Fast Cars and Battle Scars

[Lachy]

Yay, Katscratch is back! I knew that Zonda would do the trick

Yep, squat first, the reason being that although one works the lowerbody and the other the upper, they both use the core. You can get by on OHP with a less than fresh core, but squats need the core the most, and if the core is soft/tired then the squat will suffer. That sucks though when you can't get the rack

Your deadlifts will come back up in no time, and will probably be better than they were before. Better to go light and focus on form

[katscratch]

Gym with awesome coworker 545am, didn't plan on doing much but drinking my coffee....

Couldn't help myself:

Squats 45 x 5, 55 x 5 x 3

Hanging leg raise x 10 x 5

triceps and front of my shoulders/chest feel sore today, but not too bad....

hoping i'm motivated early tomorrow morning without the nudge of picking AC up

[katscratch]

Southwest suburb gym 830pm

Squat rack looked to be occupied for quite a while and I wanted to be sleeping by 10pm (not happening....11 hopefully) so changed up the plan.

5min elliptical forward/backward q1min

Overhead Press

20# x 5

30 x 8 x 5

...last few pushed and almost failed.

practiced deadlift form in between sets

Dumbbell Rows

20 x 10 L/R

25 x 10 x 2 L/R

20 x 10 x 2 L/R

25 x 5 x 2 Left

Curls

15 x 10 x 2 Left

15 x 5 Left

(ugh these were hard after the first few hahahaha, sad lil lefty)

Tricep/Lat pulldown machine thingie

70 x 10 x 5 (using my shoulder/back way too much to help lefty out toward the end)

Stretching, impromptu shower w gym soap that smelled like pina colada candy

Gym with A.C. in the morning: squats, deads, maaaaybe work on bench form w 20#

Then no gym on Thursday. Boo.

[katscratch]

...Gym with A.C. Wed morning-- free weights occupied so we did one of those "class" video things. Ugh. Picked one that said "full body strength" and it turned out to be all upper body. BRUTAL weird pushup variations and then a bunch of triceps....pretty much the opposite of what my body needed haha.

Squatting today. Fer sure. Deciding whether I want to go now or late tonight, meant to go early this morning but went back to sleep and had crazy dreams about my yard being gutted and landscaped by a neighbor. It's a gamble at my 'hood gym no matter what time of day I go....hrm....

[katscratch]

Neighborhood gym Friday 2pm

Good time, not too busy, good crowd

3min elliptical

Squats

45# x 5

65 x 5 with crap form on the last rep

60 x 5 x 4

....well, discovered what happens when I lift fasted (ate breakfast 9am, then just protein powder in coffee on the way to the gym, thinking i'd eat lunch after) ....legs felt sooo weak

Bench

30 x 5

40 x 5 x 5 say what? uh-huh.

I think I'm getting this down finally. Watched a bunch of vids again this morning and read SL and SS Bench pages as reminders. Then practiced motion with 20# but while standing (so moving the bar out front) to look at what my arms might be doing, and realized that for my forearms to be perpendicular at the bottom I need to be lowering the bar to below my sternum (like if I drop the bar I'll be good for the heimlich. Or CPR). Felt WAY more stable than the couple inches north I'd been doing. Darn gangly limbs

Bent Over BB Rows

30 x 5

40 x 5 x 3

40 x 8 x 2

worked DL in slo-mo with the 40# wimp bar in between sets

Deads!

95 x 1

95 x 1

95 fail

95 x 1

95 x 1

95 x 1

....never wait to eat lunch again, is what

Plank 60 sec

Bridge (hold) 120 sec x 2

[Lachy]

Nice work Katscratch! I always pick up an extra hint or two from re-watching and re-reading instructions.

[katscratch]

Didn't sleep until 3am or so this morning, and woke at 530 to go to work. Grrrrrr.

Neighborhood gym Mon 930pm

Maybe I do need to start getting up early in the morning to hog the squat rack all to myself.

Squat

rack in use so used wimp bars

40# ATG x 8

50 ATG x 8 x 3

50 ATG x 5 x 3

....wanted to do 60 but pretty sure I wouldn't be able to get it onto my shoulders. Wimp bars are shorter than the regular bar and I kept catching myself rolling forward on my left foot when coming up- I used to have to really focus on this before I started using the regular bar but haven't had an issue since then, until now. Went slow-mo on the last two sets and kept everything tight, heels where they belonged.

OHP

20 x 5

40 x 5 x 3

30 x 5 x 2

...left elbow trying to wing out and get help from my back on the last 2 of the 40# set so went back to 30. Also leaned my abdomen forward more than I should've while pressing up on a few. Thanks Lachy! I probably would've stuck with 30 for another week if not for you

Practiced dead form with 40# bar--I know that my lower back is weak weak weak when I don't get enough sleep.

Plank 60 sec

Out.

And sadly awake at 210am, have to leave for work at 545....thank goodness I'm floating tomorrow and not in a case :/

[Lachy]

Going early and having free reign of the equipment is good I whole heartedly recommend it, and it sounds like you're getting up early anyway.

What is it you do for work?

[Pat G]

Going early and having free reign of the equipment is good I whole heartedly recommend it, and it sounds like you're getting up early anyway.

What is it you do for work?

She's some sort of crazy doctor or medico or scientist or hospital...

Ouch on the lack of sleep thing, if i don't get at least 7 hours, its bloody hard to get up and do anything properly.

[Lachy]

She's a hospital?!

[katscratch]

She's a hospital?!

Hahaha! LOL for serious.

...I work in surgery at a hospital

I have to be at work before 6:50am and it's about a 45 minute commute if I carpool. I am unfortunately the type of person that will always go back to sleep if I can, so I haven't made a single early morning workout that hasn't involved my carpool partner being there. Even though I know I'd have the gym to myself, and I'd feel awesome for the start of the day. Now that it's summer-y and light out earlier, maybe I can start convincing myself to actually get up!

Neighborhood gym 315pm, empty until 330.

Squat

45# x 5

65 x 5 x 5

Bench

20 x 5

40 x 5 x 5

Dumbbell Rows

25# x 5 x 5

Plank 60 sec

Bridges

Bench form is still so-so, or rather feels weird but "looks" fine now when I kinda spot check where my arms are ending up. I think it's kind of funny that this is the lift that feels the most alien to me, when it looks SO simple and tons of people do it fine.

....My buddy offered to show me 'stuff' on Tuesday but i was too tired. SO tired, went home early from work and fell asleep for three hours. And my arms would've died after Monday night. I had lots of really good excuses. Being chicken was also one of them.

Did a pullup from a dead hang for kicks earlier today but didn't want to do too many and screw up my workout. Stopped at one. Figured that wasn't too many.

[Lachy]

Good work! Keep going on the bench, and it'll become second nature. But checking your form is always a good habit to get into.

Pull ups won't wreck your workout, do them whenever you can Really, the only lift they'd affect is your row, but even then I don't think it would be too much. They're great and strength gains there will help you in other areas.

[Pat G]

Bench formcheck time!

Thats a good workout. 5x5 for everything. *fistbump*

Chins are good at finding and ironing out shoulder weakness.

[katscratch]

Neighborhood gym, Saturday 1pm - Darryl was leaving as I was walking in and started to turn to chat haha - I just smiled said 'hi' and kept going. Darryl can't stop this machine!

Ok so I mentioned this in my blog post and then thought it sounded crazy -- but on my last 2 squat reps I seriously had pictures of your avatars floating around my head and I couldn't wuss out and go back down in weight. I did have to re-set up a couple times, get my chest full and core tight, but you guys were totally helping So here's a thank you

Squat

20.45kg x 5

31.8 x 5 x 5 (up 2.2kg, BOOM)

Overhead Press

9.1 x 5

18.18 x 5 x 5 (BOOM - but I had a couple reps that were not perfect form, so don't worry Lachy I won't be calling in that beer just yet....)

13.6 x 8

Deadlift

20.45 x 1

52.25 x 1 BOOM

52.25 x 1 BOOM

54.54 x 1 BOOM

56.81 x 1 BOOM

56.81 x 1 BOOM

43.18 x 5 (full set for form, just long enough pause to reset)

--smashed bodyweight on these today, oh yes! (weighed myself at the gym, 53.4kg)

Really wanted to go higher but did not want to pass out. Heh. SO MUCH FUN though!

Trying to add a bit for hamstrings/glutes -

Hip thrusters with 22.72 barbell 3 x 10/9/10

Had thought about doing glute-ham raises-- someone described using the lat pulldown machine, and the pad set up is perfect-- but my legs were friiiiied -- did 10 x back extensions holding an 11.36kg plate and after just those my body said oh Hell No to anything remotely leg/back related.

No plank, but stretched and foam rolled my lower back for a bit. Probably *should* have planked given how much I did NOT want to. My arms especially. So, stretching, foam rolling, out the door. SO GLAD i did not ride my bike as I'd planned, walking down the stairs I was a teeny bit shaky, it would have been no fun pushing my cruiser 3 miles in this muggy heat!

Now that I feel ok about form on most lifts (darn you Bench) I'm actually following 5x5 instead of making it up as I go, but until today wasn't really planning on increasing each time unless I got through all 5 sets with perfect form....we'll see though, cuz today was pretty awesome.

So obviously getting stronger, just need to get bigger. Ate a bunch of crap in the past few days and my gut is bigger, but that's not really where I had in mind

Hope you're having a great weekend, lads!!!!

And truly, thank you

[Lachy]

BOOM!!!

(Must come back tonight and embed youtube videos! - a couple spring to mind )

That's awesome work katscratch, you're killing it! No wonder Darryl couldn't stop you! I'm glad we inspired you, and I'm happy we've turned you metric too

As long as form is good, bump the weight. I think I'll be owing you a beer soon.

[GreenEyesBright]

I really wanna workout with you Kat! Get em girl!

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

[Pat G]

BOOM!!!

(Must come back tonight and embed youtube videos! - a couple spring to mind )

That's awesome work katscratch, you're killing it! No wonder Darryl couldn't stop you! I'm glad we inspired you, and I'm happy we've turned you metric too As long as form is good, bump the weight. I think I'll be owing you a beer soon.

haha i noticed that conversion too

Thats a serious effort, you've hit bodyweight already. Onwards and upwards, if my calculations are correct Lachy will be having to buy you a beer next weekend.

[katscratch]

GreenEyesBright, that would be so much fun!! Let's meet at your gym though

Metric as tribute to you lads And my Canadian roots, haha.

....I'm thinking a Carbine Stout'll be real nice in a week or so....

[GreenEyesBright]

=) I like this idea!

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk 2

[Lachy]

....I'm thinking a Carbine Stout'll be real nice in a week or so....

Do you mean this?:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3437[/ATTACH]

Or is there an American beer by the same name? Anyway, it seems this one isn't made anymore.

[katscratch]

oh, boo! that's the only Australian beer I've had, it was yummy

....ended up off work by 10am this past Tuesday, sat in coworker's yard drinking lemonade/whiskey for hours, got incredibly horribly sunburned for the first time in probably 20 years..... went to the gym with more whiskey on board than anything else, hahahahahaha total joke - got through squat reps and then realized i was waaayyyyy too hungry and my skin huurrrrrrt too bad to do anything else.... no arms....

oh, but coworker mentioned that my quads look bigger and more defined. whoohoo

Squat

75# x 5

Have not been to the gym since, today's the first I can move without my skin protesting madly but I have millions of lovely blisters all over my arms and legs. Including all across my tattoo. Wheee.

Neighborhood gym today (Sunday) 5pm

Pretty empty, day before a holiday, nobody used the rack but me the entire time I was there, yay

Squat

75# x 5 x 5

Bench Press

30 x 5

45 x 5

45 x 5

50 x 5

50 x 2

45 x 5

45 x 5

Dumbbell Rows

25 x 5 x 5 each arm

and for kicks

Lat Pulldown 5 x 5

alternated with

Pec Flys 5 x 4

No core

Tomorrow if the weather stays nice is major garden day since I'm about a month behind. More arms and back Was awesome today cutting down tree limbs to not be exhausted - I've never had my arms and shoulders not be tired doing this before.

[Pat G]

Stone the crows... blisters!?!?!?!? thats some of the worst sunburn i've ever heard of... Heal well, and try not to peel your skin too much as it comes up.

Hoorah on the bench 20kgs!! using the oly bar now?

[katscratch]

Yep! Took advantage of having the section to myself! And funny enough, form feels a lot better with the big girl bar than the wimp bars -- it's been like this with all the lifts, I think my gangly limbs get the balance of the longer bar better.

And, yeah....the last time I burned this badly I'd been in a pool in California for about 12 hours when I was young....I was in Colorado last summer, high elevation with direct sun, for hours without burning at all, so I was NOT expecting to fry like this in such a short time. My skin looks like there are tons of tiny water droplets all over, it's the craziest thing. Learned my lesson!

[Lachy]

Ow! Sounds painful Hope you heal soon.

That's great progress

[katscratch]

Suburb gym 530am w/coworker

Squat rack very much occupied and not freeing up at all soon...

OHP

40# x 5 x 5

DB Rows

25 x 5 x 5

ran out of time. boo.

went tonight to neighborhood gym to hopefully squat/DL, SUPER BUSY, only had 45 minutes so didn't wait. more boo.

....one of these days i might have to join a real gym with more than one rack...