michele's training log

[Michele Knaub]

knee, shoulder and everything else feel fine today. recovered from my last roll in the hay with the prowler as well. i think next time i'm not going to load the sucker up so heavy before i push it.

squat

142.5x3x5

i think i've made some progress keeping my chest up since the Rip seminar. going to have someone video my next sets. this weight is where my back starts to get wonky. i need to counter that.

press

60x5x3

these were strong! this is pretty heavy for me.

chins

i did singles on the thinnest band in the box throughout the other lifts: 1,1,1,1

then doubled the thin band and did a set of 3 and a set of 2 after pressing.

[Michele Knaub]

*sigh*


pisarenko-sn-hi-pull.jpg

[melody]

*sigh*


pisarenko-sn-hi-pull.jpg

Someone had plugged in their Ipod with electronic music at the gym this morning and I remarked that all we needed was giant russian weightlifters in speedos. None of the guys seemed to that that was neccessary

[Michele Knaub]

heh.

i just love that photo on so many levels.

thankfully, there is no bad music of any kind associated with it!

[siobhain]

they don't make boys like they used to...

[Michele Knaub]

so true.


today's workout

SQUAT

45x5
65x5
105x3
125x1
135x1

145x3x5

No issues. Knee feels good. The biggest thing is that honestly I am scared. The first time my knee did "that thing" a couple weeks ago, I was under load, but surprised enough by the sudden sharp pain that I managed to stand up and rack the bar. I know it sounds counter-intuitive to put it that way; what I mean is I didn't freak out because I had honestly never felt anything like that before and was very "in the moment." Also I am not that experienced of a bailer, so that's never my impulse. Plus my coach was right behind me and I didn't want to hit him by bailing the bar.

If it were to happen again, I would freak out because I now know how bad it can feel, and I would want the pain to stop. And freaking out with something heavy on your back is a very bad idea. First time it happened I had 135, which is just under my bodyweight. That's already pretty hard for me to do much with quickly; it only gets worse quickly as I add 2.5 lbs/bar every workout.

Anyway, so that's my battle every workout now. I look forward to squatting all day, literally, but when I get there I have to talk myself into every single rep. It gets better, slightly, after the first set. But the "incident" happened on the final rep of a workout, so I know that "being warm" or whatever has nothing to do with it.


BENCH


Today's weight was very heavy for me - 85 lbs, and my 1-RM (which I made once but don't feel like I 'own') is 97.5. Fairly recently I tested my 3-RM; it was 90.

45x5
55x3
65x3
75x1

85x3x3 complete, but failed on set 4 of 5. So then

65x5x1 as a drop set.



CLEANS

Work weight was 80, which is very manageable for me. Failed repeatedly at that weight and at 76.

Went back to about 55 lbs and worked up again.

Final work weight: 76x3x3.

Weird day overall.

Bench showing definite progress - LOVE THE TRIPLES, plus I continue to learn how to brace my torso, use my legs, etc.
Cleans, OTOH, weirdly ineffective.

[Michele Knaub]

omg


i got my chinup back!!


when i gained back the weight i lost, you know i immediately lost the chinup. but i worked them according to Tbone's advice (do the hardest banded ones i could, even if it meant singles) and it's back!


yay.

[Michele Knaub]

We have one week of workouts (three sessions) before we total in November, so the weights are heavy for everyone. I had a backoff in my squat and dl due to injury, so I'm not in the Place of Doom that everyone else is, but I'm getting heavier: today i was back to roughly bodyweight, finally, for my squat work sets.

147.5x3x5

I don't like lifting Sunday mornings; I feel real creaky. My last warmup rep was pretty slow so I wasn't looking forward to the real weight. Plus I can't drink coffee before I squat in the mornings, which makes me super bitchy. I basically slunk around cursing everyone in the gym under my breath until my squat sets were complete; then I could relax.

Got 'em all, though.


Press

61x5x3

Missed one rep in the second set of five. This is a pattern for me; weird.

Deficit pulls

I failed my workweight (which was light) the last time I deadlifted, so he dropped me way down and had me deficit pull instead.

135x5x1

[Michele Knaub]

One week of workouts left til we do our Total next Wednesday. Tonight was low drama even though everyone (minus me) is moving huge (for them) numbers; most of the guys are PR'ing their work sets every single workout in multiple lifts.

squat

150x3x5

My current one-RM is 170 and I've done 160 for two reps. So this is pretty heavy. Bar moved well though and I kept my back up and tight.

bench

85x5*x3

*Well, i missed the final rep on the second set *again.* at this point that is practically required in my press/bench triples - i always miss a single rep in an early set. coach says, rest up and try again. and i proceed to get the rest of them.

weird.


chins

before workout, first chinup attempt: fail.

second attempt: success.

after benching, third chin attempt: fail.

after benching, first and last attempt with thinnest band: barely successful.

PWO: insane amounts of beef and bacon.

[Tamara Reynolds]

*Well, i missed the final rep on the second set *again.* at this point that is practically required in my press/bench triples - i always miss a single rep in an early set. coach says, rest up and try again. and i proceed to get the rest of them.

weird.

Just go with it. Weird can be good.