week 1, day 1

Week1	Day1
	Back Squat	x10	bar
		1x8	95
		2x2	120
		2x2	145
		6x2	165	sleeves all sets, belt last 3
	Bench Press	x10	bar
		2x4	65
		2x4	80
		6x4	95
	Floor Press	4x2	85-105	85, 90, 90, 95
	Leg Press (machine is 103#)	20,15, 15, 10	up weight every set	180, 200, 220, 240 (+103)
	Pull ups	2x2, 3xMax		4 last set
	Bent Over Rows	3x25		65#, straps
	Face Pulls	3x30		17.5#
	Chest Fly (machine)	3x15		40#
	Rear Delt Fly (machine)	3x15		30#

haven't low bar back squatted that heavy since june.  totally still monster jamming (leading with butt, peeling out of squat with my back).  put knee sleeves on for the sets at 165#, and for the very last three sets, put belt on just to see if it'd help me not monster jam, but i moved the same.  right hip is tight, tight, tight, tight, TIGHT.  coach gave me a good cue, keep butt under me, not pushing it back, which i do do... doo doo.

bench felt heavy... but then again, the past couple weeks i've been doing massive amounts of bench during my last few weeks of 'whatever i want', including building to a heavy single just a couple days ago. :)  i think i was arching better than before.  tight right hip was an arch killer, though

first time floor presser!  i know i'm definitely still super tricep dominant on my bench, because when i got to the floor press, when my tri's would touch the floor, i'd feel like there were rocks under my skin!  right arm always hit the floor well before my left.  felt SOLID in my upper back getting that bar off the rack.  diggin' the floor press... fo. sho.

leg press... i swear to god, i peaked for life, on my first set!  well, first, i'm an idiot and see now that this says 20 reps, i wrote in my notebook 25.  the end.  ANYWAY... i have never done that many anythings in training and totally went too heavy and was dyyying!  the machine has 103# of pressure, i fucking loaded 180# on that thing for 25 reps!!!  so my 'up in weight' for the following sets was tiny.

pull-ups were all neutral grip, so that max set was less than exceptional.  glad to have someone telling me to train it this way, otherwise i'd be mix gripping all the time and be stuck where i am now (when using pronated), forever.

by the last 8 reps of the last set of bb rows, i was practically kipping (or whatever).  again, i was sketch on how much weight to use, since i was doing close to infinity reps.  used straps and now know i need to only bend at the hip to about 45degrees (i was trying to get back parallel to floor), and pull the bar in towards my belly button (was hitting bottom of ribs).  these things lit my shoulders UP!

face pulls and fly's were whatever.  i was like the goldilocks of fly machines.  i could not get the seat height juuust right.  i'm cool at 5.

______________

notes from coach (in response to my email, below):

From: urbankstrengthteam

Subject: Re: Training and Nutrition

Date: February 4, 2014 at 9:32:08 AM PST

To: teeny-wahine

No worries Meg, always better to ask about any questions or concerns you have so we can get you as on point as possible.

I'd recommend that next week's session you video your back squat, bench press, floor press, and bb rows. This week you should probably video strict press, deadlift, and rackpulls.

On the squats it'll probably take some more glute and hamstring strength or activation to fix that problem. Try to remind yourself not to let your but go back, and keep your butt under you.

Totally normal to have on side hit before the other, especially at first. It can be caused by 

tightness, muscular imbalance, or just being a little lopsided. Doing them more often and descending slowly will help.

Barbell rows will definitely wear you out at first. I used an empty bar for months. Reps should be controlled, but there doesn't need to be a pause anywhere. The advanced technique for them is to let the upper back round down at the bottom of the movement for a longer range of motion, but we will work up to that. You should be bent over, but not a full 90 degrees; little closer to a 45 (more erect), bringing the bar in towards the belly button. They can exhaust your shoulders, notably in the rear delts, but it can hit all of the heads, as well as the rhomboids.

Flies are fine on the machine or with DB. To do them with DB's bend over at the waist, similar to doing a bb row (or you can boost a bench and lay face down on that) and spread your arms out to the sides like you're doing the opposite motion of a chest fly.

I know reps suck, sets of 10 make me want to die. I HATE feeling 'pumped',  but they are great for building lean, dense muscle mass, and burning fat.

-----Original Message-----
From: meg holliday
To: urbankstrengthteam
Sent: Tue, Feb 4, 2014 11:14 am
Subject: RE: Training and Nutrition

Okay, I promise I won't be emailing you after every session, but with my first time out, I have some more questions... 

Haven't done low bar backsquat that heavy in a really long time, but my worst habit is totally still there, where I lead with my ass and peel out of the squat with my back.  I put my belt on for my very last three sets (thinking that might help), but I think my body moved exactly the same.  Any tips on a cue to keep in mind? 

Floor press, my right elbow always touched the floor well before my left... tightness?  Or just dominant side? 

For the BB Rows, by the last 8 of the last set, I was practically doing a kipping bb row (if that's even a thing!).  All reps, all sets, should be strict, controlled?  Should I be pausing at the top?  Also, those really fried my shoulders... am I doing them wrong? 

I did the fly's on the machine... Did you want those using cables?  Dumbbells?  I didn't even know there was more than one way to do these things!  I'm such a noob. 

Thanks!
Meg

P.S. I don't think in training I've ever done 25 reps of ANYTHING EVER, so I went way too heavy out the gate for leg press!  At rep 12, I was like, oh fuck.