week 5, day 1

Week 5	Day 1
	Back Squat	1x10	95
		1x8	110
		1x5	120
		1x5	135		sleeves
		5x5	150-160	150, 150, 155, 155, 155	belt, sleeves
	Front Squat	3x5	115-130	115, 120, 120	belt sets 2 and 3
	Bench Press	3x2	60
		2x2	70
		3x2	80
		6x2	85-90	85, 90, 90, 90, 90, 90	speed work
	Pin Press	4x1	125-145	105 all sets
	Single Arm DB Press	3x5	35-45	35 all sets	Standing, 2 hand clean every rep

trained this session at 4:30a, which is always not the bomb.  since work is still crazy, if i leave my training to the p.m., i will always get it in, but i never know what condition i'll be in. i would hate to have a bad session just because work wiped me out.  so it was 4:30a, drag myself out of bed and training begins with a slow start...

back squat felt good.  actually, it felt GREAT!  i've been a good girl on the grind to keep up stretching my hips, and i had no trouble with my right flexor.

front squats... i used to hate those things... and i still do!  upper back felt tight 3-4 reps into every set, front rack position super uncomfortable on me.  barely three months off eight months of oly cycles and already my body forgets...

bench went the BEST EVER.  i benched in the squat cage since i had pin press coming up and that bench is a little lower.  between that and my newly improved hip mobility, i was arching my back with flat feet and just killing it.  felt awesome.

pin press... what the fuck was i doing?!  so hard.  nay, impossible!  emailed coach, and realizing now, i had the safeties too low.

sa db press... 35# was not even an issue for my right side, but left had significantly more trouble.  once upon a time, my left was BY FAR my stronger side.  colin worked with me to even me out, and now, over a year later... shit's gone flip flopped.

week 4, day 2

Day 2
Standing Strict Press	x10	bar
	4x6	65-85	65, 70x5, 65, 65
Deadlift	3x2	135
	1x3	165
	6x2	190-200	190, 200, 200, 200, 200, 200	belt
	1xMax	135	27		beltless, straps ok
Rack pull from below the knee	x3	135
	x3	185
	x2	235		belt
	3x1	285-300	265, 265, 265
	1xMax	200	12	belt	straps ok
Shrugs	3x5	155-165	155, 155, 160
Narrow Grip Lat Pulldown	3x20		60#
Cable Rows	3x20		60#

i just could not get my shoulders and upper back warm.  my shoulders felt fatigued just six reps into pressing with only the bar.  first set at 65# went pretty easily, but i couldn't get a full set at 70#.  i usually wouldn't go back down in weight, but that was just set two of four, so i did.

deads from ground felt good, but rack pulls were HEAVY.  i don't think i've ever failed a deadlift at lockout, i will get the lift if i can get the weight off the ground.  rack pulls are hard for me.  285# wouldn't budge, and even 265# was a bitch.  not to mention, by the time i get to the rack pulls, my hands are KILLING ME!  the skin is super tender.  thinking [read: hoping] that with more exposure, palms will toughen up...???

this was a hard training day for me, mentally and physically.  felt like i was lifting baby weights, and even those were difficult, plus, these are currently my least favorite lifts.  the squat excites me because i feel i have the most room for improvement there, and i love bench press, because it's the best damn lift in the world.  shoulder press is a nightmare, because you can be a badass at one weight, but then like one pound more and the bar won't budge, and deadlift... well, i don't know when it happened, but deadlift day went from my favorite day to my least favorite.  last year, i never trained deadlift.  i did that aggressive squat cycle and my deadlift went up with my overall strength gains.  for some reason, now i'm bored by deadlift, but i know a strong deadlift can do so, so, SO much for my total in competition.

week 4, day 1

Week 4	Day1
	Back Squat	x10	bar
		1x8	85
		2x2	115
		2x2	130
		3x8	145-155	145, 145, 150	belt, sleeves
	Pause Squat	x10	bar
		3x2	85-95	85, 90, 95
		2x2	105-115	105, 115
		2x2	125-135	125, 135	belt, sleeves
		5x2	145-155	145, 150, 150, 150, 150	belt, sleeves
	Bench Press	x10	bar
		2x5	65
		1x5	85
		4x5	85-100	90, 95, 95, 100
		2x5	70-80	70, 80

okay, night and day compared to my other squat sessions.  changes i tried out and my thoughts:

oly shoes: i wore my oly shoe with the lowest heel (i have some a hair over 1/2", my other pairs are 3/4").  and actually, i really liked it!  a big thing it did for me was i felt a lot more stable walking the bar off the rack

wore belt a little lower: this was the thing that took most getting used to, but it did definitely feel better in the squat, when i was pushing against the belt.

squat all sets same: BIGGEST benefit here!  i felt a million times warmer when i got to the heavy sets than i ever have before!  at the start, i felt a little stupid squatting slow controlled with 45#, but it was all worth it.

i meant to also try squatting with wrist wraps on.  somehow, i ended up at the gym with one wrist wrap.  what the h?!

for bench... yeah.  i tried that alternate setup and i can't really "bend" that way yet.  press felt strong, but until i loosen up my hip, i'm kinda stuck in my setup.

week 3, day 2

Day 2
Standing Strict Press	x10	bar
	5x2	60-75	60, 65, 70, 70, 75
Deadlift	3x2	135
	2x2	165
	6x2	185-195	185, 185, 190, 190, 195, 195	belt up
	3x6	165		belt and straps ok
Rack pull from below the knee	x3	135
	x3	185
	x2	225
	3x1	275-295	275 all sets
	1xMax	165	21	belt and straps ok
Shrugs	3x8	135
Narrow Grip Lat Pulldown	3x20		60#
Cable Rows	3x20		60#

shoulder press felt great, but deadlifts felt HEAVY.  last set of cable rows i had to take a pause at rep 12.  60# was a bit heavy, won't go up next week on this day.

bench, squat notes from coach

notes from coach:

-----Original Message----- 

 From: meg holliday

To: urbankstrengthteam

Sent: Wed, Feb 19, 2014 8:31 pm

Subject: Hip stretches 

Hey Lindsey, 

Any stretches you particularly like for someone with tight hip felxors? My right is really bad right now, worse its ever been. Also, my left i.t. band is pretty tight lately, should I just stick to rolling it out? 

Thanks!Meg

On Feb 21, 2014, at 6:53 AM, urbankstrengthteam wrote: 

For hip flexors I do leg swings and lunges with a pelvic tilt. Vince has very tight hips and likes to foam roll them, and lunge on a bench supporting his upper body on the barbell.
Pigeon pose is a fairly good it band stretch; keep foam rolling it, have you tried using a tennis ball on it?

-----Original Message-----

From: meg holliday

To: urbankstrengthteam

Sent: Fri, Feb 21, 2014 10:58 am

Subject: Re: Hip stretches 

I have gotten into my i.t. band with tennis and lax balls before... so tight these days, that the thought of doing that makes me wanna vomit. 

I recorded a bunch of sets from tues training (link below). Do I pause long enough for the pause squats?  And I've been benching on my toes to get the arch, but in NASA, I have to go flat footed. If I can get this hip stretched back to life, I don't thiiiink that'll be a problem...???? 

http://youtu.be/0nPZfmDWZy8 

---

To: teeny-wahine

Subject: Re: Hip stretches

From: urbankstrengthteam

Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:33:02 -0500 

If you have bands you could try doing some muscle flossing or doing some light exercise or dynamic stretching before static stretching. I'd also suggest a heat compress or hot tub/shower, followed by manual massage, stretching, and foam rolling this will ensure that your muscles are more relaxed and pliable before hand.

Are you benching in your oly shoes? You may also want to take a few extra sets with the bar during warm ups or back bends to stretch your hips and back. Guys have to warm up their hips and legs for squat, we need to warm up our back and hips for benching. 

A few questions on squat. Do you have wrist wraps? Do you normally squat in chucks or oly shoes?

Try to do your warm ups to the same pace and depth you will do your heavier sets (i.e. just below parallel). You want everything to be as much the same as possible and practice the way you will perform. This is a video of Vince squatting 135 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg4c1WbKPkI (although the video is a little jumpy, damn webcam), you can see he is consciously loading up his hamstrings on the eccentric portion of the lift. This allows the hamstrings to build and store tension, and also helps stabilize the knees. If there is too quick of a descent, the hamstrings will be come inactivated, and then have to become reactivated again, this tends to cause the torso to lean forward. 

The 190 rep on squat was good, but it was a bit of a grinder; in the future, if you have a grinder don't go up in weight. Lifts should be practiced explosively to build speed. If you need to grind in a meet that's totally fine; do what you gotta do to get your lifts and PR's; but in practice it's your environment and you call the shots, make it as advantageous for yourself as possible.

The bench form looks good. Good pace, soft touch on the chest (no heavy hits or bouncing). If you aren't already; grab the bar HARD when you lift and try to bend the bar as if you were going to turn it into a horse-shoe, everything from your forearms to your calves should be tight on bench (it is literally the most uncomfotrable lift known to mankind, and the entire point of finishing the lift is getting out of that position quickly, lol). You may also want to try an alternate set up from time to time, it is brutal on the hips but  it may help you stretch, http://youtu.be/jqtEguPxzlo . It puts your in more of a back bend position, where your but barely touches the bench but can't pop off the bench because you would have to arch more (which is nearly impossible, and I actually have to use the weight to some degree to push my butt down to touch the bench).

Yes the pause on the pause squats in long enough,  you just want to reach a point of motionlessness, maintain hamstring and glute tension and reverse the motion. On these, you'll want to be squatting to just below parallel as well, it's a more optimal range for muscle power (when a muscle is fully stretched it cannot generate as much power).

On floor press, try to descend the last inch or two a little slower, so you touch more softly with your elbows, it will help maintain tension in your upper back, which you can turn around and use as power in the press.

---

To: teeny-wahine

Subject: Re: Hip stretches

From: urbankstrengthteam

Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 12:34:39 -0500 

Another quick blip on squats, try wearing your belt a little lower and make sure you are taking a deep breath and pushing your belly out for every rep.  

-----Original Message-----

From: meg holliday

To: urbankstrengthteam

Sent: Fri, Feb 21, 2014 12:50 pm

Subject: RE: Hip stretches 

I bench and squat in sneakers (vans, chucks, whatever...).  high bar back squat I've always done in oly shoes.  I've never even tried low bar in oly shoes.  and I have wrist wraps, but have only ever used them doing high rep bench, never for squats.  should I be trying oly shoes and wrist wraps? 

so many good notes on squats; all make great sense to me!

To: teeny-wahine

Subject: Re: Hip stretches

From: urbankstrengthteam

Date: Fri, 21 Feb 2014 14:38:45 -0500 

Yes, try wrist wraps and oly shoes next week. You can even bench in your oly shoes if you want to try that, when I bench flat footed I prefer to wear my oly shoes, I strongly prefer oly shoes for all squatting (save maybe a few variations like cambered bar or SSB).

week 3, day 1

Week 3	Day1
	Back Squat	x10	bar
		1x8	105		video
		2x3	135	belt	set 2 video
		2x3	155	belt and sleeves	set 2 video
		3x1	180-190	180-190-200(f)-190(f)	video
	Pause Squat	x10	bar
		3x2	95		set 3 video
		2x2	115		set 2 video
		5x2	135-155	130, 135, 140, 145, 150	sets 2 & 5 video
	Bench Press	x10	bar
		3x2	65		set 2 video
		2x2	80		set 1 video
		5x2	90-100	90, 90, 95, 100, 100	sets 1, 3, & 4 video
	Floor Press	4x1	90-110	95, 100, 105, 105	set 2 video

i was overly excited by how 180# felt, so i went for 190# my second set, and only got more excited and was like, 'fuck it, i'm going for 200#!!!!'  failed and was pretty shot after that, couldn't redeem with a 190# last set.  okay, i got that one, off course, not thinking, emotional moment of training out of the way for this cycle.

rolled out my i.t. bands pretty gnarly before the start.  the left has been super tight, and causing some tingling in my knee from time to time.  right hip, also so, so, SO tight.  so tight, in fact, i need to give it some special attention on my rest days.

first time pause squatting doing low bar.  was interesting.  i think i did pretty okay.  will see what coach says.  i'm not the most explosive creature, so going from pause in the bottom, to haul ass up, is a hard switch for me to make.

bench felt good.  that arch is getting there, but i do have to shy away from maximum butt-squeeze, because my right hip will not be down with it.

floor press, good.  colin, mvp with the assist!

into week 3

notes from coach:

To: teeny-wahine
Subject: Re: Training updates
From: urbankstrengthteam
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 10:38:47 -0500

Use your belt for your heavy sets of squats and deadlift, there's really no reason not to, and not using your belt for heavy sets will just wear out your back for your rep sets.

I also like using sleeves for heavy sets of squats as it can help maintain the integrity of knee cartilage over time; which is something that women tend to struggle with already due to the Q angle and poor biomechanics.

To: teeny-wahine
Subject: Re: Training updates
From: urbankstrengthteam
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2014 10:30:10 -0500

[excerpt of email from coach]

I've updated weeks 3&4 for you, a little less support work and more primary exercises; I had the pleasure of watching the Lilliebridges train a few weeks ago, and got to talk to Ernie Sr about training and decided to incorporate a few of his ideas.

Is it causing wrist pain to maintain a full grip on squats?
I don't think it's very important unless the federation you compete in specifies it. I know a few people who strongly prefer it, because for them it provides additional stability and better bar position.

Week 3	Day1				Day 2
	Back Squat	x10	bar		Standing Strict Press	x10	bar
		1x8	105			5x2	60-75
		2x3	135	belt	Deadlift	3x2	135
		2x3	155	belt and sleeves		2x2	165
		3x1	180-190	belt and sleeves		6x2	185-195	belt up
	Pause Squat	x10	bar			3x6	165	belt and straps ok
		3x2	95		Rack pull from below the knee	x3	135
		2x2	115			x3	185
		5x2	135-155	belt and sleeves		x2	225
	Bench Press	x10	bar			3x1	275-295
		3x2	65			1xMax	165	belt and straps ok
		2x2	80		Shrugs	3x8	135
		5x2	90-100		Narrow Grip Lat Pulldown	3x20
	Floor Press	4x1	90-110		Cable Rows	3x20
Week 4	Day1				Day 2
	Back Squat	x10	bar		Standing Strict Press	x10	bar
		1x8	85			4x6	65-85
		2x2	115		Deadlift	3x2	135
		2x2	130			1x3	165
		3x8	145-155			6x2	190-200
	Pause Squat	x10	bar			1xMax	135	beltless, straps ok
		3x2	85-95		Rack pull from below the knee	x3	135
		2x2	105-115			x3	185
		2x2	125-135			x2	235
		5x2	145-155			3x1	285-300
	Bench Press	x10	bar			1xMax	200	straps ok
		2x5	65		Shrugs	3x5	155-165
		1x5	85		Narrow Grip Lat Pulldown	3x20
		4x5	85-100		Cable Rows	3x20
		2x5	70-80

-----Original Message-----
From: meg holliday
To: urbankstrengthteam
Sent: Tue, Feb 18, 2014 9:30 am
Subject: RE: Training updates

[excerpt of email to coach]

quick question re. back squat.  i hold the bar false grip, but tried experimenting last week with full grip. i could not maintain that on heavier sets.  is that something i should work through and get that full grip, or is a false grip okay in your eyes?