Abby is the older sister of one of the men I'm coaching in my battalion. We interact online; I program her workouts and provide feedback on the video she sends me. She's wicked strong already, and it's been a pleasure coaching her. When I met her online, she hadn't lifted with any consistency in quite some time; I gather several months. But she's got some focused training in powerlifting, from 2018 until approximately present day.
Abby works as an Emergency Room nurse in New Jersey, and her hours are not entirely predictable, she's got on-call periods, and sometimes a 12-hour shift has additional add-ons that turn her day into an 18-hour nightmare. She's married, no kids. Her husband is a municipal cop, which leads to additional unexpected wake-ups when he is in a situation that causes the hospital to be called. Additionally, Abby's mother-in-law lives with her, and is in need of daily care. Abby's life is full, and it's a week-to-week "who knows" regarding when she'll get to the gym. I think she's got potential to beat some New Jersey powerlifting records for her age and weight class.
Age: 32
Sex: Female
Height: 65 inches
Weight: 185
Best lifts prior to working with me:
Squat: 285x2, 225x7
Bench: 160x1, 125 "for sets"
Press: 85x5x5 (never pressed over 85 lbs but did some 5x5 work)
Deadlift: 315x1, 275x1
Rather than count "Week X Day Y," due to the unpredictable nature of Abby's schedule, I'm just going to count sessions.
The deadlifts happened earlier in the day, at a friend's gym, with a special deadlift bar. She matched her best single and best triple, and did some showing off with a crazy set of 10. I advised her this isn't the best way to maintain long-term gains, but still, it feels good to prove to yourself you're "still as strong as you used to be."
The press was supposed to have a top set of 5, but she badly off-slotted it and lost the rep. I didn't get her video until hours later so I didn't know; if I did I'd have advised her to rest and reattempt 87.5 for reps.
But here's a quick look at what's happened so far:
In a month and a half of not-so-consistent training, Abby has: 1) Made a lifetime Squat PR for 5 reps. 2) Put more weight overhead than she has ever pressed, and did it for 2 reps. 3) Made a lifetime Bench PR for 5 reps. AND 4) Tied her lifetime PR on deadlift for 3 reps.
She's primed right now to break into some real kick-ass territory; for a few weeks she'll be hitting new PRs on every lift, every session.
07-18-2021, 06:20 PM
carson
Her numbers are quite strong. Young ladies can do some marvelous things. At some point you may want to have a SS coach check her work online. Just a thought.
07-19-2021, 06:38 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Maybe down the line ... She's had significant training before she got to me, though, and her form on the lifts is already really clean, with the possible exception of some knee-slide in the squat.
07-20-2021, 03:20 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 12
Squat: 235x2x2
Migraine and stomach ills today; I tried to have her hit one more sets-across PR but it just wasn't happening. To be safe, I'm going to scale back to top-triple/backoff sets and have her walk up her triples some.
Press: 87.5x5 (5PR!), 75x5x2
Bench: 140x5 (5PR!), 125x5x2
Deadlift: 280x3 (3PR!), 205x5x2
With the exception of squat, everything looked pretty excellent.
07-24-2021, 10:58 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 13
Squat: 235x3, 210x5x2
Press: 90x5 (5PR!), 75x5x2
Bench: 142.5x3 (3PR!), 127.5x5x2
Deadlift: 285x3 (3PR!), 210x3x3
Abby has been under the weather for a few days; she's feeling better now. Some rest did the trick. Driving forward again now.
07-30-2021, 10:42 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 14
Squat: 240x3 (3PR!), 215x5x2
Press: 92.5x3 (3PR!) 77.5x5x2
Bench: 145x3 (3PR!), 127.5x5x2
Deadlift: 290x2x2, 215x3x2
08-03-2021, 03:27 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 15 (Executed 20210801)
Aimed for some reduced volume overall this session since it came less than 48 hours after last run. Top sets and minimal backoffs. Went well. I think next session is set for 20210806, and I plan to fully murder her that day.
Squat: 245x3 (3PR!), 215x5
Press: 95x5 (5PR!)
Bench: 147.5x2 (2PR!), 127.5x3x2
Deadlift: 295x2, 3; 215x3x2
Press for 95lbs is most she's ever put overhead, and she hit it for 5. Great stuff. Deadlift was supposed to be a top set of 3, but she had a personal issue in the middle of the top set. So she took care of herself, rested, and came back to crush a PR triple which puts her e1RM (Wendler formula) at 10lbs over her best actual 1RM. We're gonna blow the top off of this deadlift.
08-08-2021, 11:56 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 16 (20210806)
Squat: 250x4 (4PR!), 220x5x2
Press: 100x2 (2PR!), 80x3x3
Bench: 150x2 (2PR!), 130x3x3
Deadlift: 300x1, 220x3x2
Everything was crushed out of the park except deadlift.
08-08-2021, 12:22 PM
dalan
You don't often see women who are not competitive lifters using these kinds of weights. Very impressive.
08-13-2021, 12:48 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Dalan: Yes, she's killing it. I think she has a shot at some New Jersey state records in USPA if she keeps up like this.
Session 17 (20210811)
Squat: 235x4, 215x5x2
This was an oops. Abby CRUSHED a set of 4 and then racked it. But it was supposed to be a set of 5.
Press: 85x5x3 (Sets Across PR)
Bench: 132.5x5x3 (Sets Across PR)
Deadlift: 255x5x2
08-15-2021, 11:54 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 18 (20210814)
Squat: 240x5 (5PR!), 215x5x2
Press: Off
Bench: 142.5x5 (5PR!), 135x3x3
Deadlift: 260x5 (5PR!), 235x5
08-20-2021, 07:31 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 19 (20210816)
Squat: 245x5 (5PR!), 220x5x2
Press: 87.5x5x3
Bench: 145x3
Deadlift: 265x5, 240x3x2
08-20-2021, 07:33 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 20 (20210819)
Squat (Volume): 205x5x4
Press: 97.5x4 (4PR!), 3 (3PR!)
Bench (Volume): 115x5x4
Deadlift: 290x3 (3PR!)
08-27-2021, 05:04 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 21 (20210823)
Squat (Intensity): 250x5 (5PR!)
Press (Volume): 80x5x4
Bench (Intensity): 145x4 (4PR!)
Deadlift (Volume): 250x5x3
08-27-2021, 05:05 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 22 (20210826) [LIGHT DAY]
Squat: 215x5x2
Press: 85x3x3
Bench: 125x3x3
Deadlift: 245x3x2
09-06-2021, 09:08 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 23 (20210901)
Squat: 205x5x5
Press: 100x5 (5PR!)
Bench: 120x5x4
Deadlift: 275x4x2 (4PR!)
09-21-2021, 07:51 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 24 (20210909)
Squat: 255x5 (5PR!)
Press: 82,5x5x4
Bench: 147.5x3x2 (3PR!)
Deadlift: 255x4x4
09-21-2021, 07:52 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 25 (20210919)
Squat: 210x5x4
Press: 102.5x3x2 (3PR!)
Bench: 125x5x4
Deadlift: 290x2
09-21-2021, 07:53 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 26 (20210921)
Squat: 260x2 (2PR!), 245x5, 5
Bench: 130x5x3
Deadlift: 275x5 (5PR!)
09-25-2021, 11:28 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 27 (20210923)
Squat: 225x5x2
PRS: 105x3 (3PR!), 85x5x2
DLT: 225x3x3
Press is still cooking along: 105 is most she's ever pressed in her life, and she's tripling it.
09-27-2021, 05:53 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 28 (20210925)
SQT: 265x2 (2PR!), 245x4, 230x5
Lost some steam on the backoffs but I notice I programmed them too heavy so ... wups.
BNC: 150x3 (3PR!), 125x5x2
DLT: 300x3 (3PR!), 245x5
Big day for PRs today. Gonna smash her 1-reps soon I think.
09-30-2021, 10:55 AM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 29 (20210928)
SQT: 185x5x5
Volume yes, but drilling form against knee-slide.
BNC: 125x5x5
DLT: 265x3x3
10-03-2021, 06:17 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 30 (20210930)
SQT: 185x5x2
PRS: 90x5x3
ROW: 115x8x3
Self-loaded on rows; based on video we'll back off 10lbs if we do rows again.
10-03-2021, 06:19 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 31 (20211002)
SQT: 270x2 (2PR!)
BNC: 152.5x4 (4PR!)
DLT: 305x3 (3PR!)
Big PR day on intensity. Wendler formula puts all 3 of these lifts at e1RM of higher than her lifetime best PRs. Gonna be a glorious cycle I think.
10-11-2021, 06:41 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 32 (20211006)
SQT 195x5x4
BNC 127.5x5x4
DLT 270x3x2
10-11-2021, 06:42 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 33 (20211009)
SQT 275x2 (2PR!)
BNC 155x2 (2PR!)
DLT 310x3 (3PR!)
Killer intensity day. 3 PRs, and each of these rep-PRs put her well above lifetime single PR on the Wendler formula.
Press keeps rolling. 107.5 is highest weight she's touched on press, and she 4-repped it. Still don't know where this young lady's top end press is yet. Good problem to have.
10-25-2021, 06:06 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 38 (20211025)
Smashing day.
SQT 285x3
Gorgeous triple here ... and coincidentally, 285 was her lifetime best 1RM prior to this session.
BNC 160x3 (3PR!)
Killer work here. I thought her lifetime best was 160, but she re-checked her log from before we started working together, and now informs me that she hit 165x1 about a year ago. No problem: We'll be repping her 1RM soon.
Deadlift: 320x3 (3PR! Gross Load PR!)
320 is more than she's ever had on the bar, and her first time touching it, she tripled it.
Stellar day all around for Abby.
10-28-2021, 05:42 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 39 (20211027)
SQT 245x2x3
Supposed to be 4 sets of 5 but her knee is tweaky. Gonna have to watch this.
BNC 135x3x3
PRS 95x5, 4, 4
Lost a rep here.
DLT 290x4x2 (4PR!)
11-11-2021, 12:38 PM
Geoff Bischoff
Session 40 (20211031)
Tried for a very low-volume day with new PR weights. The only thing that successfully got done:
MRI shows some fraying in some of the knee tendons. Doc thinks a week of nothing at all + RICE/Ibuprofen therapy, followed by a ramp-up, should be enough to get through. So we're doing an accelerated LP from way low.