Spiderlog

Classes last night were good but not too intense. Kickboxing was the usual mix of punching and kicking the bag for 10-20 seconds alternated with pushups, rest, hindu squats, etc. I finally have some solid aerobic fitness to rely on but need to keep improving. I feel like I get enough ab work in kickboxing so I don’t do any extra while lifting.

Friend at the next bag said I was looking really ‘buff’ in the tank top. Seems like my arms show up pretty good, then I look at the women on this site lifting 10x as much and I tell myself to get busy!
After that was TKD class and we worked on strike defense the whole time. I feel like I am finally getting some flow to my responses…

My lower back felt a little pinched after yesterday’s dl again, despite trying to squeeze glutes, but it went away fast. It’s not at the spine, but actually a muscle at the back of the pelvis on the right side. I’m thinking I will just press on and see if it goes away.

Tomorrow is chinups and overhead press both of which I lovelovelove.

Have a great day if anyone is out there!

Your classes sound awesome and like a ton of fun!!

You love chinups? Wow. (Ah, the perks of being small… jealous.) Your classes sound really cool.

We are of similar age, similar bodyweight and we squat just about the same numbers. You blow me away on the deads and the bench, though. Way to go! I’ll look forward to checking in on your log.

[quote]AlisaV wrote:
You love chinups? Wow. (Ah, the perks of being small… jealous.) [/quote]

Oh I know that’s true. That’s why little kids can chin all over the place. But, I am adding weight (10 lbs so far). Something about the chin feels so natural. Unlike pullups!

Tuesday update: feeling good healthy and strong today. I didn’t get the dreaded nap-coma in the afternoon today. Missed sparring but made it to regular class. We did traditional forms and then advanced kicks. All those jump turns must be paying off because I did jump turning hooks and jump turning crescents better than ever before. This is really exciting for me because sometimes I feel so earth-bound and I watch the teenagers flying through the air. Tomorrow is a lifting day. I love lifting days. “Hey!” to kimbakimba and Alisa and nvh.

[quote]arachne12 wrote:
AlisaV wrote:
You love chinups? Wow. (Ah, the perks of being small… jealous.)

Oh I know that’s true. That’s why little kids can chin all over the place. But, I am adding weight (10 lbs so far). Something about the chin feels so natural. Unlike pullups![/quote]

I’m the other way around – pullups much easier than chinups. Probably because my back is much better than my biceps.

Happy Thursday, fellow powerful women!

Yesterday was mixed for me. Started out my workout very proud with 8 chinups and then blew it at the end by torquing my back at the same place as previously (right hand side on the pelvis in the back) on the very last rep of my deadlifts. I have been trying so hard to keep my form right dammitdammit. I know I leaned out too far while setting the weight down after the last rep. Anyway it’s pretty sore. I read this article:
http://figureathlete.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/most_recent/how_strong_are_your_glutes_really
and have been working on my left side.

Wednesday’s lifts:
Chinups 8 bodyweight only, 2x3 with 10 lb db (8 bw chinups is the most I have done yay).
Squats: sets of 5 at 75, 80, 85, 90 lbs and 1x4 at 95 lbs (< I think this is a PR woohoo).
Bench: sets of 5 at 45, 65 lb 2x3, 1x2, 1x3 85 lb (< I tried driving through my feet here, but not sure I got it right)
Deadlift: sets of 5 at 65, 85, 105, 140 lbs (< the last one was where I strained my back. I was so pissed off I added 2.5 lbs and did one more rep, so I guess that’s a new PR! :? )
Overhead press: 1x5 45 lb 1x2, 1x1, 1x2 60 lb 1x1 55 lb (< I should have improved here but I was grumpy about the deadlift thing.

Still kind of buzzing from the improvement in my jump turning kicks I achieved on Tuesday. I might sneak off to the gym and work my forms and jump turning kicks at lunch.

Hope everyone has a beautiful day!

I know I’m alittle late, but welcome!! I’m kind of new to having a log too but it was time to get serious. You crack me up talking about the dreaded nap coma, I needed to nap all time in the beginning. (^:

Thanks tootles!

Friday morning. Last night’s classes were good. Since it’s off-season for sparring we just did explosion drills and basic roundhouse kicks on the paddles for sparring class. My roundhouses were very fast, aggressive, and strong. Fast kicks, not so much. But I was still proud of myself.

We moved into regular class with traditional forms and finished up with advanced kicks. Forms were fair. I gotta work on precision with every move. Advanced kicks were stinky, because sensei came by and told us to do combos. So, I can do a good roundhouse, or a good turning hook kick but when I put them together I am either stiff and non-flowy, or I flail around. I think this is because I don’t have good control of my stance in between.

On the lifting front, I am debating whether to go to the gym today. I have made a decision on the deadlift. I see alot of you trying out the 5/3/1 program, and I am going to do that for the dl. I figure it will improve my grip, and help really nail the form at all times so I don’t strain my back again.

Have a beautiful Friday, everyone!

Have you thought about filming yourself while doing some combos and then reviewing?

I did have a question about your turning kick practice (I need to practice that, too) - do you focus on a point and practice getting your head around as you turn without kicking?

I’m so sad - I just went ahead and bought hooks to help with the grip. I could keep a hold of the first couple, but couldn’t get through all sets with just my grip. :frowning:

I’m headed to sparring now. :slight_smile: Hope you have a great rest of the day!

[quote]nvh95 wrote:
Have you thought about filming yourself while doing some combos and then reviewing?

I did have a question about your turning kick practice (I need to practice that, too) - do you focus on a point and practice getting your head around as you turn without kicking?

I’m so sad - I just went ahead and bought hooks to help with the grip. I could keep a hold of the first couple, but couldn’t get through all sets with just my grip. :frowning:

I’m headed to sparring now. :slight_smile: Hope you have a great rest of the day!

[/quote]

Hi nvh,
I haven’t filmed myself doing kicks. One of my instructors said I tend to move my shoulders around first and then follow with the hips. When I do regular turning kicks, I remember to whip head around like an ice-skater… when I do jump turns, it all goes out of my head!

Have a great sparring class. Does your school do ‘one-step sparring’?

Yup, my jump spinning kicks need work. I’m okay with the regular turning kicks, but jumping just isn’t that great for me either. I just need to practice them more.

I went to sparring, but didn’t feel so good, so I just watched.

We have some preset one-step sparring moves we’re supposed to learn. Our instructor came up with them.

I just realized you’re in Switzerland - I’m in Stuttgart, Germany. :slight_smile:

[quote]nvh95 wrote:
Yup, my jump spinning kicks need work. I’m okay with the regular turning kicks, but jumping just isn’t that great for me either. I just need to practice them more.

I went to sparring, but didn’t feel so good, so I just watched.

We have some preset one-step sparring moves we’re supposed to learn. Our instructor came up with them.

I just realized you’re in Switzerland - I’m in Stuttgart, Germany. :)[/quote]

Nah, that’s a mistake. I’m in Colorado. I fixed it. I think part of the problem with jump turns is just fear. We think we will stumble and fall so we don’t commit.
Just keep jumping and turning, jumping and turning, and eventually we fly through the air while kicking two bad guys. One with each foot. :slight_smile:

Yesterday was forms class at 7:30 which felt solid. I should no Will go for a run today, and then tomorrow starts things all over again. My back feels almost better from when I tweaked in on Wednesday.

I think I’ll try to work through it tomorrow with the 5/3/1 as I said. There’s also 6 AM kickboxing. I’m debating whether to do that because I will lift in the afternoon then do kickboxing followed by regular TKD class. Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday!

spiderlog, spiderlog, does whatever a spiderlog can… can she chin, from a bar…

Hello powerful women!
Monday update

Deadlifts: 1x5 each 85, 95 lbs, and 1x9 110 bb. This is for the 5/3/1 program based on 145 lb max. Astute readers will notice the 95 was supposed to be 105. What can I say? It’s hard to multiply correctly at the gym.

Bench: 1x5 each 45, 65 lbs and 4x3 85 bb. <this was pretty awesome, especially the last rep. But I tried putting my feet under my body and arching my back and I still felt like my arms were alone in the room. I may need a trainer.

Squats: 1x5 each 75, 80, 85, 90, 95 bb < very difficult! Dreading going to 100 on Wed!

Incline bench: 2x5 45 bb < I just started these. I’m too embarassed to tell y’all why. Oh, ok, it’s because I have old lady fat at my bra-strap line and I was thinking if I worked some upper chest it might smooth things out. Next I’ll be talking about my glute-ham tie-in.

Lunge 3x5 75 bb < still wobbly

Row 1x5 40 db

This evening is kickboxing and regular class. Have a great day!

I’m in India, but really, I’m in Thornton. :slight_smile:

[quote]pushmepullme wrote:
I’m in India, but really, I’m in Thornton. :-)[/quote]

I’m in cognito, but I live in explicable.

Greetings powerful women!
What a great day so far. I managed to hit 100 lb on my squat and do 10 count em 10 chinups woo hoo!

Deadlift 1x5 85 and 105 lb 1x10 110 lbs
Chinups 1x10 at bw and 2x4 with 10 lb db (new PR yay)
Squat sets of 5 at 80, 85, 90 and 95 lbs followed by 1x2 at 100 lb (new PR yay yay yay!)

Wishing everyone a great workout today.
Kickboxing and tkd tonight.

Hey all
Monday update:

Bench 1x5 45 and 65 lb 1x3, 5x2 85 lbs < this totally sucked. Last Monday I did 4 sets of three reps and when I tried three reps the second time I got stuck under the bar and had to roll out from under it. I felt like an idiot and I don’t think I am getting any better at this. I am trying to tuck my feet under and look like pushmepullme’s pic and nothing is improving. So I just forced myself to do more volume if I can’t do more reps/set.

Dead 1x3 90 and 105 lbs, 1x4 130 lbs < second week of 5/3/1 at est 145 max. Back feels good. Grip still weak.
Squat 1x5 80, 85, 95 lb and 1x4 100 lbs < continuing improvement here. May try 105 on Wednesday yay.
Inclinebench 2x5 at 50 lb < I’m just learning this one.
Lunges 1x5 40 lb dbs < wobbly cuz of scrawny ankles.
Rows 2x5 40 lb dbs < this are quite difficult by the second set.
I threw in 2x5 pullups just for AlisaV. Oh, and I did most of my traditional forms, boxing drill, punching combos, and jumping 360’s in between. Very fun.

Hope everyone has a great day out there.