week 12, day 1

Week 12
	Bench Press	3x1	120-125	115, 120, 120
	Back Squat	1x10	100
		1x8	115
		1x5	125
		1x5	140
		5x5	160-170	160, 160, 160, 160 x3	Stopped, no fail
		2x Minute Squats	bodyweight	17, 21	max reps bar stays on back for :60. BW 113.8, used 115#
	Incline Press	3x5	65-75	65 x4, 65, 65

this training day was not the bomb.

bench felt heavy, but at least now i know i can hit 120# on my WORST day!  i definitely let the bench effect my mood and attitude towards the rest of the session.

back squats were going okay, but i did have the most foul attitude.  by the middle of the heavy sets, i really ran out of steam.  in an unprecedented move, i cut them a set and a half short.  the bar felt heavy and unstable, and was peeling out of the squats.  i also dropped the ball and totally forgot to try full grip on my warmup sets.  next week!

max reps kill me!  i weighed 113.8# that a.m., used 115#.  goal was 20, so i was happy with 17, not sure how i ended up pulling out 21. :)

the week before my period is always the worst training week of the month for me.  this time, it hit me like a fucking freight train.

week 11, day 2

Push Press	3x3	95-105	95, 100, 105
DB Bench Press	3x20	25-35	25, 30x18, 25
Deadlift	3x2	130
	2x2	150
	1x2	170
	1x1	190
	1x1	210
	3x1	230-250	230, 240, 250	set 2, 3 video
	2xMax	170	17, 13

push press 105# x3 actually came up pretty easily.  happy!

db bp, i never should've gone for 30#, those have always been tough for me.  weak shoulders?

deadlift singles were fun.  i think 250# could be called for a hitch.  when i watch the video, i think i see a rebend, but in super slow-mo, i don't see it.  unfortunately, at meets, there's no instant replay or super slow mo!  is my butt a little high on the setup?  i've narrowed my grip, and i think it's making me have my butt higher...???

max rep sets ALWAYS kill me!  second set, i took a few breaths before reps 12 and 13, so you might even call it 11.  hammier were taxed.

diet note from coach, cycling carbs

To: teeny-wahine
Subject: Re: Change to week 11
From: urbankstrengthteam
Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2014 08:50:44 -0400 

 Hey Meg, I'm going to have you start cycling carbs. So on your workout days you will get 60 grams of carbs (your choice), so enjoy. This should help you power through workouts, keep your metabolism up, and taste awesome. 

You don't need to eat 30 before and 30 after, if you want some carbs peri work out you can break the 60 grams up between pre/peri/post. 

You don't need to eat 30 before and 30 after, if you want some carbs peri workout you can break the 60 grams up between pre/peri/post.

Work-out days
Meal 1
Same
Pre workout
1.5 scoops whey protein
8oz water
30 grams of carbs	your choice
Post workout
1.5 scoops whey protein
8oz water
30 grams of carbs	your choice
1/3 cup cottage cheese
Meal 4
Same
Meal 5
Same

week 11, day 1

Week 11
	Bench Press, Paused	4x2	100-105	100, 105, 105, 105	set 4 video
	Floor Press	3x2	95-105	95 all sets
	Back Squat	2x4	110
		3x2	130
		2x2	150
		1x2	170
		4x1	180-195	180, 185, 190, 195	video
				200!	video

so i did pretty much exactly what i said i wouldn't in week three... strayed from course and went one set further.  i HAD TO get that freaking 200# out of the way, and tonight i was really feelin' it.  a little shallow (although i wish video was from the other side, as i tend to sink in more on my right), but i'm happy to have done at least this.  okay, best behavior from now on, I SWEAR!!!!

just got some new titan wrist wraps.  okay.  what the fuck.  they're so crazy stiff.  i'm not even sure how tight i should wear them.  they messed with me on bench, but i think really added something for me during the squats.  whateva, whateva, whateva!

updated diet

let the lean down begin...

Weeks 11-
Non work out days		Work-out days
Meal 1		Meal 1
1 large egg		Same
6 egg whites
1/3 cup fruit
Meal 2		Pre workout
4oz beef		1 scoop whey protein
1/3 cup fruit		8oz water
		1/3 cup of rice	cooked
Meal 3		Post workout
4oz chicken breast		1 scoop whey protein
1/3 cup cottage cheese		8oz water
		1/3 cup of rice	cooked
		1/3 cup cottage cheese
Meal 4		Meal 4
4oz chicken breast		Same
1 cup veggies (any kind)
Meal 5		Meal 5
4oz beef		Same
1 cup veggies (any kind)

i've had a very rich, fatty diet for years.  before taking on my coach, i never cooked chicken off the bone or without the skin, and never had an egg sans yolk.  the egg whites and the chicken breast are the worst part here, a close second is the absence of cheese and milk.  what she had giveth, she hath taken away!  if there is a god, i'll start wasting away, and some good stuff will find it's way back in here.  i dip the chicken in spicy brown mustard... lots of mustard.  i look at the chicken as merely a vehicle to get mustard to my mouth.

still drinking a gallon of water a day... that's never an issue for me!

week 10, day 2

Standing Strict Press	3x5	60-70	65, 69, 72
One Arm DB Push Press (strongman style, 2 hand clean)	3x5	30-40	30, 40, 45
Deadlift	4x6	185-205	185, 195, 200, 205	use straps, these deadlift sets
Block Pulls	2x2	145
	2x2	165
	1x2	185
	1x2	200
	1x2	215
	3x2	230-240	230, 230, 240
Bent over rows	3x15		85, 90, 90	hit low on belly button
narrow grip lat pulldown	3x15		60, 70, 70

GOOD training day!

shoulder press was a million times better than last time i did it.  week 7, 73# triples were a struggle, and i KNEW i was stronger than that.  today, it was all on point.  happy with 72# x5

Single Arm DB PP is the kinda stuff i LOVE!!!!!!!!  when i did them week 5, i was strict pressing it and 35# was really hard for my left arm.  getting that little oomph from the push press was nice, and i feel confident that had i started heavier than 30#, my last set would've been 50# ;)

deads, i was grunting a little sooner than i would like to see happen.  200# felt heavyish.  by the finish, the straps had rubbed my wrist raw (in one tiny, itty bitty spot), so i skipped them on the block pulls when it got tough. clean grip, then went mixed from the second set at 165# on.

week 10, day 1

Week 10
	Bench Press	4x3	100-110	100, 105, 110, 110	set 1, 2 video
	Close Grip Bench Press	2x5	90-100	90, 100	video
	Back Squats	3x3	95
		2x3	115
		2x3	135
		1x3	155
		4x3	170-180	170, 175, 175, 180	video

love-hate training day.  i hit all the numbers i'd hoped, but some old [bad] habits came into play.

bench, i turned my legs on late in the lifts.  110# is probably the heaviest triple i've ever benched. i continued the wider grip this week, and it felt great.  i think i got so preoccupied with that and my shoulder position, i forgot the leg drive cue.  i have confidence in my setup, i will focus on the legs next week.

close grip bench made me realize how much the wider grip engages my chest, and my old setup was all triceps.

back squats, 180# is definitely the heaviest triple i've ever hit.  185# was my one-rep max last april.  i positioned the bar lower on my back, which i guess got me so wound up, i completely forgot to do anything right and lead out of the squats... with my butt.  womp, womp, wooooomp.

squat notes from coach

From: urbankstrengthteam

Date: April 07, 2014 9:54:13 AM

To: teenywahine

Subject: Re: Quick question... 

Your bench press is looking great! Good full breathes on your reps, and having sore glutes and hamstrings is an excellent sign of leg activation. Work your squat bar position a little bit lower on the delts. By doing so you can decrease the lever length (of your back) which will help reduce 'lawn-chairing" during the lift and it can also help stack the weight more directly over the hips. This may take a little bit of wrist and shoulder flexibility.

week 9, day 2

Push Press	5x3	90-105	90, 95, 95, 100, 105 x2	video
2 second eccentric Deadlift	4x2	165-185	165, 170, 185, 185	speed on concentric
Sumo Deadlift	5x3	135-155	155, 155, 155, 155, 155
GHR	3x10
Leg Press  (machine is 103#)	3x20		230, 270 270
Face Pulls	2x30		32,5, 32.5

i could just kick myself for that last push press set!  i didn't push the bar away from me, but i never pushed my head through.  still happy with the pp, overall.  was tough to get started.  while warming up, i kept jerking it!  i spent ~7 months, prior to this cycle, trying to break my pressing habit and honing my jerk, so it was almost automatic to drop under the bar.

sumo actually went pretty good.  planned on taping it, but camera started acting weeeird.  it is pretty significant how much less you have to lift the bar when doing sumo vs. conventional.... but hitting a higher number with sumo would probably be pretty far off for me.  maybe something to explore next year.

gh raises were SO MUCH better today than they have been.  still went unloaded, but they felt solid and was able to use a little less momentum.

leg presses... hmmm... i think the pp spent me.  leg press felt exceptionally heavy.  calves are tight, which makes my ankles sore, so everything was just kinda, blah.  oh, and i totally peed during the second set.  ew!

i have some baby shreds on my back, that i see working in my bench videos.  are those my face pulling muscles?!

sunday, Sunday, SUNDAY training with colin

week 9, day 1

Week 9
	Bench Press	4x6	95-105	95, 105, 105, 105	video
	Floor Press	5x2	95-105	95 all sets
	Back Squat	1x10	bar
		2x4	100-110	100, 110
		1x4	120-130	130
		1x4	140-150	145
		6x4	160-170	160, 160, 170, 170, 170, 170	video
	Pause Squat	4x2	130
	BentOver Rows	3x12		85 all sets	video

good training day!  at first i was totally bummed that the program was changed from bench heavy singles (dying to try 125#!), but this day helped me A LOT!

widest i've ever gripped for bench and i did feel a lot more powerful and in control.  i was driving more through the legs than ever before.  how do i know?  hammies lit up at the end of my sets.

floor press was a little tough, but i think mostly fatigued from bench.  they weren't impossible, just not speedy enough to go up in weight.

finally filmed my rows and glad i did!  didn't realize i was using so much momentum.  second and third set, more controlled, strict movement.

week 7-8 notes from coach

To: teeny-wahine
Subject: Re: Video update
From: urbankstrengthteam
Date: Tue, 1 Apr 2014 07:59:50 -0400

Hey Megan, thanks for getting those videos up. Your form over-all is looking great, but I do see a few fine points where things can continue to improve and help you get a few extra pounds on your lifts. 

Bench Press-when you grab the bar, set your thumbs in first with palms facing slightly outward, then rotate your hands to set your grip in on the bar. Focus on trying to bend the bar. This will increase the amount of activation in your forearms and back.

    Pin your shoulders back and down. Squeeze your glutes together before you unrack the weight, as soon as it is unracked push down through the heels and outer edge of your feet.  

    On your heavy sets make sure you are getting enough air between reps by breathing through your mouth. And let's take your grip out a fingers width this next week.

Squat-Good breathing and form. Make sure you are pushing out low on the belt and leading the ascent of the squat with your shoulders. Make sure to push through your heels and the outer edge of your foot, and you can try turning your toes out a little more to recruit more glutes.

OHP- push your head through as soon as possible, this will activate more upper back

Deadlifts and rack pulls are looking good. If you aren't already, push your knees out toward your elbows and push your hips through as soon as possible.

Great job the past two weeks. We'll continue doing more volume at a high intensity, it looks like your coming up on squat and bench pr's very soon.