Training Update April 14, 2012

This week had some up and downs. I started good nearly getting 250 3x5 in my squat on Tuesday. Then out of paranoia of asymmetric squats I de-loaded on Thursdays training. Saturday was a bang (the good kind).

Tuesday

Squat 250 5/5/4/1

Bench Press 210 3x5

RDL 145 3x10

Chins 3x3

Thursday

Squat 185 3x5


Press 130 3x5

RDL 150 3x10

Chins 3x3


Saturday

Squat 250 3x5

Bench Press 215 3x5

Chins 3x3

This week ended in a bang because on Saturday Kellie and I worked out at QC Barbell under the guidance of coach Grant McCaulley. We did this because Kellie was having some lower back pain and I just started noticing some problems with her squatting form. I knew the form wasn't quite right and that could have been source of her injury. I have my own issues that I figured would be ameliorated by getting some good coaching. Most prominent was my left leg doing most of the squatting, an issue I fear would lead to injuries to my lower back. 

It was awesome! QC Barbell is located in Bettendorf Iowa in an industrial part of the town. Grant has a 2000 sq. ft. room full of racks, flat benches, plates, and other equipment like dumbbells and giant tractor tires. As we walked in one of his trainers was intensely coaching a client as she was benching. Then as we got our shoes changed and talked with Grant about our training history and problems a 40-50 year old woman began to warm-up for squats. By the time we were ready to get working she was on her work sets. A middle aged woman was squatting 200 pounds for reps. You don't see that is run of the mill gyms. By the way this woman was not bulky or fat or anything but strong, fit and I dare say attractive. So getting strong is possible even past your prime (I also heard her say that she had a herniated disk a few months ago) with various injuries. Your body is capable of great things.

So for me I have been thinking about de-loading and progressing back up in weight to fix my symmetry issues. I figured Grant would agree and we would work on nice slow easy reps at 185-200 pounds. He had me warm up on a bike and do some body weight squats. A few cues here and there helped polish things up. Then I proceeded to warm-up with the bar, 135, 185, and finally 225. I asked him if this would be the work-set weight he said "Nah, I think you can get 250." I belted up and went to work. It was amazing how much faster and stronger I was with Grant yelling at me as I squatted, the belt and loud music sure didn't hurt either. I got 3x5 and felt great, once I caught my breath and had a drink. I then worked briefly on pressing just to get some form advice and then nailed down 215 3x5 on the bench press. 

Kellie was pretty nervous about this. She was afraid she wasn't strong enough yet and didn't really want to have other people see how weak she was. Grant got her squatting form down then pushed her up to 90 pounds 3x5 for a personal record (PR). She ended up pressing 50 2x5 (which is also a PR by five pounds from just two days before) and bench pressing 72.5 3x5 (another PR). Then the deadlift. Kellie likes the deadlift but it is tough. We have been moving her gingerly along 5 pounds per training session with 113 pounds being her latest. He started her out at 95 and moved her along in sets of 5 up to 145 pounds. She pulled them hard and fast (also learned that flexing her triceps keeps her arms locked out and helps squeeze the bar off the floor rather than jerking it which is not good).

QC Barbell is great. If you live in driving distance of the quad cities and need to get motivated or pushed on your lifts call Grant and he'll get you pointed in the direction you want to go.