Katscratch 2013: Sunny With a Chance of BOOM

[katscratch]

Thanks, Porkchop!  My body gave me R&R without my permission, ha!

 

I have to say I'll be a little sad when I'm not sore after workouts any more.  It'll be awesome because that will mean I'm finally working out consistently over time, but still.

 

Overnight shift, man, am I glad I don't do that very often anymore!

[katscratch]

Neighborhood gym 1130am Saturday

15 minutes mobility with the pain ball, mostly on my upper/lower back.

Squat
20kg x 5
29kg x 5 x 5

• Felt okay. My right leg drives more than the left; noticed this the other day as well. At least I notice the right leg-- I wonder if it's a side effect of being hyperaware of my kneecap. Hm.
• I actually think I could have pushed 32kg for at least three sets. Morning vs any time after sunrise makes such a huge difference! I didn't want to push it too far and not be able to deadlift, though. Totally vain, but too bad, squats.

Overhead Press
20kg x 5, 5, 1/1/1/0/1  BOOM

• What's that, body? You don't want to give up your squat rack space? Well let's just jump from 16kg to the bar today then, shall we?
• Did these with 1kg plate LYTPs supersetted. I tend to do crazy arm windmill-y things in between OHP anyway, figured I might as well make them count.

Deadlift
20kg x 5 from the top to get my hip-break on board with life
43kg x 3
61kg x 1/1/0 BOOM (1.1 times BW, pretty sure I'll catch bigm by the end of the year)
57kg x 1
52kg x 1/1/1/1/1

• I got the third rep at 61kg off the ground a bit but thought I felt too much movement in my lower back so stopped.
• Hit my knees again a few times; I probably should have made sure to do deads again closer to the last time when form was finally spot on-- silly wrong muscle memory!

Squat
20kg x 10

OHP
14kg x 20

Mobility/Pain ball in the sauna 15 minutes-- lower back, shoulders, glutes/hammies

Drove home with the windows down and the music blaring, sunshine today!

 

5010lb/2277kg

[Loren Wade]

[katscratch]

Loren I love that!  HA!

[Loren Wade]

Haha! Do you like Starcraft?

 

All this "boom" had this line stuck in my head.

[katscratch]

I haven't played Starcraft 2, but the first one came out on Nintendo 64 right after the kiddo was born and I had lots of time at home, haha.  

 

 

Felt POOO today, so thought my workout would bite balls.  It didn't.  

 

Midway gym 7pm Tuesday

 

Squat

20kg x 5

31kg x 5 x 5

• felt heavy on my shoulders more than during the lift; form stayed better than during my last few sessions

 

Bench Press

20kg x 5

27kg x 0 

25kg x 10/10/10/10/6/4

20kg x 10/5/10/10/10

• 27kg felt HEAVY.  I've felt fatigued and achy all day, so was surprised squats went up; not at all surprised that even with dropping bench a bit the 27kg felt like too much.  Reracked and deloaded.
• 25kg did NOT feel heavy.  So decided that sets of ten were a good idea.  
• Then decided that 100 reps was a good idea.
• My triceps were on FIRE at the end of these!  Popping through my skin!  Kablammo!  Tris down!  My left arm would not raise up properly to unlock my locker, ha!  Left arm definitely fatigued in the fourth set of 20kg.  These were pretty awesome to work on form and keep it locked in; arms shaking by the end.  

2 sets LYTPs with 1kg weights.

 

No rows necessary!

 

Sauna, mobility.  Endorphins beat Aleve any day

[Loren Wade]

OMG.

 

Starcraft 2 is amazing... and the second release of SC2 comes out in 6 days. Come on!!! Haha.

 

Okay... the fact that you felt poo and still worked out is awesome. The fact that you kicked ass is even more awesome.

 

Digital high five buddy. o/\o

[katscratch]

Why, thank you, sir!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a long and moderately sentimental post all ready, with pics from last year, but I dunno where it went.  Anywho, it's my NFersary. 

 

 

 

 

 

Pulled up to the gym tonight and realized I'd left my phone at home.  I need my phone to check in....drove home and back and only had 40 minutes left because (as usual) I forgot they close earlier on Fridays (and earlier still Sat/Sun). 

 

Neighborhood gym 920pm Friday

 

Some rando grabbed the only squat rack not in use just as I walked to the section, loaded plates, so I started doing presses instead -- he never came back to the rack! Whaaaaaat

 

Overhead Press

13kg# x 10/10/10/10/10/10/7/10/10/3

 

They shut the lights off at "2" on that last set.  But I think I would have failed during that set anyhow, my shoulders were on fire and my left elbow was not listening to my brain's instructions to stay in line.

 

Overall I didn't feel as fried as my bench press extravaganza, but I'm sure I will tomorrow.  And we're supposed to get more snow, hahaha.  

[Loren Wade]

HAPPY NFiversary!!!

[katscratch]

Thanks Loren!!

MIdway gym 530am Monday

 

Bad roads; got to gym later than I wanted to; shortened workout.

 

Squat

20kg x 5 ATG

34kg x 5/5/5

25kg x 5

20kg x 10 ATG

• 34kg is a jump from the last time I lifted over a week ago, so planned on only three sets. Didn't think I'd have time for five.  Wouldn't have made it through five anyway, ha.  Since I ended up with a few extra minutes decided to do sets of 10 at lower weights -- forgot to do ten with the 25 hahaha.
• Felt good, though-- legs felt like jelly walking down the parking ramp stairs!

 

Hopefully Bench tomorrow....gotta get up EARLY again!

 

[katscratch]

Tuesday 16April 7pm

Wrist/Shoulder pre-mob/warmup

wrist rolls / hand circles

shoulder rotations w/elbows at 90 degrees

---whooooboy were my shoulders crunchy, the left especially, but not surprising.

 

Bench Press 5x5

45# x 5 

55# x 5 x 2

60# x 5 x 3

• Left shoulder actually popped on more than a few reps.  Scared the crap out of me the first time - felt it in the anterior part of the joint. 
• Super-focused on form since it's been a while.  Planned to stay at 55# but they actually felt light, which surprised me.  60# was perfect- difficult to push but that perfect level of resistance where form is easier to keep than with lighter weight.
• Shoulder rotations in between sets.

Overhead Press lite

30# x 10 x 3

 

Dumbbell Rows

ummmmm didn't do them.  I have lots of excuses such as no spot available and didn't feel like waiting, distracted by boy in the millions of mirrors, and they're boring.

 

Post-mobility in the sauna like a good midwesterner

12 minutes with the RobBall^TM on wrists, forearms, elbows, anterior shoulders, then neck, traps (owwwwwww) and scapulae (owwwwwwww)

[katscratch]

I wanted to do UDLs but the classroom was in use, so no steps available.  Boohoo :'(

 

Squats

45# x 5 x 2

55# x 5 x 3

• Went really, really slow and ATG on all of these, Valsalva on every rep and kept my lumbar spine rock solid (as far as I could tell from feel).  Felt fine in my back, but my right ankle started twinging, hehe.  A little ankle mobility against the wall in between sets thereafter. 
  
• Damn have I lost a lot of stability and strength by having my back not fully functional!  I was *sweating*. 
  

Split Squats

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

I absolutely need to do more of these!  My left-right balance is SO off!

Here's what I managed without falling over:

5# dumbbells in each hand, 3 reps on each leg.  Holla!!

 

Lunges

5# DB (just in case hahaha) x 20 reps (each side)

 

um...I will plank before bed?

[katscratch]

Thursday April 25 8pm

 

Stopped at the gym by work on the way home, one of the benches was down for repair and the others had people lined up.  Left and went to the gym closer to my house. 

 

Bench

20kg x 5, pause at bottom

29kg x 8/8/7/5/5 - PR

27kg x 5

20kg x 5, full stop at bottom

* last rep of the last three sets at 20kg were grindy and a little wobbly on one, but kept everything tight and form stayed solid

 

OHP

13kg x 8/8/8

 

Standing Tricep Extension

4kg x 10/10/10

* halfway through the last set my biceps and triceps were not wanting to extend my arms fully hahaha

 

Lat Pulldown on an impulse as I walked by:

31kg x 10

* arms were too fried to go heavy enough to get good lat engagement

[katscratch]

Sunday 28 April 7pm

Gym tonight by housesitting place-- empty weights for the most part, awesome!

OHP
30# x5
45 x 5 w oly bar
(Squat 45 x 5 here for no good reason)
40x 5 w/shortie bar
45 x 5 w/shortie bar, losing left elbow on last rep
40 x 5/5/5/5/5
30 x 10

• Realized that I bring my elbows much further back at the bottom than I probably should.  Focused on keeping my forearms perpendicular to the floor and whaddya know, felt a definite difference at the start of the lift.
• Left bicep felt tight about halfway through the first set of 45, and stayed that way.  Maybe this means my left arm is actually alive!
• The end of the last set of ten was brutal and form was starting to slip, mostly in the left bicep not wanting to extend. 

Bench
45 x 10/10/10

• My arms were shaking like crazy for the first part of the first set, but then I think they realized they weren't OHP'ing anymore and settled down, ha.  The second and third sets were slow with everything kept super tight. 
• It was really really really hard not to put more weight on the bar! Silly ego.

LYTP and 90 degree shoulder rotations
5# plate in each hand, 1 circuit of 5 reps

• Yeah....more than this was NOT going to happen.  Left side was pretty fatigued at this point and it felt like I would be more tight, not less, if I continued.

Standing tricep extension
10# plate 10/10/10

• These were after a 5-10 minute break where I had to reeeeallllly talk myself out of going ahead with squats and UDLs for the day. 
• Left bicep gave up first again, but these felt pretty good.  Arms were complete jelly afterward!

[katscratch]

Monday 29 April 8pm

 

Gym was PAAAAAAAAACKED.  Uh oh.  I don't really want to drag myself out of bed earlier than I already do at 5am but I may have to start again....

 

No squat racks, no benches, no cage, no classroom w/steps for UDLs.... free Oly bar on upright bench, though, so....

 

Deadlift

65# x 10

95 x 5

105 x 5

115 x 5

120 x 2

115 x 3

• Set up on the floor on 2 25# plates stacked
  
• Hex plates at this gym. Boohiss.
  
• Form felt ok, but just ok.  It's been a long time and I'd just gotten to where it all felt right before I tweaked my back. 120 felt the most "right". I know I was moving the bar around my knees a bit on some reps, and they all came down easily enough that I could look down easily to make sure the darned hex plate was landing in the right spot.  
  
• Back felt awesome, and I definitely left some in the tank, 125 would've been a good weight to actually pull but I forced myself to remember that I'm trying to work back up slowly. 
  
• Grip felt good.  
  
• During the lift I felt these in my traps, triceps, and a little bit in the quads.  At the grocery store afterward (oh hi sirloin) my glutes had just a touch of the happy post-deadlift buzz.  In the past when my form was dialed in I felt these in the glutes, hammies, arms and traps.  And I felt the all-over-sleepiness/relaxation/endorphin madness that I miss-miss-missed not lifting heavy!
  
• Deadlifts!!!
  

[Lachy]

Hi Kat!!! Hope you haven't forgotten about me ...

 

So happy you're still going! I read all your updates by email. You're doing great

[katscratch]

Hi Kat!!! Hope you haven't forgotten about me ...

 

Never!!!

 

And thanks

 

 

 

630pm Thursday June 19th

Back in the gym after five-six weeks off due to busy-ness....the DOMS are coming.....

 

Warmed up with PainBall in the sauna, mostly upper back

 

Squats:

20kg x 10/10/10 ATG, pause reps here and there, focused really hard on form and making sure all the bendy parts were nice and mobile-feeling.

• sadly, I was feeling pretty weak in the legs by the end of the third set so stopped.
• 30 reps, 613kg/1350#

 

 

Bench:

20kg x 10/10/10/10/10/10/10

 

• also fatiguing by the end of that last set waaaahhhhhhh.... But compared to my previous 100 rep adventure, I know my form was super tight on these this time around.  Core tight, pushing through my legs, shoulder blades drilled into the bench so hard I left vinyl shavings on the floor, yo.
• 70 reps, 1431kg/3150#

 

 

Painball in sauna x 10 minutes- upper back/neck (super sore and stiff every day since last week; dunno if illness related {lymph nodes etc} or if I'm just sleeping weird), forearms (they were defffffinitely feeling the effect of keeping my elbows in line), chest

 

 

Then home to walk the dog for 30 minutes until he decided he'd finally go potty instead of just smelling flowers and trees and grass and dirt and sidewalks and gutters.... my quads were nooooot impressed with walking down the two steps to the sidewalk, tomorrow is going to be rough i fear....

 

 

Total lifted today: 2045kg/4500lb

[Lachy]

Busy girl, Kat. Nice work. Why do you choose to do high reps/sets as opposed to less reps with more weight?

[Pat G]

Ah.... i'm not too sure, but something to do with Jdanger posting about volume work end of 2012? Don't quote me on that one. 

 

Lol at the quad pain Kats, have you had it so bad that you haven't been able to walk or stand without locking your knees? If thats a no, then shhhh and walk the dog.

[katscratch]

Soooo busy at work!  Internet was out at home until yesterday so I was limited to my phone for all NF fix needs.

 

 

Totally didn't even post my last workout; haven't had time to get back to the gym since as my parents are in town earlier than expected- eeeek I have not enough hours!

 

 

Monday 6pm 

 

Squats

45# x 5

55# x 5

60# x 5 x 5  griiiiindy on a few near the end

 

OHP

45# x 8/5/4/0/1

 

arms died.  Pretty sure that was a PR for reps at that weight

 

had to leave to meet the parents, so PainBalling in the sauna then shower quick then on my way!

[katscratch]

Busy girl, Kat. Nice work. Why do you choose to do high reps/sets as opposed to less reps with more weight?

 

 

Ah.... i'm not too sure, but something to do with Jdanger posting about volume work end of 2012? Don't quote me on that one. 

 

Lol at the quad pain Kats, have you had it so bad that you haven't been able to walk or stand without locking your knees? If thats a no, then shhhh and walk the dog.

 

Oh man, my quads hurt through the weekend, hahaha, started going away just in time for more squats

 

 

I haven't been able to get into the gym as much as I'd like lately so I've been doing whatever is the most fun at the moment to just maintain form, not as concerned with increasing numbers until my schedule evens out -- high volume on upper body is hella fun I've discovered.  Weirdquark gave me a bunch of information a bit ago too, so I'd been working more volume days in.  

[Lachy]

Man, if it's over 5 reps, my body doesn't know what the hell is going on! I've been living in 2s and 3s lately. My body likes them!

[katscratch]

My problem is that there is not enough of a difference between 50% max and 1RM at the moment hahahaha

 

 

I HAD TIME TO GO TO THE GYM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN LIKE TWO MONTHS Hooray!!!!  

 

02 August

Friday 8pm Midway

 

All things squatty-like were full, so

 

Bench

45# x 10

55 x 5 x 5

45 x 10

45 x 8

• felt SO GOOD
• 55# was hard by the end, so i guessed ok in how much to deload heh

 

Squat

45 x 8

55 x 5 x 5

• felt horrible
• form was good - have been doing MWOD#1 and bodyweight squats at home to keep it up, but ever since I tweaked my lumbar spine twisting at work a few months back, squats make me feel weak all over, clammy sweats.  I'm assuming, as I did then, that it just means I'll have to get my 'core' solid again before letting my legs push more
• I also understand why the doc said No Heavy Lifting Until My Ear Drum Is Fully Healed - i haven't had vertigo on a daily basis for about a week, but still have pressure issues and hearing issues daily - after maybe the second rep of the first set my ear sounded like a fire hydrant was going off inside, and by the last set I was taking pretty long rests to get over the vertigo.  Not dizziness, and after weeks of this my body knows it won't fall over, so I kept going but it was not so fun. 

Deadliftish

form work

45 x 10 from the top to practicing breaking at the hips (always the first thing I lose when i haven't lifted in a bit)

95 x 10

95 x 5 - these were definitely 1/1/1/1/1 as by now my ear and my quads were mad at me

 

Hollow core hold x 15s, plank x 30, hollow core x 15 - upper right side abdominal wicked cramping.  This used to happen all the time when i very first started, it kinda makes me laugh.  But laughing makes me cramp worse so i don't.  

 

 

Today is Monday and I still can't walk right HAHAHAHA.  At least DOMS are letting me know that I worked the muscle groups I wanted to

 

 

Steak and broccoli in the gullet.  Yum. 

[katscratch]

hmmmmmm i am missing a couple workouts....

 

i had one a week after the last post but no notes.

 

last week: (monday or wednesday? i can't remember)

 

Squat

45# x 5 - 30 sec pause at bottom, atg

55 x 5 x 5

60 x 5 (last 2 reps hips came up a bit) / 5 / 5

 

Bench

45 x 5

55 x 5 x 5

shoulders really tight!

 

----------------------------

 

Monday 730pm 19 August 'hood gym

 

Squat

45 x 10

55 x 5

60 x 5 x 5

 

Benches were full so

OHP

45 x 5 x 5 whaaaat -- the very last two reps my elbows wanted to wing out a bit but i was pretty impressed hahaha.  i'll be feeling it tomorrow for sure!

 

Deadlift

to work on breaking the hips:

   from the top 45 x 10 just to work the motion

95 x 10

115 x 3

125 x 3

130 x 2

135 x 2

135 x 0, 0

125 x 2

[katscratch]

Wednesday 21aug 6pm Midway

 

Racks all full; had to git er done to get coolant for my car and bus back to work so no squats. 

 

Bench

45# x 5

55 x 5 x 2

60 x 5

55 x 5 x 2

45 x 10 x 3

 

and time's up