Quad Killers

GW and I drove up to The Training Center to train legs with a few of the guys there. What a crew! Me, GW, Big Al Fortney, Andy Sedar, BJ, Tommy Wooster, Eric ?, Will Patrick and Carrie Simmons.
If we could train with that atmosphere hanging over us all of the time we'd be big ol' monsters!
Unfortunately... GW got a leg cramp and had to stop training quads after a few sets of leg presses. My fucking (I reserve my cursing for when I really need it) leg pain issue has returned!
It was slightly noticable when squatting last week, but yesterday, during set 3 of leg presses - I had to stop. This time I'm going to try continuous and aggressive massage therapy and stretching - I really do not want to get smaller, as I still believe that if I got smaller I can alleviate most of the problem, if not all of it...but even that may not be a guarantee - I like this size, a perfect and comfortable size for me. We'll see how it pans out. It is so fucking frustrating. I couldn't do the squat machine, and I was dying to try that.
I was able to do the leg presses with legs together and placed way down low on the carriage. That hits the bottom portion of the legs, mostly the medialis. It is the outer portion of my quad that has the pain. We also did 3 sets each of leg extensions they call them 10 10 2 20's -
you do 10 reps with a "teaser" weight, then increase the weight and do 10 more hard reps, then drop to a HEAVY weight for 2 reps with a 2 second static hold, and then a light weight for 20...and you are then very glad that you have a somewhat large crew training with you so you can rest up before making those quads scream again.
I was able to do my hamstrings ok, did two movements for them today - kneeling curls and seated curls, and some calves, and I did my hip flexor knee squats...I really like that for it very much simulates the exact hip thrust you should be using in a good squat, and a deadlift.

Yes, that was a good time.

Throw me a Brick -

At least GW had a great night last night. He hit a PR of 510 deadlift, and he still had some steam to spare. He's going to hit an EASY 550 on July 19th, and possibly more.
Me - I just can't win. Once in awhile I get a full night's sleep, but not enough. Then, what I suppose is the bad karma kicks up when I am lucky enough to be slumbering as I should , like last night. 3:00 am. My son's friends decide to wrestle around on the floor. Hard banging and thumping - woke me up. Then I have to get up and go yell at them and then can't get back to sleep for hours.... always something. The construction crew next door did a drop off at 5:00 am the other morning, after it took me til 1:30 to get to sleep.... those kinds of things.

It is wearing me down, big time. Sometimes I'd like to just stop the world, as the saying goes, and jump off. Have someone throw a brick at my head just to knock me out for awhile....

Rabies in the House

Y'unz need some pictures for some visual color...BUT - I don't have any. I think I've gotten over the ham stage of my life...sorry. I'm in my camera shy phase...giggle...

Saturday was the Delaware Special Olympics. I was one of the judges for the Powerlifting. There were 13 lifters total, and they were all awesome! You could tell how hard they have all worked, and how much heart they put into it. What a special day for them (and me!).

So Sunday was squat day. I'm still not sleeping as well as I should be, but I did get enough sleep to be able to feel like myself again on Sunday morning. This is the first day since...since I have no friggin idea, really, that I can say that Kate is back. Still getting used to being under the bar, but I was in full come back mode. I was a rabid dog.

I did a set with 320, for 8, I think. Then I had 370, did one and it wasn't quite right, for whatever reason it felt oh, so wrong. I wondered briefly if I had imagined ever having pushed this weight - it was just so wrong. So I sucked it up with 370 again, and did 3 very,very good reps. I wish I had tried for a 4th, but 3 was fine for this day. Used the wraps for the 370's, and then no wraps for 320 for 7.
Then we did 2 sets of Good Mornings! I used to do these all of the time. I think we should start incorporating this movement more frequently into our routine.
3 sets of leg curls - last one drop set.
3 sets leg extensions second set added human tension on the last rep down, and for the last set a drop set.
3 sets each hack calves, and seated calves.

I finally got that "hips forward swing" thing into my squats on the way up.
I weighed all of about 158 on Sunday. I definitely feel best when I'm in the 160 range., not the 175 range. I feel better, so in my mind, I perform better.
Next week GW and I are journeying up to the Training Center to train legs with McFly and Big Al...my plan is to make those boys cry....stay tuned for that one!

ZZZZZZZZ

I have had four nights of sleep in a row now - which is 2 more in a row than I have had in probably 5 weeks, no exaggerating. People keep giving me advice on how to relax and get to sleep. I appreciate the concerns, but believe me - I've tried it all before.
So I'm still in sub-par physical form, which means my strength levels are still sub-par. I'm still plugging along, yeah I am.
I really don't want to expound on sub-par performances soooooooo...I will say that last night was better than last week. Maybe that was due to the good feeling of actually being ALMOST rested.
250 x 4 on the bench is not much to brag about. However, we were able to get a good swole on!

I haven't had any remorse of changing my mind and not doing the Masters this year, until yesterday, when I was reviewing some previews on some competitors online...but it is not a lot of remorse, just a little. I suppose if my power training was going well I would still haved no remorse..?
Anyhooo - Pam Franklin looks ready for big battles this year, and I'm rooting for Marlene Wolverton, too. I wonder if Kate Cooper will show up this year, and at what weight?

I was going to try to hit the APA meet in California, MD that same day, July 19th, but, ALAS (woe is me!) I won't be ready for that...nuh-uh, no way. Someday it will all come back together, but I'm not hitting that stride yet. Sleep is not overrated.

I've been invited to judge at the DE Special Olympics Powerlifting meet this coming weekend. I am very excited about this. Having had a few competitors compete at some of my own meets that qualify as "Special Olympic Athletes" - their competitive spirit just all comes from the right place - the heart. If we could all learn to lift from the heart....

Wrap It Up

It doesn't seem like I'm ever in the mood to sit down and type out a few lines for this journal, now, does it? Shame on me - so many of life's "tests" coming at me every time I turn any which way, i can't shake my true thoughts loose enough to scribe.... however, here I am - zoned out, zoned up, in, through and between... what's that mean? It means only that I'm not on any kind of even keel these days.
Let's break down the training this past week, shall we???

Monday 5 p.m.- Benching was screwy. I don't really want to even talk about it.
All I'll say is I still suffer from placebo effect spotting.

Wednesday -5:00 p.m. - we did power rack pulls from about 4 inches below the bottom of the kneecap. I did 3 sets with 405. My first set I wasn't quite sure what the weight was going to feel like, I did 2 and a third but I was falling forward on the last rep. I got in my head now what the weight feels like, since it had been a while that I had this in my hands to pull, and NOT with a deadlift bar today either - lets do a real set - I tried 405 for two more sets, 5 and 6 reps respectively.
On a better day, more reps would be there. Not too bad.
We then commenced to dumbell rows with 150's (that's as high as we have in the gym).
I think it was 12-12-8??? Then 'W's (using the hihg cables pull the cables in with your lats - forming a "w" with your arms and body). 3 sets - couldn't tell you what weight - I don't remember and it is not important. Then shrugs with 150's - I'm not sure how many reps.
Biceps - Seated DB curls with 35's, then 40's, then 40's...don't remember reps. And Hammer preacher machine - 3 sets.

Saturday - 10 a.m. I'm still not used to squatting at 10 a.m. in the morning....Get used to it! I'm trying to keep our schedule mixed up so we don't get used to anything timewise, repwise, exercisewise. It was soooooooo humid in the gym this day. Typically I love humidity. I RARELY ever turn on the air conditioning, and it gets quite humid in southern Delaware. But it was stifling humid, and quite warm, too. Not much air circulation at all this day... (Get used to it, Kate!)
I got out my wraps, because I need to practice wrapping - and I SUCK at it...me, being the Power Princess, I have let someone else wrap me for my whole powerlifting endeavor. I've never gotten as much as some people seem to out of wraps, but this day I said to GW that "I shouldn't be able to walk this easily!"(meaning that the wrap job basically sucked). HOWEVER - I've always said that the wraps let me know that my legs are there, to hold me up, and that's my prime reason for wrapping. I got my first set 320 for 7. Sooo, unless the heat and humidity were really wearing us thin - I didn't get a darned thing out of those wraps (even though they are APT's high quality Black Mambas - yes, that's a plug for my wonderful and kind sponsor). Next 2 sets - 340 for 4 and 5. So yes, I guess it is the humidity and heat....
Proceeded onto 3 sets of leg curls and 3 sets of leg extensions...then 3 sets of seated calves and 3 sets of hack calves. I'd remember the weight better if I posted in my journal on a more frequent basis. (I am trying - I swear!!!)