defining i definitely have a love/hate relationship with the ebil prowler. haha
i wish i knew more about accessory movements/exercises. i really don't. if you post your stuff, defining, i'd love to hear your opinion on how things are working for you. which you enjoy, which you hate and love, which are a waste of your time. etc etc.
jamsk8r, you are very food disciplined!! i am a petulant teenager when it comes to my relationship with food. if you tell me not to, i'll do it ten times over while staring you in the face daring you to do anything about it.
this morning i had three bites of my 3 year old's birthday cake, a few bites of brussells sprouts, and a big coffee. i haven't eaten since, even though i really should have had a few grams of protein and carbs after my workout.
my eating is really random, and i just let it be that way and try and keep it under 2000 a day. that way, i don't get all punk rock f-you and eat a pizza. i hope hope hope that someday i can be controlled and eat to lift.
o.O I think I might be a bit too laid back about my food. I had a piece of pizza for breakfast. Granted, I also had 3c of broccoli and some chicken, and breakfast is usually around 11am. But still.
Kat, I'm not a huge fan of the stability ball stuff. I feel that it doesn't really transfer to real-world movement. Same as the band 'pull downs' - I'd rather do pull-overs or something, but that's just me. Also, sorry for not answering your question from ages back - I was doing 300 swings/day for 30 days with DB or my home-made t-handle. Mostly for kicks 'n giggles to keep me from getting bored.
It sounds like your trainer has you doing a pretty wide spread of different exercises, but are there any particular movement patterns/muscle groups you'd be curious to explore in accessory lifts?
'Might help, depending on which bits in your shoulders/arms you're looking to work? Go easy on those small muscles in your shoulders, especially at first - they fatigue quickly, and are easy to injure.
Defining - hmm... I feel you on the workout progression. I probably would feel like I needed some inverted rows, too, but you should probably see where the workout takes you?
jamsk8r - At the moment, I'm deadlifting 95lbs. 8-8-6, but will probably move up to 100lbs on Saturday, my next lower body session.
What works for me is two days on, one day off with upper body day followed directly by lower body:
LOWER
Warmup: 2x 30s planks, 2x superman reaches, 2x 45s kettlebell swings
Leg Press
Hip Thrusts
Reverse Lunges
Cable Hip Extensions
American Deadlifts
Sumo Deadlifts
One-Legged Suitcase Deadlifts
Dumbbell Side Lunges
Russian Twists
Alternating Superman Plank & Reach
Oh, and way to go on your food intake, jam! For real, you are one of the most disciplined eaters I've ever encountered. For myself, I'm much more laissez faire about the eating stuff, within vague guidelines. For example, I'm aiming for generally clean eating, 100g of lean protein per day, whole grains (no more than 1-2 servings per day), and MORE greens and fiber.
katerina - hehehe about sprint day. Yeesh! Sprints absolutely kill me! They're great, but they're also not, you know what I'm sayin'?
btw everybody - I'm SO excited! I just ordered a "squat sponge" from Amazon for my hip thrusts. http://amzn.com/B00A1N79IW Yay!
o.O I think I might be a bit too laid back about my food. I had a piece of pizza for breakfast. Granted, I also had 3c of broccoli and some chicken, and breakfast is usually around 11am. But still.
when i say get punk rock and eat a pizza, i mean eat a WHOLE pizza. LOL
Quote:
Kat, I'm not a huge fan of the stability ball stuff. I feel that it doesn't really transfer to real-world movement. Same as the band 'pull downs' - I'd rather do pull-overs or something, but that's just me. Also, sorry for not answering your question from ages back - I was doing 300 swings/day for 30 days with DB or my home-made t-handle. Mostly for kicks 'n giggles to keep me from getting bored.
300 swings a day is lots of swings. kettlebell work is not easy. ill look up band pull downs.
Quote:
It sounds like your trainer has you doing a pretty wide spread of different exercises, but are there any particular movement patterns/muscle groups you'd be curious to explore in accessory lifts?
yeah, hip stuff. i really just want to know opinions on everything, but i am specifically interested in hip stuff for me. coach has me doing different things and it has really helped. i try and leave everything to him. i have a tendency to want to take over and control everything, so allowing this guy, who has far more experience than me, to control my workouts has been interesting and a relief at the same time.
tomorrow are deadlifts, i hope.
Last edited by katerina11; 04-23-2014 at 05:08 PM.
I ventured into the free weights section of the gym yesterday. I didn't do much, but I did a few simple moves. All were done with 8 lb. dumbbells, which isn't great, but better than nothing.
Psychic, did you like it? It can be scary going into the weight room. It was for me. Even now, I get nervous when there are new people around, and I've been gung ho for a couple years. I am a fairly insecure person, though.
I'm happy you're doing this and I hope you like it.
My gym is really tiny and the free weights area is just in a corner. They have all the basic equipment though. I would really like to start lifting, but I need to do more research on proper form. I love the idea of lifting though and it is something that I can see myself doing. I was being brave because there was no one else in the free weights area yesterday. I think I'm going to start doing weights any time the area is free. The bulky grunting men scare me. >.>
EDIT: I have been trying to do some body weight exercises and I use resistance bands almost daily. Its not much, but I definitely see more muscle tone than I did a couple of months ago.
I go to a tiny gym, too, at the moment. When my weights go up on the deadlift, I'm probably going to move on to a bigger gym which is at the bottom floor of the building I work in (day job, note - still trying to make money at screenwriting!). Nonetheless, small gyms can have everything you need. It's amazing what you can do with a little space and the basic equipment!
New Rules of Lifting is a book which has been countlessly recommended for beginners starting out in weight training. I haven't used it myself (I learned all of my weights knowledge when I was in college), but know that it's recommended by many authorities out there. My guru, Bret Contreras is buddies with the writers of that book, which is enough for me.
Way to go on the progress you've seen so far, psychic!
tiny gym goer here, too. it specializes in strength/powerlifting/strongman, but it's very small; about the size of a two car garage. there is an outdoor area, too, though, so that helps.
such a terrible day in the gym today. i dont know what's going on. lingering off and on illness. mild calorie deficit plus eating really bad food. yesterday was cake, grilled cheese and two hot dogs :crazyass:
i am currently eating a big salad, trying to get back in better food groove.
could also be just exhaustion. haven't been sleeping as well, and have been training pretty hard.
deadlifts - 135x5, 170x5, 205x1, 225x1, 245x0, 0
after those fails i went out to flip the heavy tire a couple times just get get everything juiced and flowing. walked in out of sorts, so that's probably contributing, too.
deadlifts again - 245x1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 185x4
300 swings a day is lots of swings. kettlebell work is not easy. ill look up band pull downs.
Yeah, it was an interesting experiment. Ironically, I experienced very little fat loss from it - but I feel better about my hip hinge movement now!
Quote:
Originally Posted by katerina11
yeah, hip stuff. i really just want to know opinions on everything, but i am specifically interested in hip stuff for me. coach has me doing different things and it has really helped. i try and leave everything to him. i have a tendency to want to take over and control everything, so allowing this guy, who has far more experience than me, to control my workouts has been interesting and a relief at the same time.
Sounds like your coach is pretty great, but there are some straightforward hip things you can add in to your morning/before bed routines that shouldn't cause any conflict with your programmed training. Are you thinking mobility, or strength? Also, you trying to focus on glutes, abductors, rotators, or iliopsoas? Sorry, I read too much.
such a terrible day in the gym today. i dont know what's going on. lingering off and on illness. mild calorie deficit plus eating really bad food. yesterday was cake, grilled cheese and two hot dogs :crazyass:
i am currently eating a big salad, trying to get back in better food groove.
could also be just exhaustion. haven't been sleeping as well, and have been training pretty hard.
Question, kat - I know that you have said previously that your diet isn't particularly supportive of lifting. That was you, right? So lazy, can't go back a page or two. Anyway, I really think it's all about food. I've noticed huge performance differences when I played club rugby and when I was practicing hot yoga fanatically (5x/week -yeesh!) when I did even minor adjustments to my diet. Support your hard work with more lean protein, lady! I'm sure that it will make all of the difference.
Also, calorie deficits have always made me feel like crap and actually perform worse at the gym. Maybe that's just me.
Yeah, it was an interesting experiment. Ironically, I experienced very little fat loss from it - but I feel better about my hip hinge movement now!
Sounds like your coach is pretty great, but there are some straightforward hip things you can add in to your morning/before bed routines that shouldn't cause any conflict with your programmed training. Are you thinking mobility, or strength? Also, you trying to focus on glutes, abductors, rotators, or iliopsoas? Sorry, I read too much.
all of the muscles in my right hip are much weaker than my left. i will do anything to get stronger/more balanced
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVAscreenwriter
Question, kat - I know that you have said previously that your diet isn't particularly supportive of lifting. That was you, right? So lazy, can't go back a page or two. Anyway, I really think it's all about food. I've noticed huge performance differences when I played club rugby and when I was practicing hot yoga fanatically (5x/week -yeesh!) when I did even minor adjustments to my diet. Support your hard work with more lean protein, lady! I'm sure that it will make all of the difference.
Also, calorie deficits have always made me feel like crap and actually perform worse at the gym. Maybe that's just me.
yeah this week my protein intake was about 100 grams or less. yesterday i think i only hit 57!
thanks for reiterating that i need to start focusing on that. it helps to hear that other people have seen results by tweaking diet. there is IIFYM, and then there is eating insane junk food. i think i tipped over into trashing my workouts by eating so badly.
ate a nice big salad with grilled chicken, and bread with peanut butter for a treat. im going to eat more chicken, some cottage cheese and pears and might hit up the oatmeal. definitely going to be eating oatmeal in the mornings, too.
i *hate* training in a deficit. more the reason to make sure it's nourishing food.
my first weight loss goal is to compete in the 198 instead of 198+ by november. the submasters and masters nationals are in mid november and i want to be in the next weight class by then.
Last edited by katerina11; 04-24-2014 at 03:02 PM.
I agree, protein is key - especially when you're trying to improve lifts for competition. Sometimes it's easier to get into a 'routine', or 3-4 basic meals that you make on a daily/weekly basis. If you know that x meal contains y grams of protein/carbs/fat, etc. and you eat it at least z number of times....
Quote:
Originally Posted by katerina11
all of the muscles in my right hip are much weaker than my left. i will do anything to get stronger/more balanced
Have you spoken to a physio about it? Significant imbalances can be worsened by the wrong kind of exercises, and I am not qualified in any capacity to offer diagnosis or suggestions, only point you in the direction of what I've read. Do you know what caused your right side to be weaker in the first place?
But right off the bat, if you're wanting to balance up your sides, that means unilateral exercises, so you can try to 'match' your weaker side to your stronger. So, things like split squats, step ups, lunges, reverse lunges, single-leg glute bridges and hip thrusts, single leg RDLs, pendulum quadruped hip extension, etc. are all good for a starting point.
Unloaded activation movements like fire hydrant, bird dog, clam, lying abduction, etc. are also really important to 're-teach' your hip how to fire the correct muscle groups.
And if the imbalance comes from a different level of flexibility (which is pretty common, for one side to be more mobile than the other), the easiest way I know to stretch hips is to lie down with your a** against a wall, with your legs up the wall at a 90 degree angle. Then, you can let them fall apart to stretch abduction. Or you can bend one leg, propping that ankle against the straight leg's knee and pushing your bent knee towards the wall to stretch rotation. With both legs at the 90 angle, you can focus on flexing your feet and stretching your toes towards the floor while simultaneously pulling your belly button/sacrum into the floor for a very deep calf/hamstring stretch.
Block lunges are my favourite choice for quad and psoas. And the frog stretch is also pretty handy, but VERY intense - go easy with it. Plus, of course, the more traditional kneeling hip flexor stretch and the old-school deep bodyweight squat.
Also, if you do some foam rolling before stretching, sometimes it can help your muscles relax and go a bit deeper without hurting. Never stretch to the point of pain, but you're alright with a bit of discomfort.
One of my big challenges when stretching the hips/core is that I really struggle to keep my back straight. Lying down or using props, and using gravity to help stretch instead of holding myself aligned against gravity makes a HUGE difference for how deep I can hold those stretches.
Location: Lyin' in a puddle of sweat on the floor.
Posts: 2,296
S/C/G: 235/201/175
Height: 5'7"
Morning, peeps. Enjoyed reading all the posts this morning.
Kat, way to regroup and hit that 245 again on your deadlift day. For me, the junk food would have totally explained the **** day in the gym, total energy drain, plus it usually takes me about 24 hours of clean eating afterward to get rid of the cravings for more. I just call that the "carb crackhead syndrome" (cuz I'd beat up your granny and steal her donuts, lol) and try to remember that if I get through one day clean, the cravings will subside.
re: hip strength and mobility, I've seen some really positive results by working wide-stance box squats and also the sumo deadlifts in as accessory movements, either after a regular squat or deadlift session, as a warm-up for the same, or on their own for a heavy session. I do some mobility stuff, too, but honestly, if I can get the same effect from a barbell lift, I'll choose that any day, lol. For a long time, I just did 10 sets of 2 about 3 days a week for the box squats, when I was learning form and also just trying to work my stance out wider and the box lower, as flexibility and hip strength allowed. For sumo, those are still in the "accessory" category for me, though now that I can actually pull those from the floor with good form, I'm anxious to try a strength cycle of those to see what I can do if I move it into the primary lift category.
Gotta hit the road soon. Opening the gym this morning, as the boss is off to teach another seminar this weekend. Scale FINALLY moved a little today. Swear I was going to smash the thing if it said "191.2" again, lol. This morning it sensed danger and said 190.8...good answer, scale!
Psychic, welcome to the group, and possibly your new addiction (free weights, I mean). The grunting guys might be intimidating, but often they are nice guys and happy to help a newcomer.
this thread has really been on my mind and helping me during the day. thank you so much for all of this. i need the help from people who get it. both get food issues *and* get wanting to support the lifting.
defining, i have written down your ideas and i am trying to come up with a few things i can do every evening before bed. i need to incorporate foam rolling with lunge type exercises. today while squatting, the crackly crinkling of my ligaments waking up was pretty apparent. lol
the cool thing is during my 5x5 set of squats at 70% were solid. i don't hip torque anymore!! i got teary eyed on the way home from the gym when i realised that. i am so thankful that i moved to a bigger town and have this great coach to help me now.
i ate more calories than i planned on yesterday, but i made good nutritionally sound choices and am continuing that today. like i said, i really appreciate this thread!
today i followed sheiko #29, as my coach was out taking care of some family stuff...
BENCH
65x5x1
80x4x2
95x3x2
101x3x5
SQUAT
95x5x1
115x5x2
135x5x5
BENCH
70x5x1
80x5x1
95x4x4
SUPERSET
Dumbbell fly / Good morning
10x10x5 / 135x5x5
