Annie's Training Log

[anniemichael]

@chromoly I totally looked up that Oregon meet!!! It’s a state championship though so no out of state lifters.

I’m 90% decided...I also have a trainee (12th grader) competing in that meet, so I’ll be there regardless.

I just really REALLY want to bench 60, and I don’t know if I can do that in a month...

[chromoly]

YESSSSSSS. YES YES.

I also want to bench 60, but I don't know if I can do that either. For me it's a case of re-building strength, but I don't even lift that much anymore.

You could always get on a high frequency benching program... how's your shoulder holding up?

[anniemichael]

Shoulder is actually great these days — no pain as long as I avoid a couple things (namely, barbell rows and anything resembling a push-up). Mild pain on occasion, but I placebo myself past that shit pretty quickly now

12-week strength template has already added almost 5kg to my comp bench, and all the assistance work is clearly helping....but seriously, my press to bench ratio is still just absurd (42 press and 54 bench? Yeesh).

[anniemichael]

Alright, I did it -- competing in Kennewick WA on Feb 23. USPA meet, so thankfully I don't have to get a new belt.

Goals:

Squat: 130
Bench: 60 (this is really a stretch)
Deadlift: 143

[anniemichael]

1/16/19:

Pin Bench:

52x5x1 @9
46 3x3 @9

(I hate pin bench)

Pause Squat:

100x1 @8
80 3x3 @8

Chins (Green band):
7
5
5

--

1/18/19:

Strict Press:

25x8 @7
26x8 @8
27x8 @8.5
27x8 @9
27x8 @9

Pause DL:

105x1 @9
95 3x3 @8

TnG Bench:

55x1 @9
50 3x3 @9

[chromoly]

Powerlifting meets are in 2.5 kg increments, unless they changed the rules. You’ll have to go for 142.5 or 145!

[anniemichael]

Lol, of course.

Realistically, 142.5 is more in reach...

[anniemichael]

1/20/19:

Starting Week 7. My "weeks" have gotten back down to like 8 days...and this past one was an actual 7 days! Hooray! Still not always hitting all my slots, but chugging along and putting in the work. Definitely not consistent with GPP.

Weighed myself for the first time like 5 months today, and as I suspected, I've gained a bit. I need to lose about 2.5kg if I want to lift in the 82.5 class. I'll give it my best effort. I've already been on a slight calorie deficit for the last 10 days or so. I'll weigh myself daily and adjust down further if need be. Note that dieting is really hard for me (I mean, isn't it for everyone?). Biggest issue is that I tend to get migraines when hungry/underfed. We'll see how this goes.

--

Comp Squat:

121x1 @8 (Initially rated a 9 but upon video review, it really was just an 8. Sigh. Chronic over-rating tendencies still haven't been fixed...)
102.5 4x4 @8,8.5,8.5,8.5

Comp Bench:

55x1 @9 PR!
47.5 4x4 @8

RDLs:

75x8 @6
77.5x8 @7.5
81x8 @9

Skipped my remaining sets due to low back fatigue. Not bad at all, but I didn't think RDLs were worth risking another pain episode like I had a couple weeks ago. Heavy squats seem to cause big time back fatigue for me these days.

[Wilhelm]

Nice bench pr, @anniemichael! \o/

[anniemichael]

You could always get on a high frequency benching program...

I'm probably going to swap out my press assistance work for another bench supplementary lift for the near future -- just keep Comp Press, but otherwise, that should give me 4, maybe 5 bench slots per week. I miss slingshot (it switched to fucking pin bench last week), so I may work those back in.

We do also have chains that we have never actually used... !

[heidikay]

1/20/19:
Comp Squat:

121x1 @8 (Initially rated a 9 but upon video review, it really was just an 8. Sigh. Chronic over-rating tendencies still haven't been fixed...)

I'm also terrible about RPE: Things often feel much harder and slower than they look upon video review. On the upside, you are stronger than you think!

Congrats on your bench PR!

[chromoly]

Yessss! At least 57.5 at the meet, if not 60! Are you practicing the commands?

[anniemichael]

Yessss! At least 57.5 at the meet, if not 60! Are you practicing the commands?

Not yet -- will start next week I think. I've got a 17-year-old trainee also competing in the same meet, so I'll have to teach her at the same time too. Yay for novices competing!

[anniemichael]

Week 7 Day 2(ish)

Felt like shit this afternoon. Might be getting sick, might have had crappy sleep, might just be suffering under caloric deficit. Whatever the case, I napped for like an hour and then forced myself to lift.

I ended up having a GREAT deadlift session and another mini press PR before hunger/fatigue got the better of me. I'll try to finish the workout tomorrow.

Comp DL:

135x1 @7.5 felt too easy and it's soooo close to 300lbs so...
136.5x1 @8! not a PR, but 137 is my all time and meet PR, and this was a pretty solid 8, so...yay!
115 4x4 @8





Comp Press:

42.5x1 @9

[anniemichael]

Catching up from yesterday, plus some junk reps thrown in for good measure...

1/22/19:

AM BW: 186.6lbs

Comp Press:
36 4x4 @8

Beltless Squat:
I've been getting serious low back fatigue from all squats, but especially beltless. Annoying, but trying to work around it. Cut # of worksets down today to manage it.
50x8 @6
60x8 @7
60x8 @8
60x8 @8

2-Count Pause Bench:
30x8 @6
32.5x8 @7
35x8 @8

[anniemichael]

Catching up...

1/24/19:

AM BW: 187.0

Pause Squat:
102.5x1 @8.5 (should have been lower, lost hip drive halfway up)
82.5 3x3 @8.5

SLDL:
First time doing this exercise. Back angle past horizontal lolz. Serious lower back pump, ow.
70x8 @6
75x8 @7
77.5 3x8 @8

Scrapped pin bench - bit of my recurrent shoulder pain creeping back in, just being overly cautious. Realizing I need to be careful about this increase in bench volume as I go into meet prep.

Migraine on Friday, so day 4 got pushed to Saturday.

1/26/19:

AM BW: 186.4

Pause DL:
107.5x1 @7 oops
100x3 @8.5
100x3 @8.5
100x3 @9

Pin Bench:
53.5x1 @9
47.5 3x3 @9

Slingshot Bench:
50x5 @6
55x5 @7
57.5x5 @8

Doing these mostly for shoulder pain management. Slingshot bench is one of the things that most reliably prevents/alleviates my periodic shoulder pain. Plus it's fun.

Ab Wheel:
3x5

--

Week 8:

After this week, I'll switch to peaking template. I'm going to keep Pause DL in instead of deficit deads, because I find them beneficial and also because I've never actually done deficit DL, and don't want to introduce a new movement at this point.

1/27/19:

AM BW: 186.0

Finally feeling the effects of slight caloric deficit. SO sore, and everything was SO heavy today.

Comp Squat:

120x1 @8 (ugh, this was my single @8 2 weeks ago...)
122x1 @9
103.5x4 @8
103.5x4 @8.5
103.5x4 @9





Comp Bench:

53.5x1 @9 LOLZ this was terrible. But, predictable, since I did 2 bench slots less than 24 hours earlier...
52.5x1 @8.5
45x4 @8
45x4 @8
45x4 @8

RDL:

77.5x8 @6
80x8 @7.5
82.5x8 @8

Low back fatigue got too great, so scrapped last two sets again.

[anniemichael]

1/28/19:

AM BW: 186.6

Comp Deadlift:
137x1 @7 (this was supposed to be my 1@8, but...)
140x1 @8 PR!
142.5x1 @9 (maybe) PR!!!

Totally unexpected. Yay!!! Vids on IG.

Comp Press:
last time pressing before the meet...
42.5x1 @8
43.5x0 @10 meh. probably could have got it on a second go, but...whatev
35 3x4 @8

Was getting late and tired, so didn't do third slot. This is also my third day lifting in a row, so I'm pretty beat up right now.

[chromoly]

WHOA WHOA WHOA NICE PR

[anniemichael]

WHOA WHOA WHOA NICE PR

Thanks!!!

but...

after that success, I got sick and promptly lost like 4 days of training. Oops!!!

Last week was also tech week and performances for our school's Middle School Musical Revue (which I produce/direct) so...fatigue/overall stress very high.

1/30/19:

AM BW: 185.7

2 second pause bench:
35x8 @6
37.5x8 @7
40 3x8 @8

Felt fine, didn't have time for anything else.

Got sick later that night...

Was supposed to start peaking template today (Sunday), but still feeling quite ill, so I did some Day 3 stuff that I had missed and will plan to start peaking tomorrow.

2/3/19:

Overall, strength levels were not really affected by illness, but I was just getting lightheaded after every set, basically. Not bad.

Pause Squat:
100x1 @8
85 3x3 @9

TnG Bench:
55x1 @8
56x1 @9
51 3x3 @9

[simonrest]

good push through.