Funky Cold Medina Gainz

[Troy May]

I put my glasses on and see the knee slide now, doh! Have you taken a travel break now that you've completed some education?

[Emily]

Someone getting their groove on again. My eyes are old I can't spot the knee slide but your chest angle is collapsing in the ascent, think tighter lower back in the hole and keep that back angle solid. I used to think it was wrong to go too deep but for me I find if I don't go deep I can't find the bounce, experiment with it. Lastly I found throwing in a session of speed pull deadlifts did all sorts of good things, one lift on the minute for 20x reps, meant I didn't have time to fuck around in the setup, the extra volume helped in getting the back worked out and that carried over into keeping the back angle solid on the squat and even made power cleans more fun. Hook grip rules but they're really hard if you do more than fives at a time. Good luck with the thesis.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I put my glasses on and see the knee slide now, doh! Have you taken a travel break now that you've completed some education?

I haven't had a travel break, but have I forgotten about this! I would love to combine locum work with travelling.

The squat certainly has been challenging. I've been focusing on the bar path these past few weeks...with varied success. Today's efforts, with a modified set up in front of the posts did feel like I was getting somewhere, but I am tentative to speak too soon. I may draw on EMOM deadlifts in future programming, but for now, I am training for a powerlifting meet in August. As such, I have altered my squat, and bench programs.

In light of the meet, and wariness of the adductor's ability to cope with the stress of sets across, I changed my squat program to increase frequency and intensity. My adductor feels 100%, and I am very happy for it.

I did have some left shoulder and neck pain, which is now almost entirely improved after a combination of a internal rotation stretching, nerve slides, and narrowing up my grip. Probably an element of normal healing too.

Mon 27/6/16
Squat
3x5 @ 72.5

Bench
4x5 @ 52.5
1x4 @ 52.5

Deadlift
1x5 @ 109

Chins
5x8 @ BW

BW 63.2

Wed 29/6/16


Power Clean
3x0 @ 66
2x3 @ 57

Squat
1x1 @ 75 (Failed 2nd rep)
3x5 @ 60

Press
3x5 @ 37.5

Chins
5x8 @ BW

Sat 2/7/16
Squat
5x1 @ 75

Bench
1x3 @ 58

Deadlift
1x5 @ 110

[Emily]

Mon 4/7/16
Squat
5x1 @ 78.5

Bench
3x5 @ 53.5
2x4 @ 53.5
1x2 @ 53.5

Deadlift
1x5 @ 112
1x5 @ 106

Chins
2x5 @ BW (63.4)

Tues 5/7/16
Squat
1x1 @ 78.5
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 82.5
1x1 @ 78.5
1x1 @ 77.5

Wed 6/7/16

Squat
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 85
1x1 @ 88.5

Press
3x5 @ 37.5

Halting Deadlift
5x8 @ 75

Thur 7/7/16
Squat
5x1 @ 80

Fri 8/7/16
Bench
2x1 @ 60
1x0 @ 60

Meant to be 2x3.

Squat
1x1 @ 60
1x1 @ 65
1x0 @ 70x
3x1 @ 62.5

Notes: Did these with sticks held in front of me. Cues: Go to the heels. Left side back, more than feels straight.
**$10.00 per squat to stay on a straight bar path. Kept the $30.00.

Chins
10x1 @ BW

Sat 9/7/16
Squat
1x1 @ 60
1x1 @ 62.5
1x1 @ 67.5
1x1 @ 70
1x1 @ 75
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 83.5
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 78.5
Notes: Start more over the midfoot. It feels like the toes.
**$10.00 per squat to stay on a straight bar path. Kept the $50.00.

Bench
3x1 @ 55

Deadlift
1x1 @ 120
1x1 @ 122.5
1x1 @ 120
1x3 @ 112.5

[Emily]

Mon 11/7/16
Squat
1x1 @ 80**
1x1 @ 86
1x1 @ 90**

**$10.00 per squat staying on a straight bar path. I lost $20.00

Bench
6x3 @ 54

Deadlift
1x5 @ 112
1x5 @ 106

Tues 12/7/16

Squat
6x1 @ 81 **2nd Left side, 5th, 6th symmetrical but bar forward.
1x1 @ 75
**lost $30.00

Wed 13/7/16
Squat
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 81
1x1 @ 85.5
1x1 @ 81 **
1x1 @ 80
** lost $10.00 on this squat going left side forward.

Thur 14/7/16

Squat
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 83.5
1x1 @ 88
1x0 @ 91.5
1x1 @ 91.5
**All my squats went left side forward. I'm only betting money I know I can keep from now.

Left sided shoulder pain.

Sat 16/7/16
No squats due to shoulder and neck pain.

Bench
1x0 @ 60.5. This was the programmed ID. I've missed this for three weeks now. At any rate, it was time to start meet preparation.
1x3@ 45 P
4x3 @ 47.5P

Deadlift
1x1 @ 124
1x1 @ 126
1x1 @ 124
1x3 @ 116

[Emily]

Mon 18/7/16
Squat
5x1 @ 83
1x1 @ 80

Start a bit more on the toe. Just ride it down, and keep the left side back.
Shoulder and neck was okay. A little sore after.

Bench (Comp)
6x3 @ 48.5

Deadlift
2x3 @ 115
1x5 @ 107.5

Tues 19/7/16

Squat
1x1 @ 78.5
1x1 @ 81
1x1 @ 84
1x1 @ 81
2x1 @ 80
84 went forward. Start MORE forward.

Wed 20/7/16

Squat
1x1 @80.5
1x1 @ 85
1x1 @ 88.5
1x1 @ 93

Bench (comp)
1x1 @ 50P
1x1 @ 53.5P
1x1 @ 54P
1x1 @ 52.5P
1x1 @ 52.5P
1x1 @ 51P
1x1 @ 51P

Thur 21/7/16
Squat
5x1 @ 85

Press
5x5 @ 34

Deadlift (Halting)
5x5 @ 90

Fri 22/7/16
Squat
1x1 @ 80
1x1 @ 83
1x1 @ 86
1x1 @ 83
1x1 @ 82

Sat 23/7/16

Squat
1x1 @83.5
1x1 @ 87
1x1 @ 90.5
1x1 @ 95

Bench (comp)
1x1 @ 50P
1x1 @ 53.5P
1x1 @ 56P
1x1 @ 57.5P
1x1 @ 58.5P

Deadlift
1x1 @ 126
1x1 @ 128
1x1 @ 126
1x3 @ 118

[Troy May]

A true Aussie, gambling on everything, first time I've heard bets on a bar path. What's the stake on the lifts at the meet?

[chromoly]

Hi Emily, hope the meet prep is going well. Seems like your strength is coming back quickly post injury!

I saw you posted on the Bar Belles page about water cut. If you decide to do one, would you be so kind as to share which one you picked and how well it went? Best wishes for your meet!

[Emily]

A true Aussie, gambling on everything, first time I've heard bets on a bar path. What's the stake on the lifts at the meet?

I didn't have stakes this time. Perhaps this was a lucky stroke for my bank balance- I wanted the 100kg squat, but alas, it evades me again.

Hi Emily, hope the meet prep is going well. Seems like your strength is coming back quickly post injury! I saw you posted on the Bar Belles page about water cut. If you decide to do one, would you be so kind as to share which one you picked and how well it went? Best wishes for your meet!

Absolutely- I posted a brief update there, but will post a more detailed account here in a meet recap.

The NSPC Open was on Saturday August 13th. On the Wednesday, I weighed 63.0kg. A water cut may not have been strictly necessary, but it was a good experiment to run. Guided largely by Coach Peter at SSS, and some of my own reading, here's what I did. While intended to be moderate, it worked a little too well.

Wednesday: 3L water. Normal diet, salt as normal.
Thursday: 3.5L water. Normal diet, salt as normal.
Friday:2.5L water. Normal diet, salt as normal.

Saturday: NSPC Open Meet, Wollongong. First sanctioned meet, with Powerlifting Australia.
7.30am: I went to my gym beforehand, and weighed in at 60.1kg. I ended up drinking a black coffee, 250ml of gastrolyte, and eating a protein bar before driving down to the venue.
9.00am: Weighed in, at 60.4kg. Belt, shoes, socks, onesie, wraps and knee sleeves were checked with no problems. I drank 500ml of gastrolyte and ate a banana and another protein bar.

10.30: Lifting began.

Squat: 92.5/97/5/100x.

Red lighted for depth at 100kg, which would have been a much wanted equal PR.

Bench: 55x/55/57.5x

Felt weak, and a little unwell on bench. It was the effect of the weight cut, plus it was hot in the venue. I ended up dropping my opener from 57.5kg to 55kg, luckily. After bench, I ate some salted roast sweet potato I'd made at home, and a few spoons of Vegemite. I knew that if I could get some salt and carbohydrates in, I would do better on the deadlift. I dunked my head under cold water, and that helped too.

Deadlift 122.5/130/137.5*PR



It was a rewarding day, and good learning experience. I met some amazing people, and a very friendly Meet Dog (who soon got tired of my tomfoolery.)

Something that stood out was the support and generosity of the powerlifting community. Another non-competing lifter even helped me by handling my warm-ups, flight timing, and yelling cues- although she'd never met me previously. Altogether, it was a really great introduction to competing within Powerlifting Australia.

I am intrigued by the water cut process; the interaction between contributing physiological variables, and the counter play between weight loss and performance. I think I can perfect it next time, perhaps aiming for the 57kg class. We will see; performance comes first.

Another big lesson to take away is that I must dedicate more time to the skill of competition benching.

I am now focusing my training towards competing in two upcoming meets. The next meet is 5 weeks, the following in 14 weeks.

[Troy May]

Looks like you were enjoying yourself. I looked at the last squat a few times, that was a very close call on the depth. The pause on the bench while waiting for the signal is tough, not the same as TnG at all. Still some very tidy numbers there. [emoji482]

[chromoly]

Congratulations on the meet. The powerlifting community really is wonderful, isn't it? What a great thing, having a very nice random stranger help you out!

The 137.5 kg deadlift is a very nice PR (over 300 lbs in freedom units)! Have you been working on your lumbar extension? You look decidedly less turtle-like than in the last heavy deadlifts you posted.