reason reaching the same point with my deadlifts doesn't hold the same terror (though there is certainly a lot of trepidation).

[Gillian Mounsey]

Staci,
I wish I could be there with you for your squat day...
G

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Staci,
I wish I could be there with you for your squat day...
G

I wish I could be with you on April 7th.

Skype? :)

[Diana]

I wish I could be with you on April 7th.



Dying to be so nosey that I ask was April 7th is.....I won't ;)

[Staci Rudnitsky]

It's the 9th. I messed up :)

[Diana]

Haha...torture.

[Gillian Mounsey]

April 9th is my one year anniversary of leaving CrossFit methodology and starting dedicated strength training.

[Gillian Mounsey]

2/14/12

Last workout in Virginia. Garage is packed so we went to the base gym after the packers left for the day. McDonalds was our pre workout meal. Moving tomorrow...

Bench
50%x8, 60%x3, 70%x2, 75%5x7
105x8, 135x3, 150x2, 160 5x7

Press
7x2 Heavy doubles
120x2, 125x2, 130x2, 135x1 (failed on the second rep), 125x2, 130x2, 130x2
Had trouble focusing today. Bar path was poor. Really wanted to work up to 140x2, wasn't going to happen.

Next workout in North Carolina.....

[jenica]

Good luck on the move! Its always stressful, so I hope it goes smoothly.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thank you Jenica. I'm surprised and thankful that we were able to workout today.

[Diana]

awesome that you got it in! good luck with the move. i'll try to only shed a few tears :(
Glad we got a month to work together, wish it could've been more!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Enjoy your last night in VA!

[Michele Knaub]

my goal in life is to ensure you never eat McDonald's again.

good luck with the move.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 2/19/12

First workout since the move. In the new garage. Felt very weak today. Exhausted.

Squats -Pause reps
15 sets of 3 at 70% with 2 second hold at the bottom
210lbs 15x3

Video is of the last three sets.....
www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

Please ignore my shockingly white legs. I'm going with the white balance being off with the camera and ignoring the fact that it is February and my legs haven't seen the sun in six months.

[Diana]

you cross state lines and you think you can just wear shorts? rude!

[jenica]

They might have felt hard, but they didn't look it. Your legs look like the rest of us northerners...nice and white after a winter of hiding :)

Out of curiosity, when did you start adding in paused squats? When you felt like you were getting stuck in the hole consistently?

[Gillian Mounsey]

I did pause squats for the first time last weekend with Steel. He had me do them after my heavy sets.

Not sure if they will be a regular part of my program or not. I never get stuck in the hole but have a tendency to give up my lean and try to get too vertical with my back when it gets heavy thus shutting off hip drive.

When I drive out of the bottom with the pause I seem to have no choice but to stay with the lean and maximize my hip drive. I think that is why Steel programmed them for me.

If it is not I'm guessing that he will jump in and correct me.

[jenica]

Thanks Gillian.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 2/20/12

Frog Jumps
5x10 (legs felt like jello after, adductors and hamstrings very sore from pause squats yesterday)

Close Grip Bench Press
165lbs 5x4
135lbsx15

Hammer curls
30lb DBs 5x6
42lbsx15 (switched to a barbell curl because I did not have light enough db's for a set of 15)

video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Old Dog's Wife]

Hi Gillian!

Hope all is well. I am finally posting my own workout. Nothing like what you have......maybe one day. Wish I could drop by even if it's to see Millie and Mac.

Vanessa

[Mac Ward]

Hi Gillian!

Hope all is well. I am finally posting my own workout. Nothing like what you have......maybe one day. Wish I could drop by even if it's to see Millie and Mac.

Vanessa

Our home is always open.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Vanessa,

You are welcome any time. We have lots of room and a lovely gym:)
Glad to see you keeping your own log. Great work on the squats. Millie says hi.

Gillian

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday 2/23/12

Bench 80% 5x4, 90%x1, 70%x12
175lbs 5x4, 200lbsx1, 155lbsx12

Press 75% 4x6
105lbs 4x6

Shrugs
205lbs 5x6 (was not sure what weight to use, this may have been too light)

Lying Tricep Extension
45lbs 3x15(bothered elbows, was supposed to do 5 sets here, did close grip "diamond" push-ups 2x25 reps instead of last two sets)

Video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

Need to make up the deadlift day tomorrow. I missed it yesterday because I was incapacitated from the pause squats that I did on Sunday. I am finally walking normal today. I tried yesterday but it just wasn't happening.

[Mac Ward]

Nice job today...

[Gillian Mounsey]

Friday 2/24/12

Would have been a scheduled rest day but needed to make up the deadlift day that I missed.

Squat (light/recovery)
215lbs 2x5

Deadlift
275lbs 6x4

Barbell Row
170lbs 4x6

Fatigued today and struggled with the humidity in the garage but lifts went well. Left SI joint has been irritated all week and seems to be throwing my back and pelvis out of alignment.

Getting ready to experience my first coastal North Carolina storm. The noise in the video is the wind starting to pick up.

Video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

Started eating a little better 3 days ago. Matt Reynolds wrote me up a plan and so far I have been following it except for last night when I had 2 glasses of wine and a brownie instead of an evening protein shake. It is lots more food, especially protein than I am accustomed to and seems to be squashing my ability to consume mass quantities of junk food.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

We need to invent protein wine. There is protein ice cream, why not wine? We can use the ChocoVine as a jumping point...

[Gillian Mounsey]

That would be awesome, as long as it doesn't taste like protein.

[Michele Knaub]

At a certain point in this process, you will start unconsciously characterizing some forms of meat as junk food. Likely candidates: bacon (duh), barbecue of any kind, spare ribs, any meat that typically goes into a taco.

[Tamara Reynolds]

Started eating a little better 3 days ago. Matt Reynolds wrote me up a plan and so far I have been following it except for last night when I had 2 glasses of wine and a brownie instead of an evening protein shake.

No more M&M's?!?!?!

I laughed so hard at this, though, since Matt Reynolds' eating plan for me the other day involved selecting donuts instead of my usual ice cream. Heh.

[Gillian Mounsey]

I can still have M&M's as long as I eat all of my protein first. Makes me eat a lot less M&M's.

I've had a box of Entenmann's chocolate frosted donuts that have survived 3 days on my counter already- it's likely they will get stale before I eat them all. Weird!

Tamara, how is your wrist?

[Tamara Reynolds]

I can still have M&M's as long as I eat all of my protein first. Makes me eat a lot less M&M's.

I've had a box of Entenmann's chocolate frosted donuts that have survived 3 days on my counter already- it's likely they will get stale before I eat them all. Weird!

Tamara, how is your wrist?

Well, Matt is wrong. Ice cream is way better than donuts. The donuts like to sit in my stomach like rocks.

So, I partially tore my radial collateral ligament. I have a follow up appointment tomorrow. My guess is that they are going to put me in a hard cast and that I will be doing a lot of one-armed squats for the next six weeks. But, I am not a hand surgeon...

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 2/26/12

Squats
50%x5, 60%x2, 70%x2, 75%x2, 80%x2, 85%x2, 90% 3x1
145x5, 175x2, 205x2, 220x2, 235x2, 245x2, 260 3x1

RDL
170 3x7

Prowler
10 reps of 40 yards

video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 2/27/12

Recovery Squats
145lbs 3x5

Weighted Squat Jumps
5x10

Close Grip Bench Press
170lbs 5x5

Barbell Curls (used EZ bar because it does not hurt my elbows)
65lbs 4x12

Video at: www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

Tamara, the T-shirt in the video is for you.....

[Gillian Mounsey]

Wednesday 2/29/12

Pause Squats Light (2 sec pause at bottom)
205lbs 4x2

Deadlift
Warm-up
135lbs 2x5, 185lbsx5, 225lbsx3, 275lbsx2, 305lbsx1

Work sets
325lbs 9x1

Was supposed to do 12 singles at 325lbs with 1 minute rest but only got through 9. Form was degrading severely to the point of being unsafe - made a decision to stop after 9 reps. Was resting much longer than a minute on the last 2 reps.

Barbell Rows
175lbs 3x6

Video at: www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Mac Ward]

And scored a massive PR to boot!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday 3/1/12

Bench Press
90% 10x1
205lbs 10x1 - This was far easier than I expected.

Push Press
10x2 Heavy!
(That is what Steel wrote on my program. I have not done a push press in over a year so I did not know what to expect. I was pleased)
135lbsx2
140lbsx2
145lbsx2
150lbsx2
155lbsx2
160lbsx2
165lbsx2 (starting to get challenging)
170lbs FAIL
170lbsx2
175lbs FAIL - think I just chickened out and had a faulty bar path, tried it again and failed a second time

Barbell Shrugs
225lbs 5x6

100 Push-ups (Elbows in as I was instructed to do. I much prefer to stick my elbows straight out to the side. These were hard. I went into it thinking I could do a single set of 100 - boy, was I wrong)
Completed as:
50 reps
25 reps
25 reps

Video up shortly at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Michele Knaub]

205x10??!!

i've been starting strength'ing for a year and a half and have put like maybe 15 lbs on my bench. in all seriousness, i'd give a few dollahs to hear Gillian's Patented Upper Body Program for Wimmin. I'm not even tripping.

[melody]

205x10??!!

i've been starting strength'ing for a year and a half and have put like maybe 15 lbs on my bench. in all seriousness, i'd give a few dollahs to hear Gillian's Patented Upper Body Program for Wimmin. I'm not even tripping.

Word

[rumblefish]

205x10??!!

i've been starting strength'ing for a year and a half and have put like maybe 15 lbs on my bench. in all seriousness, i'd give a few dollahs to hear Gillian's Patented Upper Body Program for Wimmin. I'm not even tripping.

Yeah Gillian that's awesome!!
(typed while crying in shame, punching self repeatedly in balls)

[Gillian Mounsey]

Michele,

Hope the way it is written is not misleading. I did 10 singles, not a set of 10. I could have probably done sets of 5 on the earlier sets.

Upper body has always been my strength. I'm just waiting for my lower body to catch up now. I was a gymnast since I was a toddler so that explains most of it. I also have always done a ton of pull-ups, push-ups, dips and handstand work as part of my training.

If you want more specifics on how I incorporate upper body strengthening with my own training or with my female clients, let me know.

My pressing strength has improved dramatically over the past two months with the incorporation of weighted assistance exercises.

Gillian

[Michele Knaub]

I'm still like, 205 bench... whoa.

Right, I can't go back in time and become a gymnastic toddler, so that option is out. I remember trying gymnastics and thinking, "I'm clearly not Nadia Comeneci, I should blow this joint."

But it's hard to know how, as a mature woman, to get the upper body jacked when SO MANY of the things I've tried have resulted in FRIED SHOULDERS.

Grease the groove pushup program? Even with 4 or 5-rep sets, ----> shoulder problems within a few weeks
Lots of assisted pullups? ---> fried shoulders with BONUS fried elbows

Surely grown-ass women who do not weigh 95 lbs (ahem) have been able to conquer these issues, but I'm at a loss.

I apologize for asking for free training advice - we can take this offline if that feels more appropriate.

[rumblefish]

Crude banter aside, I was just skimming along and saw the numbers. Very impressive.

[sking1001]

205lbs 10x1
170lbsx2

Dayum!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 3/4/12

Squat
Warm-up
Bar x8, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 245x1, 260x1

Work sets
270 4x1

Had two fails along the way but got the reps. Wore different lifting shoes today that messed me up. I told Mac that I am like princess and the pea- I'm sensitive to every minor change. He agreed with me but insisted it was no reason for a miss.

Drop sets- quick
205x5, 185x8, 175x8

Romanian deadlift
185 3x6

Video up soon at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 3/5/12

DB Squat Jumps
5x10

Close Grip Bench Press
140x3
160x2
170x1
180x1
190x1
200 2x1
170 2x4
160 2x7

Barbell Curl
55 5x10

[Mac Ward]

Close Grip Bench Press
190x1
200 2x1


PR's for the most awesome chick I know.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Wednesday 3/7/12

Pause Squats (2 sec hold at bottom)
225 5x1

Deadlift (technique work, no belt)
250 20x1
This was light and easy, focused on form and set-up
Decided to lift without my lifting shoes. After today I think I am going to ditch the shoes for deadlifts.

Barbell Rows
175 5x6

Video up soon at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[jenica]

Wednesday 3/7/12

Pause Squats (2 sec hold at bottom)
225 5x1

Deadlift (technique work, no belt)
250 20x1
This was light and easy, focused on form and set-up
Decided to lift without my lifting shoes. After today I think I am going to ditch the shoes for deadlifts.

Barbell Rows
175 5x6

Video up soon at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

I'm consistently impressed with your strength; it makes me realize I can just keep on pushing since there's plenty of room to grow. Thanks for sharing!

[Diana]

After today I think I am going to ditch the shoes for deadlifts.
]

when are we gonna see a shoeless 340?

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thank you for the kind words Jenica.

Diana, hopefully you are going to see a shoeless 250 or more very soon :)

[Gillian Mounsey]

This is the new article that I wrote for Live Fit America Monthly. Live Fit America is my non profit nationwide physical fitness initiative dedicated to combating the growing epidemic of obesity and related illnesses by bringing the culture of physical activity back into the American lifestyle. If you are interested in writing for the journal or participating in events, please let me know......

This month's article is titled "The Hardest Worker" and is about my childhood experiences that shaped my path as an athlete...

http://www.gillianmounsey.com/resources.htm

[Staci Rudnitsky]

I feel kinda lazy now....

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday 3/8/12

BIG DAY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!

Bench
70%x2, 80%x2, 85%x2, 90%x1, 95%x1, 100% 2x1, 80% as many as possible

155x2, 180x2, 190x2, 205x1, 215x1 (old PR), 225x1 PR!!!!!!!! - Two wheels, 180x9

Was supposed to do another single at 100% but you will be able to see from the video that 225 was only happening once. Tough rep. I was ecstatic. Back cramped badly after.


Press
70% 5x6
100lbs 5x6

Shrugs
195 3x15

Push-ups - 100 "perfect, elbows in reps"
Ok, I flared my elbows out for 25 reps and told Mac not to tell Steel on me but now I feel guilty. Really don't like tricep push-ups (probably because I"m not as good at them)

video will be up shortly at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Diana]

your enthusiasm is freakin' infectious!!! Awesome bench PR!

[jenica]

Congrats on the bench PR!!!!! Two big wheels is a big deal!

[Gwynn]

That's a hell of a bench, I'm inspired!

[hbriem]

Congratulations on that fantastic bench press, Gillian. World class!

[mariawolters]

Congratulations!

[Matt Reynolds]

Your reaction cracks me up!! Congrats on the PR!

[Tamara Reynolds]

Holy shit.

You benched 225.

YES, YOU DID.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Dayum.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 3/11/12

Last squat day before I leave for a week of training with Rip at WFAC.

Went into the workout fatigued from a 6 mile beach walk yesterday and slightly sunburned shoulders - high tide put me on the soft sand and my calves are unhappy today. It was worth it though.

Squat

Warm-up
Barx5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 245x1, 265x1

Work Sets
275 4x1 (Easier than they have ever been. Third rep was funky but the rest were solid)
250x2, 225x5, 205x5

RDL
200 3x6

Leaving tomorrow after my workout for Wichita Falls. Very excited!!!!!

Video up soon at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Carlos Daniel]

How much do you weight, Gillian, if you don't mind me asking.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Damn girl. You rock. Enjoy your trip, and learn lots of stuff to impart upon me when I come to visit you in May!

[Diana]

Damn girl. You rock. Enjoy your trip, and learn lots of stuff to impart upon me when I come to visit you in May!

ditto.

[bob g]

Thursday 3/8/12

BIG DAY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!

Bench
70%x2, 80%x2, 85%x2, 90%x1, 95%x1, 100% 2x1, 80% as many as possible

155x2, 180x2, 190x2, 205x1, 215x1 (old PR), 225x1 PR!!!!!!!! - Two wheels, 180x9
...


Outstanding. I don't have to tell you that there are many, many phenomenal athletes who can't bench two wheels. I've personally only seen one other woman bench at your level. She was an All-American hammer thrower. Congrats.

[jenica]

Have an awesome trip!!

[djl236]

Thursday 3/8/12

BIG DAY TODAY!!!!!!!!!!

Bench
70%x2, 80%x2, 85%x2, 90%x1, 95%x1, 100% 2x1, 80% as many as possible

155x2, 180x2, 190x2, 205x1, 215x1 (old PR), 225x1 PR!!!!!!!! - Two wheels, 180x9

Was supposed to do another single at 100% but you will be able to see from the video that 225 was only happening once. Tough rep. I was ecstatic. Back cramped badly after.


Press
70% 5x6
100lbs 5x6

Shrugs
195 3x15

Push-ups - 100 "perfect, elbows in reps"
Ok, I flared my elbows out for 25 reps and told Mac not to tell Steel on me but now I feel guilty. Really don't like tricep push-ups (probably because I"m not as good at them)

video will be up shortly at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog


225 is impressive! Keep it up.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thanks guys. Carlos, I weigh right around 150-152. Overall I am up 5lbs in the 11 weeks that Jim Steel has been programming me. I have been eating a ton more quality calories as well for the past month.

[Carlos Daniel]

You have a VERY good bench. If I remember correctly, you have competed in powerlifting before, right?

[Rob Israel]

Wow. (the bench)

Have fun down in Texas with J&M!

[Gillian Mounsey]

I have competed once this past December in a USAPL meet. I am planning to compete again in April in the 148 class and then Raw Nationals in August. Possibly another meet in June to get experience.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 3/12/12
On my way to Texas.....
Early morning workout

DB Squat Jumps
15lb 5x10

Close Grip Bench Press
165 5x7

Reverse Curls
45 5x10

[Staci Rudnitsky]

It is cruel to add DB to squat jumps.


Just sayin'.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 3/19/12

Back from Texas. Did not do a good job of keeping up my log last week. Had an amazing time with Margie and Jeremy and some awesome experiences with Rip. Training did not go exactly as planned. We arrived on Monday night and by Tuesday morning I was starting to get sick. I'm not sure if it was horrendous allergies (seasonal and the cat at the house that we stayed at) or a sinus infection but it knocked me on my butt pretty good. Melody came up to train on Thursday morning and I was unable to lift with her. We had a great time anyway though. I look forward to actually getting to workout with her next time.

All in all I got 4 lifting session in and 2 short Prowler workouts in (one of them in the Wichita Mountains of Oklahoma with buffalo and prairie dogs in the background). I followed my assigned program any did some extras. I cleaned and snatched for the first time in about 2 months. Cleans went surprisingly well. I PR'd my power clean. We ate lots of meat. Rip was very kind to us as usual and took us to do some pretty cool stuff including picking up a cow and a pig at a local processor and learning about how meat is processed.

Lifting Highlights of the week:
Squat 285, missed 290
Deadlift 350 PR
Press 140 PR (easy, could have gone up but Rip was correcting my form, he was trying to get me to use my hips and I was not able to process at that weight)
Sets of 5 at 195 on the bench (PR for sets of 5)
Power Clean 88kg (194 lbs) for a triple

Got home yesterday afternoon. Squatted this morning - 12x1 at 225. Easy day.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Squatted this morning - 12x1 at 225. Easy day.

Keep up the good work....I'm catching up! ;-)

[Diana]

Deadlift 350 PR


freakin' awesome!

[Neilfamily]

Gillian,
I hope you are feeling better now!
I read some of your newsletters and read the hardest worker issue out loud to my children. It was fun to watch the awe come over their faces!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences.
Andrea

[melody]

Nice PRs!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thank you Andrea. Hopefully there will be lots more content to come. I'm working to get other contributors with a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

Tuesday 3/20/12
Close Grip Bench
185 7x2
BB Curls
65 5x6, 55 1x12

Easy day but had a hard time rallying to train. Mac and I saw Bruce Springteen in concert last night in Greensboro, NC. Best concert we have ever been to but neither of us realized that the venue was four hours away until yesterday morning. Running on little sleep and still battling allergies. Margie recommended some dietary changes while we were in Texas to help with my allergies. I think I am going to give it a try. I don't think Mac appreciates the tissue piles that I leave behind everywhere (like the front seat of his car :))

[Gillian Mounsey]

Wednesday 3/21/12

Squat
185 3x3

Deadlift
305 12x1

Barbell Row
155 5x6
135 1x15

Should have been easy but was a tough day. Not recovered at all. Sleeping and eating have been poor. Got through it.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday 3/22/12

Bench
70%x2, 80%x2, 90% 7x2
160x2, 185x2, 205 7x2
Challenging but not impossible

Press
70% 4x5
100 4x5
Very easy. Briefly considered doing all 20 reps in 1 set but decided it was best to follow the program.

Push-ups/Elbows in
60 reps

[Tamara Reynolds]

Very easy. Briefly considered doing all 20 reps in 1 set but decided it was best to follow the program.

This sounds like something I would write.

I made the mistake of telling Moser something was easy yesterday.

He made me regret it today.

[Gillian Mounsey]

Sunday 3/25/12
Squat 80%x 40 reps (any way you can)

Warm-up
Barx10, 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2

Work sets
235x 10,8,8,10,4

Yucky. Yucky. Yucky. Told Mac that I wanted to make a run for 20 reps on the first set. He told me that if I did I would never get my 40 reps and I would be done for the day after one set. Glad I listened to him. Could have done it in 4 sets of 10 if I rested a little longer between sets.

Old rep PR was one set of 10 at 225 so I was pleased with today.

Video to be posted later today....

[Mac Ward]

Great job today, particularly given the circumstances. You are amazing in every way.

[Staci Rudnitsky]

Oof. That sounds horrific. Nice job.

[djl236]

Awesome job, that's some brutal volume for squats!

[Michele Knaub]

Jesus god almighty <tm my dad>

[Margie]

Nice work Gillian. You deserve some jelly beans :)

[melody]

Nice work Gillian. You deserve some jelly beans :)

And a coke!

[Gillian Mounsey]

Monday 3/26/12
Close Grip Bench Press
195 2x7
Barbell Curls
65 3x12

[Gillian Mounsey]

Tuesday 3/27/12

Very happy today! Huge PR day. Had to do my deadlifts a day early this week because of my work schedule. Today would normally have been a rest day. Trained at the base gym on Camp Geiger with Mac. Ran into an exceptionally strong, young powerlifter. The young man (who could have easily been Mac's son, I'm too young for him to be my kid:)) was deadlifting 645 (or 655, not sure) with ease. It was all the inspiration that I needed.

Squat (recovery)
205 4x2

Deadlift
225x3, 275x3, 315x8 HUGE rep RR!, 365x1 PR!!!!!!

Barbell Row
185 5x3

Unfortunately no video because of location.

[melody]

Tuesday 3/27/12

Very happy today! Huge PR day. Had to do my deadlifts a day early this week because of my work schedule. Today would normally have been a rest day. Trained at the base gym on Camp Geiger with Mac. Ran into an exceptionally strong, young powerlifter. The young man (who could have easily been Mac's son, I'm too young for him to be my kid:)) was deadlifting 645 (or 655, not sure) with ease. It was all the inspiration that I needed.

Squat (recovery)
205 4x2

Deadlift
225x3, 275x3, 315x8 HUGE rep RR!, 365x1 PR!!!!!!

Barbell Row
185 5x3

Unfortunately no video because of location.

Wow! congrats.

[jenica]

Holy Deadlift!! Awesome job.

[Tamara Reynolds]

WOOOOOO! Congrats.

Must. Get. Back. To. Pulling. Before. Gillian. Pulls. 400.

[Margie]

Nice work! Not so surprising after the seeing the speed of 350. 400 by the summer!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

WOOOOOO! Congrats.

Must. Get. Back. To. Pulling. Before. Gillian. Pulls. 400.

Agreed. At this rate, I'll never catch up (much less surpass!).

[bigstve121]

Wow awesome DL Gillian!!

[Michele Knaub]

Nice TM Rip imitating crossfitters

[Gillian Mounsey]

Thursday March 29th

End to a great training week. Did a hardcore conditioning workout as part of a seminar yesterday at work. Was nervous going into this morning-thought I would be paying for yesterday.

Bench Press
92.5% 7x3
215 lbs 7x3
This was hard but I got all of my reps. Huge PR. This was my 1rm not too long ago.

Press
75% 4x5
110lbs 4x5 easy

Push-ups
60 reps - not so easy after the heavy benches

Was supposed to do shrugs but omitted them. They have been causing nasty tension headaches.

Video up at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Gillian Mounsey]

Saturday 4/1/12

Finally!!!!!!

Squat
135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 250x2, 280x1, 290x1 PR, 300x1 PR!!!!!!
265x6 PR

RDL
210 3x6

I did it. I squatted 300lbs! I've been chasing this for a long time. I actually cried when I racked the bar. Yup, I may be strong now but I am still a chic with emotional outbursts :)

Next weekend will mark my one year anniversary of being a real lifter. On April 8th of 2011 I had a phone conversation with Rip. Frustrated with injuries and lack of measurable progress, I told him that I was ready to get strong and become a lifter. He instructed me to stop crossfitting and follow starting strength (I had never completed SS before because the two times that I attempted it I tried to run it in conjunction with 5-6 days a week of CF met-cons).

I want to thank Jim Steel for the exceptional programming and Mac for believing in me (even when I doubt myself).

Planning to compete on May 5th and see where I am after a year of hard work.

Video at www.gillianmounsey.com/blog

[Tad_T]

Congratulations!

[Staci Rudnitsky]

You rock! Congratulations on seeing your hard work pay off!

[hbriem]

Great!

[melody]

Way to go Gillian!!!

[yonkyogirl]

Love it! Now that is inspiration!

[bigstve121]

Yea Gillian!!! Awesome!!

[Michele Knaub]

way to go, G.

[jenica]

Awesome PR!!!! And hitting that anniversary is cause for some positive reflection.

[Callador]

Grats Gillian. 300 is a nice number to hit! :-)

It looks like Jim Steel's programming is really working for you guys (and a few other members here that follow it as well). Keep up the great work!!!!