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Getting my game back on


Dinahlady

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Thought I’d start up a new journal in the strength section, as that’s what I want to be mainly working towards now.

Here’s a brief life story if you’re interested:

Did a 5RM lil strength comp last year, before I started dieting with the intention of competing in a bodybuilding competition. I hadn’t been doing strength training just bbing style training and my lifts were (for 5) 70kg squat, 50kg bench and 90kg deadlift and a few weeks later did a 1RM of 60kg on bench.

During my diet for bbing comp (see DP) I dropped cals too low and some niggles (left shoulder/neck, right hip, lower back) got quite bad. I found it quite hard to recover after I stopped dieting and had overtraining syndrome symptoms for quite a few months. I tried a few strength programs after – 5x5, more 531 and westside, starting really conservatively, but each time I found I couldn’t progress very far, even with having weeks off several times, as my body was still shot to pieces with heaps of inflammation.

This semester I’ve started Health Science First Year and haven’t been training with weights much at all but I’ve gotten into flexibility training and yoga through Jill Miller who I found through Kelly Starret’s (how to be a supple leopard) mobility WOD. 2 months ago I couldn’t even touch my toes and now I can get my hands flat on the floor. Now I practice almost every day. I want to work up to being able to do cool yoga stuff like handstands and planche stuff, and I feel like I’m in a place where I can start lifting again and it will help not hinder me.

Since the beginning of this semester I’ve put on 5kg (probably more haha). But now exams are over and I’ve got a 3 weeks off I want to get back into a strength program again and make it a habit to keep for next semester. I’ll be doing 5x5 as I found that was the one that I liked best, most convenient and was easiest to recover from. I’ll be starting ridiculously conservatively only going up to 25kgs for each lift on the first week and building up slowly to make sure niggles don’t come back. I’m not sure how “standard” the program I’ve got is but it goes:

Mon: 5x5 of Squat, Bench, Row

Weds: 5x5 of Squat, incline bench, Deadlift.

Fri: 4 sets of 5 reps, then 1x3 reps then 1x8 reps - Squat, Bench, Row.

I wont be doing much assistance, except pullups/pulldowns on Deadlift day and maybe some external/internal rotations. Do enough core and lower back stuff in yoga and my bi’s forearms are tight, kinda odd carpal tunneley kinda thing going from my writst to my neck – but it has improved with yoga.

Over the last 6 weeks I’ve been pushing 2500 cals (about 250 – 350C up to 80f and 120p) and prob more like 3000 over the last couple of weeks - to try and make sure I’m 100% recovered from my overtraining and increase metabolism and also to help me concentrate/study for exams. I’ll be dieting starting at 2300 cals with lower carbs and higher fats and possibly decrease by 50 – 100 cals every couple of weeks – but I’ll see – try and keep cals and carbs as high as possible so I can lose fat and make gainsss. I weighed in at an amazing(ly beautiful) 80.8kgs this AM (Strong bulk/fat is strong – bet you’re jelly) and I’m not going to weigh myself for the next few weeks so everything can adjust to the new training/diet. I wont be doing any cardio except may go swimming once or twice a week.

I don’t have that much experience with strength training so feel free to let me know if you have any suggestions

Inb4 TLDR

Inb4 pics – not for a while yet hahaha.

Thanks guys!

P.s like my page:

http://www.facebook.com/DinahLadyPT

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So... day one of 5x5

Squats:

Did 2 sets of 5 bodyweight warm up. Can feel already that from all the yoga my squat position is much better and my low back is looser.

bar, bar, 22.5kg, 25kg.

Still have a slightly weird right hip, it doesn't hurt at all I can just feel I'm slightly uneven when I push up favoring pushing weight through my left leg, but I can correct it with concentration. Physio says one of my hips is less stable than the other so squatting light with good form should be helpful. I have other physio exercises that I probably will draft in each week but haven't made the decision on that yet.

Bench:

Sets go: bar, bar, bar, 22.5kg, 25kg.

Feels good now I'm much more flexible getting into an arch and my chest isn't as tight, can bring my shoulders back a fair amount more than before I started the flexibility stuff.

Row:

Pendlay row, but Snap doesnt have any spacers so can't touch it on the floor inbetween. This in the past can make my back get mad but today was fine. same - bar bar bar, 22.5, 25kg.

On of my lats fires more than the other, I think because of my left shoulder impingement.

Did an hour of yoga and then home to eat venison, nomnomnom.

I'm actually sorry that you have to read my pitiful lifts but the point of the journal is to see how I'm progressing and rehabbing my smashed up body. Nowhere to go but up....

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Here’s a brief life story if you’re interested:

brief [briːf]

adj

1. short in duration a brief holiday

2. short in length or extent; scanty a brief bikini

3. abrupt in manner; brusque the professor was brief with me this morning

4. terse or concise; containing few words he made a brief statement

tl;dr

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Haha - well for a life story I didn't think I spent that long on it!

Today

Squats

2 sets bodyweight and 3 sets of the bar for 5 (light day)

Incline bench

Bar for 5 reps x3, 22.5 for 5 reps x2.

Deadlift

Snap aint got no spacers at the moment so used the squat racks lowest bar to do the deadlift - not as low as would normally be but pretty much the same

bar, bar, bar, 22.5, 25kg.

Definitely can feel stretching out my sides/ribs/hipflexers/Tspine so much in yoga as made my core engage much more effectively for deadlifts. I can actually have my shoulders back/lats contracted without my spine going into flexion. But its not perfect - even at the end of last set I could feel it wanting to do so. But this will improve as I become super bendy.

Gonna probs do like an hour of yoga later. Got plumbers at our house changing the hot water cylinder thing. Worried they would get freaked out by me doing yoga in the middle of the floor and then eating half a dozen eggs.

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Haha I'd say around 25% :oops:

But tbh the metabolism benefits of increasing the food over the last 6 weeks and gaining those those last few kgs, even though I was already not in the best shape, have been great as I'm now able to diet on 2300 - 2400 calories and will see results/changes in body comp for a long time on this amount. With plenty of room to move from there and still be on double the food of your average girl!.

My overall goal is to be as strong, flexible and lean as possible while eating as much food as possible, but I'll be working on this all slowly. With the least emphasis/slowest improvements on the lean part. One of my main motivations for losing some fat as its started to get uncomfortable/in the way of yoga and probably isn't the best for my hormones or health to keep gaining haha.

Eating around 3000 calories and being <18% or better is definitely a long long long term goal of mine, with being around 20% being my first port of call, but I'm not really fussed about time frame.

I'll be reverse dieting and then dieting in the 2000 -3000 calorie range several times over this year (and more probably) to achieve the absolute win of eating heaps and getting stronger and looking awesome. Not to mention having the calories and carbs to allow my brain to work well while studying.

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Haha I'd say around 25% :oops:


But tbh the metabolism benefits of increasing the food over the last 6 weeks and gaining those those last few kgs, even though I was already not in the best shape, have been great as I'm now able to diet on 2300 - 2400 calories and will see results/changes in body comp for a long time on this amount. With plenty of room to move from there and still be on double the food of your average girl!.


My overall goal is to be as strong, flexible and lean as possible while eating as much food as possible, but I'll be working on this all slowly. With the least emphasis/slowest improvements on the lean part. One of my main motivations for losing some fat as its started to get uncomfortable/in the way of yoga and probably isn't the best for my hormones or health to keep gaining haha.


Eating around 3000 calories and being <18% or better is definitely a long long long term goal of mine, with being around 20% being my first port of call, but I'm not really fussed about time frame.


I'll be reverse dieting and then dieting in the 2000 -3000 calorie range several times over this year (and more probably) to achieve the absolute win of eating heaps and getting stronger and looking awesome. Not to mention having the calories and carbs to allow my brain to work well while studying.


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Thanks M.T

 

Today: 

Feeling a bit rough from getting bak into training, guess recovering and CNS or something, even though my weights have been ridiculously light I guess I'm still pushing against some resistence. 

Low back is a bit sore but I think its more an overstretching thing maybe because I'm doing yoga heaps and lots of it is hip focused, and I am aware that one of my hips is "unstable" so going to be building my physio strengthening exercises back in each workout from now on.  

My neck and left shoulder have been all good though  - fingers crossed they stay like that!! 

My workouts are supposed to be mon, wed, fri but was keen so did sat, mond, weds so might take the whole w/e off weights to recover from first week and take a couple of days off yoga/stretching. Might add in 100 or so cals extra as well as I think I've felt the food drop quite a bit. We will see. 

 

Squats/Bench/Row

Bw, Bw, Bar, Bar, 22.5, 25kg for 3 reps, bar for 8. 

Did one of my physio hip strenghteners which is a one legged squat/pistol squat but using a box so you can leg your leg hang and lower yourself down. Feelsgood.

 

 

Been hitting 2300 cals good for this week, haven't weighed myself but feel leaner. I think it's contributed to my feeling a little crappy aswell as body has noticed the food decrease so I will consider going up to 2400/2500 cals next week as I feel I might have cut cals a bit too much from where I was, combined with getting back to training, so gonna give myslef a bitta chance to adjust. Got no deadline so taking it as slow as poss. 

My calories were a bit excessive for my metabolism before and I wouldn't mind getting a bit leaner/losing 5%/5kgs to start, but that will come with the training progression and with being consistent with food. Overall my goals is to see my movements improve and not feel any niggles come back.

I'm cutting myself some slack this time round with my training and dieting, which I haven't really done before, and go as slow and easy as possible as my main focus is motivation and longevity. Better to be motivated and continue training consistently and monitoring my intake, even with cheeky treats/being liberal with cals to start or being conservative with my workouts, than to just give up cos i've been overly strict. 

I don't see any point being a martyr and having the "Go hard or go home" or "give it your all" approach. (I really dislike all that crap on facebook/instagram/tumblr/etc). I have that appraoch enough in my life with the ridiculously intense course I've chosen to do. Consistency and consistent progression are key to lifting and I want it to be on the backburner ticking away so I can continue improving whilst studying without compromising it. And I also, of course, want to have and enjoy a life. 

 

Kinda feel like I'm having a conversation with myself but its kool. 

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank you my noble samuri, you shal be rewarded with sex *scratch_one-s_head*

 

that feel of realising your posture and mobility is trash... i know it

im betting becoming a supple leopard will change everything. be interesting to see.

 

 

Yep, I think it will make heaps of difference. I've already pretty much lost all the shoulder pain I had for months and lower back pain when sitting. Can control my lower back posture much better in squats/rows. Just annoying I gotta still take it slow with the weights. 

And it also hopefully will result in pics of me doing the splits. Get ready fo dat sheytt. Flexibility is the new sexy. f*ck all those 6 packs on fb. I had that shit when I didn't know nothing about lifting or life in general. It don't mean shit. 

 

Okay so update is: Went away for the weekend to Hanmer Springs - yay snow!

Unfortunately I got sick just before we left Hanmer. I think I spent too long in the snow and hotpools. I actually got all fevery and spewed and it was the first time In years. But notably it was the first time ever I felt sad to see all the expensive food and veggies leave me. :'( I think that's progress in regards to my relationship with food. 

 

I weighed myself on Fri before I went (I know - I said I wasn't gonna but got too curious) and had lost a kg even though I'd had heaps of extra cals the day before (like I said I was gonna on my last post). So definitely think I was too pre emptive with 2300. 

 

Deff raising cals to 2500 this week and prob wont train for a couple of days to make sure I am better. Did yoga this morning though. Addicted. 

 

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Ohhhh sssshhhiiiii-
No more arguing boys - you are all awesome!!!! 
 

Still a bit sick with cold but it is clearing so I trained today. 

(bodyweight), Bar, bar, 22.5kg, 25kg for Squat, Bench and row. 

Was gonna skip a week in the program so weights were actually increasing this week, but because I'm still sick I'm sticking to same numbers as last week (as the program says to do when you are training this light)

I deff felt much more stable and effortless than last week in regards to things like my hip, last week by the end of my sets I was having to battle a bit to stay 100% even though my legs. This week just up n down with the reps, easy as. Didn't have to battle to keep arms even or abs engaged to stop low back going into flexion too much with row. And easier to focus on keeping arms externally rotated and shoulders back n down with bench and row. Want this shit to be second nature in a couple weeks. 

After lifts I did a superset of some of my physio stuff which is a bodyweight one leg high step up with the box to the side of you, with slow negetive, for 8 reps per side. It's kinda like a cheating/assisted pistol squat. Super setted this with a one legged glute bridge for 7 reps per side. I find the bridge hard as my quads and hip flexors are so tight so I'm waiting for the flexibility stuff to help me get some gainnzzz there. But it is stilll good to do them. 

Did that superset x2 which is good for me cos I get mad at higher reps and unilatteral training. 

 

End.

Time for 5eggs, 1 cup oats w/ tbsp honey, and green tea. 

 

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Trained again yest.
Squat Bench and Deadlift day same numbers as last week was all good.
Did physio movements same as last train.
Did assisted 8x3 wide grip pullup as well.
Feels so dumb having to use so much of the stack to help cos I'm so heavy. Need strength/less weight/10

Bad news is my low back has been playing up a bit :( but hopefully it was just the irritation of training etc and a bit more rolling and stretching will sort it. I'm also on antibiotics from my illness aswell which is gay as :( but feeling alright just finding it difficult to keep cals up as feel sick with them but doing my best.

Got my new Jill Miller DVD and it's actually really good as a trainer to learn new mobility exercises and practice them every day.
Been doing yoga pretty regularly for 2+ months now and seen awesome results. I can't do the splits or a handstand just yet but getting there! Core strength and balance is through the roof though - better than ever.

Get results on Monday so should know if I'm still aiming for Med in year 2 or if I'll have to go down the degree route first, after doing a degree the grade average to get in drops from about 89% average to 82% average for the cut off which is more my ability I think. The issue is I have no idea which degree I want to do.


My prob is that I haven't studied physics or chemistry before and didn't even take maths past 5th form, which was 6 years ago, so have been learning several years of curriculum in only a few short weeks for the core Chem and Phys papers, I'm naturally expecting them to be my worst papers of the whole year.
I need 70%+ to be able to still be in the running as anything below 70% means you can't get straight into med, no matter your other grades.
Mid term in those I got B+'s so hoping I can at least get 70% then make up the marks else where. Biology papers should be sweet as not worried about them.
Need like 90% average of 7 papers through the year but I'l prob take 8 so one of chem or phys wont count against my averages.
At the beginning of the year they announced that if we hadn't done a subject before at School then if we "work really really really hard we might just pass (50%)".
And the careers lady I spoke to said in 15 years she'd only met one student who hadn't taken Chemistry before who got into med fast route, and not one student who hadn't taken physics before....  Not very encouraging hahaha but whatever happens I reckon I'm doing pretty well so far...Did I mention I'm also dyslexic?

Ok Ok enough of the excuses now....

 

 

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That's awesome Gym rat - btw I know your trainer from Les Mills he's cool!

 

Last few days

Cheated on my training program - woops -  and trained with  "9762291220" and tried out some slightly heavier weights for chest. So many mirers. I did an easy 40kg for 8. Which was surprisingly easy and decent for just doing maximum one set of 25kgs 3x per week for 5x5 for the last 2 weeks. So I was happy and helped cement my belief in the way I'm doing things!

My best ever bench was 60 for one last year just after dieting and at the start of this year I was nowhere near being back up to that and was losing strength doing 5x5 at a higher weight due to it messing with my injuries - and 40 x 8 would have been a struggle! So I know I'm at least a bit fixed and slowly getting there.

I've paid for it a little since the workout though as I've had sore/tight wrists but I've got a good short yoga vid for stretching out wrists and forarms so they are feeling a bit better already - ill link it if I can - its a little bit girly though I guess! haha. 

Onto the next level on my program so I'm hitting 20, 20, 20, 22.5, 27.5 on each lift 5x5 and did Squat, Bench, Row today. It felt good but it wasn't one of my best days biomechanically - there's always gonna be ups and downs though but I feel like I can trust the slow and steady progression of this program to condition me as I go no matter if it's a good or bad day! 

I've been wanting to start a swim training program to condition me to be able swim faster/sprint train (I have half decent technique as used to swim in a competetive club). I have been going on forums etc for this but not finalised anything yet - will need to see with new semester if I can also fit this in. But the pool is on my way to/back from uni so not many excuses there... 

Anyway here's the wrist stretching video I used - its pretty short n simple but does the trick. Also the last exercise is pretty freaky. Stretching my wrists more has helped heaps with my tighter biceps and neck as well. 

 

 

 

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