gettin' that gold body - a girl's log

[goldbody]

Thanks for all the input on DL, guys. I am a bit confused right now though. Obviously the 3x/week is now over for me, but is the next step Deadlifting every other workout, or just every third workout? I reread that section in SS and I think I need to do it alternating until I can't sustain that anymore, and then leave it for once a week and add chins/glute-ham raises instead of it?

This is what a workout after a 13hrs flight and jetlag looks like. Not to mention that I had to convert kgs to lbs at 5 in the morning and maths has never been one of my favorites, ha.

weight in lbs

11) 26.12.

Squat
5x1 45
5x1 65
3x1 75
2x1 85
5x3 100 (~45kg)

Notes: Weight actually felt light, last two reps on the final set were awful form though. Lack of concentration and tiredness.

Bench
5x1 45
3x1 55
2x1 60
1x1 65
5x3 70 (~32kg)

Notes: First set was poor form, then I upped the recovery time to 5mins, that solved the problem. Hotel gym, no spotter this time. I survived though.

Power Clean
5x3 35 (~16kg)

Notes: First try on power cleans. I could have gone heavier on this, but it took a few tries not to choke myself with the bar and find that meaty part of the deltoids (that I don't really have yet!) it should come to rest on at the top. I will make some form check videos next time, when I can actually use the 45lbs bar for it.

[boot29342342]

Hiya--I wouldn't worry too much about getting perfect form on the last few reps of the last work set for every lift. But posting a video might not be a bad idea, like melody said--catch big problems early, before they become firmly entrenched motor habits.

As far as programming goes, have another look at chapter 8 of Starting Strength--it's dense with information so it's easy to miss on first read what you're supposed to do. Initially, you DL every workout; then you alternate PC/DL as your pull, and eventually, you clean, deadlift, and do assistance/ancillary exercises such as chin-ups and back extensions once a week each.

[goldbody]

12) 28.12

Squat
5x1 45
5x1 65
3x1 75
2x1 85
5x3 105lbs (47.6kg)

Press
5x1 25
3x1 45
3x1 55
4x1 55
3x1 55 (25kg)

Notes: Hotel gym, no possibility to load less than 5lbs. Recovery time 4mins in between sets, but it was just too heavy. I am confident to be mastering this weight next time though and by the next increments I'll be back home and able to microload the scale with just 1kg instead of 2.5kg. That should do the trick and help keep the stalling at a minimum.

Deadlift
5x1 75
3x1 95
1x1 135
5x1 140 (63.5kg)

Notes: This felt heavy. After the third rep I realized pre-breakfast workouts are a bitch because I got super-dizzy and had to stop for almost a minute (hands stayed on the bar, so I still count this as a set), but I did it. And it was even 1kg heavier than what I failed at last time thanks to the conversion into lbs.

Even though I failed the Press, I am totally happy with myself. Next DL workout I'll reach Goal#1 and deadlift my bodyweight.

13) 01.01

Squat
5x1 45
5x1 65
3x1 85
2x1 100
5x2 110
1x1 110
4x1 110 (~50kg)

Notes: Still not gotten over my jetlag, add bad nutrition and new year's eve to that. I got stuck at the bottom on my 3rd working set and couldn't find the mental endurance to get back up so I had to drop the weight. The other four reps went ok after that.

Bench
5x1 45
3x1 60
2x1 70
5x3 75 (~34kg)

Notes: Strict five minutes recovery between sets, hydrated, worked like a charm. Even without spotter, hotel gym and all that.

Power Cleans
5x3 45 (~20kg)

Notes: Still trying to get the hang of it. Feels better than last time, but still way off.


14) 10.01.

Fast forward 10 days, a nasty snowboarding fall, 17hrs of flight and a hell lotta pain later. Pain in lower body kept building for a few days until I could barely stand. Sitting was out of the question and lying down didn't really alleviate the pain. Checked it out with my physio, turned out to be a cricked sacroiliac joint. Reviewed my training program with her, since at that point I couldn't lift the empty bar without pain. Two sessions later I got green lights for sport, with the compromise of serious deload for at least two weeks. Established new working sets so that they were pain free. It impacted everything severely apart from Benching. Damn.

(weights back into kg)

Squat
5x2 20
3x1 25
2x1 30
5x3 32.5

Press
5x3 20

Deadlifting
5x1 40
2x1 45
5x1 50

Notes: All weights were easy, but this was the most I could lift without pain. Trying to see it from another stance and working on my technique more now.


15) 13.01.

Some back pain after the last session, but bearable.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 25
3x1 30
1x1 32.5
5x3 35

Bench
5x1 20
3x1 25
2x1 30
5x3 32.5

Power Cleans
3x5 20


16) 15.01.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 25
3x1 30
1x1 35
5x3 37.5

Press
5x1 20
5x3 22.5

Deadlift
5x1 40
3x1 50
5x1 52.5


17) 17.01.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 30
3x1 35
1x1 37.5
5x3 40

Bench
5x1 20
3x1 25
2x1 30
5x3 35

Notes: Will start to increase with 1kg only instead of 2.5kg next time.

Power Cleans
3x5 22.5

Notes: The first time I felt good doing these. I think I finally got it.

Have some Squat/Press/Deadlift videos taped down, will post them over in the Form Check Forum later.

[goldbody]

18) 19.01.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 30
3x1 35
2x1 40
5x3 42.5

Press
5x1 20
5x3 25

Deadlift
5x1 40
3x1 50
5x1 55


19) 21.01.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 30
3x1 35
2x1 40
5x3 47.5

Notes: I only noticed on the second set that I miscalculated the weight and increased 5kg instead of the usual 2.5kg. It was easy enough though, so I just went with it.

Bench
5x1 20
5x1 25
3x1 30
1x1 35
5x3 36

Notes: this was incredibly hard. I've been struggling some time with Benching now, need to seriously work on my breathing pattern, because I don't have one. And halfway through the set I run out of air.

Power Cleans
3x5 25

Notes: Starting to like this exercise. Think I finally got it.

On another note I tracked my food for the last two weeks via Fitnesspal and was a little horrified at the results. Anywhere between 1000-1700kcal and 100-140g protein per day. I really really need to work on that, cause with those numbers there won't be a lot happening here.

[Shana R]

Hey, welcome! Sorry to hear about your snowboarding fall, but you're already almost back up to where you were.

[goldbody]

20) 23.01.

Squat
5x1 20
5x1 30
3x1 40
2x1 45
5x3 50 - back to the big plates, finally.

Press
5x1 20
3x1 22.5
5x3 27.5 - Looked like a lobster afterwards, but hell it was worth it. And then I came home and read about the Press 2.0. Why have I been struggling so much when there was a much easier way to do it? I am looking forward to try it out!

Deadlift
5x1 40
3x1 50
5x3 60 - Did a 5kg jump so I could use the big plates again. I love deadlifting. I mean, seriously.

Had a 90min introductory Krav Maga class later that evening. Damn, do I feel sore now.

Should have hit the gym today, self-excusing that I couldn't because I had to study. Guess whose afternoon was sucked up by the internet? As good as last workout was, as bad do I feel today. Well, everybody got their ups and downs. I'll lift those weights with a vengeance tomorrow.

On a side note, 140-170g protein per day since last log.

Shana - thanks a lot for stopping by!

[melody]

Way to get your protein up!

[goldbody]

King of Jews - I am still using squishy sneakers. Today I'll go train in Converse, because they have the flattest sole I own. I'm looking into weightlifting shoes but that is totally overwhelming still. And I did some formcheck vids and posted them in the forum a few days ago. That's how I learned that a Press 2.0 existed in the first place. I'll try to get some squatting form down today to see if I understood the advice given correctly.

melody - Thanks! Really struggling though. Me and shakes aren't very good friends yet and chicken I know how to prepare only in so many flavours. I hit a real low yesterday and ate pizza and sweets. I still feel horrible about it.

[melody]

I eat pizza and sweets whenever possible. Don't feed bad. It's just good. Today I plan to eat jelly beans at the gym while I squat. The shakes, tuna, chicken, lean ground beef will become habits before you know it.

[DrPhilWV]

I think the VS brand I got from Amazon were $30 or so. They go down to men's size 4, so you may find some that work. You can tell the difference immediately when you squat. I surely did. Chuck Taylors usually give me blisters so I went this way.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk