Montreal Barbell The PR GYM

Squat

Bar x reps

105 x 5

Briefs on, belt on

145 x 5

Briefs, belt, suit on

185 x 3 (straps down)

235 x 3 (straps up from here on)

295 x 2

325 x 1 (knee wraps)

365 x 1 (knee wraps - PR)

It's been two weeks since we've squatted and that's all it takes for me to lose interest in the squat, ha!  It felt pretty good though, and the 3 ephedrine I took didn't hurt!  All of the weights felt great.  I let loose a little on the 325 but it felt pretty light.  I needed to leave early to take Abbie "trick-or-treating" so Ross suggested I jump to 365.  It felt good, too.  Something in my head is different, less fear or more determination, I'm not sure what it is but it feels great...

When I left the gym I told Abbie that I squatted 365 and she said, "Mom that's great!  I'm so proud of you!".  And it dawned on me that I'm proud of me too, but not because it was 365 lb.  I'm proud that I've learned how to push through and not give up when it gets tough or scary.  I learned that from watching Joanick, Ghislain, Ross, Cheryl, Leo and Steve push through week after week, whether its head stuff, physical stuff, life stuff...no excuses, and no giving up...

Pair that lesson up with good form and technique and I've got a 400 lb squat hiding in me somewhere which really excites me!

Bench

Bar x reps

95 x 5

115 x 2

Shirt on

165 x 1 (couldn't touch)

190 x 1 (couldn't touch)

215 x 1

235 x miss x 2

Let my sleeves out a bit

225 x 1

Boards: 

135 x 6 x 2 (3 board)

155 x 3 (3 board - went for 5 but failed on the last 2)

Shirt was really tight in the shoulders, it felt like I couldn't get my elbows out enough.  All the weights were really slow on the way up, too.  I was feeling strong at the beginning of the day and actually wanted to try 250 lb tonight, but my body felt tired and wasn't getting a lot of leg drive once I got on the bench.  The shirt threw me off too; I've never not been able to touch with 165 or 190, and it made me more tired trying to get it down then actually pressing it!  It was a good night anyways though, none of the weights felt heavy and it's all work regardless.

Sidenote:  Abbie, my daughter, has been trying to cross the monkey bars at the park next door for over a year and has never been able to.  She gets scared, or gets stuck on the second bar and falls.  Thursday she made it halfway across then fell, knocked her chin and started crying.  I showed her how far across she made it and she decided to give it another go and FINALLY made it all the way across, not once but twice!  I was so proud of her and she was thrilled with herself!  It's something small but she didn't give up and even after falling, crying and being scared she attacked that monkey bar and made it!   

Back in the gym today.  (Still being haunted by that stupid deadlift!) 

Bench:

Bar x 10

75 x 10

95 x 10

105 x 8

115 x 6

That's all she wrote.  Got some blood flowing again and it felt good even after a big bench on Sunday.  The most I've ever managed with 115 for reps is 7 at 134 lbs this summer so I'm really happy with that.  The last two were tough but no way was I giving up on them...

Weight this morning = 123.6

2 hours later = 123.0

After hot bath = 121.0, 122.4, 122.8, 123.0 (I kept getting on/off scale to get a consistent reading and that wasn't happening so I quit weighing myself)

Three layers of clothing, heat cranked in car whole way to Sherbrooke (2 hrs), super uncomfortable = 123.0 exactly at weigh in.

Today sucked, can't imagine what its like to cut a considerable amount of weight.  I only had 2 lb to cut and I wasn't feeling too hot today!  I'm a weenie when it comes to food and water and anything uncomfortable, i.e. hot temperatures.  Glad I made the 123 wt class though.  It was an experience. 

After weigh in I chugged a gatorade, pedialyte, protein shake with waxxy maize & glutamine, water, PB&J sandwich, chips and a coffee (my head was pounding).  On the menu tonight is steak, rice and ice cream for the hell of it.  At this rate I'll be up to 130 tomorrow morning!

As of 2 o'clock today no more water.  I'll replace dinner with a shake tonight and continue no water or food until after the weigh in tomorrow.  I was 124 lb this morning so I'm right on track to be a couple pounds under the 123 cut off.  We're heading to Sherbrooke tomorrow to weigh in at 2:00 p.m. then the plan will be to chug a Pedialyte and get some food in my belly....looking forward to all of it!  Let you know how my weight is in the morning...

5 days out from the CPA Push/Pull meet and weight is 124.4 lb this morning, I'm sleeping solid through the night, back and hip are starting to relax and head feels strong.  I've only just found my form on the deadlift so every night while I'm laying in bed I visualize the motion for both the deadlift and the bench, thinking about how it should look and how it should feel.  Still need to tighten the sleeves on my bench shirt but other than that I'm ready. 

I keep saying "I'm dieting right now" and that's not really true.  When I think of the word "diet" I think of a quick fix or something short term that involves being hungry all the time.  

In August I went on a "diet", I say diet because it was so I could get through bathing suit shopping for an upcoming trip without having a nervous breakdown in the dressing room, and it worked.  I was able to buy two bathing suits that I felt great in.  Then I went back to eating the way I was before and ended up feeling gross.  I decided to go back on the "diet", only this time because I realized when I eat better I feel better.  So the "diet" turned into a change in eating habits.  As an added bonus my clothes fit better, I get to compete in a lower weight class and my lifts have gone up in the gym!