ladylifterfcs beginner and lifter log

[ladylifterfcs]

Have been looking around SS forums here and there. Bought SS and PP this past march and started lifting-This type of lifting was new to me. To make a long story, about 2 years ago, I decided to play womens tackle football on a team(yes, they do have leagues all over the US). Got injured so that ended my short career in football. Wasn't worth it to get injured among other things. I should mention that I work part time and have three kids, 19, 17, 12. I am hoping that other women/moms will be inspired to get strong. My husband and kids are pretty supportive. I started logging my workouts this past march for about three weeks, Squat pr was 125, DL, 135, OH press 70 and bench 85. I stopped logging my workouts, but wasn't lifting any heavier, back issues, and started doing some different type of squats etc, so I wasn't DTP, but was still exercising. Decided to try again this past week. I reread SS the squat and logged my routine this past sunday. Felt good, I think my squat form is getting better, I should probably post a video to make sure.
I lift alone, early in the morning usually, no other women to lift with-a couple women close to my age in the cardio area who venture to the weight room for dumbells sometimes, but that is about it. That's ok, a gal's got to do, what a gal's got to do.
I don't want to ramble too much
5'6"
170 pounds
42 years old

Goal-initally wanted to be able to squat my body weight. Too early to tell how far I will get with my back(it has gotten better for the most part with lifting) and I am not sure I want to eat a ton of calories and get big. Can't I just get strong without getting big? lol I can't have alot of dairy anyways.

Sunday
hip thrusters-I find that I need to do these to get my backside awake
115/10rep/1 set warm up
145/8/1
165/8/2

low bar back squat-felt pretty good and solid
65/6/1/ warm up
85/8/1
95/5/2
105/5
115/5/1

OH press
45/10/1 warm up
55/7/1
65/5/2
70/4/1 couldn't get the fifth one
65/5/1

DL
65/5/1 warm up
95/5/1
115/5/1
145/5/1

Did some reverse hypers at home(light woody band) and those seemed to make my back feel better. We do have a reverse hyper machine at our gym, but no strap. I have since found a strap at home to take with me to the gym. I think it's an older machine. I talked to the owner at the gym, no one knew what the machine was(it was being used to hold a tv). He said he would look for a strap and it needs to be bolted down, I will have to hold onto a weight rack or something

[ladylifterfcs]

Wednesday Dec 1, 2010
15 minute warm up to include rower, bodyweight hip thrusters, upper back warm up, planks, etc

Squats
45/10/1 warm up
65/6/2
85/5/1
95/5/1
105/5/1
115/4/1 form was not too good on the last two. Didn't attempt to get a fifth rep in.

Powerclean
45/5/1 warm up
55/5/1
65/5/2
70/5/1 Last two were tough. Harder getting under the bar. I will go back and reread powerclean.

OH Press
45/10/1 warm up
55/5/1
65/5/1
70/5/1 Was able to get the fifth rep in today.
65/5/1

bodyweight dips on captains chair
7/3 can't quite get to 90 degrees at the elbow. Did these sets in between some of the squat sets

Reverse Hypers Single leg
25/10/3 each leg

Overall, I felt like it was a good workout. This gives me hope for my squat/DL goals. I may have to go to a split routine, just not enough time before I have to leave. As with Sunday, after this workout, I was super hungry. I try to get a snack in before I go to the gym, but it's hard to get food down so early in the morning. I am hoping while I am out of town for the rest of this week that I will be able to find a weightroom on friday.
Any tips appreciated

[ladylifterfcs]

Was able to find a gym to use while I was out of town. Here's what I did

FRIDAY DECEMBER 3, 2010

Squats
45x10x1 warm up
65x6x1 warm up
85x6x1
95x5x2
105x5x3

DEADLIFTS
65xx6x1 warm up
115x5x4

OH PRESS
45x10x1 warm up
55x5x1
65x5x4


BARBELL ROWS
45X10X1 warm up
65x10x1 warm up
85x5x3
95x5x3

This was a medium lift day for me. I was pressed for time but was glad there was a squat rack available. I won't get to the gym tonight, but tomorrow will work just as well. The rows in the past have been really difficult-I think I was rounding my back too much. These felt good-I think I could have added more weight.

[MazdaMatt]

Good work so far. To answer your question in the first post, you don't need to become huge to become strong, but you WILL need to eat big to maintain your weight and allow your body to gain strength. Weight gain of a couple pounds in the first couple weeks, then a couple in the next couple months will probably be fine. Keep in mind that in order to stay the same SIZE you'll have to get heavier as you build muscle and eliminate fat.

Lift heavy, eat well. You'll do fine. You won't get fat overnight or anything.

One suggestion - keep the deadlifts to warmup and ONE heavy set. You'll be able to lift more weight and you're at less risk of injury due to fatigue.

[ladylifterfcs]

Thanks for the advice madzamatt. To clarify, you are saying if I perform 5 setss of DL,then just slowly work my way up to one Heavy set? I'm getting ready to post today's workout which I did early this morning and I see I have 4 heavy sets in that one too. Noted for next DL workout.

[ladylifterfcs]

TUESDAY DECEMBER 7, 2010 0545 AM

HIP THRUSTERS SHOULDERS ON BENCH
95X12
115X10
135X8
185X5X5 difficult

LOW BAR SQUAT
45X5
65X5
85X5
95X5
115X5X2
120X5X2
could tell I wasn't moving my hips and shoulders at the same speed on some of the reps of the heavier sets(both 115 and 120). Maybe I shouldn't have increased the weight to 120 yet? I liked seeing the 35 pound plates go on the barbell-normally I just add the 5's and 10's from the initial sets, but I unloaded and reloaded with the 35's.

BENCH PRESS
45x5
65x5
75x5
85x5
90x2
85x5x3
stopped at 2 reps on the 90 pounds not becuase I couldn't have done 5 reps, but something didn't feel quite right in my form. Will go back and check the book.

DEADLIFT
95X5
115X5
135X5X4

REVERSE HYPERS SINGLE LEG
25x10
35x10
45x10x2

Not sure if I am doing too many sets of each exercise. I don't have alot of range of weight that I add to the barbell so I am somewhat limited but I feel good when I am done. As has been the case the past week or so I am HUNGRY when I get done so I eat. I don't weigh myself ever but only what my weight was when I went to the docs in June. I guess it could have fluctuated without me knowing?

[MazdaMatt]

To clarify above and to answer your question here... You are doing too much warmup. If you don't want to bulk and you do want to get strong, then intensity if your #1.

Take squats for example, you did this:
45X5
65X5
85X5
95X5
115X5X2
120X5X2

but you may be better off with this:
45X5
65X4
85X3
95X2
115X1
120X5X3

And deads you may prefer:
95X5
105X3
120x1
135X5

This sort of warmup scheme will leave you fresher by the time you reach your top set(s) and you'll be able to work with more weight on your top set. Deads are always done in a single set of 5 for beginners (with warmups ahead, of course). Too many sets leads to form breakdown due to fatigue and you want to focus on heavy weight, not the endurance of many sets.

[ladylifterfcs]

Got it-that makes sense.
Thanks!

[MazdaMatt]

Let me know how it goes for you. I hope it helps drive up your lifts.

[ladylifterfcs]

FRIDAY DECEMBER 10, 2010 0545 AM
warm up
LOW BAR SQUAT
65X5
85X5
95X5
115X5
125X3
125X3
thought I had 120 pounds at the 4th set, but after performing the three and getting ready to add the additional 5 pounds, I had to go back and count again. I probably should have done 5 on the last set-kind of early in the morning, brain doesn't want to function. These all felt good and I could definately tell the difference between working this way and my previous workouts. Felt I could have went to 130, but decided not to push it. These squats are much stronger than this past spring when I hit 130. I would bet those squats then were lacking in form.

BENCH PRESS
45x5
65x5
75x5
85x4
95x5

Had reread the section on bench press before I left for the gym this morning. These felt good. Worked on bar position and elbow position. I think I had my hands too close together the other day and bar to close towards neck maybe.

POWERCLEANS
45x5
65x3
70x5
75x5

Can definately tell these use alot of energy-was feeling the workload on these. These and snatches are some of my favorite exercises. The snatches I have done mostly with dumbells and kettlebells though. Am going to need to think about some micro weights pretty soon. I think I've got some ankle weights that are 1 pound each that I could use.

SINGLE LEG DEADLIFTS WITH DUMBELLS
40x7
50x7x2 total of both dumbbells

ROMAN CHAIR SIT UPS
bodyweight x20


Haven't posted Wed workout yet-but for the sake of briefness, I will add the pertinent lifts here(at least for me)
BARBELL BENT OVER ROWS(I think they are called pendley rows have to do some searching in book again)
45x5
65x5
85x5
95x5
105x5

Nice surprise to get past 100 pounds. In the past rows had been very difficult for me. Things are coming together!

OVERHEAD PRESS
45x5
65x5
70x5
75x3
70x2 took weight off bar and finished these two but not immediately after the 75 pounds. got sidetracked by someone.
70x4

I can see after going back and looking at Matt's example, I could have added another work set or two at the end. There is always next week!