Geez-ette push-pull prep

[yonkyogirl]

Great deadlift!

[Oldster]

Agree with you Oldster, about volume. I think that is why my trainer has me benching and variations 3 x a week. But I can't get much at all close to my max. Today part of the problem was not being used to how hEavy the 115 and 120 felt. So maybe work up to a high single then drop sets? I have the longest arms, lol, to where I have been teased about my deadlifts being partial reps.

If you are lifting 3X per week then it is a pretty easy fix. A medium day, followed by a light day and finally a heavy day. High(er) reps on medium, low light reps on light day and high(er) sets and low(er) reps on the heavy day. Start with something fairly easy and work up from there. It does work.

[DeeLee]

5/8

35 min elliptical. Stretching and foam rolling. Aaaah

Time to seriously get serious about limiting splurge days, in terms of food and alcohol. Lots of "occasions" lately and more to come.

[DeeLee]

5/9

1 rep squats with belt
Bar, 85, 115
3x140
2x165
1x205
1x215 (= PR, went up much faster this time than last)
0x225
Kind of settled into the hole too much and couldn't get back up at 225. Was thinking don't stop short and maybe overdid it a bit the other way. First time in months to wear my big thick belt for squats (earlier popped a rib and pulled a ribcage muscle twisting to look down at what I was doing).

Bench with towel, 4reps to 9 -3%
Same as last week, but everything felt harder. got up to 110 on top set but only 3 sets thereafter at 105. Should have micro loaded to get % right.

Do you think it's possible after doing this for over 3 years, with good form, that someone still can't get tight enough? Probably wishful thinking, that there is something little that I'm just not getting and that things will get better once I figure it out. Even though shoulder blades stay pinned together well and I roll up on my upper traps (aside from one shoulder blade occasionally slipping while unracking the bar), maybe there isn't enough upper body tightness? Nothing to do but keep at it and try my best to improve....

[yonkyogirl]

I want your squat! What are you doing with the towel on bench?

[Margie]

Yes, I am curious about this towel press....

[DeeLee]

Well, towel press is a smallish towel rolled up like a log that I lay on my chest, between my boobs. I guess similar to a board press but it stays put pretty well without needing someone to hold it (like a board), and I can do this training alone.

It squishes a little when the bar touches, and is maybe 3-4 above my chest which is where things stick. So less range of motion makes it easier in a sense, but I also have to start pushing right at that weak point. That reduced rom also seems to take some stress off my poor elbows -- had golfer's elbow and cubital tunnel syndrome in both elbows a couple of years ago, and even now it will start to flare up. Benching with a pause at the bottom really stretches those tendons, to the point where I use wrist wraps at ridiculously low weight (even by my ridiculously low bench standards). I am amazed at the creativity of the trainer I work with, in terms of finding ways to work around my little dings and ways to increase volume for a lift where, for me, the line between just right and too much is very thin.

[DeeLee]

5/11
A total back day -- back of legs, back of arms, and back. :-)

Deadlifts with chains, 4 reps to 9, -5%. No belt
4x165@7
4x185@8
4x205@9
4x195@8
4x195@8
4x185@8.5
4x195@9
These felt really good, fast all the way up, relatively speaking

DB rows 3x8x40#
Need to try 45 next time.

Triceps pushdowns 3x12x50#

[DeeLee]

5/14

Bench, 4 reps -5% to 9
45, 65, 85
4x95@7
4x100@8
4x105@10
4x100@9
Weight felt heavy. Maybe it was from eating nothing more than brownies and ice cream for dinner last night (hours after a big brunch here at home for Mother's Day). 3 bowls -- small ones, but still 3 bowls!

Deadlift w/belt, 4 reps -5% to 9
135, 185
4x225@7
4x240@8.5
4x245@9
4x235@8.5
Weight still feels heavy.

OH Press, 55x7,8,8
Not a good day at all if these felt the best of anything. I am so bad at pressing it usually makes me feel better about my stubbornly mediocre bench.


5/15
Easy cardio. 35 min elliptical plus stretching. Didn't realize my outer hips were so tight until foam rolling them.

[DeeLee]

5/16

Better day than Monday but scatterbrained. :-) bloat from Sunday's beer and sweets binge (not at the same time though) is leaving. 131.2 pounds. Tracking my food on Fitday from now to the push pull, no adult beverages or sweets, cutting carbs on non-weight-training days. Good time to get back on track.

Squat w/belt, 4 reps -5% to 9
45, 85, 115, 135 no belt
4x155@6.5 (twice, forgot to add weight, duh)
4x175@8
4x185@9
4x175@8.5
4x175@8
4x175@9

Towel bench, 4 reps -5% to 9
Bar, 65, 85
4x95@7.5
4x105@8
4x111.5@9 (easy, practiced with a liftoff so it won't be awkward)
4x106@easy 8
4x106@8
4x106@8.5
4x106@easy 9 (another liftoff, but forgot towel so all full ROM)

Deadlift/RDL from pins at sticking point, 7 reps -5% to 9
7x185@8
7x205@9
7x195@8
7x195@9.5
Sticking point is very low, only a few inches above normal start. Did these a lot like RDLs, butt going back and knees pretty straight, only starting from a dead stop each rep. Last set, my legs were quite straight, all back and glutes and hamstrings. Whew!