Strength Squad

[weirdquark]

and we have to figure out something fun and exciting to do next week.

I really need to get a pull up bar so I don't have to do challenges outside in the cold..

I really need to get a pull up bar so I don't have to do them hanging off the side of a bunk bed. (It works okay, but it keeps me from being able to do chins or mixed grip. Also, I slide against the end of the bed, which either causes friction and makes it harder or gives me a little support which makes it easier.)

Next week's challenge: a PR challenge? We could test 1RM on weighted lifts or number of reps to failure on whatever body weight exercises we're doing at the beginning of the week and then re-test at the end to see how much we've improved, possibly setting specific goals for the weekly gain.

[Rick]

I still haven't gotten around to the cards. I don't think I get home till late, so I'll do mine early tomorrow morning.

Edit: I should get home a bit before 9pm. Maybe I'll do mine tonight to keep me awake long enough to do my time series home work.

[Rick]

Clubs = push ups

Hearts = Burpees

Spades = Bulgarian training bag halo swings

Diamonds = negative chin ups, sort of, at first, then jumping jacks

JS

6C

5H

5S

4S

6D

6S

10H

4C

2D

KS

9H

5D

10D

2C

AS

3D

JC

7C

QC

6D

9S

AH

7D

9D

KC

JD

9C

AC

8S

4H

QD

8C

KH

2S

7H

8D

2H

Then 20 minutes hit and I had all but 13 cards! 3/4 of a deck!

[ETFnerd]

For the first time ever, I saw a woman in the cage doing good mornings(!) with a barbell. I see her a lot on the treadmill, doing lunges, even deadlifts once in a while (there are a couple of girls doing deadlifts). But good mornings? I wrote earlier that I'm afraid to do them. I was blown away. She didn't even have her feet apart for stability, but her feet were perfectly together (her knees were bent kind of deeply though). New respect even though it was just a 45lb barbell. She was maybe 5' tall, 110-120lbs with tree-trunk legs. I see her working strength, endurance and flexibility. She's a complete package of awesome.

[Hermione Gainser]

Never got around to the challenge after all. Good job, though, Rick! I plan to do it on Tues for my usual cardio-ish interval fun day. So, I'll report back with that.

Lifted Saturday

Deadlift 100x2x10

Bulgarian Split Squat: 25x2x10 **these were rough last time but a lot easier this time. I'm using weight plates but might need to switch to dumbbells for the last one..or go up to 45 lbs..

Underhand lat pulldown: 90ish **not sure what those little bars weigh..someone said 2.5..I used 2 on top of 85

Reverse lunge w/reach: 20x2x10

Cuban Prone Snatch: 10x2x10 **these suck

Side plank: 30 seconds each side x2

I have this workout one more time on Thursday and my last Thruster routine this afternoon.

[weirdquark]

Cuban Prone Snatch: 10x2x10 **these suck

OMG yes they do. So do YTWLs. (After finishing workouts with YTWLs I was linked to an improvement -- the LYTP, which does in fact look better, but I haven't tried it yet.)

[macnip78]

Finished my workout this afternoon and am glad that my strength continues to climb while I am trying to lose fat. Also finding out that I have strange love of the clean and press. I am always doing a couple reps of these whenever I get the chance. I am worried that I am going to get myself into trouble if I try and increase weight too much so I am actually working on just exploding through the rep quicker with the same weight.

[Hermione Gainser]

OMG yes they do. So do YTWLs. (After finishing workouts with YTWLs I was linked to an improvement -- the LYTP, which does in fact look better, but I haven't tried it yet.)

Oh goodness... I forgot about the YTWLs. It looks so easy, doesn't it? So not!

[Rick]

How'd your challenge go Laura?

I'm still feeling it from Sunday night. I highly recommend folks trying out a bulgarian training bag. Mine cost just under $20 to make and it's a great way to throw on extra weight for a run, in addition to those crazy swings I was doing (I'm pretty sure that's what hit my lats so hard).

So who has an idea for the next challenge?

[Hermione Gainser]

How'd your challenge go Laura?

I'm still feeling it from Sunday night. I highly recommend folks trying out a bulgarian training bag. Mine cost just under $20 to make and it's a great way to throw on extra weight for a run, in addition to those crazy swings I was doing (I'm pretty sure that's what hit my lats so hard).

So who has an idea for the next challenge?

Never got to it in the challenge timeline It's on the slate for tonight, though. I will surely be reporting back!

[Rick]

Never got to it in the challenge timeline It's on the slate for tonight, though. I will surely be reporting back!

I'm holding you to that!

[Hermione Gainser]

I'm holding you to that!

Glad you did! Just finished... did all but 6 cards in 20 minutes! WOO!

Exercises:

Hearts-Burpees

Clubs-Push ups

Spades-Mountain Climbers

Diamonds-Squats

[concretecavewoman]

Hey strength squadders, squat question! As I add more weight on the squat, I notice that I don't feel my glutes firing as well as with lower weights (like when I'm doing warmup sets). I always warmup with glute bridges and jump rope; when I start the warmup sets (unloaded bar, progressing from there) I feel like I have good glute engagement. But once I get to my goal weight it's like my quads just take over. Is this normal? Ok? If not a good thing, any pointers to get that whole rear chain working correctly?

[Robzilla1983]

I kind of had the opposite experience. I always felt it in my thighs, then as I upped the weight I felt it everywhere. So, that's normal I guess (?) that you feel it in your thighs now.

[Hermione Gainser]

Have you tried video taping yourself from the side doing lighter weight then the heavier weight? I suspect there may be something about how you're tweaking your form to allow for heavier weight that's not fully engaging the glutes.

[jdanger]

Hey strength squadders, squat question! As I add more weight on the squat, I notice that I don't feel my glutes firing as well as with lower weights (like when I'm doing warmup sets). I always warmup with glute bridges and jump rope; when I start the warmup sets (unloaded bar, progressing from there) I feel like I have good glute engagement. But once I get to my goal weight it's like my quads just take over. Is this normal? Ok? If not a good thing, any pointers to get that whole rear chain working correctly?

If your form is good and you know how to fire your glutes you're probably ok. Your quads might not be taking over as much as they are just the things that get super mad because they are relatively weaker than your glutes (hopefully). Are you sore after you squat? Where?

To reinforce it when the weight is heavier think about firing those glutes and driving your hips forward as you stand up. See if you notice any difference actively seeking that recruitment vs just doing the reps.

[Mama T]

concrete - to second what jdanger said, this rippetoe video helped me a lot for squat form. imagining there's a hand right above my butt that i need to press up really helps with firing the glutes during lifts.

[Mama T]

also, just checking in - i definitely failed the card game challenge, cause i did not do it. oh well. anyone have ideas for the second week challenge? and what about grades for week 2? i give myself a big ol' stinkin A. hit all my goals (other than slacking in the forums). and i'm 100% failing at NaNoWriMo, so... there's that.

[Rick]

Thanks for the video Mama T.

I'm feeling an overall A- for my fitness goals (25lbs away from my squat goal!), but a big fat F for my python goal. I've got to at least get that up to a D.

[CalvinHobbes]

I give myself a B- this week. Lifted with my friend three times and ran three times, but I almost feel as if I didn't push myself hard enough for either. Followed paleo most of the time, but so much more than I did before! Last night however I had my mom's pasta...she's Italian and the best cook I know. Totally not paleo, totally delicious, but my body totally feels it today.

[weirdquark]

I gave myself a B for the week for (on average) meeting expectations.

I may do the card game again tomorrow; it was fun.

I was thinking I'd go for seeing if I could increase my 1RM on anything for the weekly challenge, so I retested a few things last weekend.

[This is Seth]

I liked your 1RM idea, quark, but didn't think that there'd be enough of a gain over 1 week to see a difference. And I'm rather scared to try going 1RM twice within 7 days, feel like I'd pull something/get squished by something the second time through trying to make gains.

[weirdquark]

I liked your 1RM idea, quark, but didn't think that there'd be enough of a gain over 1 week to see a difference. And I'm rather scared to try going 1RM twice within 7 days, feel like I'd pull something/get squished by something the second time through trying to make gains.

Probably true, but I've been at the same PR for several weeks, so I must be in an in between state, where my real PR is greater than what I lifted before but not quite at my next possible increase with the weights that I have, so I'm hoping that this week will be enough to let me bump up something!

I don't know enough about testing PRs to be sure, but I figure as long as you give yourself plenty of rest between attempts while you're testing, you shouldn't hurt yourself.

[andygates]

Do a couple of light days beforehand, so you're nice and fresh and rested. Sleep and eat well. Then warm up, going into some low-rep sets as you move through your usual weights. So, for example, my deadlift run went ump x 100, 5x120, 3 x 140, 2 x 150, 1 x 160, then single lift attempts until I exploded into gibs (190 yes, 200 no). You just need to get mobile and warm then attack it with calm aggression.

[andygates]

OMG. This is all Spezzy's fault.

Out in twitterland, where I was whining about a crappy squat session, the Spezzinator suggested I try Death By Squats. "What?" "Bodyweight on the bar, 1 squat in the first minute, 2 in the second, see how far you get."

I made it to 8 minutes, with 100kg on the bar. 9 would have needed a cheering crowd and a sick bucket. That's a finisher which deserves its place in the pantheon of shudder-gasping sweat-slick wrecks of humanity. You Crossfit types are crazy!

I'll get 9 next time. Just you wait and see...