2ndfloor's progress

[2ndfloor]

I've heard that one can get better leverage with wide-stance--hence better for PL. Narrow stance is more geared towards quad development (better for BB'ers).

[MaliaBot]

I highly recommend Starting Strength (even tho you obviously aren't just starting). Rippetoe goes very in depth about all the reasons why he says to lift like he says, including the wide stance squat. And it makes a lot of sense, if you really pay close attention. I'll admit, I had to read it a few times to let it fully sink in, but wide stance does allow more muscles to be incorporated into the lift, as well as efficient barbell path, and so you lift more.

[2ndfloor]

Thanks, MaliaBot! I read SS a long time ago, and I seem to remember it recommending narrow stance, but I'll go back and review it.

I hope your injury is recovering well.

[2ndfloor]

Short workout today. I wasn't even going to go the the gym, but I always prefer to do my stretching routine there. And since I was there, I just threw in some biceps curls.

3x10 barbell biceps curl 30 lb. with back against wall (2:30 min. rest between each set)

First time at this volume with the 30.

[2ndfloor]

Bench session with the PT:

3x5 bench 90 lbs. (the last rep of the last set was a forced rep)
3x5 incline dumbbell bench 40 lbs. (some of these were forced reps)
pec deck (I forget how much)
3x5 assisted dips with 16 lbs. of counterweight

[2ndfloor]

Deadlifts!

Haven't done these since Dec. 29.

Warm up with bar, 95, 135, 165 (5 reps each)
3x3 deadlifts 190 with 3:30 min. rest between each set

Assistance exercises:

4x8 reverse push up on smith machine with bar set at 1 inch above belly button height (2 min. rest between all sets except the last one when rest was 2:30 min.)

3x8 dumbbell biceps curls with back against wall 15 lbs. (2 min. rest between each set)

[2ndfloor]

~15 min. upper and lower body stretch

Press day!

warm up with 30 (maybe should have tried 20)
3x10 press 40 lbs. (2:30 min. rest between each set) I know... these are still wimpy. Trying to get back into doing presses.

3x8 close-grip bench press 70 lbs. (3 min. rest between each set) Triceps already worn out from presses.

3x11 barbell skull crushers 30 lbs. (2:30 min. rest between each set) Almost didn't make that last rep.

3x10 assisted dips with 22 lbs. of counterweight (3 min. rest between each set) There was no way I was going to attempt unassisted dips after all that!

I'm happily worn out and sipping my post-workout smoothie.

[2ndfloor]

~15 min. upper and lower body stretch

Short, but hard leg workout:

warm up with bar, 65, 95
3x5 wide-stance squats 125 lbs. (3:30 min. rest between each set)

2x20 walking lunges with 17.5 lb. dumbbells (3 min. rest between sets)

I'm really focusing on form for the next few weeks, so I'll stay at this weight. I'm not happy with how much my knees are wobbling when I pay attention to what's going on with them. Also, working on getting consistently deep.

Weighed in at 122.75.

[tina722]

I hate walking lunges - they always make me sore, no matter what weight I use.

And, I impressed with your willingness to stay at 125. I usually jump too fast... but then form suffers.

[2ndfloor]

^I hate walking lunges, too. My balance is always so bad towards the end; I'm wobbling all over the place, and I get the feeling like everyone in the gym is staring at me like it's totally pathetic I'm even trying to do it.

Bench session with the PT:

Practicing meet lifts.
warm up with bar, 65
opening lift: 85, second lift: 95, third lift: 105 (miss)

2x3 bench 95 (some were forced lifts)
2x5 dumbbell bench 35 (last rep was forced lift)
2x10 pec deck (?) supersetted with triceps push downs with rope attachment (45, 50)

[2ndfloor]

I've been delinquent with the journal updates, lately. Work got too hectic. I switched my routine from 5x/week to 4x/week. Still trying to get the same gains with this reduced schedule.

I benched 105 for the first time today with my PT. It wasn't PL style with the pause on the chest but just touch and go. Still, I'm sky-high from having done it.

Then I did various assistance exercises: incline dumbbell bench press with 35 and 40; pec deck; assisted dips with 16 lbs. of counterweight.

Weigh in today was 123.5.

[MaliaBot]

Nice!!! 105!!!!! keep it up!

[tina722]

Is that going to be an upper/lower split?

And yay for bench!

[2ndfloor]

Is that going to be an upper/lower split?

And yay for bench!

Yes, I'm trying the upper/lower split nowadays. I did squat and deadlift in the same workout for the first time last weekend, and it didn't seem to impede either exercise, so I hope things will work out.

And my bench is still wimpy compared to yours and a lot of the other ladies here, but I'm glad it's getting somewhere!

[tina722]

Yes, I'm trying the upper/lower split nowadays. I did squat and deadlift in the same workout for the first time last weekend, and it didn't seem to impede either exercise, so I hope things will work out.

!!!!!!




J/k It should be fine, especially if you are eating enough.

And my bench is still wimpy compared to yours and a lot of the other ladies here, but I'm glad it's getting somewhere!

yea, but I'm #15 heavier than you. Since fixing my form to more of a PL style (vs. BB) I'm enjoying benching a lot more and it's actually going up. I felt stuck around 100 forever...

[2ndfloor]

warm up with bar, 85
4x5 squat 125 (3 min. rest between each set)

Major fail with the deadlift. Forgot to wear my knee-high socks. I don't know how I made that mistake; I was so absent-minded getting ready this morning. I spent so much energy trying not to scrape my shins that my form really suffered.
warm up with 135, 165
Intended to do 1x5 at 190 but could only manage 3 reps.
I realized after I got home that I could have put on my sweatpants to avoid shin scrape, but oh well....

Since I failed at deadlift, I decided to sneak in an upper-body exercise.
5x5 seated cable row at 65 (2 min. rest between each set)

Weighed in at 122 today after eating a light breakfast. It probably would have been 123 if I had eaten my usual.

[MaliaBot]

Are you going for a weight? Or just trying to gain?

[2ndfloor]

Are you going for a weight? Or just trying to gain?

My short-term goal is to bench 105 PL style while staying in the 123 weight class. Hence, I've abandoned my bulk. My long-term goal is to get a 2x body weight deadlift.

[BrotherWolf]

Subscribed .....

[BrotherWolf]

when is your next meet anything planned soon ???

[2ndfloor]

^Thanks for stopping by in my journal, BrotherWolf! I haven't been updating in the longest time. My next meet will be in July (push-pull). By then, I'm hoping that the 105 bench I couldn't do will be cake, and if I'm lucky, I might be at 110.

Did my last workout yesterday before my work trip tomorrow:

warm up with bar, 65, 80
4x3 barbell bench 95
2x6, 2x5, 1x4 dumbbell bench 40
4x4 press 60 (Whew! These were hard after all that benching!)

[BrotherWolf]

^Thanks for stopping by in my journal, BrotherWolf! I haven't been updating in the longest time. My next meet will be in July (push-pull). By then, I'm hoping that the 105 bench I couldn't do will be cake, and if I'm lucky, I might be at 110.

Did my last workout yesterday before my work trip tomorrow:

warm up with bar, 65, 80
4x3 barbell bench 95
2x6, 2x5, 1x4 dumbbell bench 40
4x4 press 60 (Whew! These were hard after all that benching!)

Oh gee there you are... I subscribe and you take a vacation
welcome back

[2ndfloor]

Oh gee there you are... I subscribe and you take a vacation
welcome back

Haha! Sorry about that! I hadn't written in my journal for almost a month!

[BrotherWolf]

Haha! Sorry about that! I hadn't written in my journal for almost a month!

You're better than me , my last journal entry was on
11-16-2010
to be fair I moved it to a different forum but eventually I stopped updating because I am just too lazy lol

[MaliaBot]

I still take a look in here every now and again too.

[2ndfloor]

^Thanks for visiting, MaliaBot! I hope you have been doing well!

First day back from work trip.

warm up: 1x10 bench 45, 1x5 bench 65, 1x5 bench 80
2x4 bench 95
1x3 bench 95 and racked it but my spotter yelled at me to get back down there and do the last rep, so then I did 1x1 at 95 after a 20 sec. or so rest. 1x4 bench 95 with the last 2 as forced reps.

3x3 press 60 (these were hard after that bench session)

1x5, 1x4, 1x3 dumbbell bench 40 (tried to go for a 4th set but couldn't even get the 1st rep up)

I'm all bent out of shape after having been away, but I was happy to have hit 4 reps at 95 for the first time today.

[2ndfloor]

session with the PT:

warm up with bar, 1x10
1x6, 3x7 clean and jerk with 55 lbs.
2x7 dumbbell snatch 17.5 lbs., 2x7 dumbbell snatch 20 lbs., 1x7 dumbbell snatch 25 lbs.

It was the first time I'd done these. Surprisingly, the hardest part of both exercises was grip. My forearms got tired before the rest of my body did. The PT said that these would help with my PL lifts.

[BrotherWolf]

I'm soooooo tempted to get squat shoes, too, but I think I'll hold off on them until I've hit a plateau. And then I'll use the shoes to get past it.

I use a belt, but it's not a proper powerlifting belt (the kind that are one width all around and thick). The one I have is a cheap one that I think is meant for general weight training, and it's working fine now. I'll see if I need to upgrade down the line.

The bulk: it's weird. My weight has fluctuated wildly back and forth in the past 2 weeks. And then I lost my appetite for about a week, but now it's back.

Get them shoes asap.. it's the best most useful tool you can get even better than a belt , it's not gonna help you if you stall it just gets you to squat better

for the belt you can turn it around when you squat so that the thicker side is in the front (buckle in the rear) and use it normally for DL .. remember in the squat the belt is not for the back but for your abs so you have something to push on

[2ndfloor]

^Thanks, BrotherWolf! I'll think about getting the shoes, although I squat so little that I would be embarrassed to wear them b/c I'd be afraid everyone else would be looking at me thinking, "What's the point if she only squats that much?" Kind of like when I was long-distance running, I never wore those lightweight racers b/c I didn't feel like I ran fast enough to justify them, lol.

Thanks for the tip on the belt, too!

Short bench session. Got to the gym late. It was almost about to close, so I had to abbreviate everything and shorten my rest periods.

warm up with bar 1x10, 65 1x5, 80 1x5
3x3 bench 95 (3 minutes rest between sets)
3x5 dumbbell bench 40 (3 minutes rest between sets)

I definitely do better with 4 minutes of rest between these heavy sets.

Had to skip triceps since the gym was closing.

Weighed 122.75. Probably from all that salt last night.

[BrotherWolf]

^Thanks, BrotherWolf! I'll think about getting the shoes, although I squat so little that I would be embarrassed to wear them b/c I'd be afraid everyone else would be looking at me thinking, "What's the point if she only squats that much?" Kind of like when I was long-distance running, I never wore those lightweight racers b/c I didn't feel like I ran fast enough to justify them, lol.

Thanks for the tip on the belt, too!

But it doesn't matter how much you squat , that would be like saying
you don't want to buy a good sharp knife because you're not a professional chef .. strange analogy lol

besides, you squat !! most people don't squat