Fat broad seeks to become strong fat broad

[LizF]

MW: 212

Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 95, 3x5 125
Press: 1x5 45, 1x3 75, 2x5 70, 1x4 70, 1x2 70
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x4 185

Yup, started too high/added weight too fast. I thought I might've. It's okay, because I have a business trip this week that'll keep me out of the gym until next Monday, so I was already planning to redo today's weights when I got back -- now I'll knock a little off each one. (My timing for getting back in the gym was perfect, yes?)

At least I'll actually spend a good part of the week hauling heavy boxes around. The main office for my job is moving and it's all boxes and files to be packed up. I also have to help unload a truck tomorrow (different thing). I dunno about "functional fitness," but my life was easier when I was stronger.

Guy in the gym had the same shoes as me. Nice.

[LizF]

Squat: 2x5 45, 3x5 105
Bench: 1x5 45, 3x5 95
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x5 155
Dumbbell curlzzz: 3x8 22.5

Fucked up my first four workouts pretty good! Okay!

Did, indeed, spend Tuesday-Thursday last week wrangling ~50lb boxes -- though I learned an important life lesson: it was sorting and filing that really killed my back because my posture is awful, and at least when I'm lifting stuff I (mostly) remember to set my back. Come October I'll be hauling around a lot more heavy boxes so I need to get that deadlift up.

[LizF]

Whoops, I did work out on Wednesday but I forgot to post it.

Wednesday
Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 85, 3x5 115
Press: 1x5 45, 3x5 65
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x5 165
DB curlzzz: 3x10 22.5

Friday
Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 85, 3x5 125
Bench: 1x5 45, 3x5 105
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x5 175
DB curlzzz: 3x12 22.5

Getting used to seeing myself in many large mirrors and tight-fitting clothing again. I like my body just fine, gut and all, but gym mirrors are sort of aggressively honest. I'd avoid them, but I do curlzzz in front of the mirror because I'm paranoid about throwing my hips/knees into it like literally everyone else there.

Also getting used to the feeling of Hello Gym, Welcome To My Butt -- because if I squatted or deadlifted facing the other way, it'd be Welcome To My Cleavage and I'd rather not issue that invitation.

[LizF]

Squat: 2x5 40, 1x3 95, 3x5 135
Press: 1x5 40, 3x5 70
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x5 185
DB curlzzz: 3x8 25

Question: is it poor form to bench in the power rack when there are bench stations (without safeties) available? I'm kind of tempted, but I have to figure out if dragging a bench into the rack is more or less embarrassing than asking for a spot.

[Mr. Bingley]

i'm chicken to bench without safeties

[LizF]

MW: 207lb

Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 115, 3x5 145
Bench: 1x5 45, 1x3 95, 3x5 115
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x5 195 (still DOH, yay)
DB curlzzz: 1x10, 1x7, 1x5 25

Little gassed today. Moved a bunch of heavy boxes again yesterday, woke up this morning with a nasty tension headache. Goes from the top of my head right down to my tailbone. The muscles stop hurting during a lift, which is nice, but the pain comes back afterward. At least it doesn't get worse, and as far as I can tell these headaches aren't related to previous exertions -- they happen whether I've lifted heavy stuff the day before or not. It's really just stress. Thankfully, everything's great; it's just my brain, which is nice because I can afford to relax, but if I could relax I wouldn't have this headache. Whatever.

[LizF]

MW: 212lb (lol)

Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 115, 3x5 155
Press: 1x5 45, 3x5 75
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x2 175, 1x5 205 (but see below)
DB curlzzz: 3x9 25

So those tension headaches I mentioned... they sometimes, though not always, herald an impending hormonal shift. I'm not terribly regular on this point, so I can't check the calendar and say "oh, that's why I feel like a wrung-out dishrag and I gained five pounds in two days." Instead, it's a fun surprise! Fucking whee!

Anyway, I am surprised I got through the workout, especially after the last press rep, which got stuck for ages -- right in the place where I was afraid that if I tried to bail, I'd drop it on my face. So it had to go up, and then I had to sit down. For a while.

Now, confession time: my gym has those deadlift dampener things. I read some criticisms on the board, mainly that it's hard to set the plates down perfectly on them every time, and I agree the odds of my successfully doing so at higher weights are slim, but today I decided to try them out.

Anyway, they're about an inch thick, so the plates for my work set were sitting an inch higher than usual. The actual benefit, I suspect, is that I didn't feel like I had to set it down gently on the eccentric. Still under control, but not slow. I've googled and nobody seems to think that using these things is cheating, but y'all can go ahead and put a mental asterisk next to my DL numbers from now on if you want. Not like I'm planning to compete.

[peez]

Anyway, they're about an inch thick, so the plates for my work set were sitting an inch higher than usual. The actual benefit, I suspect, is that I didn't feel like I had to set it down gently on the eccentric. Still under control, but not slow. I've googled and nobody seems to think that using these things is cheating, but y'all can go ahead and put a mental asterisk next to my DL numbers from now on if you want. Not like I'm planning to compete.

Ah, big deal, it still counts! you could always bring a piece of 3/4" plywood big enough to comfortable DL from (20" by 20"?) if you cared about the height difference. Many lifting shoes also add 5/8" to 3/4" under your feet ... but who cares. If strength off the floor becomes an issue in progressing at some point you can always add some deficit deadlifts later.

[Mr. Bingley]

yep, still counts in my book!

[LizF]

MW: 212

Squat: 2x5 45, 1x3 115, 3x5 165
Bench: 1x5 145, 1x3 85, 3x5 115, 1x5, 1x4, 1x3 125
Deadlift: 1x5 135, 1x3 175, 1x5 215

Bodyweight deadlift!

Okay so... first off, just as I was walking into the gym, the fire alarm went off. Fun.

Second time around, the racks were in use so I benched first, and I forgot how to count so I did 115 over again for my work set instead of 125. After squats, I went back and tried 125. I think I could have done 3x5 if I'd done the math right the first time around, but of course my arms were tired. Skipped the curlzzz accordingly.

Almost lost my grip on the last deadlift -- chalked up beforehand because my hands were feeling a little weak. I don't think it's time for mixed grip just yet, though.