Cheeky Canadian Trains for an American Meet

[lazyaj]

What a fantastic session! That's some serious weight for paused dl, not to mention the ss bench! Must be a good feeling after the recent hip issues. Seems like your intuition on when to back off is really working.

[anuragray006]

This is one of my favorite thread..

[MatTheCur]

That was a great deadlift, by the way!

really well. we moved into a bigger place a couple months ago, but it was a totally unfinished warehouse, hence all the work that's needed doing. our membership continues to grow and we're adding to our equipment portfolio. beats a commercial gym by a million miles

I can't wait to start investing in my garage gym.

[Filmbuff81]

yay more PRs congrats!

Things are coming along nicely and yes it does seem you've learned to be a little more pragmatic when it comes to training and injuries.

[NorthStrong]

lots of solid PRs in here, good stuff!

[izzygrant]

Monday November 2

@ PRSC

Pin Squats
3 @ 185
3 @ 205
3 @ 225
3 @ 235 - rep PR

my hamstrings were still absolutely wrecked from Saturday. they took about a week to fully recover, lol

Tuesday November 3

@ PRSC

Comp Bench
3 @ 145
3 @ 137.5 (x3)

5-Count Negative Sumo
5 @ 225 (x3)

3-Count Pause Bench
3 @ 135 (x3)

Thursday November 5

@ PRSC

Comp Squat
3 @ 225
3 @ 240
3 @ 250
3 @ 255
1 @ 260
3 @ 240 (x3)

thought I had 260 on the bar for the 255 set but realized after I misloaded it, and then didn't have it in me to do a full triple with 260 right after. oh well.

2-Count Pause Bench
some, can't remember

back accessory

Saturday November 7

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
2 @ 275
2 @ 315
2 @ 335
1 @ 350 (x2)
2 @ 325 (x4)

was hoping for a straight up double at 350 but I got too far over the bar on the second rep and couldn't finish, so I put it down and then did it again. still very happy to have pulled 350 twice on what was actually a bad day - I had to belt up at 275 because things felt so off, I usually don't bother till 315 or later.

Slingshot Bench
raw warmup
2 @ 140
2 @ 147.5
1 @ 150
add SS
2 @ 165
1 @ 185
2 @ 175 (x5)

banded pullups, DB bench, SA DB rows

What a fantastic session! That's some serious weight for paused dl, not to mention the ss bench! Must be a good feeling after the recent hip issues. Seems like your intuition on when to back off is really working.

peaking is the best, it's so fun to hit a stack of PR's after slaving in the salt mines for your regular training cycles

This is one of my favorite thread..

uh, thanks?

That was a great deadlift, by the way!

I can't wait to start investing in my garage gym.

oh thank you, I <3 deadlifts. having your own gym is so great, but you'll have to recruit some good training partners - they add so much to the experience.

yay more PRs congrats!

Things are coming along nicely and yes it does seem you've learned to be a little more pragmatic when it comes to training and injuries.

haha, slowly but surely eh?

lots of solid PRs in here, good stuff!

thanks Northy, good work on your meet and you still outpull me... for now

[lazyaj]

Wow you are benching so much with the slingshot! It's hard to imagine.

[izzygrant]

Monday November 9

@ PRSC

Pause Squats
3 @ 225
3 @ 235
3 @ 240 (x5) - rep PR

no SBDs today because they wouldn't fit over my thermal leggings. realized after filming my 235 set that I've been letting my stance creep out too wide... AGAIN. fixed that and then 240 was a breeze

2-Count Pause Bench
2 @ 136 (x5)

totally half-assed the bench - I train late due to working long hours and we discovered 2 weeks ago when it suddenly got cold that the heat in our new gym doesn't work -_- so by the time I get to bench, it's like I'm lifting in an ice rink and I just want to get the hell out of there

SA DB rows 50's x 10 per side x 5

Wow you are benching so much with the slingshot! It's hard to imagine.

haha, it feels good for about half a second... then my 63kg training partner does 185x3 raw and I am shamed again

[izzygrant]

Tuesday November 10

@ PRSC

Comp Bench
2 @ 136
2 @ 143
2 @ 147
1 @ 155 - PR
2 @ 155 - rep PR
2 @ 150 (x3)

finally got that 70kg up... for a double! I freaked out on the first set and lost the second rep but my training partner convinced me to try again and it went the second time

Pause Deadlift
2 @ 275

it was too cold by this point, I had to bail. pretty mad about the situation with the lack of effing heat

[lazyaj]

Congrats on 70 kg bench! Especially re-focussing and getting a double. Awesome.

[kaleida]

That is a killer bench press PR! Congrats!

[MatTheCur]

Tuesday November 10

@ PRSC

Comp Bench
2 @ 136
2 @ 143
2 @ 147
1 @ 155 - PR
2 @ 155 - rep PR
2 @ 150 (x3)

finally got that 70kg up... for a double! I freaked out on the first set and lost the second rep but my training partner convinced me to try again and it went the second time

Pause Deadlift
2 @ 275

it was too cold by this point, I had to bail. pretty mad about the situation with the lack of effing heat

Woo! PRs! Grats Liz

At least you're not out here... What are you looking at to get the heat situation fixed?

[NorthStrong]

That's what I like to see. A good bench session followed by 1 set of deadlifts and leaving because deadlifts aren't important.

[ilovethe80s]

Woah on that double! love that you got it for a PR single and then a double right after in the same session. Awesome of your training partner to see that you had that and get you to do it, confidence really is everything on bench

I hear you on the cold gym. I suppose it is really open in there so space heaters won't help much? I put space heaters on a timer in my basement gym and they do ok but it is probably a lot smaller than they space you have to heat.

[izzygrant]

on Thursday there was a big storm here. I went in to do my session, huddled in front of a couple space heaters, and as I was warming up, I noticed water seeping from under the overhead rollup door jamb and underneath the nearest platform. as I scrambled around with a broom outside in the pounding rain, with no boots or jacket, trying to find whatever drain was clogged so I could unblock it, the water started pouring into the gym and was all over the entire floor and under our 4 wooden platforms in minutes. turned out the drain wasn't clogged, it just literally could not handle the two foot deep lake that had formed in the parking lot purely from how hard it was raining. so I called one of my gym partners in tears and he raced over with sandbags from Home Depot. after we stopped the deluge, we had to shopvac up all the water, flip our platforms up against the walls to dry, set fans on them and move all our equipment up into the higher back section of the warehouse which didn't get wet. by that point it was past 11 and needless to say I did not lift. miraculously, nothing seems to be ruined. don't open a gym.

Friday November 13

@ PRSC

Comp Squat
2 @ 225
2 @ 245
2 @ 260 - rep PR
2 @ 250 (x3)

I dislike lifting on Fridays as a rule because I'm always so tired from work, and never more so than after an 11pm night before dealing with floodwaters. this was less than I was hoping for as a top double, but still a PR and under the circumstances I suppose I shouldn't complain.

Saturday November 14

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
2 @ 315
2 @ 335
2 @ 350 - rep PR
2 @ 325 (x5)

this was very nearly a disaster - I warmed up to 275 and my right hip was giving me static, caving in on the left side and shooting weakness down my adductor. couldn't pull 315. went back and did some art with the rumble roller trying to realign things, then sat in front of the space heater for a bit to try to warm it up, because the cold is a really big problem for keeping everything supple and functional. luckily, things went much better the second time around and I got a fast, proper double with 350. again I was hoping for a little more, but in the circumstances I'll take it.

1 Board Bench
w/u
2 @ 136
2 @ 141
2 @ 146
add 1 board
2 @ 156
2 @ 161 - rep PR
2 @ 163 (x4) - rep PR

banded pullups till my lats burned

Congrats on 70 kg bench! Especially re-focussing and getting a double. Awesome.

thank you! now I need to figure out how to get it the first time!

That is a killer bench press PR! Congrats!

thanks so much! bench has been a real struggle for me and it's so nice to see it finally moving.

Woo! PRs! Grats Liz

At least you're not out here... What are you looking at to get the heat situation fixed?

I don't know - it's very frustrating since it's not under our control. we are the subleasee so we have to bother the head leaser who has to bother the landlord, who's not interested. he fixed the heat on their side of the gym and said that should be good enough, and the only real leverage we have with the lessee is to threaten to leave because they're in breach of their obligations - which we really don't want to do despite all the issues we're experiencing.

That's what I like to see. A good bench session followed by 1 set of deadlifts and leaving because deadlifts aren't important.

lmao. I still love deadlifts but I'm not trying to hurt myself by lifting in a freezer.

Woah on that double! love that you got it for a PR single and then a double right after in the same session. Awesome of your training partner to see that you had that and get you to do it, confidence really is everything on bench

I hear you on the cold gym. I suppose it is really open in there so space heaters won't help much? I put space heaters on a timer in my basement gym and they do ok but it is probably a lot smaller than they space you have to heat.

yes, one of the reasons I love training partners - they can look objectively and say either "give it up for today" or "come on, get out of your head"

we have 3 space heaters in there now, but the space is such a big warehouse that they don't do much unless you huddle right next to them - which I do between sets, but we can't run a gym like that. if I wasn't an owner I sure as hell wouldn't stick around if it didn't get fixed. I hate the cold.

[izzygrant]

Monday November 16

@ PRSC

Squat w/ Wraps
3 @ 235 (x5)

excuse me while I squat 25lbs less with wraps than I do without... so much for overload, lol. wraps are stupid

3-Count Pause Bench
3 @ 130 (x3)

sandbag of sandbags. but I could see my freaking breath while I was benching, I kid you not

face pulls

[izzygrant]

Wednesday November 18

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
up to 1 @ 335

hip was really unhappy today. was ready to leave the gym if the heat didn't get fixed

Comp Bench
2 @ 140 (x4)

DB rows

Thursday November 19

@ PRSC

Squat
2 @ 225
2 @ 245
2 @ 260
1 @ 260
1 @ 270 - PR
2 @ 245
2 @ 235 (x4)

we have heat!!! hallelujah!!!

2-Count Pause Bench
1 @ 140 (x5)

banded pullups x12

[kaleida]

I am glad the heat is back!

[ilovethe80s]

You squatted 270?! Holy crap Congrats! Again! Lol, your log is PR central. 270 though, i'm floored. Great job. And thank goodness for heat

[lazyaj]

Congrats on the heat, and CONGRATS on the squat!!

[kaleida]

I am not sure how I missed the squat PR! That's even better than the heat news. big congrats, hard work paying off!!

[beatha]

Hiya Izzy
What's up in there? Setting PR's
I am Jelly

[izzygrant]

Saturday November 21

@ PRSC

303 Tempo Squat
3 @ 205 (x6)
3 @ 225 (x4) rep PR

Slingshot Bench
w/u
2 @ 136
2 @ 141
1 @ 146
1 @ 151
1 @ 153 butt off
add SS
2 @ 160
2 @ 170
1 @ 175
2 @ 170 (x4)

lil disappointing but oh well

DB rows, hanging leg raises

I am glad the heat is back!

ME TOO

You squatted 270?! Holy crap Congrats! Again! Lol, your log is PR central. 270 though, i'm floored. Great job. And thank goodness for heat

thanks!!! It was nice and smooth too, my real heavy singles day isn't till next week. hoping for a little bit more than this. I had my sights on 300 for this meet, but at this point I can see it just isn't going to happen yet, so I'm refocusing on 286/130kg as the goal and maybe 300 in February at Nationals.

Congrats on the heat, and CONGRATS on the squat!!

thank you, I was happy about both!

I am not sure how I missed the squat PR! That's even better than the heat news. big congrats, hard work paying off!!

lol I was much more excited about the heat

Hiya Izzy
What's up in there? Setting PR's
I am Jelly

hi bea!! so glad to see you! in the fun part of meet prep, lol. are you back now? I haven't seen your log pop up yet!

[izzygrant]

Monday November 23

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
1 @ 315
1 @ 335
1 @ 350
1 @ 360 - PR
0 @ 370
1 @ 340 (x5)

super disappointing. despite the fact that my block pull, deficit deadlift, conventional, pause DL, etc, all the things that are supposed to build your deadlift, have each come up about 50-60lbs in the past several months, it seems like my competition deadlift is the one thing that has gone almost nowhere. the 370 came up to my knees but I was in a bad position and there was no way to lock it out. considering I got 355 at the start of this peaking cycle, I've gotten almost nothing out of this peak either, which is also depressing. I suppose I will have to adjust my meet day goal downward yet again.

[kaleida]

Monday November 23

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
1 @ 315
1 @ 335
1 @ 350
1 @ 360 - PR
0 @ 370
1 @ 340 (x5)

super disappointing. despite the fact that my block pull, deficit deadlift, conventional, pause DL, etc, all the things that are supposed to build your deadlift, have each come up about 50-60lbs in the past several months, it seems like my competition deadlift is the one thing that has gone almost nowhere. the 370 came up to my knees but I was in a bad position and there was no way to lock it out. considering I got 355 at the start of this peaking cycle, I've gotten almost nothing out of this peak either, which is also depressing. I suppose I will have to adjust my meet day goal downward yet again.

I hear you, so much.... I can't even count the number of times I've tried to build up my main lifts with other variations that had great carryover for other people, and for whatever reason it just didn't have the same magical result on me.

Well. I have faith in you! You will get to your goals in the end even if the timeline needs tweaking! I see your resourcefulness and tenacity

[izzygrant]

Wednesday November 25

@ PRSC

Comp Bench
3 @ 136
3 @ 141
1 @ 146
3 @ 126 (x3)

Thursday November 26

@ PRSC

Squat
1 @ 225
1 @ 240
1 @ 250
1 @ 260
1 @ 270
0 @ 280
1 @ 250 (x4)

it feels like I could squat 270 any day I want now, it moved very well with good depth. based on how my squats feel I should have had at least another 15, but 280 didn't go. dunno if I just freaked out or what. the bar did get quite forward on me today, I've just been letting it go since it seems to be working ok and nothing I try fixes it, but clearly it's going to bite me in the ass on heavier weights.

I hear you, so much.... I can't even count the number of times I've tried to build up my main lifts with other variations that had great carryover for other people, and for whatever reason it just didn't have the same magical result on me.

Well. I have faith in you! You will get to your goals in the end even if the timeline needs tweaking! I see your resourcefulness and tenacity

I'm mostly confused - even if one thing didn't work, when ALL your variants and your rep work go up a crazy amount you sort of expect to see something happen to your max it may be a peaking problem - I know about how many heavy sessions I need to peak my deadlift, but I didn't account for the fact that maybe I have to spread them more and only count on a good heavy session every second week now that the total weight is higher. and thanks for the encouraging words

[ilovethe80s]

How did 360 feel? After the squat PR and plenty of other impressive sets this week, I think your deadlift might be playing tricks on you . And it is so hard to save a sumo that gets out of position.

I had the same feeling leading up to my meet - to almost every meet actually, the whole 'wow, I have gained no top-end strength and must lower all expectations', but some recoup and then some adrenalin work a miracle to reveal what you are really capable of. Your work numbers, workload, everything has been ridiculously impressive. And you have a sharp ability to pinpoint a problem and figure out how to fix. It sounds like you already have a good solution in mind . When is your meet again?

[kaleida]

I'm mostly confused - even if one thing didn't work, when ALL your variants and your rep work go up a crazy amount you sort of expect to see something happen to your max it may be a peaking problem - I know about how many heavy sessions I need to peak my deadlift, but I didn't account for the fact that maybe I have to spread them more and only count on a good heavy session every second week now that the total weight is higher. and thanks for the encouraging words

It is confusing and I've had the same exact thing happen to me! Rep PRs, volume PRs, stronger in all variations, not a single hint of anything except progress ... and then, when I get to singles, it's like, huh? same weight/same RPE? Whaaaaat? How does that even happen? I don't even know yet, when you figure it out I'd love to hear what works. For now I keep telling myself "just made a broader and more stable base, it'll pay off sooner or later" and I am patient so that works I guess. I agree with Laura a little bit of adrenaline can smooth things over quite a lot...but it'll still nice to see the singles improving without adrenaline too.

[NorthStrong]

r u alive?

you were doing the commonwealths meet right?

[izzygrant]

Saturday November 28

@ PRSC

Sumo Deadlift
1 @ 343 (x4)

absolutely flew

Comp Bench w/ Commands
1 @ 143
1 @ 149
1 @ 154
3 @ 136 (x3)

Monday November 30

@ PRSC

Squat
1 @ 253 (x3)

Tuesday December 1

@ PRSC

Comp Bench w/ Commands
1 @ 143 (x5)

Thursday December 3

@ Olympic Oval

Squat
3 @ 185 (x3)

Bench
3 @ 121 (x3)

done at midnight after scorekeeping for hours every day of the week :/

I knew helping organize the meet was going to take a toll, but it was pretty ridiculous. the meet ran past midnight almost every night between Monday and Thursday, and I still had to go to work and try to get something done in between emails about volunteers not showing up.

How did 360 feel? After the squat PR and plenty of other impressive sets this week, I think your deadlift might be playing tricks on you . And it is so hard to save a sumo that gets out of position.

I had the same feeling leading up to my meet - to almost every meet actually, the whole 'wow, I have gained no top-end strength and must lower all expectations', but some recoup and then some adrenalin work a miracle to reveal what you are really capable of. Your work numbers, workload, everything has been ridiculously impressive. And you have a sharp ability to pinpoint a problem and figure out how to fix. It sounds like you already have a good solution in mind . When is your meet again?

360 felt RPE-9ish, definitely hard but not so hard that I didn't think 370 was there. and I have been neglecting this log, I haven't posted since a week out!

It is confusing and I've had the same exact thing happen to me! Rep PRs, volume PRs, stronger in all variations, not a single hint of anything except progress ... and then, when I get to singles, it's like, huh? same weight/same RPE? Whaaaaat? How does that even happen? I don't even know yet, when you figure it out I'd love to hear what works. For now I keep telling myself "just made a broader and more stable base, it'll pay off sooner or later" and I am patient so that works I guess. I agree with Laura a little bit of adrenaline can smooth things over quite a lot...but it'll still nice to see the singles improving without adrenaline too.

yeah I'll let you know when I sort it... lol!

r u alive?

you were doing the commonwealths meet right?

no, I'm ded. I barely slept all week, ran around like a maniac and then tried to do a meet at the end of it