Feb./Mar. 2005 _ Brat's "Goodtime" Journal

[threenorns]

hmmm... a very nice sweater, indeed....

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by threenorns

hmmm... a very nice sweater, indeed....

Can't you tell black makes me look slimmer!

[threenorns]

as IF you need that!!! i wear black, too, but not because it makes me look slimmer - there's a certain point at which that just doesn't help and in fact emphasizes the amount of wall space one is occluding. i just like black

SIDE BENDS!!!! i HATE them!!! i never, ever do them. i work my obliques using static holds - hanging hip raises. keeps the strength up, but doesn't add bulk.

last time i was 125, i had a 24" waist and 36" hips - still have the same ratio, but it's the widescreen version. at 115, i had a 20" waist and 34" hips - it looked *heinous* troll nasty - hipbones, collarbones, and ribs jutting out like the old grey mare. why i'd want to mess up my taper using side bends is beyond me.

[CF-OC_gal]

Mar. 27 - Leg Workout

WT: 134
TOD: 4:10pm

1. Squats: (65x10, 85 x8) 120x4 115x5
2. Box squats: (lowest bench, with a sitdown, pause) 65x4x4
3. Good mornings: 75x6x6
4. Lunges w/Oly.B: 45lb x5, 50x5
5. Seated Calf raise: 20 x 11, 30 x 10 (these are not that productive anymore - they totally aggravate the arthritis in my left ankle, thankfully my calves are not a weak point)

Great workout tonight! There was barely anyone around so I did it all in a squat rack cage except the calves. I tried the good mornings using the "hip thrust forward and back" motion rather than the bend over forward at the waist /ham stretch movement. Wow ! what a difference. It feels like a totally different exercise. More like a core stability and control rather than a Sp. Erector/ hamstring exercise. The weight felt even lower than it does when I do the other kind, but I'll stick to this to get used to it. We'll see what tomorrows DOMS brings.

It's soon time to end this routine and go back again to the full body split from the late fall. This has been good. My working weights are a little higher, my joints feel great and I'm thinking I'd like to stay working at these weights to really perfect my form and control. I feel that I could manage to get a little lower on my squat before trying to just up the number of pounds on the BB.

I'll go through the next 8 week plan with minimum intensity aerobics and start running intervals regularly after, in mid- May. (Whining - I need new workout clothes ! )

[gcs118]

Originally Posted by Brat

I feel that I could manage to get a little lower on my squat before trying to just up the number of pounds on the BB.

You might consider doing both at the same time. If you hit the 115s and 120s pretty easily, you could add weight AND go lower. I find that it's hard to get down all the way unless I have some weight to push me down. With the bar or just 95 lbs, it's hard to go deep. I need at least that 135 to push me down. So you could go heavier and let the weight help you get low.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by gcs118

You might consider doing both at the same time. If you hit the 115s and 120s pretty easily, you could add weight AND go lower. I find that it's hard to get down all the way unless I have some weight to push me down. With the bar or just 95 lbs, it's hard to go deep. I need at least that 135 to push me down. So you could go heavier and let the weight help you get low.

You might be right but I still fight fear of getting stuck at the bottom. The safety bars have 4" adjustment holes. I either clang at the bottom or (my choice) go one lower and hope I never get stuck. I should also bring my feet together a bit. When they are wide I can't go as low.

[gcs118]

4" is a pretty big difference between holes. I think mine are 1-2". You could always fall back or fall forward...it's going to clang no matter how you look at it What sucks though is that you have to unload all the weight to put the bar back into place for the next set...but it's worth it.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by gcs118

4" is a pretty big difference between holes. I think mine are 1-2". You could always fall back or fall forward...it's going to clang no matter how you look at it What sucks though is that you have to unload all the weight to put the bar back into place for the next set...but it's worth it.

The only way to let the safety bars catch the weight would be to roll it off my back (ouch!) or to fall forward onto my knees on the concrete floor (double ouch) . The other alternative is to leave the safties high and clang at parallel.

Every now and then I ask for spot on bench press but not on squats. Strangers make me fell uncomfortable when they are that close while squatting. It ruins my concentration.

[ajarvis]

Hey Brat! I know what you mean about getting stuck, and spotters! I've never even seen someone have a spotter with squats so I wouldn't even know if the person doing it was doing it right lol.

If you can do the weight fine now, then you would probably be able to go lower and higher. Go lower first. I find that lots of times it's more mental. I'm afraid to up the weight and go lower and get stuck, but if I push myself to just do it, then I'm fine.

[gcs118]

Originally Posted by ajarvis

Hey Brat! I know what you mean about getting stuck, and spotters! I've never even seen someone have a spotter with squats so I wouldn't even know if the person doing it was doing it right lol.

There are a few different ways. If the weight is lighter, the spot can simply stand behind you and push up on your elbows. Or they can hold your torso and push up, sometimes placing a knee on your butt to help push as well. When the weight gets heavier, it'd be best to have a spotter on each side of the bar...but that's like for max attempts and such.

[CF-OC_gal]

Originally Posted by gcs118

There are a few different ways. If the weight is lighter, the spot can simply stand behind you and push up on your elbows. Or they can hold your torso and push up, sometimes placing a knee on your butt to help push as well. When the weight gets heavier, it'd be best to have a spotter on each side of the bar...but that's like for max attempts and such.

I don't like strangers to touch me - period! It grosses me out. If I had a female w/o partner it would be different.

When I was learning in a class full of woman we would get behind the one lifting and squat along with them with our arms outstretched just under the armpits for the last few reps.

I can guarantee that I'll never need to get a spot at each end of the bar !!

I don't need to get lower and have the weight go up at the same time. I'd be content to hover around this weight until I can get my confidence and comfort level up with it. Then I'll add a little more.

[gcs118]

Definitely the same way here...I've only used a squat spot ONCE. Never again. I'd rather just fail and let it make a loud clatter. Plus if you don't have a spotter, you're more likely to push harder because you know you have no safe option to fall back on.

[ajarvis]

Originally Posted by Brat

I don't need to get lower and have the weight go up at the same time. I'd be content to hover around this weight until I can get my confidence and comfort level up with it. Then I'll add a little more.

Thats a good idea! I feel the same way. Better slower, and safer, than sorry :

[threenorns]

i simply can't work out if i don't have a spotter - and alas, he's gotta be a male. one of the reasons is that i like heavy weights. the other is mechanical. for example, my left elbow fails without warning - bill has to keep a light hand under it to make sure i don't drop the DB on my head or boob. another problem is my shoulders - when doing flyes, for example, i tend to drop my elbows too low and damage my shoulders if i'm using weights that are heavy for me. he keeps his hands at the right level so i know when i can start pressing back up.

i tried working with women a few times, but it never worked because either they had no clue how to spot properly or i just didn't trust them to be any good if things went bad. there was one that would've worked out if she hadn't given me the heebie-jeebies when she spotted me on the squat - dunno why, but i got some serious weird vibes.

my preferred squat-spot is at the waist. grabbing the bar is very distracting and when someone elbow-spots, it feels like i'm being pulled off balance.

[CF-OC_gal]

I like heavy weights too. That's why I train with them. Most times strangers spot you an anything they do it wrong anyways. I get too much help on BP even when I tell the kid, just help me enough to get past the sticking point. They are not intersted in helping me get the most from the set, they just want to get away from me and back to their friends.

My gains are fleeting if I don't stay consistent. That's why it is more important for me to stay consistent with my attention to the type of training I am doing as well as making sure I meet the commitment. My routine is so personalized right now I couldn't train with anyone as a partner. I am striving towards the day I know I won't be moving again so I can set up my own home gym. Nothing fancy just a few custom made benches (my size) a few mirrors and a weight stack.

Maybe when I get south , if we can make it private, I'll be able to set up my own Venice beach on our back patio next to a hot tub.

Our large grocery stores (Loblaws) all have women's only gyms that would work for me except that they don't have squat racks. They have enough weight but no safety set ups for bench or squats.