KessG training log (novice female)

[kessg]

Training log for the week ending April 19 (I'm one week behind)

Solid training week – new rep PRs on squat (3s), press (3s), DL (3). I also set new single PR on squat (173.5 lb), Press (77 lb) and DL (205). There was no class that week, so I did not bench.

Squats are progressing nicely, with a new triple PR @ 166.5 lb, and I did not miss on my last set as I did last week, so improvement.

Because I was not benching, decided to do some singles and easily got 202.5 and then 205. Deadlift form has been improving slowly, as I work on setting a bit farther from the bar and focus on extending my knees off the floor (‘push the floor away’). My 205 looked pretty good – more volume on the deadlift must have been helping, along with hook grip.

Presses have been getting hard, but I got the triples at 72 lb and also tied my previous rep PR for 5 @ 67. I’ll try to stick with 3s and 5s for a while to see where I can progress. I’ll use .5 increments.

134 total chin-ups for the week (volume PR), mostly in sets of 4 and 5s.

• Tue – light day: Press, DL assistance, Chin-ups
• Thurs – medium day: Squat; Press; DL
• Friday - Chin-up day
• Sunday – Squat; Press; DL, Chin-ups

Squat

• Thurs
  - 1 @ 173.5 - **PR** - hit the weight plate that was weighing down my squat stand, that’s why the squat looks paused, but got up nonetheless: https://youtu.be/XHwv10KydaU
  - 2X3 @ 155.5 – form okay-ish, set 2 looked better than set 1: https://youtu.be/I7OmRUU2t2A
• Sun
  - 3X3 @ 166.5 - *Rep PR* - https://youtu.be/S_GyNXmlUNo
  - 1X3 @ 165 – https://youtu.be/oJYLytmDEKE

Press

• Tue:
  - 5X8 @ 55 – hypertrophy sets
  - 1 @ 77 - *PR* - forgot about the belt and done after 5 sets of 8, so probably had more in me: https://youtu.be/7NRs6JJk13s
• Thurs: 3X5 @ 67 – that’s where I left of 5s in March, these felt strong: https://youtu.be/l_zW0qUOneE
• Sun:
  - 3X3 @ 72 – These are getting there as far as form goes: https://youtu.be/5d_Lw7yBrGY
  - 2X3 @ 71 – https://youtu.be/V1Wdo4gDowU

DL

• Tue: 4X8 @ 100
• Thurs: 5, 3 @ 156 - some low back rounding that I need to work on; the triple was better: https://youtu.be/bmA5sw-hTmA
• Sun:
  - 3 @ 192.5 – *Rep PR* - Some low back rounding: https://youtu.be/iazYUMa0lKE
  - 1 @ 202.5 - https://youtu.be/9-Fl0OXpAiQ
  - 1 @ 205 - *PR* - Textbook form, if I say so myself :-) - https://youtu.be/-XBjPtPM9OU

Assistance

• LTE 4*12 @ 41 - *Rep PR*
• Incl. bench 4X12 @ 45.5

[Tom Lang]

Set #2 on your squats was better than the first, though the first wasn't awful.

[kessg]

Nutrition log for 4 weeks ending April 26

Catching up on my nutrition log - not much to report except that the fat loss is going well, with minimal to no impact on my training.

I've added more frequent HIIT - 3-4 times a week, about 6 intervals each session and that had noticeable impact on my BF % numbers. The scale readings are now mostly 27 and 26%.

Here are the summary macros and results:

................Apr 5......12-Apr....19-Apr......26-Apr
Fat.............44..........44..........44........ ....47
Carbs.........136........139........143........... 122
Protein.......157........153........159........... 156
Fiber..........26..........27..........33......... ....24
Sugar........53..........50...........58.......... ...59
Net carbs...111........112..........111...........99

BW...........134.5.....134.0.......133.5......133. 0


The real test would whether I'm able to increase my macros without gaining unnecessary weight, and whether I can stick with the recomp long term.

I've posted on Jordan's forum about body composition goals and got some great advice:

Body composition goals for women
http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=57057

Additional comments and thoughts are welcome here.

[kessg]

Set #2 on your squats was better than the first, though the first wasn't awful.

I think you meant sets at 155.5 lb. I think the single interferes a bit with the subsequent sets. I'll drop them after the meet.

Generally, your form is much better than average around here.

Congrats on the continuous improvement.

Thanks! I credit attending the class almost weekly - there's an advantage to working with a Starting Strength coach on a regular basis. Every time I go, I get refinements for my form. It also helps to watch others perform their lifts and be coached.

[Jonathan Sutton]

Counting down to the meet...don't let the nerves get to you :-)

[kessg]

Counting down to the meet...don't let the nerves get to you :-)

Yes, definitely having some jitters! But looking forward to the meet as well, as I expect to do better than the last one a year ago.

[Leah Lutz]

See you Sunday!

[kessg]

See you Sunday!

Looking forward to it!

[kessg]

Training log for the week ending April 26

Solid training week – new rep PRs on squat (3s), press (3s and 5s), DL (4) and bench (5). I also set new single PR on squat (175.5 lb).

My schedule was such that I could not train on Tue, so did upper/lower split on Wed & Thurs. I tried the heavy + hypertrophy for my press in one workout, and it was definitely a different training effect. I think I may have actually got the “pump” out of it. I also did some medium-ish pressing on Friday, but may have overdone it (or was it the chins?)

On Friday/Saturday I began to develop anterior shoulder pain, which sounds like “tendonitis of the long head of the bicep”: http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00026 – painful to open refrigerator doors, or reaching up to kitchen cabinets. Annoying to have got it right before the meet.

Consequently, the press suffered on Sunday as I only got one set of 3 @ 72.5, the rest were misses 1, 2 & 2 (a week before I did 3X3 @ 72). Called it a day on the press at that point. Benching was fine.

DL form is much improved; the coach commented that I had largely stopped leading with my chest and now was extending knees properly at the beginning of the pull. My lower back was rounding a bit, so he recommended that I “lift my chest and point it at the wall” as the last step of the setup. You can see his commentary in the DL video below. I also got 4 reps at 195, vs 3 reps of 192.5 the week before.

Chin-up volume was 133 reps, mostly in sets of 4 and 5.

Training days:

• Wed: Press
• Thurs: Squat, DL
• Friday: Press, Chin-ups
• Sunday: Squat, Press, DL, Bench

Squat:

• Thursday
  - 1 @ 175.5 - *PR* - pretty easy and with good form: https://youtu.be/dt7OZKK5bBA
  - 2X3 @ 156.5 – https://youtu.be/KdKjXkNusq0
• Sunday
  - 2X3 @ 163 – mis-load, d’oh! – https://youtu.be/kSXZwSZjDUY (I missed adding a 5 to the left, which is my weaker side, and was thinking “man, this is easy!”; then spotted a 5 on the floor)
  - 2X3 @ 168 – *Rep PR* - these were hard, lots of shifting, especially on the last set; I typically take a bit off weight from the bar on the last set, but wanted to get at least two sets @ 168: https://youtu.be/mN-PGuceJqQ

Press

• Wed:
  - 3X5 @ 67.5 - *Rep PR* - these were hard, but doable: https://youtu.be/0fdawxt5g1I
  - 4X8 @ 56.5 https://youtu.be/JxVrYyYtcAw
  - 1X8 @ 55
• Friday: 6X6 @ 61.5
• Sunday: 1, 2, 3, 2 @ 72.5 – *Rep PR* - here’s the 3 & 2: https://youtu.be/VoyfgnwFgLc

DL

• Thurs
  - 2X5 @ 158.5: https://youtu.be/zjYWyXM66Hk
  - 3X5 @ 135 – got some extra DL volume in
• Sunday: 1X4 @ 195 lb – *Rep PR* - with Tom’s commentary at the end: https://youtu.be/fKHWMcRB-WM

Bench:

• Sunday:
  - 2X5 @ 103 - *Rep PR* - still going strong, here’s set 2: https://youtu.be/rSDEUNFRbM8
  - 1X5 @ 102
  

[kessg]

Training log for the week ending May 2, 2015

Abbreviated training week due the meet on May 3. The only PR was squat single at 178 lb.

Again, due to my schedule, did upper/lower split on Wed & Thurs.

Shoulder/bicep continued to hurt, so only got 2 reps @ 72.5, which I followed up by sets of 8. Not happy about the injury. I was planning to go 72.5 – 77.5 – 80 for my press attempts, but may have to go conservative, so perhaps 70 – 75 – 77.5.

On Thursday, I did two squat singles – 177.5 and 178. Both were relatively easy, so I’m planning 165 – 180 – 185 for my squat attempts.

Also did some light deadlifts to practice “lifting my sternum” – my form does look different with this step – my pull is less “soft.” It was a light weight, so I hope I can do the same with heavy weights. DL plan is 195 or 200 – 210 – 215 or 220.

Eased up on chin-ups to spare my shoulder, so only did them on Monday for a total of 11 reps.

Did HIIT (7 intervals) on Mon, Tue and Thurs.

Training days:

• Wed: Press
• Thurs: Squat, DL

Squat

• Thurs:
  - 1 @ 177.5 – good form and depth: https://youtu.be/VPkkvJQwJWk
  - 1 @ 178 – *PR* - went too deep and relaxed at the bottom, with resulting knee slide: https://youtu.be/-7L1VnxUGWo

Press

• Wed:
  - 2, f @ 72.5 – called it a day on the heavy presses at this point; here’s the double: https://youtu.be/5NUzYB8CMcA
  - 3X8 @ 57 – was working on keeping my head out longer; here’s set 2: https://youtu.be/fHCNyKsP4XQ

DL

• Thurs: 4 (miscount), 5 @ 135 – can tell the difference in my form from “pointing the chest at the wall”: https://youtu.be/54AGzO2X490

Assistance:
Tried close grip floor presses, and worked up to 2X14 @ 45. I have long arms so my range of motion was limited, but could feel them in the triceps. Will try heavier next time.