Hit Macros and Make Art

[MaylaKae]

I'm back for my second challenge! What's changed? Well, I have decided to say farewell to the Rangers and join the Warriors! Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement. I am looking forward to working on this one for the full 4 weeks, as I joined my first one a few days late. 

 

THE GOALS:

 

• Write weekly blog posts
  • Create a content calendar by 4/25 and post it to the NF thread COMPLETE 4/25! 
  • Share links of weekly blog posts on NF thread to keep me accountable
• Finish setting up website
  • Finish setting up footer, social media threads, related posts, and all miscellaneous template stuff by 5/7/17.
    • Website is www.kaylamaeanderson.com for those of you that are curious.
• Hit macros 5/7 days/week
  • I downloaded the MyMacros + app to help me track
  • Current Macros are:
    • Protein 122
    • Carbs 152
    • Fat 59
    • Calories 1623
  • Make macro-friendly snacks over the weekend to have on hand throughout the week
• Complete morning routine 5/7 days per week
  • M/W/F up at 5:15am
  • T/Th up at 6:15am
  • M/W/F
    • 5:30-7:00 Gym
    • 7:15-7:30 Shake/coffee
    • 7:30-8:15 Journal and Meditation
    • 8:15 Get ready for work
  • T/Th
    • 6:15-6:30 Coffee/Walk Dog
    • 6:30-6:45 Breakfast
    • 6:45-7:15 Journal and meditation
    • 7:15-8:15 Work on blogs/performance pieces

[Grumble]

Welcome to the warriors. Mead Hall is front and center. Power racks are here, here, here and here. Weapon storage is in the back and treadmills are next to the bathrooms.

 

That's a hell of a challenge list. I can't wait to see how you accomplish it.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

 

[MaylaKae]

28 minutes ago, Grumble said:

Welcome to the warriors. Mead Hall is front and center. Power racks are here, here, here and here. Weapon storage is in the back and treadmills are next to the bathrooms.

 

That's a hell of a challenge list. I can't wait to see how you accomplish it.

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

 

 

I tend to be pretty (overly) ambitious. TBH, the morning routine is a carry-over from the last challenge. I am starting to get the hang of it at this point. Macros are new territory and will be difficult to manage. We shall see...

 

Nice to meet you!

 

[Grumble]

 

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

 

 

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

Hi!

 

[Jord]

Very excited to have you here! YESSSS

 

10 hours ago, Grumble said:

Welcome to the warriors. Mead Hall is front and center. Power racks are here, here, here and here. Weapon storage is in the back and treadmills are next to the bathrooms.

 

I have unfortunately learned that the latter is important......

[RedStone]

Swapsies! (I'm hanging with the Rangers this go  But will be back eventually!) Good luck on all the goals! All good stuff, website looks lovely  I'll pop in here and there!

 

[miss_marissa]

YAY!!!!!! Welcome to Warriors

[MaylaKae]

On 4/20/2017 at 7:28 AM, Taddea Zhaan said:

Very excited to have you here! YESSSS

 

 

I have unfortunately learned that the latter is important......

 

 

This made me LOL IRL. (Sitting in an auditorium full of folks between sessions at a marketing conference, to boot!)

[Sam Ashen]

Welcome to the Warriors!

[elvenengineer]

Hi! Welcome to the warriors!

[Jord]

added you / stalked you on IG >_>

[MaylaKae]

SUNDAY 4/23/17

• Write weekly blog posts
  • Content calendar coming your way Tuesday 4/25 (today)
• Finish setting up website
  • Not yet started
• Hit macros 5/7 days/week
  • 0/7
    • Hung out with friends, went hiking, and drank some beer after (carbs on carbs on carbs)
      • Protein 99/122
      • Carbs 218/152
      • Fat 40/59
      • Calories 1627/1627
• Complete morning routine 5/7 days per week
  • 0/7
    • No morning routine pressure on Sundays. Slept in and chilled. 

[MaylaKae]

MONDAY 4/24/17

• Write weekly blog posts
  • Content calendar coming your way Tuesday 4/25 (today)
• Finish setting up website
  • Not yet started
• Hit macros 5/7 days/week
  • 0/7
    • I had rehearsal, which means I also had a margarita. This week's host is a pretty amazing bartender in Chicago. I couldn't say no. 
      • Protein 158/122
      • Carbs 195/152
      • Fat 49/59
      • Calories 1815/1627
• Complete morning routine 5/7 days per week
  • 1/7
    • Monday success! Did my Stronglifts 5x5 A workout and met some really nice people. John and Sarah work out together and are willing to share power racks and tips, and I was doing squats next to a female powerlifter from Brazil. She's amazing! And so encouraging. :-) 
      • Speaking of squats- can y'all weigh in? This video is from Saturday (90#, starting to get pretty heavy.) When I was still doing Bodypump classes, squats would hurt my knees (despite keeping my chest lifted, knees behind toes.) But as I've gotten stronger, I think that problem has subsided. However, I have been videoing myself, and I think I am bending too far forward. It is really hard for me to get my hips back and down far enough and keep my chest lifted while keeping my core and lower back strong. Maybe it is because I am a woman with a big pelvis/butt? Maybe something in my upper body is weak and preventing me from lifting my chest? I feel great in squats, but something just doesn't look right. 
      • FYI I am 5'7" 147# and have a pretty short torso (and arms)

[Grumble]

A couple of things I saw.

 

You're base doesn't look incredibly steady. You had a small wobble going in to the first squat and it never really went away.

You started getting tired about the third rep, that's when your chest started collapsing on the way down and you were trying to lift with your chin on the way up. Which is fine, you get tired, form breaks a little. I'd focus more on getting that super solid base before squatting.

[Sam Ashen]

21 minutes ago, Grumble said:

You're base doesn't look incredibly steady. You had a small wobble going in to the first squat and it never really went away.

 

My thought is widen the stance.

 

Also decide between a low-bar squat and a high-bar squat.  It took me a very long time to learn the difference and my Oly friends still tease me about being low-bar all the way.  Low-bar, it is sitting, well, very low on your shoulders and your grip is thumbless.  Your back angle will be naturally steeper.

 

If you want to see very bad squat-mornings, follow me on IG.  Or check out #squatmorning.  I use it.

[Grumble]

1 minute ago, Sam Ashen said:

My thought is widen the stance.

 

It's hard to tell from the angle of the video, but I tend to agree.

[MaylaKae]

45 minutes ago, Sam Ashen said:

 

My thought is widen the stance.

 

Also decide between a low-bar squat and a high-bar squat.  It took me a very long time to learn the difference and my Oly friends still tease me about being low-bar all the way.  Low-bar, it is sitting, well, very low on your shoulders and your grip is thumbless.  Your back angle will be naturally steeper.

 

If you want to see very bad squat-mornings, follow me on IG.  Or check out #squatmorning.  I use it.

 

Would you suggest trying the low bar to help me keep my chest up?

[MaylaKae]

45 minutes ago, Grumble said:

 

It's hard to tell from the angle of the video, but I tend to agree.

 

Ok. I am about shoulder/hip width now and pointing toes out 30 degrees. I'll post a video from the front next time with a wider stance and see how that affects things. I loved doing goblet squats, but it doesn't fit in with the Stronglifts program. Or perhaps it could... thoughts?

 

Thanks so much for the quick help, y'all! 

[RedStone]

17 minutes ago, MaylaKae said:

 

Ok. I am about shoulder/hip width now and pointing toes out 30 degrees. I'll post a video from the front next time with a wider stance and see how that affects things. I loved doing goblet squats, but it doesn't fit in with the Stronglifts program. Or perhaps it could... thoughts?

 

Thanks so much for the quick help, y'all! 

 

@Emerald_Dragonfly can weigh in on goblet squats in SL, I think she swapped out one of the back squats days out for them. Im personally a fan of this idea, you can work with a challenging weight while dealing with more upright and front squat posture ideas. IMO it's a good variation for you considering the way you're folding over.

 

I don't want to over complicate things at this point, since you're a few months in. For now I would suggest working on engaging before starting the lift - clench your butt and brace your core, get those lats and elbows pulled down before you start the decent. Building up strength there will help you maintain better posture, and as the lifts get heavier you can start feeling out details of your personal geometry.

[Emerald_Dragonfly]

3 minutes ago, RedStone said:

 

@Emerald_Dragonfly can weigh in on goblet squats in SL, I think she swapped out one of the back squats days out for them.

 

I adhered to  stronglifts for around eight months.  Then the squats got to be too much for me.  I fooled around with other programming, blah blah blah...To make a long story tolerable, I am currently back squatting twice per week and then goblet Squatting the middle time (and sometimes again if I can manage a 4th workout).

 

I can't really advise on programming, my advice is pretty much just for me.  /Shrug. I am a fan of following stronglifts without messing with it too much (or Starting Strength) until you can't.  In a perfect world, I would get a coach or find a program that suitsme perfectly...

 

I'm going to chime in and say that it wouldn't hurt to try a tiny bit wider stance.   Grain of salt, though... I'm super amateur.  :-)

[Sam Ashen]

21 minutes ago, RedStone said:

I don't want to over complicate things at this point, since you're a few months in.

 

Pretty much this.

[Mike Wazowski]

23 minutes ago, RedStone said:

I don't want to over complicate things at this point, since you're a few months in. For now I would suggest working on engaging before starting the lift - clench your butt and brace your core, get those lats and elbows pulled down before you start the decent. Building up strength there will help you maintain better posture, and as the lifts get heavier you can start feeling out details of your personal geometry.

 

TrainerStone is wise - I have nothing else to add.

 

Good luck with the stronglifts! I found it helpful to start doing one light squat day a week while I was doing a linear progression (started w/ SL then switched to Starting Strength which is quite similar) - you can and should play around with a lighter squat day (which could be goblets) if you're starting to feel beat up from squatting 3x a week.

[Grumble]

1 minute ago, MikeWazowski said:

TrainerStone is wise - I have nothing else to add.

 

Is she gonna have to change her username now?

[RedStone]

5 minutes ago, Grumble said:

 

Is she gonna have to change her username now?

 

When I first started here I just used my name name (Meredith - boorrring!) Then I decided I should have an awesome name and went with minecraft cause duh... but the day after I changed it I realized I could have been Br0balina! If I ever change it in the future, it would probably be in that direction...