Update

So, turns out all my joint issues are due to my body going haywire. My ANA is positive and my sed rate is up. I have an autoimmune issue of some sort. This is why it has been so hard to train and be consistent. For the month of January, I have felt much better. I tried to get myself to go to the gym every day of January, but every day I had an excuse. I was frightened. Frightened of joint pain coming back, of fatigue and of feeling like I am a crap Mom because I can’t get up and do anything.

Today is my 45th birthday (yay, me!). Tamara Reynolds posted an interesting research article on the importance of physical activity over weightloss, and that spurred me into action. I have gained weight, but I am pretty tired of feeling like shit about it, and I just want to be healthy over anything else. All autoimmune issues benefit from regular activity. I have no excuses. I feel good physically. So, I outfitted my power rack with a stall mat and went to work.

Today was just squats. And man, I started light. I am following the Starting Strength program, and this week, all I am doing are squats. Next week I will incorporate the other lifts. I just wanted to get in there and get it done and show myself that while I am going to have some come back DOMS, I should not fear strength training.

I will continue to follow Starting Strength until I make back the gainZ I lost and maybe even further than that. It’s a really good base program and one with which I am familiar. It’s sorta like coming home.

In any case, this is my start:

Squats

barx20
70×5
95×5
115×3
135×5
135×5
135×5

Done.

And here is the research that will be coming out in print later this month.

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.full.pdf+html

Soup and lifts

Lifts first. What is life without lifting? 260 squat/143 bench/310 deadlift. Hurrah. I am making progress!

I am also too fat for my liking. I have gained 25 pounds with the help of an SSRI (Thanks, Obama!), and want to lose this damned extra weight while keeping the gainZ! I changed the antidepressant and the gaining has stopped. I plan on doing lots of LISS, and will follow the Texas Method.

Now for nomnoms.

This soup is killer. And nice macros, too.

Ham and Garbanzo Bean Soup

1 onion chopped
3T buttah. grassfed yum
1T chopped fresh thyme
3/4 lb chopped carrot
salt
pepper
garlic powder
leftover white wine (i used Trivento Torrontes as it was what was open in the fridge) 1 cup should suffice.
2T Grey Poupon
1T of Better Than Bullion chicken base
6 cups water
1 bay leaf
pound and a half of leftover spiral ham chopped

In large heavy bottom pot, heat 2T butter (or preferred fat) and add chopped onion. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes or so to slightly carmelize. Pour in leftover wine and scrape the bottom of the pan for the browned bits. You can even add the ham prior to this if you like, but I didn’t.

Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, carrot, Grey Poupon, Better Than Bullion, water, bayleaf and ham, if you haven’t already. Cook at low heat, covered, for 30 minutes.

Taste and season with S&P to preference and then add one more dollop of Grey Poupon, some lemon, if needed, and a knob of butter.

Serve with toasted bread. Whole grain, seeded is quite good with it.

Welcome back to deadlifts, sorry your hands got all torn up!

my hands look like hamburger. srs.

So I had about two weeks of training before I went off to a great family vacation. We tooled around Texas, hitting the hill country, Austin, Houston, North Padre, San Antonio and then came home. I only worked out once in the two weeks of vacation. It was at  Metroflex in Houston and I loved that place. Filthy warehouse full of the most amazing equipment and people just left you alone to do your thing. Heaven.

Monday I did squats/bench/squats. My squats suck. Nuff said. Today was deadlifts and bench, as follows:

Deadlifts
155×5
195×5
215×3
215×3
245×3
245×3
245×3
245×3
245×3

Bench Press
65×5
85×5
95×5
105×3
105×3
115×2
115×2
115×2
125×1
125×1
115×2
115×2
105×3
105×3
95×5
85×8
70×10

Deficit Deadlifts from 3.5″
195×5
195×5
195×5
195×5
195×5

almost 3 hours. i goofed off a bit with my coach’s daughter, who is a sweet pea.

Bench, deadlifts, KB snatch and C&P, and rackpulls.

Today was rather beastly. Still easier than those insane conditioning days he throws at me. I got there first and just started benching because I forgot his said dead, bench dead was the order. So it’s a little wonky looking for a workout. My fault, entirely.

Wednesday – Deads, Benching, KB’s and Burpees

Bench Press
w/u stretching
barx10
10 – KB 12kg C&P ES
65×5
10 – KB 12 kg C&P ES

Deadlifts
150×3
185×3
210x3x2
245x3x5

Bench Press + moar!
95×5
KB 12kg snatch ES
105×3
10 – KB 12kg snatch ES
105×3
10 – KB 12kg snatch ES
117×2
10 – KB 12kg snatch ES
117×2
10 Burpees
117×2
10 Burpees
105×5
10 Burpees
95×6
10 Burpees
65×8
10 Burpees

Rackpulls
150×3
185×3
210×3
210×3
245×2
245×1
245×0
I was so spent.
FIN.

Tomorrow is another active recovery day. Probably just some sled drags and battle ropes. 


OH!!! If you need squat shoes and have access to Ross (dress for less!) Department Store, then go there and see if they have any. Ross had a number of pairs of Adiddas Powerlifts for 35 bucks!!!

Manno Classic 2014 and new program

So, I did it. I competed in my first powerlifting meet. It was exciting and I have a lust for power now. I *really* wanna lift heavy weight. I am even eating healthy foods and timing my meals and doing *gasp* conditioning work every session. I dislike conditioning work. The way cats dislike water. They way my toddler dislikes being told what to do.

I will do it, though. For the thrill of trying to make a 733 total for November. Yes, yes, I realise I am reaching, but what you don’t reach for, you will never get.

Here is the video…209 squat/115 bench (i forgot the press command or I would have easily had 132!)/303 deadlift. That deadlift won me a national record in NASA for M1 198+. WOOT!

 

Plan of Attack

Heavy conditioning for 6 weeks or so, then ease up on conditioning, and focus on lifting 3x week with 2 days of conditioning. After 6-8 weeks of that, we focus on heavy singles and then technique work, and finally figuring out my openers and easing way up on conditioning to recover for the meet. It’s a six month process that my coach has mapped out for me. I am way excited, but oh man… the workouts are BRUTAL!

 

Monday Richko 

Squat + KB Swings inbetween sets
stretching
barx5
85×5
110×5 – KB
135×5 – KB
155×3 – KB
155×3 – KB
155×3 – KB
175×1, x1, x1 – KB
175×1, 155×2 – KB
165×1 (fail the second)

90 seconds rest before KB
120seconds rest after KB
Kettlebell swings between sets
16kg x15 each

Bench + KB swings inbetween each set
same rest sequence as above
65×5 – KB
80×5  – KB
90×3 – KB
90×3 – KB
105×3 – KB
105×3 – KB
105×3 – KB
105×3 – KB
105×3 – KB


16 sets total of kettlebell swings 
16*30=480 KB swings total.


Squats
135×1 TOTAL TOAST.

Notes

Day 1 of doing Sheiko Rich Kahle style. HOLY ****. Eventually my workouts should look like
50%x5
60%x5
70%x3x2
80%x3x5

For squat and bench with KB or other conditioning work thrown inbetween sets with timed rest. And you round that off with more squats.

Obviously today I did not get everything done, but Rich says that is to be expected and I won’t move up in weights until i am able to do the workout as written. I think that’s a pretty cool idea. 

 

Tuesday – Conditioning/Active Recovery

Conditioning/Recovery Tuesday
+90 prowler2 – 120 yards
spiderman crawl 20 yards
jump battle ropes
spidermancrawl 20 yards
+90 prowler2 – 120 yards
bear crawl 20 yards
side lunges while alternating battle ropes
bear crawl 20 yards
+90 prowler2 – 120 yards

Notes

My legs are now so sore, I have internal debates about just how badly I need to pee before I force myself to endure the DOMS and actually walk.

Deadlifts and more benching tomorrow. If I weren’t laughing, I would definitely be crying.

T minus 10 days.

Manno Classic is right around the corner. I am going to my very first meet in ten days!! I am beyond excited to see all this lifting in person, as I have been mostly watching people lift online for two years now. To be able to see all of this in person, and especially see my friend, B, lift in person, too, will be a real treat.

Here is B from last year. I met her on a message board for lifters, and she’s a beast of a lifter, but also one of the coolest, and most kindhearted people around.

She can do all of that, plus kick some ass in MMA as well.  Can you tell I sort of hero worship her? Yeah.

My lifts aren’t amazing, but hey, it’s my first and I have never been an athlete in my life plus I’m in my mid-40’s, so decades of just hanging out on this earth not being physical. I am catching up, slowly, and I have goals, people!

Assumed Lifts for Manno Classic

Squat – 185, 205, 215

Bench Press – 105, 121, 127 or 132

Deadlift – 275, 285, 300

I want that 300 deadlift. BAD!

 

 

Decided on my squat numbers for Manno Classic

I am getting excited. Training has been going well. I haven’t blogged the training, but I swear it still happens over on my side of the computer. lol

Squat and a bit of benching today. Squat numbers will be as follows, if all goes well:

185, 205, 215

This week we will sort bench and deadlift as well.

This is my first meet and I am pretty excited. And nervous.

I am focusing on nutrition at this point, too. My goal is under 2200 calories with 165 or more grams protein. 200’ish carbs, 70’ish fats. It just takes a bit of planning and my willingness to cool lots and lots of chicken breasts.

Monday Benching.

Bench Press

60×10

80×10

90×5

100×5

110×3

110×3

120×2

120×2

120×2

120×2

120×2

110×3

100×5

100×5

100×5

 

Floor Tricep Thrusts/DB Row

25×6/50×7

25×6/50×7

25×6/50×7

25×6/50×7

 

DB Overhead Standing Press/Triangle Lat Pulldown

25×10/100×8

25×10/100×8

25×10/100×8

25×10/100×8

Friday – Bench Press

Benching. I still have the serratus acting up. It is on the mend, though. Coach was going to have me do heavy singles if it didn’t act up, but no dice. So we worked on triples at around 85%.

60×10

80×10

80×10

90×8

100×5

100×3

100×3

100×3

105×3

110×3

110×3

 

3-Part DB Rows/”Kroc” Rows

30×8/63×4

30×8/63×6

30×8/63×6

30×8/63×6

 

Elbows-out Tricep Extension/Lat Pulldown

25×8/80×10

25×8/80×10

25×7/80×10

25×7/80×10

 

Bench Press

110×2

110×3

110×1

110×2

110×2

110×2

Thursday – Conditioning and abs

Conditioning day

sled drags – 360 yards with +200 lbs added

prowler low bar/high bar 60/60 yards

50 spread eagle sit ups

30 weighted pushups with 25#

30 20 lb sledgehammers to the tire

30/15/15 hanging knee raises center/side/side

50 russian twists

25 kettlebell swings