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alphagrrrrl
03-10-10, 9:52 pm
Hey guys-
I have a meet June 5th where I'm planning to get my raw elite total @ 198. I've had a few set-backs, but I'm back and more motivated than ever. I'm Sam Byrd's training partner and he's helping me diet down to 198 and also helping me with my training.

Ok, so I'm just getting started again after a 5 week hiatus after a back injury (some ass-hat rear ended my car). I'm still in physical therapy and seeing a chiropractor 3-5 days a week. Luckily, my doctor used to powerlift and bodybuild so he's not keeping me out of the gym. I'm going to be incorporating some bodybuilding volume in with my powerlifting for the next month or so to get my form where it needs to be.

My best raw gym lifts are:
squat- 330
bench- 205
deadlift- 365

My best raw meet lifts are: (these numbers SUCK...)
squat: 275
bench: 155
deadlift: 340

What I want for June: 960lb raw total
squat- 405
bench- 185
deadlift- 370

alphagrrrrl
03-10-10, 9:59 pm
first training day in 5 weeks...

warmup/stretch:
wide stance leg press:
180/10
270/10
270/10
180/10 with 4 second pause in the hole

sumo deads:
135/10
135/10
185/3
225/1**felt some pulling in my lower back, decided to back off the deads

narrow stance SLDL off a platform:
135/10
135/10
185/5
135/10

underhand lat pulldowns:
120/15
120/15
140/10

straight arm pulldowns:
60/10
60/10
60/10

db shrugs:
55's/20
60's/20
65's/20

crunches:
2 sets of 50

alphagrrrrl
03-10-10, 10:06 pm
cardio:
20 mins on treadmill @ 5.5 incline /3.3 mph

flat bench:
bar/20
95/10
135/3**holy shit that felt heavy
95/10
135/4
135/2
135/2
135/2
95/10

db military press:
20's/12
20's/12
20's/12

incline flys:
15's/12
15's/12

db side laterals:
7.5's/12
10's/12
10's/12

cardio:
20 mins on treadmill @ 5.0 incline /3.3 mph


late night cardio:
25 mins on treadmill @ 6.0 incline /3.5 mph

widdlewade44
03-10-10, 10:08 pm
and good luck on your Journey to become RAW Elite. Consider me subbed to your Journey, peace.

Kevin
widdlewade44

atrain11b
03-10-10, 10:46 pm
In this journey as well. Good to see another Tennessean on here. Good luck with your goals, I bet you make everyone.

alphagrrrrl
03-10-10, 10:53 pm
Thank you guys! I really appreciate the support.

@atrain- good luck on your journey as well.

naturalguy
03-11-10, 3:33 pm
With a training partner like Sam you can't help but get strong.


Do work girl

alphagrrrrl
03-11-10, 10:12 pm
Leg day

Cardio:
15 mins treadmill @ 5.5 incline/3.3 mph

Sam thought he was going to be really funny and try to kill me with our first exercise...bad news for him, I did just fine; he's the one that suffered. He kept saying, "this was such a bad idea....". HAHAHA

supersetted leg extensions and leg curls. had to bang out as many reps as possible in 45 seconds.
leg extensions:
40/45
60/52
70/47

leg curls:
40/45
60/47
70/40

SLDL:
135/10
135/10
155/10

lat pulldowns:
100/20
100/10**paused each rep for 10,9,8,7,6 seconds,etc.
70/10 **paused each rep for 10,9,8,7,6 seconds,etc.

**ran out of time


late night cardio:
20 mins treadmill @5.5 incline/3.5 mph

**didn't feel like I got a good enough lat workout, so decide to do more:
underhand lat pulldowns:
100/10
100/10
100/10

straight arm pulldowns:
60/10
60/10
60/10

atrain11b
03-12-10, 4:25 pm
Holy crap woman, your kicking it up in the gym. Cardio, then going back for more. Almost makes me feel like Im being lazy. Keep it up

alphagrrrrl
03-13-10, 11:03 pm
@atrain- believe me, the cardio is not my idea...I'm cutting weight, so Sam's got me doing lots of cardio. I don't mind it, but I'm not always in the mood for it. I'm a powerlifter, so my idea of cardio is anything over 5 reps!

alphagrrrrl
03-13-10, 11:21 pm
More bodybuilding...upper body day

Cardio:
Treadmill 10 mins 6.0 incline 3.5 mph

Flat bench:
Bar/20
95/10
95/12
95/14

Incline HS chest press:
50/15
50/15
50/15

Incline db military press:
20's/12
20's/10
20's/12

Incline db flys:
15's/12
15's/12
15's/12

Upright rows:
65/12
65/12
65/12

Overhead triceps extensions:
35/12
35/10
30/12

BB shrugs:
135/20
185/20
245/20
275/20

Fat bar wide grip pulldowns:
100/12
100/12
100/12

Straight arm pulldowns:
80/12
90/12
90/10

Face pulls:
130/12
150/12
170/12

I think I may have overdone it today...oops.

atrain11b
03-15-10, 4:28 pm
@atrain- believe me, the cardio is not my idea...I'm cutting weight, so Sam's got me doing lots of cardio. I don't mind it, but I'm not always in the mood for it. I'm a powerlifter, so my idea of cardio is anything over 5 reps!

Love that quote: "I'm a powerlifter, so my idea of cardio is anything over 5 reps!" I would love to get into that group of people. Always interested in Powerlifting, one reason your journey is enjoyable. I haven't seen many females make it a lifestyle so I respect that.

As for that last workout, I dont think you over did it, I think you gave it all you had and you can't ask for more then that. Keep it up

ghost
03-15-10, 4:32 pm
subbed!

Little Z
03-15-10, 7:28 pm
im definitely gonna be around for this.. like others have said with Sam in your corner and your obvious work ethic.. nothings going to hold you back..

alphagrrrrl
03-16-10, 12:29 am
Thanks again for all the support, guys! It's sometimes overwhelming to be one of the few girls in a very male-dominated sport, but I wouldn't have it any other way! It just drives me more to try to compete with the boys :)

alphagrrrrl
03-16-10, 12:32 am
Spring break is over, so it's back to reality again. I took 2 naps today after class, but I was still exhausted from being up at 5am.

Had a nice little vomit-inducing leg/back workout tonight...

Cardio:
Treadmill 3.5 mph @ 6.5 incline

Leg press wide stance:
180/10
270/10
360/10
360/10

Leg press narrow stance:
180/10
270/10
360/10
360/10

Leg extensions:
155/10
155/10
155/10

Leg curls:
110/10
125/10
140/10

Arched back goodmornings:
**probably shouldn't have done these with my back still being injured, but I really wanted to feel weight on my back since I haven't squatted in 5 weeks**
95/10
135/10
135/10**started having some mild back spasms; took a 5 minute break and moved on to next exercise

45 degree back extensions:
45/10
45/10**started having spasms again, but more intense; decided to not hold the plate and just do body weight extensions
BW/12**was planning on doing a burn-out of reps, but was having very bad spasms. Called it quits for the night.

Drove home and had to pull over to puke in someone's yard...it's been a while since I've puked from a workout. Feels good to be back!!!

Got home, took a 10 minute contrast shower, feeling good as new...for now.

ghost
03-16-10, 6:32 am
awesome job! be careful with that back injury!!

Mr. Dead
03-17-10, 6:10 pm
Vomit inducing workouts...??? Consider me subbed!!! *LOL*

Big Al
03-21-10, 3:15 pm
Keep your head up and keep movin forward and I'm sure you will crush those numbers in no time.
I'm gonna keep an eye one you now.LOL

alphagrrrrl
03-21-10, 8:47 pm
Keep your head up and keep movin forward and I'm sure you will crush those numbers in no time.
I'm gonna keep an eye one you now.LOL

Thanks for the support, big guy! Get your arm healed up and get back in the gym soon!!

alphagrrrrl
03-21-10, 9:00 pm
Had a great weekend in Dallas for the SPF Longhorn meet. I came down to work instead of lift, but it's always motivating being around powerlifters. The Bad Attitude Gym was sponsoring the meet, so I got to do a quick training session on Saturday afternoon.

Decided to say, TO HELL WITH MY DOCTOR!!, and squat. It's been about 7 weeks since I've squatted so I think I earned it. My back held up pretty well, so I think I'm ok to start back...I'm going to let my doc know tomorrow.

squats: 60lb buffalo bar
bar/10
150/10
150/5
200/5
200/5
200/5
**200 felt heavier than I thought it would after 7 weeks, but I'm glad I got under the bar again.

deadlifts: sumo
135/10
135/10
225/1
225/1**I'm not a sumo puller in competition, but it doesn't stress my back out as bad while I train and it helps my squat since I'm a wide stance squatter.

deadlifts: conventional
**not supposed to do these as per the doc's orders, but I was feeling good and wanted to see how it felt.
225/1
225/1
225/1**felt great and fast off the floor

that was it, ran out of time and had to get back to finish weighing in the boys. I was quite sore in my back the next day, but I think it's normal DOMS.

alphagrrrrl
03-24-10, 2:26 pm
First time training with the team in 2 months. Not a good training day at all. I was really stressed out before I went in and it totally affected my training.

Bench:
Bar/20
95/10
135/3**felt incredibly heavy and made me realize how weak I've gotten over the past couple of months. Damn it.
115/5
115/5
115/5
115/10

Overhead triceps extensions:
40/15
40/12
40/10

Triceps rope pressdowns: plate loaded machine
25/12
25/12
25/12

BB curls:
45/15
45/15
45/15

After that I decided to call it a day. Too stressed out. I was worried about the surgery I had to have today and that's all I could think about. I had to have a biopsy of a tumor in my thyroid this morning. That shit HURT. They didn't use any anaesthesia, so I felt every bit of it. Luckily, it was over fairly quickly and the results so far are that it's a benign tumor (thankfully). I'll have the full results on Monday.

ghost
03-24-10, 2:29 pm
hope the surgery went well!!!

Mr. Dead
03-24-10, 3:52 pm
hope the surgery went well!!!

x2!!!

alphagrrrrl
03-24-10, 5:42 pm
Thanks guys! The surgery went well. I had to have my thyroid biopsied. It was really painful but didn't take that long. I'm in pain now, but I should be fine within the next day or so. I'm anxious to get back in the gym!!!

Mr. Dead
03-24-10, 5:46 pm
Thanks guys! The surgery went well. I had to have my thyroid biopsied. It was really painful but didn't take that long. I'm in pain now, but I should be fine within the next day or so. I'm anxious to get back in the gym!!!

I hope the results turn out well!!!

Big Al
03-24-10, 11:36 pm
Keep you head up....You will get it back in no time. Sometimes LIFE happens and fucks training up but we just gotta roll with it and overcome.
I know your a strong girl so you will get past this thyroid shit.

alphagrrrrl
03-27-10, 10:57 am
Keep you head up....You will get it back in no time. Sometimes LIFE happens and fucks training up but we just gotta roll with it and overcome.
I know your a strong girl so you will get past this thyroid shit.

Thanks Al :) I'm gonna be back in the gym by Monday. I think all this shit is just driving me harder to get to my goals. It's do or die time since I'm 10 weeks out from the meet. It's time to get my shit together and smash some weights!

alphagrrrrl
03-30-10, 3:38 pm
Quick upper body solo training:

2 sets of rotator cuff warmups

Barbell push press:
**1st 2 sets were done strict w/no leg drive; last set was actual push press**
Barx15
65x10
65x9
65x10

Upright barbell rows:
65x10
75x10
75x10

Barbell shrugs:
275x20
275x10
360x10
360x10

Lat pulldowns:
100x10
120x10
120x10

Rear delts (on pec deck):
25x15
30x15
30x15

Triceps pressdows:
80x15
80x15
80x15

alphagrrrrl
03-31-10, 10:06 pm
Deadlift/squat day (my favorite)

Today was a ME pull day. I haven't really tried a heavy pull in a long time, but with 9 weeks out from my meet, I had to see where I was at. My back held up pretty well, so I feel really good about that.

Deads: conventional
135x5 (sumo)
135x5
225x1
275x1
315x1**not a PR, but it's the most I've pulled since my back injury. It felt great. Decided not to push it too hard and moved on to squats

Squats: close stance w/heels on plates
150x10
150x10
150x10

Straight leg sit-ups:
3 sets of 10

That was it. My back started feeling funny, so I called it a night. Time for an ice bath and some foam rolling.

ghost
03-31-10, 10:58 pm
GREAT job tonight. smart move calling it when your back started to feel funny!

Big Al
04-01-10, 1:13 pm
How about a foam bath and some ice rolling.LOL
Good to see your back at it.Be smart but not scared....You got work to do in the next 9 weeks. Keep that ab work up,that will help support your back.

alphagrrrrl
04-03-10, 4:29 pm
How about a foam bath and some ice rolling.LOL
Good to see your back at it.Be smart but not scared....You got work to do in the next 9 weeks. Keep that ab work up,that will help support your back.

Al, you're too much! A foam bath sounds way better than an ice bath. I'm getting seriously fired up about my training with only 9 weeks to go. I'm hoping for some BIG numbers!! Now, I just gotta make sure I don't injure myself for the next 9 weeks...

alphagrrrrl
04-03-10, 4:40 pm
Today was an awesome training day. I haven't felt this strong in a long time. I have to dial it all in for the next 9 weeks and pull out a huge total. Days like today make me very confident with my lifting and make me remember why I love this sport so much!!

Squats:
150x5
200x5
240x1
290x1

Squats: high box (about a 1/2-3/4 squat)
330x2
380x2
420x1**bar was set too low on my delts
420x5
420x5
420x8!!!
**this is the most I've ever had on my back. It felt heavy as shit on my back, but after the 2nd set, I remembered that my legs are strong enough for it***

Goodmornings:
135x2** my back was wrecked, so I decided not to do these

GHR:
BWx5
BWx3**back couldn't take any more

Straight leg sit-ups:
3 sets of 10

Standing crunches: purple bands
10
10
15
20

Standing calf raises:
4 sets of 25

Fantastic day

alphagrrrrl
04-05-10, 11:00 pm
Crappy bench day. It's my most frustrating lift...

Banded bench: heavy green bands
60x10

Bench: used 60lb mastodon bar
Barx20
130x5
150x1
170x1
170x1
150x4

Close grip bench:
110x10
110x10
110x7**my back was killing me from arching, so I flattened out after 7 and decided to quit**

Triceps kick backs:
25x15
25x15
25x15

Overhead triceps extensions:
35x15
35x15
35x13

Lat pulldowns: plate loaded
90x15
90x15
90x15

BB curls:
60x10
60x10
60x10

Crunches:
4 sets of 50

Drocka
04-06-10, 12:19 pm
From what I've read your working real hard. I saw this girl in my gym squatting 225 for a couple of reps after working up to it. It is awesome that you were getting 420 even though you had a high box, still impressive. Have you tried some flexibility exercises after your lifting like yoga. This will help keep the muscles elongated and in good conditions for powerlifting.

alphagrrrrl
04-06-10, 6:17 pm
From what I've read your working real hard. I saw this girl in my gym squatting 225 for a couple of reps after working up to it. It is awesome that you were getting 420 even though you had a high box, still impressive. Have you tried some flexibility exercises after your lifting like yoga. This will help keep the muscles elongated and in good conditions for powerlifting.

Hey Drocka, it's taken me forever to be able to do a full squat with over 300lbs, but I remember like it was yesterday the first time I ever squatted 225...I never thought I'd be able to do it!
As far as yoga goes, I do it 5 mornings a week and it does help a lot with my hip flexibility. My muscles get really tight and sore when I don't keep at it.
Thanks for the kind words!

alphagrrrrl
04-07-10, 9:39 pm
Another great deadlift day!! Made a couple of rep PR's and my back held up really well.

Deads:
135x5
225x3
275x2
315x3**rep PR. I've never tried to pull it for more than a single! Hopefully this translates to at least a 350 opener pull for Nationals**
315x2

Stiff leg deads:
225x6
225x6
225x10**ripped some calluses off with that set. Ouch.

Seated leg curls: heavy green band
3 sets of 10 each leg

Straight leg sit-ups:
10
10
15

Crunches:
4 sets of 50

alphagrrrrl
04-12-10, 3:52 pm
Had a little bodybuilding day with Sam

triceps pressdowns:
115x15
115x10
115x10
115x10
115x10
100x10
100x10
85x10

seated dips:
150x10
170x10
170x8
170x6

overhead triceps extensions:
40x10
45x10
45x10

barbell curls:
45x10
45x10
45x10

lat pulldowns:
120x10
120x10
120x10

rolling triceps:
15x20
20x10
20x10

face pulls: ultra wide grip
75x15
85x10
85x10

cardio: treadmill
15 mins 3.3 mph 5.5 incline

alphagrrrrl
04-12-10, 3:55 pm
Light squat day

low box squats: about 5 inches below parallel @ 60% of 1RM
135x5
135x5
185x3
225x1
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3

goodmornings: wide stance
135x10
135x10
135x10

leg press:
270x10
360x10
450x10
540x10

leg extensions:
110x10
110x15
110x15

standing calf raises:
4 sets of 25

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:40 pm
Haven't been on here in a while. School was kicking my butt. It's summer vacation, so back to training for this meet I have in 3 weeks. Things are looking really good in my training. I should be right on target for a 405 squat, 185 bench, and 385 deadlift.

4/14/10
DE lower

Warmup:
Leg press: close stance
290/10

Leg press: wide stance:
290/15

Squats:
135/10
185/5
225/5
275/3
275/5
275/5
275/4

Leg press: wide stance
540/10
630/10
720/10

Leg extensions:
185/10
185/10
170/10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:41 pm
4/16/10
ME squats

Squats:
150/5
220/3
290/1
330/1
360/fail
360/1**30lb PR!!

Back hypers:
10
10
15

Straight leg situps:
10
10
10

Standing abs: purple bands
10
15
15

Leg lifts:
10
10
10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:42 pm
4/25/10** had a week off**

Bench:
95/10
135/2
165/1
185/1
165/3
135/10

Triceps press downs: plate loaded
45/10
45/10
45/10

Uneven box pushups:
10/10/10
8/8/8

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:42 pm
4/29/10

Deadlifts: reverse bands blue
225/5
275/4
315/2
365/1
405/1
425/1
445/fail

Bent over rows:
135/10
135/10
135/10

Walking lunges:
30
30
25

Standing calf raises:
25...done.

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:43 pm
5/4/10

Bench:
95/10
135/5
155/5
155/5
155/5

Lat pulldowns: plate loaded
90/10
90/10
90/10

Low rows: plate loaded
90/10
90/10
90/10

BB curls:
45/10
45/10
45/10


Bench dips:
10
10
10


Close grip bench:
95/10
95/10
95/10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:44 pm
5/5/10

Deadlifts: 60% each set w/1 minute rest
135/5
205/5
205/5
205/5
205/5
205/5

BB shrugs:
135/10
225/10
225/10
225/10
225/10
225/10
225/10

Standing calf raises:
35
35
35

Straight leg situps:
10
10
10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:47 pm
5/8/10

Squats:
150/5
200/5
240/3
295/3
330/1 **video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JLxxiHPAFM&feature=related

Squats: blue reverse bands
420/1 **video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9neVAFXlAQg
520/fail

Squats: close stance w/heels on 10lb plates
180/10
180/10

Back ext:
10
10

Straight leg situps:
10
10
10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:47 pm
5/11/10

Bench:
Bar/20
95/10
135/3
135/1
175/1
185/fail

Bench: blue reverse bands
225/4
275/fail
245/1
265/1
275/1

Superset: skull crushers/close grip bench
35/10
55/10
55/10

35/10
55/10
55/10


Uneven box pushups:
5/5/5
5/5/5
5/5/5

BB curls:
55/10
55/10
55/10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:49 pm
5/13/10

Deadlifts:
135/5
225/3
275/1
315/1
345/1 **5lb PR!!
365/1 **25lb PR!! VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbBmulWiEAM
BB shrugs:
240/10
240/10
240/10

Standing calf raises:
35
35
35

Straight leg situps:
10
10
10

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:50 pm
5/15/10

Squats:
60/5
150/5
200/3
240/2
290/1
330/1
365/fail
365/1 **PR!! Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjs6ZItT68A&feature=related
400/1 **PR!!**it was high, but felt really easy, so depth wont be a problem** Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYjMwt10k0c

Reverse hypers: long strap
25/10
45/10
45/10

Reverse hypers: short strap
45/10
45/10
45/10

Standing abs: green band
15
15
15

Standing calf raises:
35
35
35

alphagrrrrl
05-19-10, 4:51 pm
5/18/10
Bench opener

Bench:
Bar/20
95/10
135/5
165/1
165/1
165/1
165/1
185/1

Triceps press downs: plate loaded
25/15
25/12
25/12

JM presses:
45/12
55/10
55/10

BB curls:
60/10
60/10
60/10

Standing abs: green bands
10
10
10

alphagrrrrl
05-20-10, 12:59 pm
deadlift opener:

deadlifts:
135/5
225/3
315/1
340/1

GHR:
7
8
8

bent over rows:
135/10
135/10
135/10

lat pull downs: plate loaded
90/10
90/10
90/10

standing abs: green band
10
15
20

Big Al
05-28-10, 10:38 pm
Damn girl your back and kickin ass.

alphagrrrrl
05-31-10, 7:16 pm
Damn girl your back and kickin ass.

Haha, yes! Thanks Big guy!!! I'm so ready for this meet, I can hardly wait.

alphagrrrrl
05-31-10, 7:23 pm
5/29/10

Last training day before the meet.

Squats: speed squats @ 60%
150/5
150/5
200/5
200/3
240/2
240/2
240/2
240/2
240/2
240/2
240/2
240/2

split squats: body weight
3 sets of 15 each leg

back extensions:
35/10
35/10
35/10

crunches:
4 sets of 50

leg raises:
4 sets of 10

alphagrrrrl
05-31-10, 7:35 pm
OK, so I'm 6 days out from my first meet in 11 months. To say I'm excited is a serious understatement. My lifts have gone up a lot over the past year and I'm really amped to see what I can do on the platform. I've had some major obstacles to push through this year, including a bad car accident, thyroid surgery, and a major muscle tear in my back, just to name a few. I've also had a few people try to stand in my way, but they didn't know what they were up against! It's time to get my head right and go smash some weights!

Here are my planned openers:
squat 330
bench 165
deadlift 340

my goals are:
squat 405
bench 200
deadlift 400

alphagrrrrl
06-19-10, 4:26 pm
Ok, so the meet didn't go as planned, but got several PR's and now I'm closer than ever to getting my RAW ELITE TOTAL. The meet day went like this:

Saturday:
The meet was 2 days long. Weigh-ins were on Saturday for the Sunday lifters. I had gone back and forth about cutting weight for this meet, but ultimately decided against it. I had been feeling stronger than ever and didn't want to take the chance of losing any strength. I weighed in at 265 (HOLY FUCK!), that's 35lbs more than I've ever weighed, but like I said, I felt strong as shit, so who fucking cares...I'm a powerlifter, not a figure model.
My little brother lifted on Saturday as well as some of my friends, so I had to work most of the day as a handler for them (wrapping knees, doling out smacks and pep-talks, keeping track of the ammonia caps, etc.). My brother did well, placing 1st in the junior's 165's and left with some big PRs.
Ate lunch with some other Sunday lifters; had steak, chicken, and sushi. Dinner was steak and a sweet potato. I also drank a gallon of water/EAA/Powerade throughout the day. I have trouble eating on the day I lift, so I try to get as much in as possible the day before.
I also have major trouble sleeping the night before a big meet, so I took some herbal sleep aids to make sure I could get some rest.

Sunday:
Woke up early. Meet was supposed to start @ 8:30am because there was 80 lifters. Drank a protein/carb shake and went down to try to eat breakfast. My nerves were out of control, so I only ate a half a cup of plain oatmeal and 3 cups of black coffee. Drank another shake and started with another gallon of water/EAA/Powerade/caffeine. I was in the first flight, 8th lifter. I started warming up and things were feeling really good. My opener was 330lbs.
squat warmups:
barx10
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x3
300x1
300x1

I was really pumped. Squats went like this:
330- good lift 3 whites (felt like nothing) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERSB4LKocj0&playnext_from=TL&videos=8JUzQmpWi_g&feature=sub
365- good lift 3 whites (still felt light)
then, after talking to my trainer, decided to go 405 instead of 400. This would be a 130lb meet pr and a 30lb full range PR.
405- good lift 3 whites. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbm68is6dgY&playnext_from=TL&videos=xNRyydcnS1o&feature=sub I flew out of the hole and then my right knee turned in a little...that's when my sartorius/hamstring muscles got a small tear and a major strain. Didn't really notice anything at the time, but once the adrenaline wore off, I was in serious pain.

There was a 3 hour break between squats and bench, so I went to the massage therapist that was there and had her work on my leg. At the time, the only thing I was feeling in my leg was a horrible cramp from the back of my knee all the way to the front top of my quad. She worked on it for about an hour and told me to go ice it right away and stretch as much as I could in between.

Bench time. My absolute worst lift. Had a hard time getting pumped for this lift because the pain in my leg was getting worse. I use a lot of leg drive when I bench, so it was making things difficult for me. My opener was 165...I know, it's lame.
bench warmups:
barx20
barx10
95x10
115x5
135x3
150x1
150x1

bench went like this:
165- good lift 3 white. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgQuD19MHBM (should have opened higher...too easy)
185- good lift 3 whites (should have been my opener)
205- no lift. stalled off my chest...I had no leg drive

Deadlifts were next and I had about 2 hours to wait, so I went upstairs to my room and iced my leg. After coming back down, I decided I wasn't going to go for a max deadlift. I was in too much pain. I talked to my trainer and some friends and decided to take a token lift of 145, just so I wouldn't have a bomb-out. I didn't warm up at all for it, I just sat in the crowd and waited for my name to be called and went up and lifted 145. I felt so fucking stupid. Months of hard work down the toilet for nothing. One of my lifter friends pulled me aside after seeing how mad I was for just taking a token lift. She told me I needed to reconsider my options. She said she knew I was in a lot of pain, but she knew I wouldn't forgive myself if I left the meet like that. She talked me into warming up and trying to at least get my original opener of 340. I decided to suck it up and go for it.
warmups:
135x5 pain
225x5 more pain
315x3 hellavalotta pain

Deadlifts went like this:
145- good lift (felt stupid)
340- good lift (felt really light, as it should, but was in too much pain)
400- passed on it

All in all it was a good day. Left with a 930 total, 185lbs in PRs, 1st place, broke the SPF national, state, world record for squat with 405. My powerliftingwatch.com lifters ranking are now:
squat is #2 for 2010, #3 for the year-to-date
bench is #19
total is #5 year-to-date


Special thanks to Forvm member Little Z, for coming to support me at the meet. It meant a lot to have that much support from my friends. He did most of the video taping and pictures for me too.

alphagrrrrl
06-23-10, 12:42 pm
6/21/10
**trained solo today**

Bench:
barx20
95x10
115x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5
135x5

close grip:
115x5
115x5
115x5

triceps pressdowns:
90x10
90x10
90x10

lat pulldowns:
120x10
120x10
120x10

alphagrrrrl
06-23-10, 12:46 pm
6/21/10

**took last week off due to tonsillitis**

bench:
barx10
95x10
115x5
135x5
155x5
115x19

triceps pressdowns:
60x15
60x13
60x12

lat pulldowns:
120x15
140x12
140x10

db shrugs:
75x20
75x20
75x20

rear delts:
40x15
40x15
40x15

cardio:
bike 20 mins 4.5 miles @ 10-12 incline

alphagrrrrl
06-23-10, 12:48 pm
6/22/10

squats: 55% of 1RM
barx10
150x10
220x2
220x2
220x2
220x2
220x2
220x2
220x2
220x2

had to call it quits after that. Still not feeling 100% after the tonsillitis.

alphagrrrrl
07-05-10, 3:55 pm
6/24/10

bench: 55% close grip
115x3
115x3
115x3

bench: 55% competition grip
115x3
115x3
115x3

bench: 55% wide grip (index on the ring)
115x3
115x3

JM presses:
55x15
65x10
65x10
65x10

narrow pushups:
25
25
25

lat pulldowns:
90x10
90x10
90x10

1 armed straight arm pull downs: red mini band
3 sets of 10 each arm

alphagrrrrl
07-05-10, 4:00 pm
6/28/10

deadlifts:
135x10
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5

back extensions:
45x10
45x10
45x10

leg press:
360x10
360x10
360x10

leg extensions:
120x10
140x10
140x10

leg curls:
100x10
110x10
110x10

alphagrrrrl
07-05-10, 4:02 pm
6/30/10

bike: 10 mins

squats:
135x5
135x5
185x3
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5

leg extensions:
120x15
120x15
120x15

leg curls:
110x15
110x15
110x15

alphagrrrrl
07-07-10, 11:25 am
7/6/10

Terrible training session tonight. I wasn't feeling great all day, but I was hoping to be able to pull it together by the time I hit the gym...no such luck...

Squats: high rep day
150x10
200x10
200x10
150x15...wanted to go for 20-25, but started to feel light headed...re-reacked the bar, then I puked.

Came home, re-hydrated, then did 200 crunches. That was about it for the day. I hope I start to feel back to normal soon. This round of strep really took it out of me.

BryanSmash!
07-07-10, 2:16 pm
Still a good workout, hope ya feel better!

Big Al
07-07-10, 10:03 pm
Its all good alpha, you stayed there till you puked....Thats what I'm talkin about. No crying about being sick and just not trying something. You got there and got it in!!

alphagrrrrl
07-07-10, 10:21 pm
Its all good alpha, you stayed there till you puked....Thats what I'm talkin about. No crying about being sick and just not trying something. You got there and got it in!!
Thanks Al. I just hate that I didn't get more work in, but I'll make it up for sure.


Still a good workout, hope ya feel better!
Thanks Bryan, I hope to feel better soon too! :)

alphagrrrrl
07-09-10, 1:18 pm
7/8/10

*Some how I strained my right upper trap and so my shoulder has been bothering me a lot. I haven't really benched heavy in a while, so I can try to fully recover. Decided to do a light upper body day with Sam...bodybuilding style...*

cardio:
treadmill 20 mins/ 6.0 incline @ 3.3 mph

bench:
barx20
95x10
115x5
135x5
155x5
115x22

seated db military press:
25x15
25x9
20x12

side laterals:
7.5x40

pec flys: with 3 second squeeze
70x10
70x10
70x10

triceps pressdowns:
17.5x25
17.5x6/12.5x21
12.5x45

overhead triceps extensions:
35x15
35x12
35x12

JustJ
07-09-10, 9:21 pm
subbed for this one. definitely puttin in good work in here.

alphagrrrrl
07-09-10, 10:26 pm
subbed for this one. definitely puttin in good work in here.

Thanks, J!

alphagrrrrl
07-12-10, 11:33 pm
7/12/10

bench:
barx20x20x20 (close, comp, wide grips)
95x10
135x5
135x3
165x3
165x3
165x3

JM presses:
65x10
75x10
75x10

triceps pressdowns: plate loaded
45x10
45x10
45x10

db side laterals:
25x15
25x15
25x15

db front laterals:
25x10
25x10
25x10

ez bar curls:
45x25
45x25
45x20

JustJ
07-13-10, 12:38 am
Nice benching. How do you like doin your curls with that high of a rep range?

alphagrrrrl
07-13-10, 12:49 am
Nice benching. How do you like doin your curls with that high of a rep range?

HAHA! I actually HATE doing curls. I use light weights so I just do as many as I can or feel like. I'm not really concerned with my biceps size as much as I don't want bicep tendinitis or for them to tear when I deadlift. There's really no rhyme or reason to my curl routine :)

JustJ
07-13-10, 1:05 am
HAHA! I actually HATE doing curls. I use light weights so I just do as many as I can or feel like. I'm not really concerned with my biceps size as much as I don't want bicep tendinitis or for them to tear when I deadlift. There's really no rhyme or reason to my curl routine :)

O ok haha. I hate training arms too but mine are embarassingly small so I figured throwin in curls couldn't hurt.

mcbeast
07-13-10, 1:06 am
O ok haha. I hate training arms too but mine are embarassingly small so I figured throwin in curls couldn't hurt.

I concur!

Good stuff goin on in here GRRRL!

alphagrrrrl
07-13-10, 9:38 am
O ok haha. I hate training arms too but mine are embarassingly small so I figured throwin in curls couldn't hurt.

Bicep work is important even if you're not worried about size. I do reverse grip lat pull downs and reverse grip bent over rows to get some extra bicep work in there. That way it doesn't feel like I'm actually working my arms. haha.


I concur!

Good stuff goin on in here GRRRL!

Thank you!!

alphagrrrrl
07-14-10, 12:09 am
7/13/10

speed deadlifts: 55% with 1 minute rest
135x10
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1
205x1

back extensions:
3 sets of 10

standing crunches: green band
3 sets of 20

crunches: 15 second rest between sets
1 set of 50
6 sets of 25

standing calf raises:
4 sets of 25

BryanSmash!
07-14-10, 2:40 am
Great fast pullin!

alphagrrrrl
07-14-10, 2:48 am
Great fast pullin!

Thanks! It was a nice light and quick training session. Looking forward to a max effort day in the next couple of weeks. I want that 405 deadlift so bad!

BryanSmash!
07-14-10, 3:01 am
Thanks! It was a nice light and quick training session. Looking forward to a max effort day in the next couple of weeks. I want that 405 deadlift so bad!

Right on, that'd be quite an accomplishment!

alphagrrrrl
07-14-10, 1:03 pm
Right on, that'd be quite an accomplishment!

Thanks for the encouragement! I got 365 a few months ago pretty easily and was planning on that being my 2nd lift at the meet, but with the hamstring tear, it fucked my chances of taking 405 for a ride that day. My next meet is in October, so I'm hoping I can pull it all together by then and get it.

BryanSmash!
07-14-10, 1:56 pm
Thanks for the encouragement! I got 365 a few months ago pretty easily and was planning on that being my 2nd lift at the meet, but with the hamstring tear, it fucked my chances of taking 405 for a ride that day. My next meet is in October, so I'm hoping I can pull it all together by then and get it.

Plenty of time to heal, I think 405 will be yours!

alphagrrrrl
09-07-10, 6:10 pm
Ok, so I've been kind of out of it since my last meet. Not sure where my motivation went. I've been going to the gym when i feel like it and doing some half-assed training. Not being in the gym is making me miserable, but for some reason I haven't been able to make that feeling persuade me to go to the gym and lift heavy.

Anyway, summer's over and I started back to school last week, so now I'm going to have to figure out how to fit in training with my insane class schedule for this semester. I think I may try to start lifting early in the morning before class, at least on my light days and try to get with my team on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

For this next cycle, I'm going to be doing the block periodization method. I hope to do a meet again in mid-December. I want to get my RAW elite total so bad this year, so I need to pull my head out of my ass and get to work.

JustJ
09-07-10, 6:36 pm
Ok, so I've been kind of out of it since my last meet. Not sure where my motivation went. I've been going to the gym when i feel like it and doing some half-assed training. Not being in the gym is making me miserable, but for some reason I haven't been able to make that feeling persuade me to go to the gym and lift heavy.

Anyway, summer's over and I started back to school last week, so now I'm going to have to figure out how to fit in training with my insane class schedule for this semester. I think I may try to start lifting early in the morning before class, at least on my light days and try to get with my team on Monday, Friday and Saturday.

For this next cycle, I'm going to be doing the block periodization method. I hope to do a meet again in mid-December. I want to get my RAW elite total so bad this year, so I need to pull my head out of my ass and get to work.

at least you've realized what you need to do. Are you following a specific periodization? I was thinking about doing one for the meet after my next one when I could plan a full 12 week block or whatever it is

alphagrrrrl
09-07-10, 6:42 pm
at least you've realized what you need to do. Are you following a specific periodization? I was thinking about doing one for the meet after my next one when I could plan a full 12 week block or whatever it is

I'm just going to do a basic block periodization. I'll PM you with a link to a sample template.

BryanSmash!
09-08-10, 2:13 am
Glad to see your gettin back at it!

alphagrrrrl
09-08-10, 10:10 am
Glad to see your gettin back at it!

Thanks Bryan!

alphagrrrrl
10-08-10, 12:26 pm
OK, so Sam wrote a new training cycle for us. Both of us plan to compete in January. We're trying something new...early morning training. We are lifting on Monday and Friday afternoons for our heavy bench and squats, and then Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings before class to do light lower body work like front squats and stuff like that. Squatting at 7am is interesting to say the least...

This past week has just been lots of volume and working on getting form back to what it was.


Day 1 of new training: roughly 18 weeks till next meet

9/27/10: upper body

bench:
bar/20
95/10
135/10
135/7
135/10
115/11

pec flys: incline
12.5's/31

overhead db press:
22.5's/10
22.5's/10

front raises:
5's/50

triceps extensions:
35.5/20
35.5/15

lat pull downs: plate loaded
60/30

alphagrrrrl
10-08-10, 12:27 pm
9/30/10 light lower body

squats:
bar/10
135/10
135/10
185/5
185/5
185/5
185/5

calf raises:
90/25

leg press:
270/10
360/10
450/10
450/10
450/10

alphagrrrrl
10-08-10, 12:33 pm
10/4/10 light upper

bench:
bar/30
135/8
165/5
165/5
165/4

close grip board burnout: this is with a 4,3,2,1 board then chest. All back to back with someone switching out the boards every 5 reps. This is one of my favorite chest accessories.
95lbs-
4brd/5
3brd/5
2brd/5
1brd/5
chest/4

rope triceps pressdowns: plate loaded
25/12
25/10
25/10

front raises:
5's/30
5's/30
5's/30

alphagrrrrl
10-08-10, 12:35 pm
10/5/10 early morning light lower body

bike: 5 mins

squats:
bar/10
135/5

front squats: I haven't done these in years...and it showed
bar/10
95/1....damn. my form was terrible.
bar/10
bar/10
bar/10
bar/10

BryanSmash!
10-08-10, 3:14 pm
Good consistent work, doesnt Tate call those CG board burnouts 'Tricep Hell'?

JustJ
10-08-10, 3:27 pm
Good stuff. You're off to a good start in prep for your meet

alphagrrrrl
10-09-10, 7:31 pm
Good consistent work, doesnt Tate call those CG board burnouts 'Tricep Hell'?

Haha, yes, I think he does. They are definitely hellish, but I love them! Nothing like 95lbs completely kicking your ass!!

alphagrrrrl
10-09-10, 7:32 pm
Good stuff. You're off to a good start in prep for your meet

Thanks! Good luck with your meet!!

alphagrrrrl
10-09-10, 7:37 pm
10/8/10 squats

hips felt super tight today, so I stretched for like 20 mins before squatting

buffalo bar squats: competition stance with squat commands
135/10
135/10
185/10
225/3
225/5
225/5
225/5
278/1
275/1

sumo deadlifts:
225/1
225/1

deadlifts:
225/1
225/1
225/1
225/2

stiff leg deads:
185/10

lunges:
each leg: 3 sets of 10

straight leg situps: on GHR
3 sets of 10

BryanSmash!
10-09-10, 7:53 pm
Great lookin squats! Howd that buffalo bar feel?

alphagrrrrl
10-09-10, 8:00 pm
Great lookin squats! Howd that buffalo bar feel?

I love the buffalo bar. It gives my shoulders a major break and feels a lot like the safety squat bar in the way that it kinda shifts your center of gravity and forces you to stay upright...or face-plant.

I'm not real happy with my squats right now. Going from squatting 405 a few months ago, to 275 feeling heavy sucks...but, I know it's just mental. I don't think it'll take too long to get back to where I was before.

BryanSmash!
10-09-10, 9:49 pm
I love the buffalo bar. It gives my shoulders a major break and feels a lot like the safety squat bar in the way that it kinda shifts your center of gravity and forces you to stay upright...or face-plant.

I'm not real happy with my squats right now. Going from squatting 405 a few months ago, to 275 feeling heavy sucks...but, I know it's just mental. I don't think it'll take too long to get back to where I was before.

You'll get back up there, it always feels heavier on the way up anyway lol.

alphagrrrrl
10-21-10, 10:14 am
10/15/10

***I pulled my right hip flexor last week, so I've been having some issues with pain. Came to the gym, just to do some very light body weight stuff so I wouldn't aggravate my hip....well....I should have stayed home if that was my plan. I ended up having an awesome day and even got some new PRs!!!***

reverse band deadlifts: blue bands
225/5
315/4
365/2
405/1
430/1***5lb PR!!! I haven't done a heavy deadlift since June!!! It felt light as hell too; definitely had more in the tank.

chain suspended goodmornings: buffalo bar set at just above navel to start deep in the hole
**this is perhaps my favorite back exercise. It's good for a max-effort lift as well**
145/10
195/3
205/3
225/3
225/3

went home and did some abs

alphagrrrrl
10-21-10, 10:20 am
10/18/10 heavy upper

reverse band bench: blue bands
135/20
225/5
275/1
295/miss..wasn't warm enough
280/1**5lb PR!!
245/4
260/2
265/3

pin press bench: where you set the pins on your chest and start from your chest (builds explosive speed)
135/2
155/1

rope mid rows: plate loaded
45/20
90/10
90/10

overhead db triceps extension:
35/10
35/15
35/10

bb curls:
45/10
45/10
45/10

alphagrrrrl
10-21-10, 10:22 am
10/19/10 6am light lower with new trainee

low box squats: out of narrow power rack...my shoulders hate me today
bar/203
135/10
185/5
185/5
185/5

power squat:
160/10
210/10
210/10

leg extension:
190/10
210/10
210/10

BryanSmash!
10-21-10, 4:08 pm
Great numbers, keep it up!

JustJ
10-22-10, 12:00 am
that's some big benching! Almost 300 lbs PLUS bands?!

alphagrrrrl
11-09-10, 11:40 am
that's some big benching! Almost 300 lbs PLUS bands?!

I wish I could bench that much!!! I was using reverse bands, so it's full weight at about half way up and lock-out, but about 50lbs less off the chest I think.

How did your meet go?

alphagrrrrl
11-09-10, 11:41 am
Great numbers, keep it up!

Thanks Bryan!

alphagrrrrl
11-09-10, 11:48 am
I'm in the process of cutting weight, so my strength is in the toilet right now and it's pissing me off. Instead of trying to go heavy and get stronger, I'm gonna be focusing more on body building for a while. I've never done much body building , so this will be a new experience for me. I've talked to some IFBB pro's and they keep telling me that my strength will come back once my diet is in full force and I start losing fat. We'll see. I'm still gonna work out heavy, but instead of going for PRs, I'm just gonna get in there and do some work.

I hope to do a bench and deadlift for reps at the Arnold, so I hope all this dieting and shit doesn't fuck me up too bad. My joints could use a break from the constant heavy lifting anyway...

BryanSmash!
11-09-10, 3:56 pm
Change is always good. Going to do a BB show in the future?

alphagrrrrl
11-10-10, 9:22 am
Change is always good. Going to do a BB show in the future?

I'm thinking about it...Maybe next summer. I think it would be really fun.

JustJ
11-10-10, 2:22 pm
I wish I could bench that much!!! I was using reverse bands, so it's full weight at about half way up and lock-out, but about 50lbs less off the chest I think.

How did your meet go?

That's still some heavy weight!

Totaled 1014. My bench is pathetic and I got called on depth on 2 squat attempts so I didn't get to go for my 400. Also couldve pulled more in my deadlift.

BryanSmash!
11-10-10, 7:13 pm
I'm thinking about it...Maybe next summer. I think it would be really fun.

Right on, go for it!

alphagrrrrl
11-12-10, 10:06 am
1st day with this new bb training cycle.

11/11/10

bench:
bar/20
95/15
135/5
135/5
135/5
95/23

incline db press:
30/12
35/12
40/12

flat bench pec flys:
20/15
25/12
30/12

superset: side laterals and flat lateral press
side laterals:
15/20
12.5/15
10/12
flat lateral presses:
12.5/20
15/12
20/12

tri pressdowns:
35/30
45/20
50/20

overhead tri extensions:
35/10
30/8
30/8

barbell curls:
45/15
45/10
45/10


lots of work and lots of soreness...I think I'm liking this :)

alphagrrrrl
11-12-10, 10:08 am
That's still some heavy weight!

Totaled 1014. My bench is pathetic and I got called on depth on 2 squat attempts so I didn't get to go for my 400. Also couldve pulled more in my deadlift.

I watched the video...that's one hell of a deadlift you've got! Your other lifts with follow, just give it some time. Congrats!

BryanSmash!
11-12-10, 3:11 pm
Nice work AG, hows that volume treating you?

alphagrrrrl
11-13-10, 5:55 pm
Nice work AG, hows that volume treating you?

I love the fast-paced intensity of the workout. It's very different from what I'm used to though. I haven't been this sore in a looooong time!

BryanSmash!
11-13-10, 7:20 pm
I love the fast-paced intensity of the workout. It's very different from what I'm used to though. I haven't been this sore in a looooong time!

I'll bet the joints feel better too!

alphagrrrrl
11-17-10, 10:06 am
I'll bet the joints feel better too!

Oh yes, my joints are loving me right now :)

alphagrrrrl
11-17-10, 10:16 am
Heavy bench day

I got an old Inzer blast shirt from a friend of mine. So I decided to try it out for the 1st time. I'm a RAW lifter, but I've been thinking about trying out some gear for when I go for my pro total. Anyway, this session went a lot better than planned...

bench:
bar/30 (3 different grips for 10 each)
95/10
135/5
**added blast shirt**
135/5***shirt was waaaaaay too loose and didn't feel like I was even wearing a bench shirt, so my training partner talked me into wearing his single ply Titan shirt to see what I could do.

3 board bench: single ply Titan shirt
225/3
275/1
315/2
315/1
315/1
***I have NEVER had that much weight in my hands (over my face!) and it felt amazing. My only problem was that after my 1st rep, I would get out of the groove and dump it. All in all I had a lot of fun with it. It's not something I'm ready for full-time, but it was fun to play with***

bench: RAW
175/2*** my muscles were toast at this point***
155/8

flat bench lat pull overs:
30/12
30/12
30/15

overhead tricep extensions:
35/20
35/20
35/10
35/15

BryanSmash!
11-17-10, 5:26 pm
A three plate 3 board? Id say thats a little more than just 'playing with' lol. Nice pressin AG!

JustJ
11-17-10, 10:14 pm
damn doin some big lifting

alphagrrrrl
11-21-10, 11:02 am
Went to Russellville, Ar this weekend to work at an SPF powerlifting meet. Wasn't sure if I'd really have time to get a good back/leg training session in, but I made it work.
Friday morning, I went to the gym where we were having the meet and decided that in between weigh-ins, I'd try to do a little lifting....well, my dumbass completely forgot to bring gym clothes, so I ended up training in my jeans...not the best idea. I also forgot my belt, so these were all done sans belt.

Deadlifts: used smooth bar with almost no knurling... in jeans...
225/5
225/5
315/1
315/1
315/1
couldn't get my set up right and because I was in jeans, the bar was getting caught all the way up my legs and it was pissing me off.

goodmornings: with heavy chains
135+/10
135+/10
135+/10

reverse band deads: same smooth bar with medium bands
315/5
315/5
365/5
405/3

leg extensions:
200/10
200/10
200/10

that was about all I had time for this weekend. I'm gonna try to get an actual lower body session in tomorrow morning.

BryanSmash!
11-21-10, 12:25 pm
Great pullin AG, especially in jeans!

JustJ
11-22-10, 9:00 pm
working out in jeans sucks. ive done it before at work when i had students in P.E. and i was trying to squeeze a workout in. good job nonetheless.

alphagrrrrl
11-24-10, 4:02 pm
Great pullin AG, especially in jeans!


working out in jeans sucks. ive done it before at work when i had students in P.E. and i was trying to squeeze a workout in. good job nonetheless.

Thanks guys! I hope I never have to pull in jeans again, but I'm glad I got some training in anyway.

alphagrrrrl
11-24-10, 4:11 pm
7am upper back training with Sam and Nick

squats: just to loosen up
bar/20
135/10

bent over rows:
135/10
135/10
185/10
205/6
215/6
135/10

upright rows:
50/10
70/8
75/8
75/8

lat pull downs:
100/15
140/10
140/10
120/15

db shrugs:
65's/10
***then Nick got kicked out of the gym for wearing boots, so after some choice words with the asshole lady that works there, we packed it up and left...

BryanSmash!
11-24-10, 4:25 pm
Nice rowin AG, you should all go in there next week wearing boots just to piss them off more lol.

JustJ
11-26-10, 6:42 pm
strong rows

alphagrrrrl
12-13-10, 10:19 am
OK, so the last few weeks have been stressful to say the least. Things are finally getting back to normal and I'm happier every day. School is finally over for the semester after tomorrow, so I'll have a 5 week break to get my priorities back in order. I haven't been training much lately and that has got to change.

I met up with an old friend of mine last night to train at his campus gym. He wanted some help with his squats and deads. There's nothing like having someone ask for your help to make you realize how important this shit is.

Warm up:
stretching
leg press 270/20
squats 135/10 135/10 135/10

deadlifts: sumo and conventional switching after each set
135/10
135/10
225/5
225/5
225/5
225/5
225/5
everything felt light, but after this much time off, I need to take it easy for a week or 2

goodmornings: squat stance
135/10
135/10
135/10

shrugs: with trap bar
70/20 paused each rep
180/10
180/10
180/10

leg raises:
10
10
10

crunches:
50
50
50

Well, gotta get back to studying for finals, then a nap and benching tonight.

alphagrrrrl
12-13-10, 10:19 am
Nice rowin AG, you should all go in there next week wearing boots just to piss them off more lol.


strong rows

Thanks guys!

BryanSmash!
12-13-10, 3:53 pm
Glad to see youre still training well with a hectic schedule, nice work!

Big Al
12-13-10, 11:09 pm
Havent talked in a bit.Hope all is well. Been busy myself.
Still strong after missing workouts.

alphagrrrrl
12-13-10, 11:37 pm
Glad to see youre still training well with a hectic schedule, nice work!
Thank Bryan! I'll be happy when I can take the next 5 weeks off to get things back to normal again.

alphagrrrrl
12-13-10, 11:40 pm
Havent talked in a bit.Hope all is well. Been busy myself.
Still strong after missing workouts.

Hey stranger! Things have been crazy over here for a few weeks, but hopefully I can finally get some much needed rest and training in before this next semester. How are you and the pups? How's training going?

Big Al
12-16-10, 9:22 pm
The dogs are good,about to have more.....
Shoulder still banged up but still going hard,you know how we do!!
Hope you get to enjoy your break.

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 8:36 pm
Had an awesome holiday break. Santa brought me one of Mark Bell's Slingshot's. I freaking love it.

Bench
barx40 (comp, narrow, wide grips)
95x10
135x5
135x5
135x5

Slingshot bench
155x15
155x10
155x11

triceps pressdowns: plate loaded
25x10
25x10
25x10
25x10
25x10

superset: curls and lat pulldowns
lat pulldowns:
45x10
45x30
45x10
45x20

curls:
45x10
45x10
45x10

I'll be bringing my slingshot to the ABC at The Arnold, so if you guys want to try it you can!

BryanSmash!
01-19-11, 8:52 pm
Glad to see youre back at it AG! That Santa is one cool dude lol!

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 8:52 pm
1st heavy squat session in a loooooong time. Felt amazing to be back under the bar.

squats:
barx20
150x10
200x5
240x5
270x3
285x5
305x5
325x3
everything felt really light. I think my squat should be pretty close to 365-375 right now, which is only about 30lbs away from where I was 6 months ago, pre-injury.

crunches:
4 sets of 50

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 8:54 pm
Glad to see youre back at it AG! That Santa is one cool dude lol!
Thanks, Bryan!
Santa has been awesome the past couple of years. He got me new knee and wrist wraps, ammonia caps, gym chalk and new Chuck's for Christmas last year :)

BryanSmash!
01-19-11, 8:57 pm
Thanks, Bryan!
Santa has been awesome the past couple of years. He got me new knee and wrist wraps, ammonia caps, gym chalk and new Chuck's for Christmas last year :)

Mustve looked something like this santa lol: http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=135208&tid=124

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 8:58 pm
1st time do do heavy deads in longer than I can remember. Had some mental blocks for my 1st couple sets of 315, but after that, everything felt back to normal.

deadlifts:
135x10
185x10
225x5
275x3
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1
315x1

calf raises:
4 sets of 25

straight leg sit ups:
4 sets of 10

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 8:58 pm
Mustve looked something like this santa lol: http://asp.elitefts.com/qa/training-logs.asp?qid=135208&tid=124

Yep! That's definitely my Santa!!! Hahaha

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 9:03 pm
Deadlifts felt great again this week. I don't normally deadlift this close together, but since I'm not going heavy, it did't bother me.

deadlifts:
135x5
185x3
245x5
280x3
315x4 here's video of this lift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EEwWIEBSBQ

walking lunges:
20
20
20
20

back extensions:
10
10
10
10

standing crunches: green bands
20
25
25
25

calf raises:
30
25
25

BryanSmash!
01-19-11, 9:18 pm
Nice pulling AG, was that a hook grip I saw?

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 9:22 pm
Nice pulling AG, was that a hook grip I saw?

I wish! No, I was actually using straps. Grip has never been an issue for me, so when I'm pulling any heavy reps, I usually use straps, so I don't rip my hands open. If I ever start to have grip issues, I will lose the straps completely. I do a ton of pulling without straps, and during the last 5 weeks before a meet, I don't use them at all.

BryanSmash!
01-19-11, 9:40 pm
I wish! No, I was actually using straps. Grip has never been an issue for me, so when I'm pulling any heavy reps, I usually use straps, so I don't rip my hands open. If I ever start to have grip issues, I will lose the straps completely. I do a ton of pulling without straps, and during the last 5 weeks before a meet, I don't use them at all.

Right on, dont want to damage the hands and not be able to lift at all!
<---- Been there.

alphagrrrrl
01-19-11, 9:42 pm
Right on, dont want to damage the hands and not be able to lift at all!
<---- Been there.

I have too. My hands get pretty ripped up anyway, because we use a deadlift bar instead of a regular oly bar.

alphagrrrrl
01-26-11, 8:42 pm
Squat night...my favorite night of the week :)

squats: buffalo bar, no box
145x10
195x5
235x5
285x5
325x1
365x1...cut it a little high

reverse hypers:
90x10
90x10

back ext:
3 sets of 10

goodmornings: squat stance, arched back
145/10
145/10
145/10

standing band crunches: green band
4 sets of 30

alphagrrrrl
01-26-11, 8:47 pm
Light squats. Had to train solo tonight in a commercial gym, but ended up having a pretty decent night.

squats:
135x10
185x10
225x5
275x5...had some dudes bothering me, so I couldn't focus at all. Dropped back to 225
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5
225x5

Leg press: wide stance and knees to chest
270x10
360x10
450x10
540x10
630x10
720x10
810x10....holy fuck, my hammies were fried

hack squats: narrow stance
270x10
270x10
270x10

BryanSmash!
01-26-11, 8:52 pm
Way to wreck those wheels AG! Good work!

alphagrrrrl
01-27-11, 9:16 pm
Way to wreck those wheels AG! Good work!

Thanks, Bryan! I haven't been able to walk right for a couple days....it's been awesome!

alphagrrrrl
01-27-11, 9:23 pm
Upper body

Had to train solo again tonight at a commercial gym. I hate that place, but I did what I had to do.

bench:
barx40 comp, wide, narrow grips
95x10
135x5
135x10
155x3
135x5..shoulder was starting to bother me, so I decided to stop there

triceps press downs:
60x10
60x10
60x10

lat pull downs:
100x25
120x10
120x10

face pulls:
120x20
140x15
140x15

pec flys:
85x15
100x10
100x10

preacher curls: slow negatives
30x15
30x15
30x15

BryanSmash!
01-27-11, 9:25 pm
Bet it was hard benching with wobbly legs lol. Nice work!

alphagrrrrl
02-15-11, 1:48 pm
About 3 weeks ago I trained bench at a commercial gym and everything went pretty decently...or so I thought. The next morning, I woke up in some of the worst back pain of my life. I immediately went to see my chiropractor. He did some adjustments and decompression and he thought that my hips had some how become misaligned. I was so relieved to hear that it was only some hip issues (which I've had for years) and not my back....Well, % more trips to the Chiro and the pain was getting worse and I started having numbness in my legs. My chiro told me I needed an MRI, so I have one scheduled for tomorrow. I've literally done nothing but lay on my side for almost 3 weeks (no work or school) and in the last few days, the pain is starting to subside. The chiropractor thinks I have 1 or more herniated lumbar discs, so I'm hoping that my 3 weeks of rest helped.

The only good thing to report is that after months of total bullshit with a freeloading roommate, I finally kicked him out for good. I feel like I can finally regain my sanity and focus, even through this injury, not that he's gone. I feel like I can breathe again...

As soon as I get the MRI results back, I can set some new goals and come back stronger than ever. Injuries happen and as depressing as it's been not being in the gym, I know I need to let my body heal and not do anything stupid.

The Arnold is a mere 2.5 weeks away and I couldn't be more excited. I've been looking forward to this trip all year!!

BryanSmash!
02-15-11, 4:01 pm
Glad you were able to dump the roommate, hope that back gets better soon AG!

alphagrrrrl
09-14-11, 10:46 am
Check it out here: http://forum.animalpak.com/showthread.php?37098/

That's where I'll be posting now. Thanks for reading :)