Weirdquark's Putting It All Together Challenge: A Year in Review

[weirdquark]

Dynamic warmup

Squats

1x5 @55

1x3 @85

1x2 @105

3x5 @115

1x5 @105

I haven't been doing enough heavy days so I was set on doing 115 today. Form not great -- I'm not sure I got to parallel every time, let alone AtG, and if I did get to parallel, it was just barely. But it's probably better than what I've been doing and I'll try 115 again after a light day or two. The set of 105 afterwards was able to get much lower, so I might even try working at 120 or 125 and see if I can get that mostly to parallel and then drop weight and get 115 closer to AtG.

Stretched

Hip stuff. Mobility is not usually a problem for me, but I've been stiff with the extra squatting.

Total pounds moved this workout: 2990

[Bean]

The lower weight set after the heavy sets always feels so light to me. I feel like I could be plenty of reps at the apparently light weight, and then I wake up the next day feeling sorry for my legs...

[weirdquark]

The lower weight set after the heavy sets always feels so light to me. I feel like I could be plenty of reps at the apparently light weight, and then I wake up the next day feeling sorry for my legs...

Yeah, I've been trying to do 3x10 of 55 for OHP and usually only get 8 or 9 reps even on the first set, but if I try to do a few sets of three at 70 or 75 first, I can then do two back off sets of ten reps at 55 no problem.

[weirdquark]

Dynamic Warmup

A1: DB Rows

4x10 @52.5

Alternating with split squats.

A2: Split Squats

1x5 @65

4x10 @85

I forgot to do the warmup set at 65 before the rows so I did them and then did the working set at 85 right after; my left leg was all shaky while I was doing the next set of rows. I think 85 is a bit too heavy for ten reps; I was having a hard time finding a balance between getting low enough and having my knee hit the ground, so I think I wasn't getting low enough on most of the reps.

B1: RDLs

4x10 @115

Alternating with DB Incline Bench Press. I was going to do these at 125 but then I remembered that I was having a hard time maintaining my grip with eight reps, so since I wanted to do ten, I dropped weight.

DB Incline Bench Press

4x10 @27.5

The first set was actually nine reps and then on the second set I remembered to keep my body tight and brace with my legs like I'm supposed to with regular bench press and so more easily got ten reps and added on an eleventh to make up for missing a rep on the first set.

Total weight moved: 20550

[Blueberries]

Sorry I'm late to the party for your challenge! You are amazing, as usual.

B1: RDLs

4x10 @115

Alternating with DB Incline Bench Press. I was going to do these at 125 but then I remembered that I was having a hard time maintaining my grip with eight reps, so since I wanted to do ten, I dropped weight.

DB Incline Bench Press

4x10 @27.5

At first I read that as you were going to do DB Incline Bench at 125, and I was all (closest I could find to jaw-dropping).

[weirdquark]

Sorry I'm late to the party for your challenge! You are amazing, as usual.

At first I read that as you were going to do DB Incline Bench at 125, and I was all (closest I could find to jaw-dropping).

Heh. My bench press is good, but it's not that good.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

and I was all

Haha. That's funny!

Nice workout! Now I need to try to get to 20k!

[Leimanu]

I like this idea of keeping track of how much weight you move. I'll try to add up mine at the end of this challenge.

Sounds like you really listen to your body and play around with what will work the best for you.

[weirdquark]

I like this idea of keeping track of how much weight you move. I'll try to add up mine at the end of this challenge.

Sounds like you really listen to your body and play around with what will work the best for you.

You should add up what you're lifting now! (Or at least what you're lifting this past Wednesday through this coming Sunday for the mini-challenge -- we're battling the Scouts to see if we can lift more in pounds per person than they can run in meters per person.

[weirdquark]

Leg press is a cheating cheater. To make up for this, I did a bunch of pullups which do not count for the mini challenge, and I am not counting the wrist curls or forearm rotations that I did for bouldering grip/balance stuff. Or the weird torso rotation-- I didn't even bother to see what weight the thing was set at or to count my reps.

So! At the gym. I didn't end up bouldering because I was wearing shoes for lifting -- I was hoping to do some deadlifts but all of the places where there was room were full.

Started with pullup practice -- did a set of ten at lv 5 (22lb assist) again, and then more sets of ten at higher levels of assistance. Also dips at level 8 (40lbs assist) At the end of my workout I came back to the pullup machine and did a set of fourteen at level 10, which is I think 52lbs assist.

Leg Press

1x10 @111

1x10 @201

1x10 @291

2x10 @341

As promised, a couple of sets at ~2.5BW. I may have promised 'a few' but decided two was enough.

Glute Donkey Kick Machine Thing

1x5 @70 (each side)

1x5 @150 (each side)

1x5 @210 (each side)

The machine was set differently today, with the bar further in, which means moving through a fuller range of motion. Or at least I think so -- there wasn't much tension at the beginning, so it being closer might not actually make any difference. It was harder than last time, but that might be the fault of the leg press, or maybe the leg press plus the morning workout.

DB Single-arm Snatch

5x5 @30 (each side)

Total weight moved: 18650

Tomorrow: overhead squat practice or something else extremely light.

[weirdquark]

Haha. That's funny!

Nice workout! Now I need to try to get to 20k!

It's surprisingly manageable if you're lifting moderately heavy things for lots of reps. Try planning out a workout ahead of time -- pick things you think you can move for multiple sets of ten reps.

[weirdquark]

Mmm, DOMS.

Dynamic Warmup

Lots.

Overhead Squats

1x10 @15

2x10 @25

1x10 @30

1x7+3 @35

Form fail on the first set of ten at 25, so I did another before moving up in weight. More form fail at 35, decided not to try 40 today.

DB Single arm snatches

5x10 @22.5 (each side)

Mostly to up the volume since this was a super lightweight day, but it helped the DOMS some too.

Stretched

Usual hip stuff.

Total weight moved: 3550

[Hermione Gainser]

As always, nice work! I, too, LOLed at Blueberries comment. That would be freaking awesome!

[Max Power]

Very nice workout, I too am DOMSed up since my volume workout on Wed, I'm sure it'll be even worse through the weekend.

Keep it up!

[Wicked Pixie]

You are amazing. Just saying.

[weirdquark]

Very nice workout, I too am DOMSed up since my volume workout on Wed, I'm sure it'll be even worse through the weekend.

Keep it up!

I was doing fine after the morning workout but the leg press and the glute thing killed my butt and hamstrings. Quads are feeling pretty okay, but it might just be that they can sit around not being activated more. I should be going to the gym again on Saturday and could do more with ridiculous weights, but I think I'll swim instead.

[weirdquark]

Still DOMS! But I did some heavy lifts and feel better now.

Dynamic Warmup

Oh yes.

Squats

1x5 @55

1x5 @65

1x3 @85

1x2 @105

We interrupt our daily squat routine for...

Calf raises

2x10 @145

To add some volume and also to make the working weight seem less heavy.

Squats, cont.

1x4 @120

1x1 @105 (from the bottom to rerack)

3x5 @115

2x10 @95

Much better than last time in terms of depth, though I'm still putting pauses in between reps. Added back-off sets for more volume and because I figure it's good for me anyway. Always nice when I can do something to hit multiple goals.

RDLs

3x10 @95

Because my hamstrings and glutes are what have been the most sore and I thought doing these at a lighter than usual weight would help with that.

Stretching

And yet more hip stuff. Still stiff and sore, but much better than I was when I woke up.

Total weight moved: 11025

And since today was all lower body, I can do a high volume upper body tomorrow before going to the Ren Faire.

[weirdquark]

No gym today after all because of complications with schedule coordination, but it's probably just as well since I've been a little tired as well as sore.

Protein gelato update:

Mango Yogurt with unflavored protein powder: Pretty good as far as being a post workout snack, but less successful as gelato -- the mango doesn't cover the protein powder as well as chocolate does unless you add more sugar and mango than you probably want from even a workout snack. Ate about half the original batch (it had decent macros, because the yogurt was Greek and already was pretty high protein) and then added more mango and sugar to make it more pleasant for the roommates. It did taste better that way and could be improved by even more mango.

Chocolate espresso: We had a bag of really good chocolate covered espresso beans which had melted into a mass, so I took a few ounces of this and chopped it up. A lot of the gelato recipes used egg which we haven't done much with, so I threw in egg liquid and a little bit of extra sugar with the chocolate protein powder to make sure the chemistry worked; it was a bit soft, but the egg made it creamy and more solid than the way the low sugar gelato usually turns out. Tasty.

[Strawberry Squatcake]

Mmmmmmm.. I'm hungry.

And my "AM workout" STILL hasn't happened. I'm starting to worry a second workout tomorrow isn't going to happen. The good news is my house is clean and my bedroom FINALLY put back together. The bad news is, well, not as much recovery time. So I might have an unintended rest day, too. It happens.

[weirdquark]

Mmmmmmm.. I'm hungry.

And my "AM workout" STILL hasn't happened. I'm starting to worry a second workout tomorrow isn't going to happen. The good news is my house is clean and my bedroom FINALLY put back together. The bad news is, well, not as much recovery time. So I might have an unintended rest day, too. It happens.

Split routine, I'm telling you. If you just do lower body today, you can rest and recover those bits while you work on the top half of you tomorrow. (And if you do today as lower body and tomorrow upper instead of the other way around, if you do end up wanting to take tomorrow as a rest day, your numbers will be higher. )

[Hermione Gainser]

Split routine, I'm telling you. If you just do lower body today, you can rest and recover those bits while you work on the top half of you tomorrow. (And if you do today as lower body and tomorrow upper instead of the other way around, if you do end up wanting to take tomorrow as a rest day, your numbers will be higher. )

She's knows of which she speaks.

I half attempted that for this mini challenge but didn't plan it very well. That and I'm limited on what I can do for weighted lower body work.. either way, did more than I anticipated, so that's excellent.

[weirdquark]

Got up early so I could lift before Ren Faire.

Dynamic Warmup

The usual

Overhead Squats

1x10 @15

1x10 @25

1x10 @30

These didn't feel hugely stable so I just did a few sets, but wanted to get my squats in before moving on to upper body stuff.

Bench Press

1x5 @55

1x3 @75

1x2 @90

1x5 @100 <-PR!

2x4 @100

1x7 @90

2x10 @85

Hahaha, five reps at 100. Just one set, so can't move up to 105 for 3x5 yet, but next time I pyramid down I can start there. Tried a back-off set at 90% of working weight and couldn't get ten reps.

DB Rows

3x20 @52.5

Hey, can I call these Kroc Rows now?

Mostly I wanted to work up to 20 reps so I could add a plate to each side of the dumbbell and I only have 2.5# plates so that means adding 5# each time, so my numbers will go down again, but these are pretty fun.

Total weight lifted this session: 11310

Total weight lifted for Wed-Sun challenge: 68075

[weirdquark]

She's knows of which she speaks.

I half attempted that for this mini challenge but didn't plan it very well. That and I'm limited on what I can do for weighted lower body work.. either way, did more than I anticipated, so that's excellent.

Yay for being able to do more than you thought you would!

[Blueberries]

Just saw your numbers in the challenge spreadsheet. WOW!

[nightlight]

you're really rockin' this challenge!!