I had been training heavy squats on Sundays, but because I deadlifted on Friday, my squat day this week was pushed to Monday.
I plan to have an end-goal of 285-290 for this training cycle. This is the (very) elusive goal range I have been pursuing in contests for almost 2 years now. I was able to squat a contest PR and MN State Record 281 at the 2007 USAPL Women's Nationals (Feb.). Since then, I had lifted in only 3 other full/powerlifting meets - two of them IPF (2007 Worlds in Austria and 2008 NAPF North American Regionals in Aruba). In each one, I missed attempts at 285 or 286.5 in some way, shape or form, getting stuck with 265... and, most fresh on my mind, 255 in exotic Hudson, Wisconsin.
Yet I have squatted 285-290 about 4-5 different times in training in the last 2 years, with meet-legal depth. These are the things that make a lifter want to come back for more, in this sport. Try, try again (with a vengeance)!!!
Squats
45x10
45x5
75x3
105x1
135x1 (very light knee wraps)
Titan Dual Quad suit and knee wraps on...
165x1
195x1
225x1
Heavy single for today...
245x1 (straps up; weight came up easy/fast)
Drop set...
215x3 (I was suppossed to do another set but was pressed for time and was also still sore from the compressed schedule this week)
Heavy Walkout
275 with slow count of 10
Static Hold
305 with slow count of 10
(The difference between the heavy walkout and the static hold is, as you could guess, I walk out the weight and set-up in my "start" stance with heavy walkouts; the static hold is simply lifting the weight off the rack and standing there.)
Leg Curls (laying)
60x10
70x10x2
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2 comments:
Watched this squat vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR2BrQj7mTY and this older one http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY3bd6ay9N4 from last year. I'm struck that you're stance was a tad wider in the earlier and you looked more comfy and strong. Also i'm no expert at walking the weight out but in the NAPF you looked down alot which i'd think would cause you to have a lesser arch. Less arch means a lesser squat.
I do like your minimalist training and find myself gradually going in that direction by ness :)
Thanks for taking a look and all that great feedback, GG. LOL, that is awesome... "minimalist training!" That's what it is! It's like a 20x20 white canvas with a tiny 1" or 2" blue dot, just off-center. Tiny but entirely distracting, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it does the job :) And there is a reason for it: I train as I compete. In PL competition, there are no reps -- just one good, solid "rep" / attempt. Also in PL competition, we are handling heavy, near-max to max weights with precision, which only low reps can accommodate.
I have to tell you, that NAPF meet was a very unusual experience, so it wasn't squatting as usual... it was the most beautiful place to visit (Aruba) but an extremly challenging place to lift, as far as temperature!! There was no air conditioning, and it was JUNE. Picture a PL meet held in a giant sauna. The warm up room had to be about 105 degrees (I tell no lies). Remember how, on WTU, I always used to comment on some random incident putting hair on one's chest? Kimberly Walford (phenom deadlifter) was there, and as soon as we walked into the venue, no sooner was I muttering "OMG," she was saying, "That's alright -- we hardcore. We HARDCORE!"
Add to that, I chose the wrong height rack for my squats, so on my first attempt, in addition to sweating buckets and trying to breathe in the heat and humidity, I hit the racks with the bar/plates and went all over the place... lost my balance, couldn't squat (as you could see from the video). I have never had that happen before. I went down 1/2 way or something and involuntarily stopped and began ascending, and the weight felt 20 lbs. heavier than it was. It was only 242.5 lbs. I had to repeat it after getting my head screwed on straight (lesson in mind over matter). On my 2nd attempt, I squatted 264.5. I never got to try my goal of 286.5 because of all that mess.
Otherwise, I am sure to maintain a good arch and only look down as I walk the weight out and set up.
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