Strength Thursday – 03/29/12

photo - flickr.com/photos/undergroundbastard/

In my quest for lean superhero-ness, I’m following the Wendler 5/3/1 strength training program. Twice a week, Dave and I are hitting the craptastic gym in our Converse to lift heavy and crank through a mini-metcon.


Just another day under the barbell…

I had no flashes of insight this morning while communing with the iron. I picked some heavy stuff up, I put it down, then I picked it up again. Some days are like that, and that is completely OK.

WARMUP
5:00 elliptical
10 slow PVC back squats
10 Frankenstein squats
10 PVC overhead squats
10 good mornings
PVC shoulder mobility
a shit-ton of cat-cow


STRENGTH

Back Squat:
70% of max = 3 reps @ 95#
80% of max = 3 reps @ 110#
90% of max = max reps @120#. I did 7.

Bench Press:
70% of max = 3 reps @ 75#
80% of max = 3 reps @ 85#
90% of max = max reps @ 95#. I did 7.


CASHOUT

10 floor wipers, 65# barbell [what’s a floor wiper?]
5:00, on the minute: 5 pushups

 

How was your workout: standard or bedazzled?

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Comments

  • Atima says:

    Your bench press numbers are impressive!! How long did it take you to be able to bench press in the 90-100 pound range?! I feel like my arms are too shaky…
    …probably from the years of thinking I was too girly to do upper-body workouts!

    • Mel says:

      Thanks, Atima! I’ve been following the Wendler 5/3/1/ plan, and every week, little by little, the weight on the bar creeps up. It’s fun!

      Also, I do a lot of pushups, overhead press, and core work. The bench press is as much about core as it is about arms/chest.

      Technique comes into play, too. You need to use your whole body: feet pressed firmly into the floor, abs tight, shoulder blades squeezed together in back.

  • maria | mils says:

    love reading your blog (and incidentally your cookbook, too)!

    just learned something new – floor wipers! i normally don’t work on abs, but i’ll try incorporating this into my routine.

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