Angie's 2016 Training Log

[auntielingo]

Goals for 2016: 1) Fix my shoulders, 2) get back under 148, and 3) hit an elite PL total

1) My shoulders have been hurting since last fall. I think it was from training pushups for a few months. It got to the point where just the bar hurt to bench, and there was no way I could bench a plate. I've made some changes and they seem to be helping: only use the SSB instead of the straight bar for squats, add lots of face pulls every gym session, do front raises with a neutral grip, and cut out lateral raises and all overhead pressing.

2) I know I'm carrying way too much fat for my frame. My feet hurt when I get out of bed in the morning! Since it's not helping me perform, and it makes me slow and sloppy, it's time to get rid of it. I really got caught up in the bigger and stronger mentality, but there is really a limit to my bigness.

3) For now, I'm just trying to work on technique and ease back into heavy training. I haven't competed in a powerlifting meet since Dec 2014. Only competition I did last year was in strongman in June. Last year, I was out of the country a lot for work, and had no access to a barbell for much of that time. I kept up strength with dumbbells, carrying heavy sandbags, tire flipping, and pushing or pulling vehicles (including pulling a fire truck with a full tank!). I also packed on a lot of weight. New job now, back to normal schedule, but I just haven't gotten back into the groove yet. Logging here will help keep me on track.

About me: I have a setup at home in the garage, with just about everything needed for powerlifting (except a glute ham raise). I love my home gym. I also use the gym at work regularly during the work week, since they have good equipment for accessory work like cable machines and a leg press. I'm a mom of four daughters (little one is almost 6, eldest is 11), I work full time, and I'm trying to wrap up my dissertation. Honestly, the dissertation is my priority right now, but I still hope to get leaner and stronger in the meantime.

[auntielingo]

Warmup with bands
Bench
3x15 @ bar
8 @ 65, 95
3 @ 115, 135
add slingshot (hoping to get used to handling heavier loads while my shoulders heal)
5x1@ 175
3 @ 155
remove slingshot
2x3 @ 135
3x8 @ 95

Skull crushers
single arm band high row

[auntielingo]

AM: walk 5k

PM:
DB Rows up to 3x8 @ 50 lbs
Single arm cable pulls
machine low row
machine high row
incline seated curls
hammer curls
shrugs on the smith machine
crunches

[EjnarKolinkar]

do front raises with a neutral grip.

Those are pretty handy exercise, had some good luck with them, but I was using underhand/reverse grip.

Good luck with the new journal, and progress this year.